An FSA survey of UK-produced eggs has found that the level of
salmonella contamination is now one third of what it was in 1996.
But one industry expert says that food manufacturers should still
exercise caution, writes Anthony Fletcher.
US beef processors, fearing the loss of lucrative markets to
competitors such as Europe and Australia, are desperate to start
exporting again. They are demanding that the USDA tests all their
slaughter cattle in order for them to...
European food manufacturers starting to get to grips with incoming
rules on food allergen labelling in the EU block face similar
adjustments in the US as the Senate clears new allergen laws this
week, writes Lindsey Partos.
Countdown to new rules for the labelling of allergen ingredients
begins with national governments and stakeholders in Europe getting
to grips with the small print before enforcement next year. The
Scottish food watchdog updates the...
A new range of polyurethane resin-based floor systems that combines
an antimicrobial layer has been launched. Manufacturer John Lord
claims that this new innovation can help food manufacturers fight
against microbes that cause food...
Recent EU research suggests that tomato waste is full of untapped,
nutritious goodness, and could be used in further food production
rather than just thrown away. Every year, around 4 million tonnes
of tomato by-products are disposed...
Traceability has become a key concern in the meat processing
industry since the BSE outbreak in the UK in the 1990s, and more
recently the discovery of the disease in the US last year. A number
of diagnostic products have been developed...
A virulent form of bird flu has been discovered on a chicken farm
in Texas, USA. The outbreak, originally classified by the USDA as
low-risk, was identified through genetic testing yesterday morning
as being 'highly pathogenic'.
The European Commission recently convened researchers, experts and
decision-makers from all over the world to discuss ways to increase
international cooperation in the battle to combat highly
transmissible animal diseases such as...
Sourdough bread containing select bacteria may be tolerated by
patients with a rare digestive disease that causes gluten
intolerance, say Italian and Irish researchers. The new research
could provide new opportunities for food producers...
European scientists will meet today to decide the fate of a
genetically modified corn developed by US biotech giant Monsanto. A
positive outcome from the committee would end Europe's five year
ban on GM crops, attacked by a host...
The European Parliament adopted an own initiative report on 11
February, calling on the Commission to focus more on the
sustainability of agriculture in the Sixth and Seventh Framework
Programmes, and not technology for food production,...
In a bid to reassure the European Parliament after a recent study
alerted the world to levels of cancer-causing toxins present in
farmed salmon, Europe's head of consumer safety stressed to
politicians that Europe's food...
Food risk will be a defining issue of a 21st century marked by
globalisation and foodborne illness. Safety experts gathered at the
weekend in the US to examine new methods to minimise risk.
The food industry had its knuckles wrapped again this week, this
time by the UK's food watchdog that accused it of misleading the
consumer when using the terms 'fresh?and 'natural?on food labels.
The tide is turning down under with a new poll showing Australians
are increasingly worried about genetically modified foods and the
risk they could pose to human health and the environment.
The European Parliament has voted to create a European Centre for
Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), following growing concern
over animal disease epidemics. "Outbreaks like SARS in 2003 and
bird flu this year have been a...
Consumers in the UK can eat their porridge safe in the knowledge
that their oat products are free from harmful toxins - mycotoxins -
after an extensive survey in the UK found very low traces, if none
at all, of the contaminant in...
A wide range of organic or health food products on sale in the UK
contain traces of genetically modified (GM) ingredients, according
to a study due to be published in April, reports CORDIS.
The debate on the labelling of additives on food products shifts up
a gear in the UK with the Consumers' Association criticising the
government and the country's food watchdog for failing to make
nutrition a priority.
It is common for pigs to wait in holding pens for at least 2 hours
after transport before slaughter to improve meat quality. Loading,
unloading, and travel stress can lead to lactic acid build up in
pigs' muscles, which can affect...
A study of Brazilian poultry and poultry products has found that
the presence of nitrofurans and semicarbazide has increased.
Further investigation showed that most of the chicken products
containing semicarbazide had been coated...
The EU has provided €2.2 million of funding for a new project that
aims to promote transnational cooperation in plant genomics
research and, ultimately, better coordinate the €80 million spent
annually in Europe on such activities,...
Safeguarding America's food supply against possible terrorist
threats will eat into a considerable chunk of the USDA's budget
next year. The country is also planning to stockpile animal
vaccines, following concerns that...
Demonstrating the clear divisions that exist between member states
and the European Commission over genetically modified foodstuffs,
in the same week that Belgian ministers threw out an application
for an oilseed rape, the EU's...
