Food safety

‘A major milestone for the UK edible insect sector:’ UK edible insect makers hope for Novel Food approval by 2023

03-Feb-2022 By Oliver Morrison

A network of over 30 edible insect companies in the UK has submitted a Novel Food dossier to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for Acheta Domesticus, or house crickets.

The UK’s Novel Foods legislation: A dinosaur stifling innovation or making the best of bad hand?

02-Feb-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The UK Food Safety Authority (FSA)’s Novel Foods process is not fit for purpose and is holding back originality and growth in the UK’s food and beverage industry, believes Richard Horwell, owner of London-based Brand Relations, a specialist food and drink...

Higher welfare systems needed to end routine use of antibiotics in animal production

28-Jan-2022 By Katy Askew

Could current animal welfare standards in industrial production systems undermine the European Commission’s ambitious new rules to restrict the use of antimicrobials in livestock production?

French ban on nitrates in meat: Charcuterie group hits out at attack on ‘national gastronomy’

26-Jan-2022 By Katy Askew

A bill to introduce a ‘progressive prohibition’ on the use of nitrates in meat production continued to make its way through the French legislative system today (26 January). But the development faced criticism from both sides of the debate, with health...

Codex adopts framework for steviol glycosides: ‘This benefits the entire stevia industry’

20-Jan-2022 By Katy Askew

International food standards body Codex Alimentarius has adopted a Framework for steviol glycosides that encompasses four different production technologies in a move that is expected to ‘benefit the entire stevia industry’.

Do UK consumers want to try cultivated meat? And what about insects?

11-Jan-2022 By Flora Southey

New research from the Food Standards Agency is investigating how willing consumers are to taste test alternative protein products.

Silk lauded as future solution in food waste and preservation

05-Jan-2022 By Oliver Morrison

With concerns about food waste rising, researchers from Tufts University have hailed silk fibroin-based edible coatings as a potential solution.

EFSA poised to slash daily exposure limits for bisphenol A as EU court confirms it as ‘substance of very high concern’

22-Dec-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is to re-evaluate the risks of bisphenol A (BPA) in food as the Court of Justice of the EU confirms the chemical must be listed as a “substance of very high concern” for its hormone-disrupting properties on the...

Warning on ‘serious health risks’ of counterfeit Christmas booze

17-Dec-2021 By Katy Askew

Shoppers have been warned of the ‘serious health risks’ associated with drinking counterfeit alcohol this festive season.

MOSHs or MOAHs in food: Calls for zero tolerance as ‘toxic’ mineral oils found in products across Europe... but are they harming consumers?

16-Dec-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Many food products sold in Europe including stock cubes, chocolate and spreads are contaminated with dangerous mineral oils, claims Foodwatch.

ORIVO and Imprint Analytics collaborate on seafood authenticity with multi-isotope fingerprinting tech

09-Dec-2021 By Katy Askew

Food testing and authentication companies ORIVO and Imprint Analytics are teaming up to provide transparency to the seafood market through ‘highly advanced chemical fingerprinting analysis’.

Robots ‘ready to extend reach’ in food industry

07-Dec-2021 By Oliver Morrison

There’s a strong case for the future growth of robots in food production in Europe, believes Dutch bank ING, as companies look to boost competitiveness, improve product quality and respond to rising labour costs.

Scientists unveil environmentally friendly ‘jelly ice cube’ set to transform food storage and shipping

02-Dec-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed a new type of cooling cube that they claim could revolutionize how food is kept cold and shipped fresh without relying on ice or traditional cooling packs.

Food safety regulators must respond to the threat of climate change: FSA

16-Nov-2021 By Katy Askew

The food system is exposed to increased food safety risks from climate change – a danger regulators must be mindful of, UK Food Safety Agency Chair Professor Susan Jebb suggests. Authorities also need to help the sector mitigate the contribution it currently...

Cultivated, cultured, or other? Making alt meat terminology appealing and transparent

27-Oct-2021 By Flora Southey

From in vitro to synthetic, lab-grown, cell-based, cultivated and cultured, slaughter-free meat grown from animal cells has been called a myriad of names in its relatively short lifespan. But which term is most appealing, and transparent, to consumers?...

