All news articles for February 2005

Sudan 1: EU commissioner criticises food industry over 'old stocks'

Brussels called an emergency meeting of scientific experts yesterday as the paper trail on the illegal red chemical dye sudan 1 extends to member states; and the recall of food products in the UK tops 450.

ADM upgrades cocoa processing in Brazil

Major food commodity processor and ingredients supplier Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) will expand cocoa operations in Brazil to match expansion of current product lines, the firm said this week.

Israel to impose trans fat labels?

Opportunities continue to open up for trans fat alternatives as Israel communicates plans to become the world's third country to impose labelling rules on artery-clogging trans fats.

Fischer Boel outlines EU CAP reform priorities

Mariann Fischer Boel, the EU's recently appointed agriculture commissioner, has claimed that sweeping EU agricultural reforms will provide UK farmers with a "better balance of support", while forging a more competitive and sustainable European agriculture industry, Tom Armitage reports.

Deadline today on sudan recall, or food firms face prosecution

The UK food maker that last week triggered the country's largest product recall to date identifies two further foods contaminated with the carcinogenic red food dye sudan 1, reports Lindsey Partos.

Ingredient designs to serve 12m UK food allergy sufferers

Opportunities are ripe for UK food manufacturers and their ingredients suppliers to roll out more foods positioned in the food allergy or intolerance sector, with new research suggesting as many as one in five British consumers now suffer from this condition.

Food safety to protect against mounting litigation

Despite firm traceability rules and constantly improved food safety systems the threat of litigation hangs in the air for the food industry: in the UK a prepared foods firm faces up to €1.4 million to settle a food poisoning court case.

CNI ushers in future with 30 nanotech patents

US-based Carbon Nanotechnologies (CNI) has issued 30 patents related to the use of small diameter carbon nanotubes, or fullerenes, which could revolutionise the way materials are made in the future.

Food scientists update organic food statement

Food scientists in the UK have compiled an updated comment on organic food as this sector of the food industry continues to experience double digit growth with consumers spending twice as much on organic food as they did in the late 1990s.

AIM develops food animal RFID standard

AIM Global has developed a draft standard for RFID for food animals to address growing concerns about the threat of terrorist attacks and the recent outbreaks of both BSE and hoof-and-mouth disease in different parts of the world.

CCL develops tamper-proof aluminium packaging

CCL Container has developed packaging that it claims is virtually impossible to replicate - an important consideration given concerns about food safety.

Single human gene codes for individual taste profiles

Scientists blow food formulation wide open, confirming the influential role genetics plays in the taste profile of individuals, reports Lindsey Partos.

Wheat experts push biotech need

Biotechnology is the key to the future of a competitive wheat industry, said experts at a conference this weekend, according to a report by Reuters.

Sudan testing to cut risk and minimise costs

Food makers are advised to analyse any stocks of chilli and curry powder, bought in before the EU imposed the ban on sudan red food colour, to minimise the risk of expensive recalls and harm to brand reputation, writes Lindsey Partos.

Neotame on EFSA's agenda

Non-nutritive sweetener neotame is on the agenda in Europe as scientific experts meet today in Brussels to discuss the food additive up to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar.

Industry warns of crop expert shortage

A lack of government funding and a weary image threaten to cause a widespread shortage of British crop production experts, says one industry body, warning the problem may bring serious disruption to UK grain and cereal processors within the next decade, reports Chris Mercer.

Chinese cattle science investment to up dairy productivity

China has reportedly poured nearly US$50 million into research and development (R&D) for its domestic dairy sector over the past three years in an attempt to tackle some of the obstacles holding back one of the world's most rapidly expanding dairy industries, Tom Armitage reports.

Illegal red colour sparks massive recall in UK

Pressure on food makers to more frequently track ingredients for contaminants intensifies as the UK's food watchdog on Friday pulls over 350 food products from the shelves after detecting the illegal ingredient, the red food dye Sudan I.

Canada gears up for labeling changes: GM and nutrition

When nutritional labeling comes into force in Canada later this year, manufacturers may also take advantage of the need to change their labels to stipulate whether their products' ingredients are genetically engineered.

