Food safety

Companies urged to look beyond best before dates to expand food distribution

24-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

New guidance is urging food companies to look beyond best before dates when giving surplus food to redistribution organisations and charities.

4 ‘significant issues’ food systems must address in new COVID-19 era

24-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

In the era of the COVID-19 crisis, industry must avoid ‘business as usual’ practices, think outside the box, and accelerate efforts to develop sustainable and modern food systems, says food waste expert.

Foreign worker drive exposes risk of exploitation and organised crime, fears employment agency

23-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

With fruit and vegetable pickers being flown into the UK on specialist charter jets to plug farm work gaps, one company is highlighting the importance of protecting these workers from the risk of exploitation.

Coronavirus and obesity: Doctors take aim at food industry over poor diets

22-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A cardiologist has blamed the food industry for ‘normalising’ ultra-processed junk food as more evidence emerges suggesting poor diet is the root cause behind increased mortality from Covid-19.

FODMAP: Could enzymes help boost tolerability in plant-based foods?

21-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Research into the use of enzymes to break down FODMAPs could help industry develop new, stomach-friendly plant-based food products. FoodNavigator speaks to VTT researcher Antti Nyyssölä to find out more.

Consumers willing to pay nearly 40% more for cultured meat over regular meat: study

20-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A study at Maastricht University claims people are prepared to pay more for lab-grown meat after being told of its perceived benefits.

Coronavirus will boost clean meat trend, says supplier

17-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The cultured meat sector is set to eventually be buoyed by the coronavirus crisis as consumers become more interested in food solutions seen as sustainable and safe, believes the co-founder and managing director of cultured meat supplier Peace of Meat.

Momentum builds to block further F2F delays: ‘COVID-19 isn’t an excuse to delay EU Farm to Fork strategy’

14-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Civil society networks, NGOs, and professional organisations are disgruntled at farmers association COPA-COGECA’s bid to further delay the new EU food policy.

UK unveils £3.25 food waste programme

08-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A new £3.25m fund to support the redistribution of food has been launched by the UK Government.

PHE salt targets: What needs to still be done

02-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

With the UK government engaging with industry on new salt reduction targets for 2023, lobby group Action on Salt says it wants more ambitious targets.

Obesity body demands ‘nutritionally adequate food be made available for all’ amid coronavirus

01-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The World Obesity Federation (WOF) has called for government action to ensure that nutritionally adequate food is made available for all, after growing evidence that being overweight and obese are likely to be risk factors for worse outcomes in those...

Plastic packaging: Hero or villain in the coronavirus era?

01-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Coronavirus has provoked the food packaging debate, with some using the crisis to hammer home the message that plastic is vital for protecting food from germs and extending its shelf life, while others stress that the pandemic highlights the fact that...

‘We are working to ensure packaging doesn’t become waste’: Coca-Cola, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever hit back after damning plastics report

31-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Coca-Cola, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever have reiterated their commitments to a creating a circular economy after a report said their plastic waste was contributing to climate change and harming the health of the world’s poorest people.

High-salt intake bad for the immune system: study

27-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Will consumers now be demanding less salt from industry to protect themselves from coronavirus?

Coronavirus: How are Gousto, Mindful Chef, and Pasta Evangelists coping with recipe box boom?

26-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

Unprecedented demand for home-delivered recipe boxes is putting strain on Gousto, Mindful Chef, and Pasta Evangelists in the UK as they work to meet demand.

Coronavirus and obesity: industry urged to act post-crisis

24-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The coronavirus pandemic should give the food industry increased impetus to make healthier products, according to experts, after an NHS audit in the UK revealed over three quarters (76.5%) of critically ill coronavirus patients are overweight.

FoodDrinkEurope demands EU action to relieve supply chains

23-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

FoodDrinkEurope has called on the EU to take urgent action to ease pressure on the supply chain during the coronavirus pandemic.

UK seafood hopes Brits will catch taste for fish amid coronavirus shock

23-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The UK seafood industry – witnessing a severe fall in demand from export markets amid COVID-19 – is eager that the crisis might spur more British people to eat home-caught seafood.

Brussels Bulletin: EU mobilises 'all means at our disposal' to tackle COVID-19

20-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Our latest news and views from Brussels looks at the response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Online food delivery ‘one of the only winners’ in coronavirus outbreak

19-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

As the UK Prime Minister warns against eating in restaurants and pubs, and an increasing number of people enter self-isolation, online food delivery may be one of the only sectors that stands to gain.

UK plastics tax a ‘real boost’ for circular economy

19-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Is the plastic pollution the responsibility of the food and beverage industry, or the recycling industry? Sustainability experts at Bureau Veritas weigh in.

Pea protein trend sparks allergy warning

16-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The increased use of concentrated pea protein in plant-based products could be a factor in rising reports of allergy to peas, warn campaigners.

COVID-19 and food: ‘This virus is sensitive to cooking temperatures’

16-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

French food agency ANSES says heat treatment can reduce contamination of a food product by a factor of 10,000.

Egg intake not associated with cardiovascular disease risk

13-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Updated evidence adds to ongoing debate over the past decade

Could coronavirus hasten high times for CBD?

13-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

We've seen a run on toilet rolls, hand sanitizer and pasta. What about other foods and ingredients? Which might be set to be boosted by coronavirus?

Coronavirus: ‘Dramatic decline’ in taste for Chinese and Italian cuisines

13-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

Google Trends data has revealed interest in cuisines from China and Italy – the two hardest hit countries of the COV-19 outbreak – has plummeted.

