News in brief

African Union to establish FSA

The African Union (AU) is to establish a food safety authority (FSA) and a Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) to avoid foodborne illness.

UK charity urges government to ban BPA in food and drinks packaging

A UK charity has launched a petition urging the country’s government to ‘take the lead’ and ban bisphenol A (BPA) and endocrine disrupting chemicals in food and drink packaging....

Dispatch from RT10 in Singapore

UK sustainable palm oil statement is ‘not really a commitment’, says RSPO president

A UK government statement drawing together new and existing pledges on sustainable palm oil falls short of a real commitment to sustainable sourcing, according to the president of the Roundtable...

Sealed Air sells Diversey Japan for $377m

Sealed Air has sold Diversey Japan to The Carlyle Group for ¥30bn (US$377m) to focus on higher growth markets.

News in brief

USDA issues Hurricane Sandy food safety warning

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has urged people to take immediate steps to ensure their food is kept safe as Hurricane Sandy approaches....

Dispatches from Pack Expo 2012

New cleaning systems from Meech International

Meech International has launched two devices designed to eradicate contamination of food processing equipment.

DISPATCHES FROM PACK EXPO 2012

PTI showcases packaging solutions at Pack Expo

PTI Inspection Systems is displaying a range of packaging solutions, including packaging machinery and testing systems, at trade show Pack Expo in Chicago.

News in brief

3M listeria detection tool receives validation

3M Food Safety has received AOAC-PTM validation for its Tecra listeria Visual Immunoassay (VIA) which provides results in 48 hours.

More than 1,000 sick in Dutch salmonella outbreak

An outbreak of Salmonella linked to smoked salmon ‘appears to be over’ according to the Netherlands’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) after sickening more than 1,000 people.

Experts reiterate call for calorie count reform

Caloric values – particularly for nuts and legumes – should be re-evaluated in light of recent studies suggesting commonly used calorie estimates may be flawed, according to a panel of...

News in brief

BIOTECON validation for pathogen detection systems

BIOTECON Diagnostics has received validation from MicroVal for global distribution of its pathogen detection systems targeting the baby food market.

Craft brewer fined by OSHA after worker death

The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a craft brewer for safety hazards after a worker died while cleaning equipment.

CFIA lifts suspension on XL Foods plant linked to E.coli outbreak

The XL Foods plant at the centre of an E.coli outbreak in Canada has reopened yesterday under strict surveillance and increased testing.

GMO labeling: How vulnerable is Proposition 37 to a legal challenge?

If Californians approve controversial GMO labeling initiative Proposition 37 next month, could food industry opponents challenge it on First Amendment grounds?

News in brief

US retailer to stop selling sprouts due to food safety risk

Kroger Co. will stop selling sprouts due to their food safety risk with the last delivery to distribution centers and stores happening yesterday (22 October).

Scientists create ultra-thin material that could be used as food sensor

Researchers have created a thin-film polymer metamaterial that can be incorporated inside packaging and that changes colour if the conditions inside the package alter.

FSANZ warning follows salmonella outbreak in raw almonds

An outbreak of salmonella in raw almonds has been linked to 27 cases of foodborne illness in six states and territories, said FSANZ.

Nordic countries pinpoint vegetables as likely driver in foodborne illness outbreak rise

Vegetables and vegetable products have been voted as the most likely driver of an increase in foodborne illness outbreaks, according to a Nordic survey.

DISPATCHES FROM INTERBEV 2012, LAS VEGAS

'Consistent' content is king for beverage producers - Profamo VP

Profamo VP Chris Nimptsch tells Ben Bouckley why consistency - and true readings of CO2, Brix and organic acid levels - is king for beverage producers, as he unveils VitalSensors'...

Kraft Foods orders evacuation after German gas cloud incident

Food processing giant Kraft Foods was forced to order the evacuation of around 1,800 people after a mixing error at a cream cheese factory in Germany created a cloud of...

British Lion eggs sourcing call after salmonella scare

British Lion Egg Processors (BLEP) are urging manufacturers to buy product derived from British Lion certified eggs after an outbreak of salmonella that hit seven people in the UK.

E.coli outbreak linked to nearly 200 cases in Northern Ireland

The Northern Irish Public Health Agency (PHA) is investigating an outbreak of E.coli O157 which has been linked to 25 confirmed and 154 probable cases.

Food analysis simplified with new software

Thermo Fisher Scientific has launched software for gas and liquid chromatography analysis that simplifies the process and makes it more user-friendly.

Extracts from leaves of the carob plant can inhibit growth of Listeria, says study

The leaves of the carob plant contain antibacterial substances that can help in the fight against Listeria, according to new research.

News in brief

Denmark to hold seminar looking at foodborne illness

Denmark is holding a seminar looking at the tracking of foodborne diseases in the country.

Mead Johnson Nutrition facing lawsuit over US meningitis death

Mead Johnson Nutrition is facing court in the US over allegations that its Enfamil brand powdered baby formula was responsible for the death of one infant and two cases of...

UK government defends actions on DSM

The UK government has agreed that the consequences of the European Commission stance on Desinewed meat (DSM) have been serious for industry but said it had “no alternative course of action”...

