Advocacy groups sue FDA over FSMA delays

Two advocacy groups have sued the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for delays in implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which...

Linpac partners with Addmaster for built-in antimicrobial packaging

Linpac Packaging has partnered with a creator of antimicrobial technology to reduce bacteria growth on the outside of fresh meat packages.

Antibiotics reduce effectiveness of pathogen-killing lactic acid bacteria - study

Antibiotic residues in uncured pepperoni, salami and chorizo sausages are potent enough to reduce the effectiveness of lactic-acid producing bacteria designed to make the products safe for consumption, researchers have...

North American Salmonella Braenderup outbreak linked to mangoes

A brand of Mexican mangoes is being recalled across North America after being pinpointed as a “likely source” of a Salmonella Braenderup outbreak which to-date has sickened more than 120 people....

Birko defends hand soap after link to impaired muscle function

Birko has defended an antibacterial ingredient it uses in hand soaps for the food processing industry after it was linked to impairing muscle function.

Edible coatings can extend fruit shelf life, say researchers

A research project in Pakistan has successfully extended the shelf life of different fruits by applying various types of edible coating materials.

Firm harnesses neodymium power to prevent metal contamination

UK-based food inspection specialist S+S Inspection has harnessed the power of neodymium magnets to offer an easy to implement method of removing metal contaminants from liquid and paste product manufacturing...

Basque region backs nanotechnology research

Nanotechnology for food and other industries is receiving strong support in the Basque region of Spain, with cash being channelled to researchers through the EU Framework 7 research funding programme.

Sensient Flavors says it is addressing worker health and safety issues

Sensient Flavors has defended its health and safety record after the Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration (IOHSA) found workers at an Indianapolis plant were exposed to high levels of...

Tyson Foods cited by OSHA after death of worker at processing plant

Tyson Foods has been hit with proposed fines of more than $104,000 after a worker was killed at its Dakota City processing facility in March.

USDA re-opens slaughterhouse after ‘downer’ assurances

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allowed California-based slaughterhouse Central Valley Meat Co. to reopen after the firm agreed to take action to ensure ‘downer’ animals are not processed.

ACC says BPA is safe after study shows possible link to narrowing of the arteries

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has defended bisphenol A (BPA) in the wake of a study which links exposure of the chemical to narrowing of the arteries.

Firms fined after death at food processing plant construction site

Two companies have been fined after a man was killed when he drove a specialist machine into an unprotected pit in a factory floor during the construction of a food...

ILIP to continue produce-packaging research partnership

Italian packaging manufacturer ILIP intends to continue its research partnership with the University of Bologna – furthering its efforts to learn more about the effects of its packaging on the...

Food processor 'surprised' by OSHA citation

DeIorio Foods Inc. has said it is ‘very surprised’ to receive 14 alleged serious violations citations from the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Listeria-killing phage product gets FSANZ approval

Listeria-killing Listex P100 has been approved for use in Australia and New Zealand, making it the first bacteriophage product for food safety to be permitted for use in Australasia.

Mengniu manager arrested over production date fraud

A Mengniu Dairy Co. sales manager has been arrested in China under suspicion of altering the production dates on thousands of cases of milk products manufactured by the Chinese dairy...

Chamberlain Farms named as source of Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak

Chamberlain Farms has been named as the source of the outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium from cantaloupes that has killed two and sickened nearly 200 people in 21 states.

DSM category ‘non-existent in EU legislation’ – EC report

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) backed the creation of desinewed meat (DSM) as a product category despite it being 'non-existent in EU legislation', a European Commission (EC) report has claimed....

Imports 'safer' thinks China: Report

Chinese consumers are turning to imported food products as the local food manufacturing industry struggles with safety and quality issues, a report has found.

FDA issues snapshot of food safety measures

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a report on its activities during 2011, giving a snapshot of the scale of its responsibilities and inspection efforts since the Food...

China: Are imports to blame for latest infant formula problems?

More problems with infant formula milk powder have been found in China, but this time it's not domestic dairies but imports that are being blamed.

Deadly US Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to cantaloupes

US authorities have linked cantaloupes from an Indiana farm to a multi-state Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak, which to-date has sickened 141 people across 20 states and killed two.

9 AUGUST - 16 AUGUST 2012

Food Safety Recall Round-up 9-16 August 2012

A selection of the biggest recalls from around the world in the last week.....

Chinese plant will help us meet expanding demand – Ecolab

Ecolab has opened its sixth facility in China – boosting its ability to meet expanding demand for its cleaning, sanitation and food safety solutions in the country.

Shuttered poultry processing plant cited by OSHA

MVP Kosher Foods has been cited for 21 violations by the US Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) despite ceasing operations at the site a month ago.

Bespoke wash can extend fresh food shelf life – German firm

German company Food Freshly has begun offering processors a bespoke formula wash for fresh foodstuffs that it claims will keep them germ free and extend their shelf life.

