Policy-makers should adopt a proactive approach to communication on new food technologies, with stakeholder forums and public consultation in order to tackle consumer issues early on, says a new paper.
International consensus is needed on testing strategies to determine the endocrine activities of substances that may be hazardous to human health such as food and drink packaging component, BPA, claims a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report.
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Germany has outlined strategies for minimising potential health risks from the migration into food of mineral oil from cardboard packs made from recycled paper.
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) in the UK has published an allergen guidance paper that aims to curb excessive use of precautionary ‘may contain’ labelling.
To BPA or not to BPA? While the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) backed the continued use of bisphenol A last week, the real question is whether the verdict was a full-blown reprieve for the controversial chemical or merely a stay of execution.
Consumers who are generally concerned about chemicals in their lives are more likely to seek out natural foods, indicates a new study from Switzerland – but if they have no grasp of dose levels they may be overestimate the potential risks posed by synthetic...
Denmark has criticised a second EFSA delay in delivering its verdict on bisphenol A (BPA) as “unsatisfactory” and “weird”, saying it would wait for the full opinion to be published before even considering lifting its ban on the chemical.
A call by the German environment agency for industry and consumers to find bisphenol A (BPA) alternatives on safety fears is unjustified and should be ignored, said a European plastics body.
The Danish Plastics Federation (DPF) has voiced its opposition to its Government’s temporary ban on bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials for young children and urged Ministers to abide by EFSA’s forthcoming decision on the chemical.
Two United Nations bodies are to convene an international meeting on the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging over growing anxiety of the chemical’s possible threat to human health.
EFSA has released new draft guidance on transparency in the scientific aspects of risk assessment, building on previous guidance on the purely procedural side.
Germans see environmental issues as more of a risk to their health than food, according to a new survey from the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).
Claiming 'free from' is not a light statement to make. Lives depend
on it. As scientific progress questions the validity of such
claims, it is time to establish exact guidelines and communicate
these to people for whom ingredients...
Meat from swine exposed to melamine has been found safe for human
consumption, prompting the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to
allow swine held on farms to be released and approved for
processing.
Reducing acrylamide might be a major issue in the food industry
right now, but to consumers inGermany it is one that has not led a
majority to change their behaviour, according to a new survey.
Science and politics make poor bedfellows. Just ask Herman Koeter,
deputy executive director at the European Food Safety Authority
(EFSA), which has felt the push and pull of national politics ever
since the agency began operating...
New fire safety rules affecting all businesses in England and Wales
will come into force in October, placing greater responsibilities
on plant managers.
The changing nature of risk in global retail is forcing companies
to move away from traditional financial risk assessment to address
a different set of issues, says a new report.
Advice on assessing cancerous agents from the scientific committee
of the European food regulator could allow food makers to be more
flexible in what ingredients or food contact materials they can use
in making products.
Despite a squeeze on ingredients prices and global volatility in
key commodities, adept risk management tools help agri-giant
Cargill deliver a strong performance for the year, with sales in
the last quarter rising by a considerable...
Governments on both sides of the Atlantic need to better understand
how consumers perceive risk if they are to form better food safety
policies. The issue of bioterrorism however is helping to establish
a growing consensus among policy...
Our response to food safety is often inconsistent and completely
irrational. This was the message of European Commissioner for
health and consumer protection David Byrne at yesterday's public
debate and policy making conference...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will revisit its preliminary
determination that food from cloned animals is safe for consumers
after several independent science advisers questionned findings.
Precautionary principle expert Professor Ortwin Renn tells
participants in a lunch debate this week that policy makers and
scientists should use one of five risk management regimes to deal
with scientific risk, reports CORDIS.
After a series of food safety scares in Europe the issue of exactly
how to effectively deal with risk in the food chain is an ongoing
debate between politicians, industry and consumer alike. One widely
favoured opinion is that risk...
From yesterday, Professor Andreas Hensel, veterinarian and
hygienist, is the first head of the new German institution, the
Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).
'A landmark meeting' is how Stuart Slorach, the chairman of the
European Food Safety Agency board described the first presentation
of their newly elected executive director, Geoffrey Podger.
