Food safety

Post-Brexit Britain seeks to ‘unlock substantial benefits’ of gene editing

07-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Food from gene edited animals and crops may soon be permitted in England.

Plastics, pollution, food safety and waste: ‘These issues are interconnected’

24-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

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;...

Drinking cow’s milk while breastfeeding linked to reduced food allergy risk

23-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

Cow’s milk in a mother’s diet has been associated with a reduced risk of allergy in children, according to fresh research out of Sweden.

‘A Christmas wish come true’: CBD industry celebrates as EC resumes Novel Food applications

23-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

More good news for the CBD industry. The European Commission has abandoned its plans to classify non-synthetic CBD a narcotic and resumed Novel Food applications for edible CBD products.

Intelligent and active labels could ‘revolutionise food communication’

18-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

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...

From safety to health and transparency: IOFI President Louie D’Amico talks flavour trends

16-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

Louie D’Amico, President Taste & Wellbeing of Givaudan, was elected President of International Organization of the Flavor Industry (IOFI) in October. FoodNavigator caught up with him to hear about the challenges and opportunities he sees ahead for...

‘Good news for businesses, shoppers and environment’: Meat industry welcomes new rules on sell-by dates

14-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Updated guidance on fresh meat sell-by dates in the UK which abolish the arbitrary 10-day rule is good news for shoppers and restaurants who will waste less money, and good news for the environment which will benefit from a reduction in wasted food and...

‘How much more likely do you think you would be to make a mistake if someone was stood watching over you?’ Lawyer takes aim at ‘zero-tolerance’ abattoir rules

10-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

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.

Are we headed for Horsegate 2.0? COVID-19 escalates risk of meat fraud

09-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

An unprecedented shortage of meat production, prompted by the COVID-19 outbreak, is driving up the risk of meat fraud – particularly in species substitution.

‘A major milestone for lab-grown meat’: Could Eat Just's approval in Asia hurry the market in Europe?

04-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

How big a landmark moment is Eat Just’s approval in Singapore? What does it tell us about the opportunities for cultivated meat in Europe? We hear from enthusiasts and detractors of this quickly emerging yet controversial sector to digest the ramifications...

The digital labelling technology promising to ‘unlock the lost shelf life of food’

03-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A Swedish start-up has developed food labelling technology that offers real-time monitoring of food quality to help reduce waste and alert consumers of spoiled food.

UK urged to match EU ban on meat treated with antibiotics

03-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Antibiotics used in livestock are a bigger public health threat than chlorinated chicken, experts warn.

Health trumps price among COVID-hit consumers, report reveals

02-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The pandemic presents an exciting opportunity for food manufacturers to innovate products targeting consumers who believe access to affordable food should not come at the cost of health and good nutrition.

What does ‘100% natural’ mean? EU urged to impose definition for food products

01-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

Frustrated at the overuse of the term ‘natural’ to define food products and ingredients that ‘do not always match consumers’ expectations’, Safe Food Advocacy Europe is calling on the European Union to develop a legal definition.

Agri-food policy reform in UK and EU may raise prices, farmers warn

01-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

It is hoped British agriculture will be transformed by the ‘biggest farming shake-up in 50 years’. But there are fears that both Britain’s move to cut farmer subsidies as it leaves the EU Common Agricultural Policy, and the EU’s reform of the CAP, could...

‘World’s first’ digital sandwich: How next-gen tech is tracing every ingredient in, and between, the bread

27-Nov-2020 By Flora Southey

An IoT, blockchain, and AI-powered digital food supply chain platform is being developed to boost the traceability of ingredients in pre-packaged sandwiches.

Let there be light: The new tech promising to enlighten quality assurance and food safety

26-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Hyperspectral imaging may not sound the sexiest of subjects. But this rapidly emerging technology is promising to help the food industry gain ground in a host of areas, from quality assurance, pathogen detection and farm management.

New modified wheat ‘could help tackle global food shortage’

25-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

UK scientists have created a new modified wheat variety that can increase grain production by up to 12%. They claim the innovation is a potential solution to help meet rapidly growing global demand, but also expect it to trigger heated debate around genetically...

Meat sector calls for coronavirus vaccine priority

25-Nov-2020 By Flora Southey

With new hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine, the UK meat processing sector wants its key workers to be amongst the first to be immunised.

‘A breakthrough for the market’: Europe’s highest court rules CBD is not a narcotic

20-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Europe’s CBD market is optimistic a ruling from the EU’s highest court not to classify the ingredient a narcotic – going against the European Commission’s shock preliminary view in July – will pave the way for Novel Food applications for CBD products...

What impact will bird flu’s ‘rapid spread’ have on the European poultry sector?