Fonterra firm against removing permeate

New Zealand’s largest dairy cooperative is refusing to join milk producers and marquee retailers that are removing permeate from their milk brands.

Butter flavouring is respiratory hazard for industry workers, warns study

The artificial butter flavouring 2,3-pentanedione, used to provide butter taste and aroma in microwave popcorn is an ‘inhalation hazard’ that may cause severe lung disease in food industry workers, warns new research....

Checkweigher launch completes packaging line range - MULTIVAC

MULTIVAC has launched its own range of checkweighers for the first time – a move that will effectively complete its packaging line offering, the firm claims.

News in brief

Mettler Toledo wins gold in Olympic manufacturing exhibition

Mettler Toledo Safeline X-ray (SL-XR) is taking part in an exhibition looking at the best of British manufacturing.

Australia confirms safety of re-formulated Nestlé NAN infant formula

The New South Wales (NSW) Food Authority has confirmed the safety of a re-formulated Nestlé infant formula product following consumer complaints that the new recipe was making children ill.

Lead tainted candy sparks US Health watchdog to take legal action

The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has initiated legal proceedings against eight Californian retailers after fourteen varieties of Asian candies were found to contain dangerous levels of lead, which could...

New Canadian guidelines target single food inspection system

The Canadian government has released draft guidelines for improvements to the food safety inspection system, including a single, consistent approach to all food commodities, whether Canadian or imported.

Hong Kong pulls Japanese infant formula from shelves over iodine levels

Authorities in Hong Kong have ordered the recall of two Japanese-manufactured powdered infant formula products after tests found iodine levels in the products were too low.

Re-formulated Nestlé infant formula tested after consumer complaints

Nestlé Australia has ordered tests on its recently re-formulated Nestlé NAN H.A. 1 Gold infant formula after it received a number of complaints from parents that the 'new, improved' product...

Harvard scientists’ breakthrough could stop biofilm formation

Harvard scientists have developed a coating to prevent biofilms forming in food processing machinery and on surfaces by tricking bacteria into thinking there is nowhere for it to attach and...

3M software boosts contamination detection

3M Food Safety has upgraded its Hygiene Monitoring System to improve identification of cleanliness and sanitation programs for the food and beverage industry.

News in brief

US packaging firm faces fines over health and safety violations

A packaging manufacturer has been hit with more than $50,000 worth of proposed fines for health and safety violations.

Foodborne illness awareness driving chemical cleaning market - Freedonia

Rising public awareness of foodborne illness is driving demand of the industrial cleaning chemicals market, according to Freedonia.

Sealed Air takeover birthed dairy ‘farm to fork’ hygiene concept - Diversey

Sealed Air’s 2011 acquisition of cleaning, sanitation and hygiene solutions provider Diversey has birthed a unique concept in the dairy industry – hygiene solutions from ‘farm to fork’.

Iced tea consumption linked to kidney stones

High consumption of iced tea drinks could be linked to the formation of kidney stones – especially in those who are at high risk of the painful disorder – warns one researcher.

EFSA publishes first opinions on PET recycling process safety

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published its first three scientific opinions on the safety of processes to recycle polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for use in food contact materials.

Life Technologies develops same day E.coli testing solution

Life Technologies Corporation has developed a same-day solution for detecting multiple strains of E.coli in ground beef.

Air Canada flies to investigate passenger report of needle found in sandwich

Air Canada has launched an investigation after a passenger reported finding a sewing needle in a pre-prepared sandwich this week.

Food Safety Recall Round-up 27 July - 2 August 2012

A selection of the biggest recalls from around the world in the last week.....

Most Americans are ‘pro-regulation’ on food safety – regardless of politics, study suggests

Most Americans across the political spectrum would like to see more government regulation of food safety and food quality, suggests a new study published in the journal Food Policy.

Innovation reduces infant formula arsenic to ‘undetectable levels’ - Nature’s One

Organic infant formula manufacturer Nature’s One has developed a filtration technology that reduces arsenic found in organic brown rice syrup (OBRS) to undetectable levels.

Radioactive Japanese oatmeal discovered in Hong Kong

An oatmeal product, manufactured in and imported from Japan, has been found to contain low levels of radioactivity by food safety authorities in Hong Kong.

Asia Pacific demand drives SPX growth

Order growth was driven primarily by system orders in Asia Pacific where food and beverage customers are adding capacity to meet rising consumer demand, said SPX.

News in brief

Inaugural risk assessment guidelines for food and waterborne pathogens revealed

The EPA and USDA have announced the first ever microbial risk assessment guidance to determine health risks from food and waterborne pathogens.

Hershey’s apologises after rusty razor blade found in Jolly Rancher candy

Confectionery giant Hershey’s has been forced to issue an apology in the US, after a consumer reported finding a rusty razor blade in a bag of Jolly Rancher candy.

US Senate Committee vote brings chemical reform a step closer

A US Senate panel has passed a bill aimed at overhauling federal law on toxic chemicals that would mean chemical companies would have to prove their substances are safe before...