Social media could enhance foodborne outbreak detection - report

“Rich data sources” like Twitter and Facebook could be utilised as a tool in the surveillance of foodborne disease outbreaks, according to a US study.

Urgent overhaul of bisphenol A regs needed to protect public - report

US federal authorities must show more urgency in dealing with bisphenol A (BPA) and begin protecting the public from hazards posed by the chemical, according to a new report from...

Brazilian orange juice detained after positive carbendazim results

US food safety officials have denied entry to 11 shipments of orange juice products, including five from Brazil, after carbendazim was found in import samples.

Food fraud – a greater public health risk than traditional safety threats?

Criminality, the global supply chain and the unpredictable nature of food adulteration for financial gain mean it can pose a greater public health risk than traditional safety threats such as...

Silver-ion silicone boosts dairy processing safety – developer

A silver ion-laced silicone material that absorbs and destroys pathogens such as E.coli and Salmonella will ensure safety standards are met in the dairy sector, its developer has claimed.

Pathogen testing acquisition will cut result time by hours – Life Technologies

The acquisition of Matrix MicroScience will significantly reduce testing time and costs through the combination of complementary foodborne pathogen testing equipment, Life Technologies has claimed.

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Sweet imitating decorative stones hit rocks over choking risk

The European Commission has ordered a manufacturer of decorative stones to withdraw some of its products over fears they present choking risks because they look too similar to sweets.

Revising food packaging standards will reflect industry practices - USDA

The revision of US food container inspection law has been proposed, with the aim of bringing the regulation up to speed with 21st century food packaging technology.

Californian ‘downer’ euthanasia law overturned – Supreme Court

A Californian state law that would require euthanising “downer” livestock at federally inspected slaughterhouses has been ‘reversed and remanded’ by the US Supreme Court.

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FDA detains and destroys salmon products in preventive measure

Smoked salmon products were detained and destroyed in a pre-emptive move by US food safety authorities after Listeria monocytogenes was found in a Maine-based processing and storage facility.

Belgian baby formula-linked Salmonella outbreak sickens 16 in Russia

Tainted powdered milk formula from Belgium has been recalled in Russia after more than a dozen babies were struck down with Salmonellosis.

‘Cause for concern’ meat plants will be named and shamed - FSA

UK meat plants considered a ‘cause for concern’ based on audit reports will be named and shamed as part of a new Food Standards Agency (FSA) scheme, it has revealed.

USDA awards $25m grant to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for E. coli research

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a $25m research grant to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to tackle Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in the beef supply chain.

‘Critical’ food safety focus in poultry inspection will save $90m - USDA

A proposal to modernise poultry inspection in the US will focus resources on areas critical to ensuring food safety while reducing the burden on the taxpayer, the US government has...

Life under the Food Safety Modernization Act: Tracing, tracking and brand protection

The ability to track and trace ingredients is likely to be a major focus for food manufacturers as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is rolled out – but the...

FDA yet to find any trace of carbendazim in orange juice

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is yet to find any trace of carbendazim in imports of orange juice since promising to block entry to shipments containing the fungicide.

Sprouted seeds pose an unacceptable risk to health

Evidence is emerging that sprouted seeds could present an unacceptable risk to human health unless effective control measures such as irradiation can be used to make them safer.

Something is rotten in the state of Indian gelatine controls, FVO audit suggests

The European Commission (EC) has released a scathing audit report on the Indian gelatine industry, and said its visit late last year revealed“very little progress" since the last mission in...

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Cheese fungus-coated skyscrapers loom?

Swiss researchers have created a sort of artificial 'rind' using cheese fungus, producing a material that eats organic material and replicates the protection that a Camembert rind gives to the...

Australasia follows US lead on carbendazim in orange juice

Food safety authorities in Australia and New Zealand have taken steps to ban the sale of orange juice containing carbendazim – mirroring measures taken in the US.

Vacuum system offers improved food quality for meat products - developer

A new high speed vacuum packaging system, designed specifically for meat and poultry, will offer reduced downtime as well as improved food quality, its developer has claimed.

FSA backs lactic acid in meat processing despite concerns

UK food safety authorities have backed a European Commission (EC) proposal to authorise the use of lactic acid as a decontamination treatment in beef production.

Canadian food safety funding cuts slammed by union

Canadian government plans to reduce food safety funding - including resources to combat Listeriosis - have been slammed by the union that represents federal food inspectors.

EU orange juice industry on notice after carbendazim test warning

The European orange juice industry has been put on notice by Brussels – with a warning that Brazilian juice imports could face carbendazim testing if US officials find high levels...

Fish industry ISO will improve traceability and recalls - developer

Unique identification measures being promoted by new fish industry traceability standards will simplify contamination trace backs and recalls, the standards’ developer has claimed.