20-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has warned that bird flu is spreading ‘rapidly’ across Europe. What impact will this have on European poultry processors and consumers?

China detects COVID-19 on German pork knuckles, suspends imports from 20 countries

20-Nov-2020 By Flora Southey

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’.

Germany officially rolls out Nutri-Score

17-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Germany’s Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, says she expects food manufacturers to use Nutri-Score after the controversial food labelling scheme was officially introduced in the country earlier this month.

Food standards agencies rule out aspartame bans as scientists warn of ‘adverse effect’ on consumers

13-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The list of food additives authorised for use in the UK will not change at the end of the Brexit transition period, according to the country's food safety regulator, while the EFSA insists that aspartame does not pose a safety concern at current...

What will news of a COVID vaccine do to the frozen category revival?

12-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

With a vaccine breakthrough igniting the hope of a return to normal by spring, manufacturers and analysts are confident the frozen trend’s resurgence is here to stay.

Brexit and COVID-19 raise threat of food fraud: ‘The food industry is facing unprecedented challenges and an uncertain future’

09-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

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.

Honey producers stung by ‘worst harvest in decades’ call for crackdown on adulterated imports

09-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

With European honey harvests down 40% in 2020, Copa and Cogeca warns ‘the survival of professional beekeepers is really threatened’ and calls on European regulators to increase controls on cheaper imports that, they say, are a food fraud risk.

UK CBD industry body becalmed after novel foods applications clarification

30-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The UK’s Food Standards Authority has clarified the data requirements for CBD novel foods applications. This has been welcomed by CBD industry body the ACI as an important step in ensuring the sector’s safety credentials during a time when a cloud of...

Bioplastics just as toxic as other plastics, study finds

28-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Most bioplastics and plant-based materials contain toxic chemicals, with cellulose and starch-based products inducing the strongest in vitro toxicity, scientists discover.

Tesco kicks off drone deliveries in Ireland

27-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The supermarket has partnered with Irish start-up with Manna to introduce Ireland’s first grocery home shopping drone deliveries.

How safe is your sage? Study uncovers high levels of adulteration

23-Oct-2020 By Katy Askew

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.

COVID trends have exasperated food safety and allergen labelling risks, expert warns

09-Oct-2020 By Katy Askew

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...

Kerry spots opportunities for gut health and food protection solutions as it targets net zero emissions by 2050

09-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Ingredients supplier Kerry Group has unveiled an ambitious sustainability strategy including a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2030 and achieve net zero before 2050. It is also exploring those sectors such as immunity and food...

UK unveils insect industry funding for greener animal protein production

08-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The UK government has released a £10m funding package to help build the country’s first large-scale industrial insect farm and accelerate the development of sustainable food production systems.

CBD industry consortium kicks off ‘landmark’ safety study: ‘The UK will be in a position to take the global lead on CBD in food’

25-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

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 adopts blockchain as part of its 'proactive approach' to illegal labour in Italian agriculture

21-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

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...

Vanilla and black pepper fraud: Researchers develop method to detect adulteration in food

21-Sep-2020 By Flora Southey

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.

Fruit snacks under fire: Is Action on Sugar's call for 'honest labelling' justified?

16-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Action on Sugar wants a ban on the use of claims such as 'one of your five a day', 'naturally occurring sugars' or 'made from real fruit' on fruit snacks for children that can contain the equivalent of five teaspoons of sugar....

Consumers ‘may not understand difference’ between a food’s carbon footprint and calories

16-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

An academic has urged food brands to innovate with carbon footprint labelling after a study discovered a lack of understanding among the general public about the carbon footprint of foods.

Ground-breaking trial gives new hope for peanut allergies

15-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A trial suggests that oral immunotherapy treatment, which involves repeated exposure over time to gradually increase doses of the allergen, could allow sufferers to increase their tolerance to peanuts. They would not be able to eat nuts at will, but their...

Stabizym secures EU patent for ‘safer and more efficient’ liquid transglutaminase

14-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

German supplier Stabizym, the European arm of Shanghai-based Kinry Food Ingredients, has secured a European patent for the ‘first stable liquid transglutaminase preparation’.

Balancing health with price: six ways food and beverage innovation is evolving in the COVID-19 era

14-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

ADM has identified six emerging behavioral changes that will power innovation and growth in the months ahead.

Climate change is making our food less safe: FAO

11-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

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...

Anti-E171 group claims small battle in long war

10-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Food safety campaigners are hopeful the European Commission will rethink its stance on titanium dioxide (or E171) after a committee voted down new specifications for E171 and instead passed a resolution calling on the EC to remove E171 from the list of...

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