The UK government has set in motion a review of food policy and
strategies with the publication of an analytical study on current
and emerging food trends.
EU and US positions at a Codex meeting to set international
standards on food safety foreshadow future legislation that would
affect control measures in plants, and the manufacture of powdered
formulae, ready-to-eat foods, and pasteurised...
Food safety recommendations made by a panel investigating one of
the largest industry-wide recalls ever made in the UK could lead to
tougher regulatory scrutiny of the way processors manage their
supply chain.
A new panel-mounted device for cold storage equipment can download
temperatures directly on to a computer, making record keeping
faster and more accurate.
Imports of seafood from China are to be detained by the US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) until they are proven to be free of
residues from drugs that are not approved in the United States for
use in farm-raised aquatic animals.
UK consumers rate the issue of food safety as one among the lowest
of their concerns, behind even house prices and traffic congestion,
according to the results of a new survey released yesterday.
Representatives of regulators in the EU's 27 members begin a
two-day meeting today to discuss common proposed projects on food
safety issues, data collection, folic acid supplementation, and
fees for mandatory risk assessments.
Food safety scares could result in a long lasting impact on
purchasing decisions, with new research revealing that 15 percent
of consumers stop eating a product entirely after a food safety
incident.
New processing methods, sanitizers, and washing techniques are some
of the technologies highlighted by the federal inspection service
as helping businesses meet food safety laws.
A number of Democratic senators have called for the establishment
of a joint task force to examine recent outbreaks of E.coli, and
suggest legal changes designed to prevent future problems.
About 5 per cent of mixed raw vegetable salads in the UK are
contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to a national
survey that uncovered two products with levels above the EU's
regulatory limit.
The EU's food agency has reviewed 50 pesticides for safety, part of
a process that would establish what agricultural chemicals are
allowed to be present as residues inproduce and by how much.
Regulation, training and public information campaigns are having a
dramatic effect on thereduction of foodborne diseases in the UK,
with the number of cases of people getting sick fallingby 1.5
million over the five years to the end...
Over the last month, regulators, doctors and scientists have formed
communications networks toget a better fix on the problems
affecting food safety across the bloc.
Some food manufacturers are not doing enough to prevent the cross
contamination of their products by allergens, according to a survey
by the US food regulator.
Food companies may have more to lose than to gain by placing
freshness dating on their refrigerated products, says a new study,
which reveals that consumer taste perception is influenced by how
fresh they believe a product to be.
In July the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its most
comprehensive report on acrylamide, posting a database of 2,500
foods and their acrylamide content.
Different standards and warnings imposed on food in one state but
not in others impede commerce, confuse consumers, and increase the
cost of food without commensurate benefit, according to an
authority on food law.
Senators and prominent industry figures yesterday addressed a
Senate committee on the National Uniformity for Food Act,
expressing both support and contempt for a bill that could
standardize food safety requirements and warning labels...
Limited recourses when it comes to monitoring food safety could
pose a threat to public health, while some consumers also put
themselves at risk through the food choices they make, according to
scientists who spoke at the IFT in Orlando...
Chocolate has a nice feeling to it - tasty, fun, luxurious and
slightly sinful. This is comfort food, accessible to all and
epitomised in the recent film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) has
urged Scots to improve food hygiene standards to tackle what it
calls the 'annual food poisoning epidemic'.
Processors in Norway are using up stocks of domestic and imported
meat supplies after food safety inspectors began a strike on
Tuesday over wages, leading government to step in to order an end
to the dispute.
Orange juice and other foods traditionally not associated with
foodborne disease outbreaks could still be a source of disease,
according to scientists.
The majority of food recalls around the world are caused by
preventable problems, with poor allergen control and failure to
follow international standards as the major culprits, according to
a UK consultancy.
A number of food safety and nutrition research studies up for
funding by the UK regulator could result in new codes of practice
or regulation for the industry.
The National Uniformity for Food Coalition this week released a
legal analysis that claims the proposed legislation would only
affect 11 state laws as part of an effort to set national standards
for food safety regulations.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week announced his
opposition to legislation that would standardize food safety
labeling requirements throughout the US.
Purac has launched a powder form of its sodium lactate and sodium
diacetate ingredient in order to help meat and poultry
manufacturers meet stringent food safety targets.
Following the death of a young boy due to a suspected E. coli
outbreak in Norway, discounter Lidl has halted sales of ground beef
produced in the country.
The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill that
would standardize food safety labeling requirements throughout the
US, a move that would bring significant benefits to the food
industry.
The House of Representatives yesterday lunched a debate on a bill
that proposes to create a uniform system for all food safety
standards and warning labels on food products regulated by the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Although food safety is low on the list of European consumer
concerns, about 40 per cent of them believe that their health could
be at risk from the food they eat.
The results from an FSA study into the occurrence of irradiated
ingredients in food supplements shows that the industry is tackling
the problem, argues the HFMA.
The exiting chief executive of the UK's Food Standards Agency will
leave behind an organisation well equipped to deal with crises, and
make difficult but necessary decisions.
Food makers have until 1 January to implement procedures for
testing their processing plants and products for dangerous bacteria
such as listeria and E. coli.
ConAgra Foods has recalled nearly 47,000 children's lunch kits that
may be contaminated with listeria, the US Department of Agriculture
(USDA) announced yesterday.