Breaking News on Food Safety & Quality Control

Australia approves raw milk cheese sale proposal

15-May-2012 - Australia looks set to okay the sale of non-pasteurised hard cheeses after food safety authorities approved a proposal to sell raw milk products in the country.

EFSA risk assessment of composite foods hazard to pave the way for harmonized EU regs

15-May-2012 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has outlined a raft of key factors needed to assess the hazard posed by pathogens in composite foods after Brussels said it needed to develop harmonised risk-based rules for their import into the region.

It’s all hands on deck to implement FSMA in 2012 – PriceWaterhouseCoopers

11-May-2012 - PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has warned the US food industry that 2012 will be “all hands on deck” to implement the provisions of the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA).

FDA nanotechnology draft guidance represents ‘marginal progress’ – petition group

09-May-2012 - US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft guidance on the use of nanotechnology in food and food contact substances represents only “marginal progress” towards regulation of the technology, a petition group has claimed.

'Pre-emptive’ measures will accelerate tainted product identification - USDA

04-May-2012 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has outlined a series of measures to conduct future meat product trace backs in a “pre-emptive” manner to catch E.coli O157:H7 contamination at an earlier stage.

News in brief

Shanghai courts vow ‘severe punishments’ for food safety violations

04-May-2012 - Food safety law violators in Shanghai will continue to be met with severe punishments including lengthy prison terms, the city’s high court has vowed.

Streamlining measures will reduce food safety regulations ‘red tape’ – Health Canada

02-May-2012 - The Canadian government has taken steps to streamline its food safety laws – reducing the ‘red tape’ that currently delays safe products entering the market.

Meat processors urge ‘inflexible’ EC to delay second phase of DSM ruling

30-Apr-2012 - The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued guidance on and executed the first stage of its moratorium on the production and use of desinewed meat (DSM) – much to the disapproval of the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA).

Mad cow disease case won’t impact processors – American Meat Institute

26-Apr-2012 - A rare case of mad cow disease in the US is unlikely to have a significant impact on the processing sector, according to the American Meat Institute (AMI).

EFSA to evaluate low dose BPA ‘hypothesis’

25-Apr-2012 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has begun work on a new bisphenol A (BPA) risk assessment - focussing on the low dose effects of the packaging chemical.

Four indicted in US over alleged mouldy cheese conspiracy

24-Apr-2012 - Four individuals who allegedly conspired to scrape mould off returned imported cheese before resale have been indicted in the US on charges that could see them jailed for up to 20 years.

North American food safety authorities target substandard imports

24-Apr-2012 - US and Canadian food safety authorities have laid out plans to ensure the quality and safety of imported foods – publishing mirror-image campaigns within days of each other.

Increasing nanotechnology application ‘merits’ safety investigations – FDA

23-Apr-2012 - The application of nanotechnology in the manufacture of food and food contact substances “merits” investigation, according to draft guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

FDA food safety fees will ‘user fee the industry to death’ – food safety law firm

20-Apr-2012 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will “user fee the industry to death” through the proposed implementation of further food firm fees, food safety law specialist FDAImports.com has claimed.

UK desinewed meat moratorium objections are 'nonsense' - sausage manufactuer

20-Apr-2012 - A UK-based sausage manufacturer has given backing to a European Commission (EC)-imposed ban on cattle, sheep and goat desinewed meat (DSM), blasting the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) for their support of the “unsavoury” product.

EC digs deep and confirms EU objections to France BPA ban

16-Apr-2012 - The European Commission (EC) has dug deep and confirmed the objections of several EU member states to the proposed bisphenol-A (BPA) ban in France – just days after claiming to have no knowledge of the oppositions.

California fish processor suspends production under FDA agreement

16-Apr-2012 - A California-based seafood processor has agreed to halt the production and distribution of its fish and fish products over Listeria monocytogenes contamination fears, under an agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

DISPATCHES FROM ANUGA FOODTEC 2012

Current EU meat inspection measures do not address human health risks - EFSA

12-Apr-2012 - Speaking at the FoodProductionDaily.com Meat Technology Conference at Anuga FoodTec 2012 in Cologne, Dr Marta Hugas, the head of biological hazards at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), highlighted the urgent need for modernisation in European meat inspection.

FSA launches guidelines on edible glitters over misleading marketing fears

12-Apr-2012 - The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has developed guidelines on glitters and dusts over fears that inedible decorations are being marketed for use in foods such as cakes.

EC plays down reports of EU objections to France BPA ban

11-Apr-2012 - The European Commission (EC) has down-played reports of discontent among European Union (EU) member states over the approaching French ban on bisphenol-A (BPA) in food packaging.

US cheese producer closed by FDA

11-Apr-2012 - A US-based cheese manufacturer has been forced to close by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to fears of listeria contamination in its products.

News in brief

Beijing proposes life ban for food safety crime

11-Apr-2012 - People convicted of food safety crimes in Beijing could be handed be a life ban from the food industry under the proposed revision of legislation in China’s capital.

News in brief

OJ shipments denied entry to US as carbendazim block continues

10-Apr-2012 - A Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-imposed block on carbendazim-tainted orange juice and concentrate has seen a further three shipments denied entry into the US – taking the total to 30.

Exclusive interview

Food Safety Modernization Act a game changer for packaging machinery design - PMMI

10-Apr-2012 - The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has changed the game for US packaging machinery manufacturers by obliging them to rethink their design strategies, PMMI’s Jim Pittas told FoodProductionDaily.com from Anuga FoodTec.