Rexnord offers improved conveyor belt technology

Rexnord is using the up-coming Interpack 2005 event to display the latest developments in conveying technology, including wear-resistant belts and high-speed applications for PET bottles.

Antibacterial sealers developed from innovative new compound

Two European firms have come up with a range of sealing rings for the dairy industry designed to minimise the presence and effects of bacteria and microbes.

Scientists enter brave new world of nanotechnology

The practice of partnering computer simulations with real-world experiments is becoming more vital as scientists delve deeper into the potential of nantechnology, according to a US scientist. Anthony Fletcher reports.

GM dispute panel meets in Geneva

With the countdown extended, talks continue this week in Geneva between the US and Brussels to move the entrenched trade dispute on genetically modified organisms forward.

EU food authority simplifies access to acrylamide network

Improving communication between food scientists working on the harmful chemical acrylamide identified in starch-rich fried foods two years ago, Europe's food agency this week publishes an 'information base' with updated studies.

Non-drip ice cream leads wave of Russian innovation

A Russian dairy company has created a new ice cream brand called UFO whose extra-terrestrial name reflects its 'unearthly' ability to avoid melting. But this is just one of a raft of innovative products launched recently in Russia in a bid to kick-start growth, writes Angela Drujinina.

Scientists make moves to save Malaysian bananas

Scientists at the University of Derby and the University of Malaya, in Kuala Lumpur, are working on a freezing technology that aims to help save the Malaysian banana - which is in danger from being wiped out due to fungal disease.

Intralox unveils sanitation-conscious conveyor belt

Intralox has launched a new belt designed to provide critical help in improving sanitation for companies in the meat, poultry and seafood industries.

Food technologist heads new Irish advisory body

Chemical contaminants in the diet and additional risks to the food chain will be the focus of Ireland's new scientific committee, nominated this week.

Greenpeace says Monsanto GM crop needs fresh data

GM food ingredients under attack, again, this week as environmental group accuses Brussels of 'exposing EU states' to risk from genetically modified corn.

Study recommends rethink in wine storage duration

The maximum concentrations of compounds transferred to wine from wood is reached after 10 to 12 months of the wine being stored in wooden casks, according to a Spanish scientist.

FSA targets poultry sector to cut foodborne illness

Food is the most common source of zoonotic infections in humans, suggesting that tightening biosecurity measures at the beginning of the food supply chain is vital.

'Natural' sweetener to take on synthetic market

Swiss Research believes it has created the "holy grail" of sweeteners, a natural alternative to the synthetic varieties frequently lambasted by the media, it officially announced on Tuesday, Philippa Nuttall reports.

Food traceability focus for UK watchdog

Against the backdrop of tighter traceability rules the UK's food watchdog will focus on the relationship between food ingredients and the final food label, at an upcoming seminar between stakeholders next month.

Foodborne diseases, UTIs and cows, new link

Food safety comes to the fore again as new study builds on growing evidence that foods of animal origin, contaminated with Escherichia coli, can lead to urinary tract infections in women.

Ingredient openings as McDonalds pays millions in trans fat settlement

A landmark settlement on trans fats in the US last week will incite global food makers, fearful of litigation, to delve further into new food formulations that use alternative ingredients to eliminate harmful fatty acids, reports Lindsey Partos.

Codex focus on fats and oils standards

Speciality oil firms will have the chance to voice their concerns on global food codes as 100 government delegates meet to discuss the fats and oil industry at a week-long session, kicking off in the UK next week.

Cheaper alternative to soaring grapefruit oil launched

The hurricanes that swept through the US last year caused great devastation to many crops. Grapefruit prices, in particular, soared, provoking flavor companies including IFF to come up with alternatives, Philippa Nuttall reports.

Lock launches super-sensitive metal detectors

Inspection equipment manufacturer Lock will be unveiling its new MET 30+ range of metal detectors at Interpack.

Increase in counterfeit food drives innovations

Seizures of conterfeit food products and medicines entering the EU increased by 77 per cent from 2002 to 2003, according to the European Commission. Foodstuffs seized included sweets, waffles, chewing gum and even apples.

EU backs proposals on flavouring agents for Codex

Europe tells international food body it welcomes the opening of discussions on options to integrate flavouring agents into the global code system, and puts its weight behind the fourth option that proposes industry guidelines.

