Food safety

EU lawmakers to discuss companies selling poorer quality food in Eastern Europe

28-Feb-2017 By Niamh Michail

The EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council will discuss the issue of dual quality foods next week as Slovakia and Hungary push for EU legislation to prevent manufacturers selling poorer quality products in Eastern countries of the single market bloc.

US deal will flood UK market with food people don’t want, warns respected academic

24-Feb-2017 By David Burrows

A trade deal with the US will give “the majority of the UK public food they don’t want” as well as open “a very new can of worms” in terms of food fraud, according to Chris Elliott, professor of food safety and founder of the Institute for Global Food...

Titanium dioxide may interfere in digestive processes: Study

17-Feb-2017 By Will Chu

Titanium dioxide, a common food colouring used in sweets and chewing gum may affect the intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients and protect against harmful pathogens, a study has determined.

Nestlé baby biscuits exceed EU benchmark levels for acrylamide: French survey

16-Feb-2017 By Niamh Michail

Nestlé biscuits for toddlers contain acrylamide levels over the European benchmark levels and seven times greater than similar products with the lowest concentration, a French market survey has found.

Swedish food agency issues guidance on free-range egg labelling

16-Feb-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

The Swedish National Food Agency has said that the labelling of free-range eggs could be compromised by bird flu, causing free-range eggs to now be labelled as 'free-range inside'.

EU Parliament passes CETA trade deal

15-Feb-2017 By Niamh Michail

MEPs have voted in favour of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada in Strasbourg today with 408 votes in favour and 254 against.

'The exposure of the population has remained high and virtually unchanged'

Acrylamide needs to be regulated at the source, says expert

14-Feb-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

Manufacturers should favour reduced sugar potatoes, specific storage temperatures and use acrylamide-cutting enzymes to reduce levels of the possible carcinogen, according to one expert.

Clean label cull: French supermarket cuts 90 'controversial' substances from private label products

09-Feb-2017 By Niamh Michail

French supermarket Super U has pledged to remove or reduce 90 “controversial” substances from its private label range, including palm oil, aspartame, monosodium glutamate, bisphenol A and fructose-glucose syrup, citing consumer fears and the cocktail effect....

'It appears that no safe exposure during human pregnancy exists'

Eating liquorice while pregnant is comparable to prenatal binge drinking: Study

07-Feb-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

Eating liquorice while pregnant could harm the baby's cognitive abilities and increase its risk of aggressiveness and depression, according to a Finnish study.

Could Brexit trigger a race to the bottom for Britain's food safety & quality?

03-Feb-2017 By Niamh Michail

As the UK government's white paper on Brexit calls for "frictionless trade", the National Farmers' Union has spoken out in favour of a level playing field with new trade partners, such as the US - could this trigger a race to the bottom...

Soapbox

Exploring the legal status of edible insects around the world

01-Feb-2017 By Massimo Reverberi

Entomophagy is a new phenomenon in the West, and as a result it is rarely regulated. This leads to public institutions like food agencies, customs and health departments often finding themselves helpless in the face of new product development based on...

Acrylamide-free: Does it exist?

26-Jan-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

As one UK snack firm markets its kale crisps as 'acrylamide-free', we talk to a leading researcher on how to reduce the carcinogenic contaminant in different foods and ask: does acrylamide-free' really exist?

Insect innovation: Getting the right flavour and texture for your product

24-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

As Switzerland prepares to legalise three insect species for food, we talk to one Finnish researcher on the best ways to process mealworms and crickets to get the optimal flavour and texture profile.

Fresh concerns over titanium dioxide safety as study prompts French re-evaluation

23-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

The French government has ordered a safety reassessment of white food colouring titanium dioxide after scientists say they have shown "for the first time" that nanoparticles in the food additive are spread around the body.

Danish food giants and DTU researchers come together to solve the ‘ingredients paradox’

20-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

A centre for food ingredient research and innovation at Denmark's Technical University (DTU) set to open in September this year already counts Chr Hansen and Arla as partners, and will look to tackle the biggest issues industry faces.