E.coli threat prompts sprouted seeds measures

EU Member States have endorsed strict hygiene measures for ready-to-eat sprouted seeds to prevent incidents such as the deadly E.coli O104 outbreak in Germany and France last year.

PET recycler cited by OSHA after worker injury

Marglen Industries has been cited for two violations totalling nearly $70,000 after a worker’s fingers were amputated while working on a machine.

News in brief

Mondelez recalls Green & Blacks chocolate amid salmonella risk

Mondelez International has issued a US recall of a variety of its Green & Blacks chocolate brand over fears the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

News in brief

bioMérieux Campylobacter solutions receives AOAC approval

bioMérieux has received AOAC Research institute Performance Tested Method (PTM) approvals for the automated VIDAS Campylobacter (CAM) detection assay and the Campy Food Agar (CFA) enumeration and detection methods.

E.coli healthcare costs to Canada estimated in study

Health costs associated with E.coli 0157 have been estimated at CA$240m a year, according to a study.

Kellogg’s $30m cereal recall: Consumer pains but no financial pinch

Kellogg’s recent recall of two cereal products following a metal mesh contamination scare will cost the firm between $20-30m and will hit consumer trust in the short-term, an analyst says....

Action needed to stop contamination as peanut butter recall expands

A US food professor has called on the peanut industry to take action against foodborne illness as the latest Salmonella outbreak has now spread to Canada.

Analyse this! – Vitiva opens up lab services

Vitiva is offering food, beverage and ingredient manufacturers the use of a new analytical services centre it has set up at its recently inaugurated innovation centre in Slovenia.

Nestlé UK design checks cut accidents by a third since 2009

Nestlé’s confectionery factory in York, UK, has bagged a safety award for a scheme assessing plant design risks that has reduced the frequency of accidents by a third.

Outbreak of norovirus in Germany 'over'

German food safety chiefs have said that a norovirus outbreak that sickened more than 11,000 people is over.

Food safety projects receive funding boost

Ten projects aimed at answering critical food safety questions have been selected for grants by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) at the University of California, Davis.

News in brief

Kraft Foods recalls Jalapeno cheese products over packaging concern

Kraft Foods has initiated a recall for a batch of its Jalapeno variety String Cheese product over concerns that a packaging error could present a choking hazard.

Stable Micro Systems enhances texture analysis

Stable Micro Systems has boosted its texture analysis capabilities for the food and supplement industries with the introduction of its Automated Linear Indexing System (ALIS).

News in brief

Microbac expands food science team

Microbac has named Shawn Shanmugan as director of food science at their Pittsburgh Division as the firm targets growth in the industry.

Comment

Smell a rat? Flawed GM cancer study highlights flawed media approach

A French study on the effects of Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) maize in rats has said little about the safety or otherwise of GM crops – but it has said...

Roka Bioscience assay receives extended salmonella certification

Roka Bioscience has received certification for 10 additional matrices for its Atlas Salmonella Detection Assay.

JFC Plastics prosecuted after worker’s death

JFC Plastics has been ordered to pay £240,000 (€298,390) in fines and costs after being prosecuted following the death of a worker at one of its UK recycling facilities.

News in brief

Ecolab targets fast-growing Latin America

Ecolab has acquired a Mexico-based manufacturer and provider of cleaning, sanitizing and water treatment products and services to strengthen its position in Latin America.   

Antimicrobial packaging targets listeria

Researchers have found packaging with an oxygen scavenger or carbon dioxide generator can inhibit the growth of listeria on ready-to-eat (RTE) meat.

China food safety firm secures millions of dollars in sales

China Health Labs & Diagnostics has secured $11.6m of orders for food safety products and its Type B BK Food Safety Rapid Test System (BK-iRT) from theBeijingmunicipal government.

Eurofins unveils lean thinking lab

Eurofins Scientific has opened the doors of a food testing laboratory designed using lean thinking at Wolverhampton in the UK.

CFIA continues to investigate XL Foods E.coli outbreak

Canadian Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz has said the XL Foods plant at the centre of an E.coli outbreak will only re-open when there is written proof that there is no health...

Insect larvae contamination prompts kids chew bar recall and production halt

Production of Annabel Karmel snack bars has ceased and a recall has been issued in the UK and Republic of Ireland following three consumer complaints of insect contamination.

FDA warns Dr Pepper Snapple bottler over ‘serious’ HACCP failings

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) bottler the American Bottling Company after an inspection revealed serious HACCP failings at a Texas plant.

News in brief

Salmonella scare sparks Xan Confectioners US recall

Xan Confections is voluntarily recalling 13 gourmet peanut butter chocolate products over fears of salmonella contamination.

Health Canada reaffirms BPA 'not expected to pose health risk'

Health Canada has reaffirmed the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) and said current dietary exposure through food packaging is not expected to pose a health risk.

Romer Labs acquisition boosts pathogen detection

Romer Labs has taken a leap forward in its pathogen detection services by purchasing US biotech firm Strategic Diagnostics’ (SDIX’s) food safety and genetically modified organism (GMO) businesses for $13.5m,...

UK ice cream manufacturer fined after worker injury

A UK ice cream manufacturer has been fined £10,000 (€12,500) after a worker had his forearm broken when it got caught in a conveyor belt.