Breaking News on Food Safety & Quality Control

Food-based natural nanoparticle discovery opens debate on safety

15-May-2012 - Indian researchers have discovered carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) in foods such as bread, corn flakes and caramel – increasing the likelihood that consumption of nanoparticles in food is safe.

‘Probable link’ between packaging coating and cancer, say scientists

11-May-2012 - A chemical used to make oil and grease-repellent coatings for food packaging by DuPont has a ‘probable link’ to kidney and testicular cancer, according to an independent science panel.

Progress made on nanoparticle detection

11-May-2012 - UK researchers have developed a way to detect and characterise inorganic nanomaterials, bringing scientists a step closer to determining their effects in food and drink.

Antimicrobial packaging will reduce food waste - LINPAC

11-May-2012 - Linpac Packaging has unveiled a range of trays and films that can use additives to make the product inside last longer.

NIR food quality device coming to a smartphone near you - Fraunhofer

03-May-2012 - Smartphones equipped with innovative near infrared technology no bigger than a sugar lump could open the door for rapid food quality testing of a host of products, said the Fraunhofer Institute.

First vampires, now Campylobacter…. Researchers identify pathogen combating garlic compound

03-May-2012 - A garlic-derived compound could offer the food industry a quick and more effective antimicrobial tool in the fight against Campylobacter on poultry products, a US study has claimed.

Researchers showcase ‘easy’ GM tracking technology

30-Apr-2012 - A new technology could help to monitor and track genetically modified crops in the food processing chain, say researchers.

News in brief

Eurofins to reinforce Asia Pacific presence through acquisition

26-Apr-2012 - Food testing firm Eurofins Scientific plans to reinforce its presence in the growing Asia Pacific region through the acquisition of a majority stake in a testing service firm.

Process analytic technology boosts product quality and yield, cuts costs - company

24-Apr-2012 - Emerging food quality method Process Analytic Technology (PAT) is gradually gaining traction in the food industry after being launched in the pharmaceutical sector eight years ago, Soenke Rosemann of Sartorius told FoodProductionDaily.com at Anuga FoodTec last month.

UK research firm developing ‘invisible’ coating for meat

24-Apr-2012 - A UK research firm are in the early stages of creating an ‘invisible’ film coating for meat to extend shelf life with the aim of eliminating primary packaging.

Oil quality assurance collaboration could boost production efficiency – Cargill

23-Apr-2012 - Collaborative research, conducted by food processor Cargill and the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS), has led to the refinement of methods to assure consistent oil quality in food products.

Optimising produce food safety is ‘simply good business’ – PriceWaterhouseCoopers

19-Apr-2012 - PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has warned against an over-reliance on finished product testing in the US food sector and called for additional focus on the implementation of strategic food safety practices.

Shielding curtain-less x-ray development offers hygienic option – Thermo Fisher

19-Apr-2012 - An x-ray inspection system, engineered to eliminate traditional radiation-blocking shielding curtains, will offer a hygienic alterative for the examination of unwrapped food, developer Thermo Fisher has claimed.

Rapid alert system analysis tool could pinpoint emerging food safety trends - developer

18-Apr-2012 - A UK-developed method to analyse food safety alerts and pinpoint counties that have a negative impact on food safety could lead to improvements in global food safety, the developer has claimed.

Analysing trends could identify future food safety threats - expert

17-Apr-2012 - Analysing future changes and trends in the food industry could identify potential food safety threats, lead to technological advances and improve industry practices, an expert has claimed.

X-ray launch meets industry drive to replace metal detection systems - Eagle

17-Apr-2012 - X-ray systems are increasingly replacing metal detection equipment as food manufacturers respond to growing regulatory and consumer demands for safer products, said Terry Woolford of Eagle Product Inspection.

Exclusive interview

Stop monsters in their tracks with our 'unique' food safety technology: Swedish firm

13-Apr-2012 - Sven Bodell, president, Food Radar Systems, told Ben Bouckley that the firm's unique microwave technology was the only show in town to detect previously invisible foreign bodies in pumpable foods, and that the system might also appeal to producers of beverages with pulp or other pieces in.

ARS researchers shed light on stealthy Salmonella detection

13-Apr-2012 - Unique spectral signatures produced by laser beams shone on to Salmonella specimens could lead to the development of a technology to quickly and simply detect “stealthy” pathogens on food.

DNA-based cattle identification method could ‘refine’ ground beef recall practices

12-Apr-2012 - A method to identify the number of cattle used in the production of ground beef batches could lead to quicker, less costly recalls of potentially contaminated products, a researcher has claimed.

Neogen adapts E.coli testing service to meet FSIS ground beef safety demands

12-Apr-2012 - Food safety technologist Neogen Corporation has moved to meet the demands of the up-coming zero-tolerance approach to the ‘Big Six’ non-O157:H7 E.coli strains in ground beef through the update of its testing services.

Agilent aim to boost halal food safety and authentication through collaboration

10-Apr-2012 - Food safety technologist Agilent Technologies Inc. is aiming to accelerate the development of analytical testing methods to ensure the safety and authenticity of halal products through its latest research collaboration.

Produce Salmonella ‘rebound’ ability highlights need for unbroken cold chain - researcher

03-Apr-2012 - The potential for Salmonella populations to “rebound” on produce in humid conditions before and after washing bolsters the need for uninterrupted cold storage, according to research.

Ripeness-varying Salmonella behaviour could lead to produce food safety boost

02-Apr-2012 - The changing behaviour of Salmonella on ripe and unripe tomatoes could lead to the improvement of measures against the attachment and survival of the pathogen on tomatoes, UK researchers have claimed.

DISPATCHES FROM ANUGA FOODTEC

Anuga FoodTec - innovation powerhouse

02-Apr-2012 - The food and beverage production industry is ramping up its innovation pipeline as a way of bucking the uncertain economic trend, Anuga FoodTec show director Peter Grothues told FoodProductionDaily.com at the event last week in Cologne, Germany.