Bird flu could halt free range egg production, warn MEPs

13-Jan-2017 By Louis Gore-Langton

Outbreaks of bird flu throughout Europe could put a stop to free range eggs as safety precautions make meeting the labelling requirements impossible, Dutch members of the EU parliament have warned.

Ferrero defends palm oil in Nutella with advert against 'unfair smear campaign'

11-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

Ferrero has launched a TV advertising campaign defending its use of palm oil in its flagship product Nutella, saying palm oil is currently suffering "an unfair smear campaign" in Italy.

Inaccurate vitamin D labelling a worry for infant-targeted supplements & foods

10-Jan-2017 By Nathan Gray

Fortified foods and supplements designed for infants could have significantly less – or more – actual vitamin D than the amounts labelled, however most products do fall within acceptable EU ranges, say Dutch researchers.

What's in a name? Product legality, as UK updates food naming guidance

09-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

The UK's Department for food, the environment and rural affairs (DEFRA) has updated guidance on food product naming to make the complex and potentially hazardous field more user-friendly for manufacturers.

Industry welcomes GFIA, the UK's gluten-free trade group

06-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

UK food firms have created the Gluten Free Industry Association (GFIA) to promote best practice manufacturing tips, gluten testing and ingredient sourcing for the free-from sector's most lucrative category. 

Food fraud prevention focus for FSSC 22000 version 4

04-Jan-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

FSSC 22000 has revealed version 4 of its international food safety and quality management system certification scheme.

Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Unilever and Delta in acid contamination scare

21-Dec-2016 By Joseph James Whitworth

Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Unilever and Delta have withdrawn products in a region of Greece after a group threatened to contaminate them with chlorine and hydrochloric acid.

Beyond Brexit: Five legal issues UK food firms need to protect against in 2017

16-Dec-2016 By Peter Cusick

The year ahead will present UK food companies with a range of major legal challenges over and above the fallout from Brexit, according to leading food industry lawyer Peter Cusick.

Nuts and seeds no longer most recalled category

09-Dec-2016 By Gill Hyslop

Nuts and seeds recalls have fallen in Q3,  after leading the pack in the number of food and beverage recalls in Europe in H1.

Use of infrared and UV investigated to inactivate microorganisms on meat

09-Dec-2016 By Joseph James Whitworth

Fraunhofer IVV is helping to develop processes for the surface sterilization of packaged meat and sausage products.

MEPs urge action on nitrites and nitrates

08-Dec-2016 By Niamh Michail

Members of European Parliament (MEPs) have called on the European Commission to reduce legal limits or ban nitrites in meat products due to the link with cancer, and to support research into alternatives.

EU economy loses €35bn a year due to counterfeiting

07-Dec-2016 By Jenny Eagle

Counterfeiting is predicted to increase 3% per year worldwide leading to a rise in the anti-counterfeiting market over the next five years with CAGRs ranging from 12.8% to 16%, says PMMI (Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies).

Critics hammer Commission's draft acrylamide regulation

21-Nov-2016 By David Burrows

Campaigners have challenged the legal basis of the European Commission’s draft regulation on acrylamide.

Origin labelling: A step towards transparency - or worrying form of ‘gastronationalism’?

18-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Calls for mandatory country of origin labelling (COOL) are growing louder in Europe and supporters say it will restore trust, provide transparency and help consumers support local producers if they wish. But one political scientist sees it as "a...

Fighting food waste with the right price discount

17-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Selling wonky vegetables or a dented tin on tomatoes at a discount can help reduce food waste - but the price reduction must be aligned with the product and its flaw, say researchers.

dispatches from Rapid Methods Europe

Research round-up: Rapid Methods Europe 2016 special

16-Nov-2016 By Joseph James Whitworth

FoodQualityNews went to Amsterdam to look at the posters that presented a sample of the latest research and work in food safety and quality.

MassChallenge donates millions in its first Swiss awards

Swiss accelerator backs 6 start-ups in fairtrade coffee, food fraud, probiotics & more

14-Nov-2016 By Louis Gore-Langton

Swiss start-up incubator MassChallenge has dished out almost €1.4m in funding to food based start-ups that are offering the industry a new approach to fair trade coffee; a device to fight food fraud; and a probiotic to boost the meat sector.

