Food safety

Mérieux NutriSciences grows presence with Turkish deal

30-Oct-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Mérieux NutriSciences has acquired a Turkish food testing laboratory to expand safety and quality services in the region.

EFSA reassesses European curcumin exposure levels

29-Oct-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has reassessed exposure to curcumin and found consumption is lower than previously thought – although some children consume close to the acceptable daily intake (ADI).

‘We want to democratise spirulina’, says blue water start-up

28-Oct-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Start-up firm Springwave says it wants to bring spirulina to the masses with its blue bottled water.

Do zero-calorie sweeteners increase diabetes risk?

27-Oct-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

“Artificial sweeteners may boost diabetes risk” ran the headline in the New York Times last month – but experts have said to take recent research with a pinch of salt.

Should energy drinks be age-restricted like alcohol? WHO official asks in report

24-Oct-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Energy drink consumption among young people, particularly in connection with alcohol, presents a significant public health concern that warrants further research and regulation, according to a report authored by World Health Organisation (WHO) officials.

Ladislav Miko tipped as acting SANCO head, following chief resignation

24-Oct-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The position of head of the directorate general for health and consumers (DG SANCO) will likely pass to Czech environmental politician Ladislav Miko following the resignation of Paola Testori Coggi, according to the European Commission.

EU project seeks to improve GM food safety testing

20-Oct-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

An EU-funded project that aims to improve safety testing for genetically modified (GM) foods has published its first results.

Food safety conference

Top food safety threat is antimicrobial resistance

17-Oct-2014 By Michael Stones

Four threats, including antimicrobial resistance, and two opportunities will be some of the biggest influences on UK food safety in the years ahead, delegates heard at the Food Manufacture Group’s safety conference this week.

San Francisco study associates sugar-sweetened soda with cell aging

16-Oct-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

University of California researchers have warned that regular sugar-sweetened soda drinking could increase the risk of disease development and accelerate cellular aging.

Ebola outbreak threatens West African food security with severe inflation and labour shortages: FAO

15-Oct-2014 By Paul Gander

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has launched an appeal for $30m (€23,72m) to support food supply resilience and recovery in the three African countries most affected by the Ebola outbreak, where long-term impacts on food security are...

We can cope with extra novel food workload, says EFSA official

13-Oct-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Food Safety Authority is willing and able to cope with the extra workload of novel food assessment that could come under its control, an official said at a European Parliament workshop.

European Council declassifies TTIP trade negotiation document

10-Oct-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The Council of the European Union has published the negotiating directives for EU-US trade talks (TTIP) after months of criticism from NGOs and campaigners over an alleged lack of transparency.

Novel food proposals

Does 'history of safe consumption' mean foods are safe?

10-Oct-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Proposals to create a separate process for novel food approval from countries outside of the EU will not see the market flooded with unsafe foods, a European Commission official told a concerned audience at a European Parliament workshop.

Juncker’s Commission announced: Lithuanian takes health and food safety spot

10-Sep-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Lithuanian politician Vytenis Andriukaitis will be the next commissioner for health and food safety, according to an official announcement today which saw several structure changes to the cabinet.

‘Expect the unexpected’ when inspecting food, FERA tells industry following Elliott Review

08-Sep-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The food industry needs to take a holistic approach when examining supply chains and not just target specific contaminant risks, the UK government’s Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) has said following the horse meat Elliott Review.

Review published in light of horse meat fraud

Elliott Review calls for action to stop food fraud

04-Sep-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

The UK government has promised action on food laboratories and supply chain audits following the publication of a long-awaited report assessing food integrity.  

EU traceability requirements rank top in global table of food safety regulations

20-Aug-2014 By Nathan Gray

European Union countries rank highest when it comes to global food traceability regulations and requirements, according to a new report from The Global Food Traceability Center (GFTC).

Forget genetically modified, here’s to genetically edited

14-Aug-2014 By Nathan Gray

Recent advances that allow the precise editing of genomes have raised the possibility that fruit and other crops might be genetically improved without the need to introduce foreign genes, according to researchers.

If France moves towards US-style class actions, innovation will be stifled: Lawyer

07-Aug-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Plans to expand the scope of class actions in France could be part of a wider trend towards group claims of damages to health as seen already in the US, according to a law firm urging food and beverage companies to engage on the policy.

DSM Q2 nutrition profits slip 11% as key markets struggle

05-Aug-2014 By Shane STARLING

Sales slipped 6% and net profits 11% in Q2 for DSM’s human and animal nutrition arm as adverse currency movements, a slow US vitamins and omega-3 food supplements market and the Asian botulism infant formula scare affected earnings.

Grant winners to share almost £2m for food industry research

05-Aug-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Five applicants will share a grant of almost £2m to investigate challenges around the UK food system.

EFSA rejects French move to ban GM crop in Europe

04-Aug-2014 By Nathan Gray

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said French documentation supporting the country's attempt to ban Monsanto's MON810 genetically modified maize in Europe contains no new information or scientific basis to support such a ban.

Food fight: Russia responds to EU and US sanctions with food import bans

04-Aug-2014 By Nathan Gray

Russia has responded to increased sanctions from the EU and US with by prohibiting certain foods entering the country, including bans on fruit and vegetables from Poland and poultry and dairy products from the US and Ukraine.

"Fraudulent practices must be tackled to target the weakest links in the food supply chain": EU commissioner.

The horse meat 7: Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Latvia, Hungary, Portugal and Slovenia test positive for horse DNA

25-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Latvia, Hungary, Portugal and Slovenia have all tested positive for horse meat labelled as beef in the latest round of DNA tests conducted by the European Commission.