Splenda fights back

Tate & Lyle's Splenda brand in the news again this week as McNeil Nutritionals, the table-top supplier of this increasingly popular sweetener, takes the US sugar industry to court.

Taste innovation to bring growth to UK cheese market

Cheese manufacturers operating in the UK's £2.6 billion cheese market could benefit from increased product diversity on the supermarket shelves, finds a recent industry - consumer event organised by dairy ingredients firm DSM, reports Lindsey Partos.

Safety in early stage of food production highlighted

Food in the pre-harvest stage is more vulnerable to contamination than food in the processing and packaging stages of production, because of environmental variability and our inability to control it, according to a new report released by the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM).

New meat alternative on market has roots in low-fat milk

New applications for milk derivatives open up as Dutch dairy giant Campina designs meat alternative prepared from low-fat milk and seaweed extract.

US investigates science behind tender meat

Ongoing pressure from consumers for quality meat ingredients drives food technologists in the US to investigate biochemical mechanisms for tender meat.

EU trade commissoner Mandelson to overhaul food regulations

Peter Mandelson, the newly-appointed EU trade commissioner, is considering launching a review of the EU's stringent food hygiene regulations in an attempt to tackle growing accusations that its policies are protectionist and denying developing nations a fair opportunity to compete, Tom Armitage reports.

Milk protein discovery could improve cheese production

The discovery tof the role that specific milk protein genes play in cheese yield, composition and quality could revolutionise the future of cheese production, writes Lindsey Partos.

Taste gene research opens up opportunities for kids NPD

Variation in taste genes could open up new opportunities for the food industry, as well as parents, to devise better strategies to enhance fruit and vegetable acceptance in children who are sensitive to bitter taste, claim researchers.

Scottish farmers to receive organic certification support

The Soil Association, a UK organic certification organisation, has announced that it is to offer a fast-track application service to Scottish dairy farmers wanting to change from conventional to organic farming practices - before the expiration of lucrative EU conversion grants, Tom Armitage reports.

Cow genes decide cheese type and quality

A Canadian scientist is claiming that he has identified which cows genes help to determine the quality and type of cheese.

Patent protection opens up Europe for fat replacer

Patent protection extends to Europe for US fat replacer Z-Trim, claims Fibergel Technologies, the manufacturer behind the product, optimistic the move will lift sales in Europe.

Novel method for food-grade tryptophan production

Food scientists at NIZO have developed a new process for producing the amino acid l-tryptophan, which they claim could remove some of the safety risks associated with the standard method of manufacturing the ingredient, reports Dominique Patton.

EU sets out food traceability guidelines

The EU has issued new guidelines to facilitate the traceability of food products across all member states.

EU food agency to explore 'mad goat' risk

Current science finds no link between goat meat and meat product consumption and variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD). But a group of experts calls for new research, to fully understand the risk this meat may pose to the food chain, and the consumer.

Rice genome picture takes shape

The food industry should benefit from recent advances in tracking the rice genome, with Chinese researchers this week revealing their painstaking work could open up the way for improved strains in wheat, corn, soy and rapeseed.

New rice starch extraction method for product savings

Food technologist marks breakthrough in rice starch procurement, replacing a 60-year-old method with a more 'efficient and environmentally-friendly way' to separate a rice kernel's tightly-bound portions of starch and protein, writes Lindsey Partos.

Breaking News on Food Safety & Quality Control

Headlines

All news

Product news

Product innovations

Related sites

All news

Headlines

All news articles > February 2005

25-Feb-2005

24-Feb-2005

23-Feb-2005

22-Feb-2005

21-Feb-2005

18-Feb-2005

17-Feb-2005

16-Feb-2005

15-Feb-2005

14-Feb-2005

11-Feb-2005

10-Feb-2005

09-Feb-2005

08-Feb-2005

07-Feb-2005

04-Feb-2005

02-Feb-2005

Sign up for your free newsletter

Stay updated on the latest breaking news from your industry

On-Demand Webinars

Upcoming Live Webinars

Videos & Audio

Technical Papers

Product Brochures

Weekly / Daily Free Newsletter

Other Newsletters

Related site

All Decision News Media Sites