Breaking News on Food Safety & Quality Control

Flatulence-free soybeans pass the prototype test

Germinating black soybeans under stress from a fungus may give food formulators soy with less flatulence-causing carbohydrates, says new research from Singapore.

Bisphenol risks highlighted by FDA subcommittee

Fresh doubts about the safety of bisphenol A, found in baby bottles and some food packaging, have been raised by the Science Board sub committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Active packaging under the spotlight

A project aimed at designing antimicrobial packing material that is risk free and improves the shelf life of fresh fish, chicken and minimally processed vegetables will begin work on November 1.

Bag-in-tray concept designed for safe freezing

An all-in-one tray bag can save consumers time and effort when freezing products and allow food companies to boost sales through the use of multipacks with separable portions, claims Coopbox Italia.

New wireless temperature monitoring label

Packaging specialist PakSense says it will launch a wireless version of its award winning temperature-monitoring label in December.

New oxygen test for longer shelf life

Easier, safer and quicker food packaging will result from a new oxygen measuring system, claims Swedish manufacturer PBI-Dansensor.

News in brief

New website to act as supplements watchdog

A UK website has been established to scrutinise the estimated 24,000 food supplements on market in the UK and provide information about their quality to consumers.

Terror & melamine fears spur milk transport investment

A US-based prototype scheme to improve automisation and traceability in global milk distribution has received further funding amidst fears over milk safety hazards from potential contamination and terrorism.

Natural compounds can boost pasta shelf life: Study

Natural antimicrobial compounds could be used to improve the microbiological stability of amaranth pasta, suggests an Italian study to be published in a forthcoming issue of Food Microbiology.

UN urges overhaul of China's food safety system

China must revamp its food safety system so that it is less disjointed and consumer confidence is restored, claims United Nations officials.

Tart cherries can reduce ‘belly fat’: rat study

Tart cherries, a relatively new entrant to the superfruit category, have been shown to benefit heart health as well as body weight, in a study on obese rats.

Sanitation kit could combat norovirus in food plants

A kit for sanitizing food handling environments when bodily fluid spillages occur can restrict the spread of potential contaminants such as norovirus, claims its manufacturer.

News in brief

Chinese dairy company imports $15m of melamine testing tools

Chinese dairy company Yili said it has spent about $15m (€11.6m) on importing melamine testing equipment from the US and Japan to restore confidence after the melamine scandal, according to the state news agency Xinhua.

Yoghurt can benefit bladder cancer, say researchers

Two servings of yoghurt per day can reduce the risk of developing bladder cancer by up to 40 per cent, say Swedish scientists.

Dispatches from SIAL

Innovation in food products essential to weather economic storm

Food makers confronted by today's challenging economic times must continue to invest hard in innovation to beat the downturn. This year's SIAL, which opened yesterday in Paris, is a showcase of new ideas that could help to boost margins and weather the economic storm.

Soy boost after melamine scare

Companies are spying opportunities to market soy based products as a replacement to dairy following the melamine milk crisis that hit China and echoed across the globe.

Mars US adopts European-style nutrition labels

Mars is to launch a new front-of-pack labeling system on all of its chocolate, other confectionery and foods amid fresh calls in the US for a labeling overhaul.

Maltesers “less than 11 calories” ad misleading, says watchdog

Raising the benchmark for the confectionery sector regarding nutrition claims, a UK watchdog has concluded a Maltesers advert from confectionery giant Mars misled the public by implying they were a low calorie snack.

Chilled food production: new guide looks at risks and controls

A third edition of a guide to chilled foods stresses the increased risks involved with global sourcing of ingredients for the sector, and claims the need for appropriate controls has never been greater.

News in brief

UK ports and authorities advised of stricter melamine tests

The UK Food Standards Agency wrote to all UK ports and local authorities on Wednesday to advise them of a European Commission decision for stricter melamine testing.

Low cost, high purity fish protein isolate hits global market

Advances with membrane technology means lower price protein from fish are available to food manufacturers globally, with potential to not only replace whey proteins in some applications, but offer a base protein ingredient.

BSE testing change could benefit meat sector

A move to raise the age limit from 30 to 48 months at which UK cattle are tested for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), would, if implemented, help reduce processors' costs and free up supplies.

News in brief

FDA kit aims to improve food safety

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed a food safety training kit, FIRST, for employees in the food industry.

European shoppers do not steer clear of GM labels, says study

European consumers do buy GM foods when they are available in supermarkets, an EU survey has concluded – despite shoppers’ protestations that they would avoid products bearing a GM label.