Eat Just mung bean protein gets novel foods nod: ‘Bringing JUST Egg to Europe will be one of the most important milestones for our company’

20-Oct-2021 By Katy Askew

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has green-lighted the mung bean protein ingredient used in Eat Just’s egg substitute product, paving the way for the company to launch its JUST Egg plant-based alternative in Europe.

Data overload? TrusTrace 'one-stop-shop' addresses traceability challenges

15-Oct-2021 By Katy Askew

Traceability data is notoriously complex and difficult to handle. Start-up TrusTrace says its 'unique' approach leaves it positioned to become the ‘mission-critical’ operating platform for food brands solving sustainability and transparency...

Infant formula trials “are not reliable”, warns study

15-Oct-2021 By Lynda Searby

A systematic review published in the BMJ slams recent formula milk trials as biased, and calls for a “a substantial change” in the way clinical infant formula trials are administered and reported to protect consumers from misinformation.

'This is not a cookie cutter approach'... Reformulation challenges in wake of titanium dioxide ban

14-Oct-2021 By Oliver Morrison

With a ban on the use of controversial colouring agent titanium dioxide (E171) looking likely in the European Union in 2022, the ingredient supplier Ingredion Corporation warns that manufacturers might face extra costs when converting to clean label strategies,...

Food fraud: Scientists develop ‘low-cost’ country of origin detection method

12-Oct-2021 By Katy Askew

A model that can be used to determine the origin of food in ‘an efficient and low-cost manner’ has been developed by botanists at the University of Basel.

EU E171 ban set for 2022: ‘The safety of our food is not negotiable’

11-Oct-2021 By Katy Askew

A ban on the use of controversial colouring titanium dioxide (E171) will come into effect in the European Union in 2022.

Mars Wrigley and SwissDeCode team up to tackle Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease

30-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Swiss agrifood testing company SwissDeCode is working with confectionery giant Mars Wrigley to find an early detection solution that can identify Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease (CSSD), a virus that can devastate cocoa crops.

Edible insects ‘more sustainable as food rather than animal feed’

27-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Insects fed from industrial side-stream waste and then directly consumed as food have the ‘greatest potential to reduce the carbon footprints of European consumers’, claims a new study.

Japanese knotweed may lower cancer risk of processed meat, find researchers

24-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

Replacing carcinogenic compound nitrite in processed meat with an extract taken from Japanese knotweed could reduce cancer risk, according to an EU co-funded research project.

Kerry talks Niacet acquisition: ‘We have created a global leadership position in the food preservation sector’

15-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Kerry announced yesterday (14 September) that it has completed the acquisition of preservation specialist Niacet, in a deal worth €853m. What does this mean for the ingredient supplier? FoodNavigator caught up with Bert De Vegt, Vice President of Food...

Traceability a ‘key enabler of trust, transparency and sustainability’

15-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

End-to-end traceability is coming to be viewed as central to advancing food safety, quality and sustainability. Transparency is also an increasingly important tool to build trust. We look at how this is impacting the supply chain.

Food companies ‘behind the curve’ on plastic pollution, campaigners claim

10-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Major food manufacturing and grocery retail companies that turn a blind eye to the risks related to plastic pollution could face legal action, warns environmental law charity Client Earth.

‘Each of us has a role’: How can consumers support a food system fix?

07-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

What we eat is contributing to some of the greatest challenges facing the world, from climate change to global health crises. Can a shift in consumption also be part of the solution?

‘News of this trial will likely be welcomed by the food industry’: Europe’s first CRISPR-edited wheat set to be grown

03-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

UK scientists will run a series of field trials of wheat that has been genome edited in an effort to make break with lower levels of asparagine.

Belfast scientists unveil testing to tackle white pepper fraud

20-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Bia Analytical, a Queen's University Belfast spin out, has added white pepper to its expanding range of authenticity tests.

GUEST ARTICLE

Industry insights from NIZO: Making pathogen and spoiler control an integral part of dairy and plant-based product development

18-Aug-2021 By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager

All too often, controlling pathogenic and spoilage microbes in a new or reformulated food product comes at the end of the development process. René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager and member of the FoodNavigator expert advisory panel hears...

'Code red for humanity' climate change report warns of food security risk: is industry ahead or behind the game?

12-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

In a landmark report, the UN’s intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) gave the first major review of the science of climate change since 2013.

