Breaking News on Food Safety & Quality Control

Trans Fat Focus

New Tate & Lyle ingredient system targets trans free desserts

British ingredients firm Tate & Lyle has introduced a new method to eliminate trans fats in desserts, a move that comes in response to the renewed trans fat momentum in the US.

Food industry weighs in on impact of chemicals law

With the final passage of the new EU law regulating chemicals in the bloc, the food industry has expressed concern about the uncertainties relating to the scope of the legislation and the eventual cost to processors.

Cold water cools Salmonella rate in eggs

Using cold water instead of warm during a second wash of eggs can help cooling, which reduces the risk of pathogen growth both inside and outside the shell, according to research published yesterday.

Software ties product location to temperature and humidity data

Updated software from Sybase allows managers to locate individual products in real time usingradio frequency identification (RFID) technology and tie that information to temperature and humidity conditions.

UK regulator reviews inspection, enforcement policies

Local authorities in the UK will get new inspection and regulatory powers in the future, thecountry's food agency said yesterday in announcing a review of the current system.

Researchers study electrolyzed water as pathogen killer

Electrolyzed water can be used to destroy pathogens like E. coli in foods such as vegetables,according to new research into the process.

Irradiation kills pathogens not taste, according to study

Irradiation technology effectively kills foodborne pathogens such as Listeria without conclusively worsening taste or smell, according to a new study.

Kraft drinks escape benzene lawsuit

Lawsuits alleging soft drinks made by Kraft Foods may contain the cancer-causing chemical, benzene, have been dismissed after the group said it had reformulated products.

Weekly Comment

Response and Responsibility

Bah, Humbug! It has been that kind of year in general for the food industry, and in particular for some major companies.

Campylobacteriosis overtakes Salmonellosis

Campylobacteriosis has overtaken salmonellosis as the most reported animal infection transmitted to humans in the EU, according to findings published yesterday.

Crop diseases still pose threat to food supply

The British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP) is using the Christmas period to highlight the risks plant diseases create in the food chain.

Parliament passes chemicals law

The EU Parliament yesterday voted for a tougher regulatory regime for chemicals, requiring producers and users to replace some of the current chemicals in use with safer alternatives, if they exist.

Bilwinco software uses RFID to track and trace

An upgraded software programme using radio frequency identification (RFID) to track and trace products, will improve food safety management information, its manufacturer claims.

Food industry 'in compliance' with illegal dye regs

The vast majority of foods tested for a range of illegal dyes comply with the law, claims the UK's FSA.

Metabolix announces $200m bioplastics factory

US firm Metabolix is constructing a new $200m bioplastics factory in Iowa, with commercial production of the packaging material expected to begin in 2008.

Rapid molecular tests being developed to speed up process

Gen-Probe and 3M have teamed up to develop rapid molecular tests food processors can use to ensure the safety of their products, the two companies announced this month.

EU funds projects to improve food safety

EU-funded projects devoted to improving food safety and quality are among those showcased by the European Commission yesterday at a conference in Brussels.

Chinese consumers concerned about food safety

Chinese consumers are worried about the safety of their food and want the government to do more to improve quality standards, suggests a new survey.

Fast Food Nation author calls for single US food safety body

The US food industry needs to be regulated by a single food-safety agency with the authority to test widely for dangerous pathogens, demand recalls and penalize companies that knowingly sell contaminated food, according to the author of the best-selling industry-basher Fast Food Nation.

Weekly Comment

Trans Fats: A Farewell to Harm

There's no way but out for heart-damaging trans fatty acids, and procrastinators in the food industry will achieve nothing by delaying reformulation other than lagging behind in the game as the rest of the world waves goodbye.

Sanitary curved conveyor designed for small products

A new series of sanitary curved flat belt conveyors is designed to transfer small food productsas small as a penny, its manufacturer claims.

EFSA calls for data on food colours

Europe's food safety authority has called for data on food colours as part of a systematic re-evaluation of all authorised food additives in the EU.

Consultation begins on draft contaminants law

The UK's inspectors would gain new powers to analyse foodstuffs for contaminants under newlegislation being proposed by the country's food regulator.

EU ban threatens UK specialist cheese

Time is running out for producers of specialist, cloth-bound cheese in the UK as efforts stall in their bid to continue using a chemical that is banned across the EU.

EU sets up food contact materials reference lab

The EU yesterday opened a commmunity reference lab for food packaging, part the bloc's plan to ensure the chemicals used in their manufacture do not affect human health.

New baking method increases volume and shelf-life

Ingredients firm CP Kelco has invented a new method of bread-making which promises longer shelf-life, improved texture and greater bread volume.

Lactalis stops Roquefort shipments in safety row

A dispute over Roquefort cheese has again erupted in Australia after authorities there rejected a recent shipment, prompting French dairy group Lactalis to cancel exports to the country in protest.

Nano sensor slashes pathogen detection time, inventors claim

A handheld sensor under development uses nanoparticles to detect foodborne bacteria in 15 minutes, its inventors claim.

Foster's plays down phylloxera fears

An attack by the feared phylloxera pest on vines owned by Australian drinks group, Foster's, is under control and not a cause for concern, the firm has said.

Consumer group survey of chicken shows pathogen spike

Analysis of fresh, whole broilers bought in the US revealed that 83 per cent harboredCampylobacter or Salmonella, a spike from the 49 per cent level found in 2003, according to Consumer Reports magazine.

Codex debates new global hygiene standards

The Codex Alimentarius committee dealing with hygiene is meeting this week in the US, with member countries debating a number of international food safety standards that will apply worldwide.

Weekly Comment

Taking the junk out of junk food

The relationship between child and crisp has long been a sacred one but instead of exploiting this dynamic to shovel unhealthy food into young mouths isn't it about time healthier companies exploited it to push junk food without the junk?

Irradiated foods highlighted during week of protest

A new report into irradiation finds conflicting and inconsistent regulatory approaches to the use of the technology worldwide, a problem for multinational processors who are using the technique as a food safety measure.

EU hygiene legislation extended to farms

The EU completes the food safety link from farm to fork on 1 January 2007, when new hygiene legislation is extended to farms, in most cases for the first time.

Regulators agree on co-ordinated risk assessment plan

The EU's national regulators yesterday agreed on a plan to co-ordinate food safety riskassessments across the bloc.

Bag-in-box can cure beer keg hangovers

The problems associated with transporting and storing beer may be solved with the launch of direct replacement to the traditional stainless steel keg, itsmanufacturers claim.

Second Czech BSE case confirmed

Beef production in the Czech Republic took a blow this week, after a new case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was confirmed in a herd within the country - the second outbreak of its kind this year.