Orange juice fungicide row highlights flaws in US pesticide regime, says expert

The orange juice/carbendazim row currently engulfing the US orange juice market “highlights the questionable way that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulate pesticides in...

E.coli shocked into submission on beef

Using short bursts of low voltage current on beef carcasses is an effective tool to combat E.coli contamination, according to new research.

Europe isn’t ‘squeaky clean’ warns expert, after new claims of Chinese infant formula death

A leading food safety expert has urged people to remember that Europe is not squeaky clean when it comes to scare stories, following the reported death of another Chinese baby...

Cantaloupe trade bodies to develop food safety guidance

US produce industry associations intend to develop cantaloupe-specific food safety guidelines to combat the fruit’s association with a listeria outbreak that killed dozens of people in 2011.

Orange juice price spikes after carbendazim scare

The price of orange juice futures hit a 34-year high, after news that US food safety authorities would block imports of the fruit containing even low-levels of carbendazim – a...

Food safety inspection presence unaffected by office closures - FSIS

US food safety and inspection efforts will not be hit, despite plans to close a third of Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) district offices, according to the US government.

Microwaves effective in zapping Salmonella on fresh vegetables - study

Exposing fresh vegetables to short bursts of microwave energy can significantly reduce the presence of Salmonella Typhimurium, according to new research.

Volatile dioxin debate rages as congressman attacks EPA radio silence

A senior congressman has hit back at what he claims is industry pressure on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and also attacked it for two decades of perceived food-dragging over...

Miracle metal could usher in food safety revolution, scientist

Copper could usher in a food safety revolution within processing plants, according to the author of a new study that revealed the metal’s impressive ability to kill deadly E.coli pathogens....

Campden BRI identifies food and drink industry challenges

Vigilance in supply chain management, risk assessment, efficiency and sustainability are the key challenges facing the food and drinks industry over the next three to five years, according to a...

Jensen Farms auditor did not follow FDA processing guidance

Auditors who gave Jensen Farms a “superior” rating, only months before a lethal Listeria outbreak, largely ignored FDA antimicrobial guidance, a US government report has found.

FDA to increase testing after carbendazim found in orange juice

US food safety authorities have promised to take “necessary action” against levels of fungicide carbendazim in orange juice after being alerted to its presence in the beverage.

Listeria-busting discovery could be adapted for processing plants

Research that may lead to a human drug to combat Listeria monocytogenes could also be adapted to fight the deadly bug in food processing plants, said the team leader behind...

International row brews over Codex draft melamine limit

Costa Rica has suggested that a note attached to a proposed Codex draft seeking to set maximum limits (MLs) on melamine in liquid formula risks undermining the ‘spirit of international...

Revolutionary ethylene absorber is ‘berry’ good - Marks and Spencer

Marks & Spencer (M&S) said it has become the first retailer to use a “revolutionary” ethylene strip in strawberry punnets at the point of sale that will extend the shelf...

Wet and dry food metal detection system a ‘breakthrough’ – Mettler-Toledo

A new metal contaminant detection system will offer food processors maximum sensitivity, production line efficiency and an overall cost saving, according to its developer.

Consumers need advice update on potential killer toxoplasmosis, ACMSF

The UK Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Advisory Committee of the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) is seeking stakeholder views on its draft report relating to toxoplasma in the food chain....

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Canned mouse would have turned to jelly: PepsiCo

PepsiCo is fighting claims by a consumer that he found a dead mouse in a Mountain Dew can, with a scientist testifying that there is no way the creature could...

William Saurin defends safety after box cutting blade contamination claim

French food manufacturering firm William Saurin has been forced to defend its food processing safety measures after a man claimed to have found a box cutting blade in a food...

Canadian listeria cheese warnings reiterated in US

US health authorities have issued a warning in relation to a variety of cheese and dairy products potentially contaminated with listeria monocytogenes – weeks after Canadian officials recalled the same products.

Tainted milk and website prompt Mengniu share slide

Shares in China's largest dairy producer Mengniu Dairy Co.slumped at the end of last year, following a new scandal over milk tainted with a cancer-causing chemical and a violation of...

Draft dioxin guidance could ‘cripple’ food sector, warns US industry

The US food industry is lobbying the Obama administration to ease pending federal guidance recommending that consumers severely limit their daily dioxin intake.

Revised estimate puts foodborne illness cost at about $78bn a year

The cost of foodborne illness in the United States is about $77.7bn per year, according to Dr. Robert Scharff, an Ohio State University assistant professor and former Food and Drug...

US egg Salmonella prevention guidance issued

New US guidance on the prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in eggs through improved bio-security measures has been published, with the intention of preventing cross contamination.

Altered food safety measures may hinder listeria assessments - FSIS

US food safety authorities have urged producers of ready-to-eat meats not to change listeria-related food safety practices in the run up to inspections.