Long awaited rules on the use of the sweetener sucralose entered
into European law last week, ushering in new market opportunities
for suppliers of this zero calorie product.
Consumer concern about BSE, eggs and the safety of meat is
declining but awareness about fruit, vegetables, and salt
consumption is on the up, cites the fourth annual food survey from
the UK's food watchdog.
European hydrocolloid suppliers have welcomed new labelling rules
that provide E-number shy manufacturers with an alternative name
for the complex sounding food additive carboxymethylcellulose
(CMC). From now on, cellulose gum can...
Europe and the US will hammer out the contentious issue of obesity
and the role food policy can play in getting to grips with this
major health problem at a Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) meeting in Brussels
today.
A brewer in Sweden is facing the GM debate head on. The company
claims to have launched the first food product to use genetic
modification as a marketing tool.
A previously unidentified protein on the surface of intestinal
cells has given US researchers clues on how to prevent infection
from the foodborne bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes.
The US Congress has finally decided to delay country-of-origin
labels on beef until autumn 2006, despite arguments that the labels
would reassure consumers during the current mad cow disease crisis.
According to USDA records, no BSE tests were carried out on
commercial cattle in Washington State in the first seven months of
2003. United
Press International under the Freedom of Information Act
obtained the USDA records...
As the United States deals with the fallout from the first case of
mad cow disease to hit the country, an international organisation
warns countries to stay on the alert and buck up controls.
The European Commission is satisfied that Scottish salmon is safe
to eat, despite researchers in North America warning that the
farmed variety sold in many supermarkets contains up to ten times
more cancer causing chemicals than its...
The European Commission has delayed the adoption of a proposal to
authorise imports of a GM sweetcorn onto European lands, opting to
bundle the issue with other GM points on the agenda of an upcoming
Commission meeting later this...
Calcium sulphate as a source of calcium, and the amino acid salts,
N-acetyl-L-cysteine and N-acetyl-L-methionine, may be included in
draft regulations amending the PARNUTS directive, which will allow
them to continue to be marketed...
The entire bull calf herd from which the suspected case of BSE
belonged to has been euthanised, according to the latest USDA
update on the current crisis. Over 450 animals were killed
according to American Veterinary Medical Association...
Hope is on the horizon over the battle against mad cow disease.
Research by North Carolina State University scientists, in
conjunction with scientists from the Netherlands and biotechnology
company BioResource International, has shown...
New tests that slice off the time taken to identify dangerous
strains of the harmful bacteria Escherichia coli are the
focus of new research from US government scientists.
The ongoing BSE crisis in the US has forced the government to take
drastic measures to contain the disease. Agriculture secretary Ann
Veneman announced last week that additional safeguards to bolster
US protection systems and further...
The movement of foodstuffs within the European boundaries will be
changed forever once the next step towards an enlarged Europe takes
place. Food and Life Sciences lawyer Raymond O’Rourke takes us
through a detailed look at some of...
A new food safety technique coming out of the UK that uses a virus
is set to win an exclusive worldwide licence. The move marks the
first step towards the commercialisation of the technique that can
'explode' deadly food-poisoning...
Speaking in Brussels earlier this week, European Commissioner for
Health and Consumer Protection David Byrne announced the latest
development on issues relating to food safety within an enlarged
EU.
Labelling issues on the cards again for manufacturers as the UK's
food safety agency this week launches a consultation on the use of
alternative phrases to 'may contain' on food labels.
In the wake of terrorist attacks in the US on September 11, 2001
Europe's manufacturing industries have taken a knock but figures
released this week reveal that the food industry is managing the
course, registering a 'light...
Controversial changes over two years ago to Europe's chocolate
rules - that had cocoa puritans and producers up in arms - came
into force in the summer, providing ingredients companies with a
raft of new opportunities.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed an end to the
ban of Canadian cattle imports under 30 months old. Canadians
currently lose an estimated €9 million a day from the restriction.
A US politician is trying to push through a bill in the US senate
which will allow for a clear labelling policy on irradiation in the
National School Lunch Programme.
A joint project between US and Russian scientists to try and
develop healthier means of raising battery hens has produced a
probiotic feed which is said to protect the poultry from various
strains of bacteria.
Mitigating residual moisture is an ever-present food safety and quality goal in any food processing environment. Yet there’s a Catch-22: Most conventional...
Food and Beverage companies need better food labeling solutions. Beyond that, most in the industry understand that “labeling” starts at the beginning,...
Scaling to meet the need of the rapidly growing global population while providing functional, nutritious, and diverse cuisine requires process optimization...
