Breaking News on Food Safety & Quality Control

Study finds no extra nutrients in dried organic food

08-Aug-2008 - A new study from Denmark has added to debate about whether organic food is healthier than conventionally grown, as it concludes there is no evidence in favour of the argument.

US organics company using tracing system to allay safety concerns

08-Aug-2008 - An organics company that links growers and food manufacturers has announced it is to integrate a technology that will enable it to track produce, as calls grow for a faster way of identifying the ‘smoking gun’ in outbreaks of foodborne illness.

Food watchdog detects lead risk in confectionery chain

07-Aug-2008 - Heavy metal risk to the confectionery supply chain comes under the spotlight this week in the US as health officials detect banned levels of lead in two different chocolate confectionery brands.

Monsanto plots growth hormone exit

07-Aug-2008 - Monsanto has announced plans to sell of its Posilac brand of bovine somatotropin growth hormone as negative consumer reaction grows around the sue of such additives in milk.

Regulator urges action on foodborne pathogen resistance

06-Aug-2008 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has adopted a redrafted opinion that maintains the growing use of antimicrobial agents in food could be damaging human resistance to bacteria.

Omega-3s more effective for mental slowdown than Alzheimer’s: study

31-Jul-2008 - Brain benefits from regular intake of omega-3 fatty acids may be more pronounced in people with mild cognitive decline than people with mild Alzheimer’s: study.

Global divide over natural color regulation

31-Jul-2008 - In the third of a four part series on natural colors, FoodNavigator looks at the regulatory situation in the US and Europe and the challenges this poses for food manufacturers and ingredients companies.

Energy savings could arise from pack pasteurisation study

29-Jul-2008 - The level of pasteurisation required for the packaging of hot-fill products is being evaluated by UK group CCFRA as part of its food packaging research programme.

Green tea catechins go nano: study

28-Jul-2008 - The controlled release of green tea catechins may be achieved by encapsulated in chitosan-tripolyphosphate nanoparticles, suggests new research.

Weekly comment

Can we believe the Danisco – Apax rumours?

28-Jul-2008 - Rumour, according to the Romans, is a feathered beast with a myriad eyes and tongues. Last week she went bristling through the Danish business pages, spreading the news that Danisco could be bought by a private equity firm.

Organic food ‘good for you’ says EU

28-Jul-2008 - The European Commission has launched a campaign to inform consumers of the benefits of organic food and support those involved in the ever-growing organic market.

Guest article

Fresh, natural guidance gives clarity to industry

22-Jul-2008 - FSA guidance on terms like 'fresh', 'natural' and 'pure' helps protect responsible businesses against unscrupulous competition. But labelling that does not meet guidance in full would still be legal if it does not mislead consumers.

UK Sport eases position on food supplements

22-Jul-2008 - UK Sport has altered its position in regard to the use of food supplements and now says supplements such as whey, isotonic drinks, creatine and multivitamin and mineral complexes should be safe in most cases.

Organic nutritional advantages questioned again

22-Jul-2008 - A debate has ignited over the nutritional benefits of organic produce compared to conventional, with recent analysis disputing claims of its nutritional superiority.

Industry fall-out from salmonella link to tomatoes

21-Jul-2008 - Food processers and manufacturers with tomato-based products are expected to feel the impact of a salmonella outbreak that has infected more than 1,200 people in the US.

Weekly comment

Budweiser to be Belgian? Big deal

21-Jul-2008 - The news that all-American brewer Anheuser-Busch is to be sold to Belgium’s InBev for $52bn has made sports bar patrons across the US weep into their Budweisers. But the idea that an American firm must remain American for all time runs counter to the world of global commerce.

Icing reformulated to meet health and wellness demand

17-Jul-2008 - A product reformulation provides naturally derived icing for use in toppings and eye-catching decoration on baked goods, according to supplier BakeMark.

EFSA sets new intake level for aluminium in food

16-Jul-2008 - Scientists at EFSA have assessed the safety of aluminium in food and established a Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) of one milligram of aluminium per kilogram of body weight.

Asthma study may reignite pregnancy-peanut debate

16-Jul-2008 - Consuming peanuts and peanut products during pregnancy may raise the infant's risk of developing asthma by about 50 per cent, suggests new research from The Netherlands.

Weekly comment

Diet better than statins in kids' cholesterol control

15-Jul-2008 - The prescribing of statins for eight years-olds is tantamount to saying that food and diet have failed, and that children are incapable of changing their eating habits and lifestyle.

Low-fat dairy again linked to healthier hearts

15-Jul-2008 - A healthy lifestyle should include low-fat dairy products to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with poor kidney function, suggests new research from the US.

European definition of colourings causes confusion

11-Jul-2008 - Gaps and a lack of clarity in European regulations for colourings mean the food industry is "often working at the boundaries of legal controls," said an industry expert.

Colour and health driving rise of betalains

11-Jul-2008 - The potent antioxidant activity of pigments from beet and cactus pears may be the key to their potential, suggests a new review from Brazil.

USDA looks at ways to decontaminate leafy produce

10-Jul-2008 - Combining sanitizers with ultrasound, optimizing oxygen conditions and not reusing washing water can reduce bacterial contamination of lettuce and leafy greens, according to a summary of recent USDA laboratory research.