6PPD quinone: The environmental contaminant killing Coho salmon

09-Aug-2021 By Katy Askew

An everyday chemical has been found to be highly toxic. Contamination of waterways is responsible for what had been the unexplained mass deaths of Coho salmon. We take a look at 6-PPD quinone, what it means for the food system and why it is important...

UK government survey points to acceptance of GE foods among consumers

03-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A survey of over 2,000 consumers in the UK has revealed that while they tend to have a very low awareness and knowledge of GE food, the more informed they are, the more accepting of GE food they become.

Does long COVID present any ingredient innovation opportunities for the industry?

30-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Chronic COVID’s association with smell and taste disorders offers prospects for the food industry to revamp recipes and menus, some say.

‘Most people’ find allergen labels unclear as precautionary labelling spreads confusion

28-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

As a new study reveals, the majority of people find allergen labels confusing. What's the problem and what should be done?

Glyphosate debate deepens as new analysis concludes herbicide ‘is not carcinogenic’

27-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Health campaigners have reacted with disappointment after new scientific analysis concluded that the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) claim that glyphosate is not genotoxic cannot be justified on the basis of manufacturers’ studies.

First-to-market nut milk concentrate promises superior plant-based taste and texture

26-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Could nut paste help remedy plant milk’s taste, texture and sustainability challenges?

‘Billionaires are flying to space – why are we still struggling to open food jars?’ Company claims first major lid innovation in over 75 years

23-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A firm has unveiled what it calls the world’s first aluminium lug lid designed to assist the rising numbers who wrestle with hard-to-open lids.

‘Intake of added and free sugars should be as low as possible’: EFSA confirms sugar consumption a risk factor in chronic diseases

22-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

The European Food Safety Authority was asked to review the link between sugar consumption and various diseases. The results are in: “Based on the risk of developing chronic metabolic diseases and dental caries, the intake of added and free sugars should...

‘No safe level of exposure’: EC orders mass recall of products contaminated with ethylene oxide

19-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

The European Commission’s Food and Feed Crisis Coordinators have agreed a mass recall of products containing E410 locust bean gum contaminated with ethylene oxide.

‘A new toolkit for sugar reduction’: Sweegen’s Reb M gets safety nod in Europe

19-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

The European Commission has approved the use of Sweegen’s non-GMO Signature Bestevia Rebaudioside M (Reb M) for use in food and beverages. “We are opening the doors for product developers to explore a new toolkit for sugar reduction across all products...

Nearly all of France’s population contaminated with heavy metals, finds study

13-Jul-2021 By Flora Southey

Fresh research published by France’s public health agency has revealed the presence of arsenic, chromium, cadmium, and mercury, amongst others, in a majority of adults and children.

‘Worrying’ pesticide levels found in Spanish foods

12-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Ecologists in Spain are demanding a 50% reduction of the use of pesticides - especially those more toxic and unauthorized - after data revealed a ‘worrisome’ level of exposure of pesticide residues found in food in the country.

Faba bean ‘potential unlocked’ after scientists identify gene behind often-fatal hereditary disorder

09-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

An international research team says it is possible to grow faba beans that don’t cause an allergic-like reaction in favism sufferers after identifying the gene behind the potentially life-threatening condition.

Bacteria: a tasty solution to the plastic problem?

01-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Scientists have devised a novel way of tackling the mounting issue of plastic pollution… by using bacteria to transform plastic waste into vanilla flavouring.

Growing food from air ‘more efficient’ than growing crops, study finds

23-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, the University of Naples Federico II, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, compared the efficiency of growing...

EFSA: ‘No link between Nestlé infant formula consumption and reduced dermatitis risk’

18-Jun-2021 By Will Chu

The European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected claims a peptide blend included in infant formula could reduce the risk of developing atopic dermatitis.

Biotech company claims genetic selection can cut methane emissions in cattle

17-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Synomics, an Anglo-Danish biological insights business, has identified a way to reduce emissions within agricultural cattle by selecting the ones that produce less methane genetically.

Unilever Food Solutions bets on the rise of ghost kitchens: ‘UFS can play an important role’

16-Jun-2021 By Katy Askew

Unilever Food Solutions (UFS), the arm of Unilever that supplies the catering sector, is supporting the growth of so-called ‘ghost kitchens’. FoodNavigator examines what the company is doing in the space and asks why UFS expects ghost kitchens to be an...