UN tightens regulation on lead in infant formula lead and arsenic in rice

22-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The United Nation’s food standards body has adopted new maximum levels for lead in infant formula and arsenic in rice. 

Insecticides are a bigger threat to the natural food chain than thought, warns study

17-Jul-2014 By Nathan Gray

Legislation needs to take into account the harmful effects some insecticides have on insect-eating birds as the risk is greater than previously thought, according to a new study.

German worry over ‘chlorine chicken’ hits Europe-US trade talks

16-Jul-2014 By Nathan Gray

European concerns about the impact of any potential free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the USA on food and the environment may throw current negotiations off track.

FSA: Horse meat was biggest incident in our history

07-Jul-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the horse meat incident dominated last year and it is continuing to learn lessons from what it called ‘the biggest incident in its history’.

Acrylamide may increase cancer risk, says EFSA opinion

01-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A draft EFSA opinion has “confirmed previous evaluations” that dietary intake of acrylamide may increase the risk of developing cancer for consumers. 

"Environment Council has just broken the deadlock on the GMO cultivation proposal": Commission

European Commission reaches ‘political agreement’ on GM cultivation proposal

13-Jun-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Commission’s Environmental Council has “broken the deadlock” on GM crop cultivation proposals with a political agreement around how member states can restrict or ban such crop production on their soil.

Misconceptions fuel suspicions about food additives

10-Jun-2014 By Nicola Cottam

Greater awareness of risk assessment procedures and the regulations governing them would appease consumers’ fears about artificial additives, say Swiss researchers.

MSG intake linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome

03-Jun-2014 By Nathan Gray

Intake of monosodium glutamate may be linked to obesity and disorders associated with metabolic syndrome, suggests new research in rats.

French research 'concern' as court dismisses case against GM-activists

27-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

French researchers have expressed 'serious concern' at a recent decision by a court to clear 54 activists who destroyed 70 experimental genetically modified (GM) grapevines in 2010.

EFSA invites comments on draft allergy evaluation

23-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is inviting comments on a draft scientific opinion for the evaluation of allergenic foods and food ingredients for labelling purposes.

What does the evidence say? Scientists issue statement on the science for neonicotinoids and pollinator deaths

21-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

An international team of scientists have called for an 'evidence-driven debate' on the links between neonicotinoids and pollinator bee deaths, as they publish a 'restatement' of the scientific evidence.

Savoury investment: Frutarom opens new German starter culture lab

20-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

A new laboratory complex in the German meat processing heartland will enable Frutarom Savoury Solutions become more efficient in development processes and facilitate closer working relationships with customers, says the firm.

EFSA pesticides report shows more than half of crops contain ‘no measurable’ residues

20-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

An EU wide report on pesticides in food has found that more than 53% of the samples tested had no measurable trace of pesticide residues, while 1.1% of those tested were found to be above the legal limits for pesticide levels.

Economic interests have been given precedence over public health

Séralini says GM study retraction was based on 'unscientific double standards'

19-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

The decision to retract research linking the consumption of herbicide and genetically modified crops to cancer in rats was based on 'double standards' and pressure from the GM food industry, claims the man behind the study.

Food safety needs continued emphasis in Horizon 2020 - SAFE

14-May-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Priority topics to ensure the emphasis on food safety in Horizon 2020 work programmes have been laid out by The European Association for Food Safety, The SAFE consortium.

EU adopts new measures to limit cadmium in food

14-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

The European Commission has adopted new measures to reduce consumer’s maximum levels of exposure to cadmium in foods such as chocolate and infant formula.

Sucrose vs. artificial sweeteners: examining energy intake & expenditure

12-May-2014 By Maggie Hennessy

The steady climb in worldwide obesity rates is often dually attributed to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the energy content of modern diets, with a growing body of research linking increased sugar consumption with higher body weight (see here...

Demonisation of sweeteners must stop

12-May-2014 By Sue Scott

The first soft drinks made with sweeteners to enjoy a promotional “healthy discount” could persuade more manufacturers to wean consumers off sugar, according to a nutrition expert.

DISPATCHES FROM VITAFOODS 2014

Consultant: Firms must be proactive, not reactive, with stubborn 'myths'

09-May-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Food firms must be proactive, not reactive, when managing the conversation around their products, according to a food and nutrition marketing expert.

Vitafoods Europe 2014

New system for novel food approval on the horizon

09-May-2014 By Nicholas Robinson

Novel food approval systems in Europe prevent the food industry from bringing new and exciting foods on to the market quickly, but could be about to change, according to one specialist. 

We have to do more to reduce waste as an industry, warns Leatherhead expert

23-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

Food manufacturers should leave no stone unturned as they search for ways to decrease waste and increase the value of manufacturing waste streams, says Steve Osborn of Leatherhead Food Research.

Can industry-backed academic inventions spur increased innovation?

23-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

Industry-sponsored academic research leads to innovative patents and licenses, and may not skew science towards inventions that are less accessible and less useful to others, according to a new analysis.

dispatches from ISA conference 2014

Simplicity, not science, rules sweetener coverage

08-Apr-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The average consumer’s desire for simplicity and the average journalist’s desire for a good headline is driving public perception of sweeteners, according to participants of a debate in Brussels.

Diet drinks may be linked to heart trouble in older women

31-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

Postmenopausal women who drink two or more diet drinks a day may be more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problems, according to new research.

SOFHT launches student award

26-Mar-2014

The Society of Food Hygiene and Technology (SOFHT) has launched its 2014 Student Award to encourage students to choose a career in the food industry.

Bee-rilliant! Eurofins develops NMR test for honey

19-Mar-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Eurofins has developed an analytical technique to test different kinds of honey using high resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) profiling.