Detecting facial expressions and emotions of farm animals has the potential to improve animal welfare, according to Wageningen University & Research Associate Professor Suresh Neethirajan.
EFSA has updated its safety assessment of controversial food additive titanium dioxide, E171. The verdict: “Titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive.”
Meat and dairy are regularly targeted for their environmental impact. In the UK, for example, the government’s Committee on Climate Change has recommended a 20% cut in meat and dairy by 2030, rising to 35% by 2050 for meat only. Sugar may be next, warns...
Danish food tech start-up Lyras has developed a pasteurisation technology that it says has a lower environmental impact than traditional pasteurisation while also cutting food waste and delivering on safety and nutrition.
With the food industry under increased pressure to promote healthier diets, address obesity and reduce diet-related diseases, more evidence emerges to suggest environmental factors, specifically screen time and poor sleep, may go hand-in-hand with overconsumption.
By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager
The need to preserve protein functionality is prompting food makers to explore ‘milder processing’ than traditional heat treatment. In his second monthly column, René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager and member of the FoodNavigator expert advisory...
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is an internationally recognised method of identifying and managing food safety risk. In an area that is both strictly regulated and highly complex, setting up an HACCP system requires a ’great knowledge’...
SwissDeCode has closed its first venture round. The funds will be used to accelerate development of its technology for real-time certification of food authenticity and quality. We caught up with the start-up’s co-founders to learn about the company’s...
A new sensory analysis method that assesses the quality of raw materials and food products has been developed by Norwegian researchers. Branded ‘Veritaste’, the novel test returns subjective assessments…and the occasional ‘strong opinion’!
The European Food Safety Authority has published its first scientific opinion on an insect-derived food. The conclusion? Mealworms are safe for human consumption.
The European Commission has initiated a process to update EU laws governing chemicals in food contact materials (FCM). “The EU’s FCM laws are outdated and ineffective in protecting people and the environment,” according to one lobby group.
The food sector – and society more generally – needs to take a joined-up approach to issues around plastics, pollution, food safety and waste, Dow Packaging and Specialty’s Sustainability Director Jeff Wooster tells FoodNavigator. “These issues are interconnected;...
Smart labels that use state of the art technology to give shoppers a host of new information about products could create a direct line of communication between consumers and producers and help foster a new era of trust between them, according to a new...
With the French Assembly set to vote on 28 January on legislation aiming to ban the use of nitrates in food products, the Federation of Industrial Charcutiers (FICT) claims there are no health risks associated with the use of nitrites at the current recommended...
Safety standards in UK slaughterhouses risk being compromised by the ‘stringent’ rules requiring a permanent veterinary presence in all abattoirs, a food lawyer has claimed.
An unprecedented shortage of meat production, prompted by the COVID-19 outbreak, is driving up the risk of meat fraud – particularly in species substitution.
Researchers in Denmark cannot rule out the potential for health risk if meat and dairy products are replaced with soy-based alternatives in children’s diets.
An IoT, blockchain, and AI-powered digital food supply chain platform is being developed to boost the traceability of ingredients in pre-packaged sandwiches.
Reports that COVID-19 has been detected on frozen food packaging and products, including on pork knuckles coming from Germany, have prompted import bans in China. However, Germany’s BfR says infection via pork meat is ‘unlikely’.
The UK food industry is facing an increased risk of food fraud due to the disruptions associated with COVID-19 and Brexit. Equipment manufacturer Elementar UK is urging the industry to act.
Hospital food in the UK’s National Health Service could be ripe for innovation after an independent review called for tastier, healthier and better-quality meals to be served to millions of NHS patients and staff.
A fresh study looking at the authenticity of popular herb sage finds that more than a quarter of products sampled in the UK are adulterated. The results, the researchers say, emphasise that global herb supply chains are susceptible to food fraud.
Dark kitchens, direct-to-consumer sales and online ordering have been given a significant boost by to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. It is incumbent that as food businesses innovate and find new routes to market to stay afloat in these...
Today’s consumers expect heightened levels of traceability – particularly when it comes to meat. Dutch retailer Albert Heijn is working with its suppliers and DNA testing expert IdentiGEN to provide shoppers with certainty around the meat they eat.
The European Commission has authorised a new GMO for food and feed – a genetically modified soybean developed by Bayer. While some welcome the approval, others fear the risk of contamination threatens the GMO-free food production chain.
In Africa, naturally fermented camel milk sold by farmers at local markets often contain disease-causing microorganisms. Now, researchers have isolated ‘new’ strains of lactic acid bacteria they say can make the milk safer.
A UK CBD industry body is leading a consortium of companies to conduct a ‘landmark’ study on the safety of cannabidiol. This mean manufacturers in the country are in a ‘position to take the global lead’ on CBD in food, FoodNavigator was told.
Princes is leveraging blockchain developments to improve traceability and communicate its sourcing story to customers and consumers. Starting with its Napolina brand – but with plans for a further rollout – the company is working with Provenance to communicate...
Researchers in Denmark have developed a food fraud detection method for vanilla and black pepper, both of which can be adulterated for ‘high economic gain’, DTU’s Amelia Sina Wilde tells FoodNavigator.
How is African Swine Fever transmitted? And can eating foods from infected animals make you sick? BfR has answered a selection of FAQs following the first confirmed case of African Swine Fever in Germany.
Climate change is putting food safety at risk and action is needed to prepare the food system for the challenges ahead, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). FoodNavigator speaks to the FAO’s Vittorio Fattori, Food Safety and...
African Swine Fever has been confirmed in Germany, Europe’s largest pork producer, raising the likelihood of widespread disruption in the market and downward pressure on pork prices. FoodNavigator founds out why.
A soup and shake weight-loss diet prescribed by the UK National Health Service to tackle type 2 diabetes has stirred a row over long ingredients lists.
Results of an investigation into beef, sheep, pork, and poultry products in France has revealed more than 30% fail to comply with labelling and traceability requirements.
French food agency ANSES has published recommendations for edible algae, raising concerns about cadmium levels in seaweed eaten as vegetables or used in processed foods and supplements.
A recent report has identified the eating and farming of animals as the single most risky human behaviour in relation to pandemics. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, however, is not convinced.
Technological advances are transforming the food sector – and nowhere is this more evident than in the field of food safety. FoodNavigator caught up with Alex Bromage, Food Safety and Quality Director at Tetra Pak, to find out what innovations he is getting...
Following on from a successful pilot of Apeel’s food waste reduction technology, Germany retailer Edeka and the US food tech company are extending their ‘joint commitment’ against food waste.
Avena Nordic Grain, part of Finnish food industry group Apetit, has developed a new, sustainable, plant-protein-fibre ingredient: BlackGrain from Yellow Fields. FoodNavigator learns more about the unique ingredient’s nutritional and functional characteristics.
A new AI platform has been created to help food businesses manage the risk of COVID-19 in their workforce. We spoke to the platform’s developer to find more.
Fish caught from the seas surrounding Turkey have been found to be contaminated with heavy metals above the recommended maximum limit, in particular, lead and cadmium.
The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) is optimistic it can persuade the UK’s Food Standards Agency to change its guidance on use-by dates on red meat products by October.
The use of antibiotics and other adulterants in meat is a global health problem. Consumers increasingly demand products that are free-from contaminants and additives. But how can you be sure the meat you eat is hormone or antibiotic free?