Maple Leaf to tackle Listeria with newly approved preservative

Canadian meat processor, Maple Leaf Foods, said it plans to use a recently approved preservative that stops the growth of listeria for its meat products, following a listeria-related outbreak attributed to one of its plants and linked to 20 deaths, according to a report on news site, AHN.

MSG may reduce body weight gain: Ajinomoto study

Consumption of the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) may reduce weight gain and fat deposition, suggests a new study.

Manufacturers seek better performance from their packs

Lifting performance in the manufacture of consumer packaged goods is the aim of a new initiative launched by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) based in Washington DC, United States.

Melamine crisis makes manufacturers extra-cautious over safety

The fall-out from the melamine crisis in China is prompting manufacturers to be super careful about sourcing safe ingredients, say industry sources – not just dairy and not just those coming from China.

New fish packaging captures convenience

Convenient access and greater shelf impact are the benefits claimed for new metal packaging for anchovies launched by Crown Food Europe last week.

Wide scepticism of industry interest in cloned food, Commission survey

A new Eurobarometer survey that has revealed consumers’ views on animal cloning for food production to be overwhelmingly negative will be used by the Commission in its analysis of whether action is required on the subject, and if so, what kind.

Food manufacturing safety on a plate

Significant progress has been made in cutting work place injuries in the food industry, according to a conference on food manufacturing safety staged yesterday in Blackpool, UK.

Food makers to stay on the alert for contaminated guar gum

Food makers must be on the alert for contaminated consignments of guar gum after Czech authorities detect unacceptable levels of toxic dioxins in a border batch.

New process could deliver better milk powders for chocolate

A new treatment could be on the horizon for dairy processors as German scientists report it leads to better processing behaviour of spray-dried milk powders.

UK detects banned additive from China in mini jelly cup

Mid-melamine scare, food safety issues are compounded for European confectioners as Europe's alert system flags up a confectionery product for children containing an additive from China that could constitute a choking risk.

China announces new melamine guidelines

China is taking steps to reassure countries that are banning its imports following the melamine crisis with the introduction of new safety levels for food and drink.

Soup wars over MSG content

Food companies are competing over monosodium glutamate claims as Progresso announces that added MSG is being removed from all its soups following a rival ad campaign.

GlycaNova seeks novel foods approval for Lentinex – round three

Danish company GlycaNova is waiting for a final opinion from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) on its proposed lentinan-rich extract from shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes).

Aluminum foil in juice packaging extends shelf life, says study

Spanish researchers evaluated four different containers for the storage of mandarin juice and found that carton containers with an inner layer of aluminium foil best ensure the quality of the product.

Rosemary as antioxidant up for regulatory inclusion

Antioxidant rosemary extracts are expected to be included in existing regulation on food additives while FIAP is being implemented, which will allow high purity extracts to go head-to-head with synthetic antioxidants in food products.

RFID temperature logger could enhance cold chain quality control

A new programmable temperature logger can identify problems incurred with produce during cold chain storage and transit, thus providing an improved quality control system for food manufacturers, says Caen RFID.

FDA uncertain over infant melamine limits

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it is unable to set a safe level of melamine contamination in infant formulas after issuing a wider ruling on the chemical’s presence in food products containing milk.

System offers cost effective fat content monitoring, says FOSS

The new XDS Direct Light system provides accurate measurement of the fat content in ground meat on the processing line as well as offering cost savings to processors, claims FOSS.

Cereals for kids still high in sugar, consumer report

Driven by consumer demand, formulators are cutting the sugar and salt content from a host of products for kids, but a recent cross-nation report that honed in on breakfast cereals for children suggests more work is required, particularly in the US.

Fonterra launches improved protein range for nutrition bars

Fonterra has launched a new range of concentrated dairy proteins for the nutritional bar market which it claims solve the discolouration, texture and shelf-life issues associated with traditional proteins.

Processes can bring ‘new’ hydrocolloids, Leatherhead

Leatherhead Food International has completed a three-year research project that aimed to improve the performance of hydrocolloids using physical processing – methodology likely to be better-perceived by consumers in the natural-centric era.

Melamine detection service offered to EU food and drink sector

A new melamine detection and testing service is targeted at companies in the European food and drink sector including food and ingredient manufacturers and food importers, says Leatherhead Food International.

Manufacturers should help parents make healthy choices

Food manufacturers need to work with retailers to make it easier for parents to choose more nutritious food and tackle childhood obesity, according to a new study.

New natural color technology offers increased stability

Sensient has launched new technology which offers a wide array of natural colors that can be developed to exact shade specifications and are sustainable, whilst meeting the health and wellness trend.