Spreading coronavirus: ‘There have been no reports of transmission through food’

12-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

EFSA says there is no evidence that food is a likely source of transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Industry ‘disappointed’ after UK ‘penalising’ plastics tax confirmed

12-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The Food and Drink Federation has complained that the UK’s newly announced plastic tax will penalise food and beverage producers and called for efforts to instead improve the country’s recycling infrastructure.

Hazardous chemicals in food packaging declared a ‘global health threat’

11-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

Environmental and public health groups have declared a ‘global health threat’ following warnings that chemicals in single-use plastic and food packaging jeopardise human and planetary health.

The new wave of plastic hoping to wipe out pollution

09-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Rising public awareness of the problem of plastic pollution can help polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) make more headway in the food sector, believes Mark Lapping, CEO of PVOH polymer manufacturer Aquapak.

Brussels Bulletin: EU proposes legally binding net-zero target

06-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

The European Commission has proposed a European Climate Law in an attempt to ensure climate neutrality by 2050. Elsewhere in the EU, Spain has banned retailers from selling food ‘at loss’, and UK regulators have tightened controls on raw milk production....

Waste bread used to feed microbes for fermented foods: ‘The technology is extremely simple’

05-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

Researchers are repurposing waste bread into a medium that can kick start fermentation in food and beverage products, such as sourdough, yoghurt, and wine.

Industry must act to banish the ‘curse’ of plastic sachets, say campaigners

27-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Food companies are coming under pressure to take responsibility for the problem of plastic sachet pollution.

Norovirus: Fresh research suggests food plays bigger role in illness cases

26-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

The UK Food Standards Agency has revised its foodborne norovirus estimate after research suggested around 2.4m cases of foodborne illness occur in the UK each year.

UK government pressed to make salt reduction targets on food companies mandatory

25-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The UK government must force the industry to reduce the amount of salt put on foods, say campaigners.

‘Meat is part of a sustainable world’: Professor Louise Fresco

24-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Professor Louise Fresco used the prestigious City Food Lecture in London to argue in favour of the shift towards flexitarian and reductionist diets. But she warned against doing away with meat consumption altogether.

Brussels Bulletin: Backlash over UK immigration plans

21-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Our latest news and views from Brussels looks at the UK's new immigration policy, trouble for honey producers and more details about the upcoming Farm to Fork strategy from the EU.

Immigration policy set to ‘cripple British food security’

20-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The UK government’s new immigration plans have been met with a hostile response from the food industry.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Nutrition labels overlooking the blind: ‘I am massively disadvantaged when it comes to food choices’

19-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

Conventional food labels require consumers to interpret visible information. Could and should they be modified to help the visually impaired make more informed food choices?

‘No possibility of return to frictionless trade’: BRC calls for ‘fair and pragmatic’ UK/EU deal

18-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The British Retail Consortium has outlined its priorities for the upcoming trade negotiations between the UK and EU.

Danone on its blockchain ‘first’: ‘Every individual baby formula pack can be traced back’

17-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

For the first time, dairy giant Danone is applying blockchain, serialisation, and aggregation to its infant formula packs, senior VP of operations David Boulanger tells FoodNavigator.

AI software looks to drastically improve pathogen monitoring in food sector

13-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Cutting edge artificial intelligence technology is promising to disrupt environmental monitoring in the food and drink processing sector by dramatically improving efficiency in the way pathogen monitoring programs are managed.

Bird flu in Germany ‘unlikely’ to be transmitted via infected eggs and sausages

11-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

A recently confirmed case of avian influenza in Brandenburg is ‘unlikely’ to be transmitted to humans through the consumption of poultry products, according to a national scientific institution.

Black garlic looks to find sweet spot in functional food trend

10-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Spanish ingredients supplier Pharmactive Biotech Products has launched an aged black garlic extract designed for functional food applications.

Can coronavirus be transmitted via imported food?

05-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has claimed 425 lives in China to date, prompting concerns that food imported to Europe from Hubei Province and affected regions could be infected.

UK opens door to GM food imports as PM Johnson attacks ‘hysterical fears’ about US food standards

04-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The UK’s Food and Drink Federation has repeated its pleas that it wants to keep trading ties closely aligned with the EU’s after British prime minister Boris Johnson dismissed fears about food standards as ‘mumbo jumbo’ and implied that GM food imports...

‘Use by’ or ‘best before’? Nestlé signs food waste pact to tackle label confusion on-pack

04-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

An anti-food waste pact has been signed by more than 40 food players in France, including Nestlé, Danone, Carrefour, and Intermarché. The agreement aims to collectively reduce ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ date confusion on-pack.

Italy eyes the US beverage market for health-conscious, eco customers

04-Feb-2020 By Beth Newhart

American consumers are increasingly looking for products with a focus on simple, high-quality ingredients and sustainability. And a group of Italian companies believe their products are ready to meet these demands: with their drinks on show at the Winter...

FSA urged to keep CBD products on-shelf: ‘Enforcement could hit millions of consumers’

28-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

The Cannabis Trades Association is putting pressure on the Food Standards Agency to keep cannabidiol-infused food and drink products – legally classified as ‘unauthorised novel foods’ – on retail shelves in the UK.

UK post-Brexit advisory groups warns against divergence from existing EU food standards

28-Jan-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Three advisory groups have warned the UK government that moving away from European food standards post-Brexit risks diminishing choice and value for consumers.