Possible BPA ban could boost clean label claims

08-Nov-2016 By Alan Rownan

A possible ban of Bisphenol A in Europe highlights the importance of clean label claims, according to a Euromonitor analyst.

GMO ingredient database promises full supply chain traceability

07-Nov-2016 By Louis Gore-Langton

Food Chain ID Europe is developing “the most comprehensive” database of supply chain information aimed at tracing and identifying GMO ingredients.

Salmonella tainted eggs linked to child’s death in Croatia

28-Oct-2016 By Joseph James Whitworth

At least one person has died from a multi-country outbreak of Salmonella with investigations pointing to eggs as the source.

Pesticide data suggests EU food is safe; campaigners disagree

27-Oct-2016 By David Burrows

97% of food samples tested in the EU are free of pesticide residues or contain traces that are within legal limits, according to 2014 data published this week by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

CIBUS TEC 2016

JBT trials coil heat exchanger on apple puree

27-Oct-2016 By Jenny Eagle

JBT has carried out trials on a coil heat exchanger in aseptic systems, to sterilize fruit and vegetable puree and concentrate.

special newsletter: hygiene, cleaning and sanitation

Understanding the ABCs of ATP testing and key factors to consider

26-Oct-2016 By Tom Dewey, global marketing manager, 3M Food Safety

Every day food processors are forced to make the high-risk decision to begin production and one key factor is effectiveness of the most recent cleaning and sanitation of their manufacturing environment.

The antibiotic-free dilemma: How to tap into the trend without implying conventional meat is bad?

24-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

Consumer interest in antibiotic-free meat is rising and British pork processor Karro is upping investment. But how can you promote a premium antibiotic-free range without giving the message that the rest of your products are bad? "It's a challenge,"...

Euroterm achieves FSSC 22000 thanks to IFC support

21-Oct-2016 By staff reporter

Euroterm has achieved FSSC 22000 certification with support from the IFC Food Safety Advisory.

Olam offers big money for top food security innovation

19-Oct-2016 By Will Chu

Olam International is offering €45,000 in funding to the winner of its contest that celebrates innovation in food security.

China and Europe increasingly working together on food safety – EFSA

19-Oct-2016 By staff reporter

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the China National Centre for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) are to sign an agreement on food safety next month.

One killed in explosion at BASF plant

17-Oct-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

One worker has been killed and six seriously injured in an explosion at a BASF plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany this morning.

Academic puts China’s economic cost of ignoring food safety at $750m

17-Oct-2016 By RJ Whitehead

A leading academic has put a cash value on the economic costs China will face this year through food-safety issues in agriculture.

Novel method developed to detect irradiation of cashew nuts and nutmeg

17-Oct-2016 By Joseph James Whitworth

A quicker and more sensitive method for detection of 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACBs) which uses fewer resources than the EU standard has been developed by researchers.

UNICEF cracks down on 'inappropriate' infant food promotion

14-Oct-2016 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn

Five in six children under the age of two do not get adequate nutrition for physical and cognitive development during this critical period, says a UNICEF report calling for tighter regulation of infant nutrition products.

Sting in the tail for jellyfish fraudsters

13-Oct-2016 By Joseph James Whitworth

Chemical testing on the source of marine food products could help fight fraud, according to scientists.

French call to food industry: Cut infant exposure to nine substances (now)

05-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

France’s food safety agency ANSES has published a snapshot of the diet of under-3s and the chemicals they are exposed to, calling for "particular vigilance" for nine dangerous substances.

Research round-up: Cleaning system, MRSA concerns and machine learning

05-Oct-2016 By Joseph James Whitworth

We have collected below the highlights from recent research relevant to food safety and quality control.

French consumer group finds cocktail of pesticide residues on fruit samples

04-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

Pesticide residue tests conducted for French consumer group Que Choisir found 85 different chemicals on fruit samples, while all those that were pesticide-free were organic, bar one.