Breaking News on Food Processing & Packaging

Canada tightens front-of-pack nutrition labeling rules

06-Nov-2009 - Canada is updating its front-of-pack nutrition labeling scheme, disqualifying whole food categories, changing the rules for fiber, salt and fat, and introducing criteria for trans fat and sugar.

Danisco says UHT fouling fixed with new enzyme

06-Nov-2009 - A new ingredient has been developed to resolve UHT milk processing fouling naturally and thereby lead to increased production capacity for processors, claims the manufacturer.

FDA calls meeting to improve food traceability systems

06-Nov-2009 - Federal agencies in the United States need to increase the speed and accuracy of traceability systems to combat outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, said the FDA as it called a public meeting on the matter.

Pesticide-tainted pears spark EU emergency measures

06-Nov-2009 - The European Commission has imposed emergency measures on pear imports from Turkey after some shipments were found to contain pesticide residues over 1,400 times above acceptable levels.

Canadians warned off Chaotic Beverages over possible health risks

06-Nov-2009 - Health Canada has told consumers not to drink four “unauthorised” drinks made by Chaotic Beverages on fears they contain ingredients that could pose a health hazard to children.

Lawsuits filed over E.coli-contaminated beef

05-Nov-2009 - Two lawsuits have been filed in the US after a multi-state outbreak of E.coli 0157:H7 that has so far been linked to two deaths and 28 illnesses.

Industry backs bisphenol A safety in can linings

04-Nov-2009 - The use of bisphenol A (BPA) in can linings is both safe and vital for food protection, a host of industry bodies and companies have said in rejecting the conclusions of a report calling for a ban on the chemical.

Global food safety group meets with Chinese envoys

04-Nov-2009 - Chinese food safety delegates met with international food safety experts in Minnesota this week to conclude a two-week program discussing individual nations’ role in the development of global standards.

Boston Globe slams DSHEA and 'powerless' FDA

03-Nov-2009 - TheBoston Globe has called for a repeal of DSHEA, stating that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is “virtually powerless” in regulating the industry.

US targets Bangladesh over aquaculture safety fears

03-Nov-2009 - US food officials have sent a team to Bangladesh in a bid to boost the safety and quality of its aquaculture - much of which is exported to the west.

Significant bisphenol A levels in canned food - Study

03-Nov-2009 - Significant levels of bisphenol A (BPA) have been found in a wide variety of canned food that, for some, could approach levels shown to cause harm in animal studies, according to the Consumers Union (CU).

New method to inhibit E. coli in sprouts

02-Nov-2009 - A treatment method using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) can help ensure the safety of fresh produce such as alfalfa seeds in terms of Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli contamination, claims new research.

News in brief

Big gaps in US food-borne illness response

02-Nov-2009 - Delays in the public health response to food-borne illness in the US occur because some state health departments cannot efficiently track produce-related illnesses, according to a survey commissioned by the Produce Safety Project (PSP).

New $30m study into the safety of BPA

30-Oct-2009 - Opening yet another chapter in the long running saga about the safety of Bisphenol A (BPA), the US National Institutes of Health is to launch a new $30m study into the safety of the chemical used in metal cans linings, many plastics bottles and sipper cups.

Listeria biofilm under attack from new disinfectant

29-Oct-2009 - Sterilix Corporation and an ARS researcher claim to have developed a 100 per cent effective disinfectant for removing biofilms containing Listeria monocytognes from meat processing facilities.

News in brief

Beef recall on E.coli fears after 20 sickened

27-Oct-2009 - US company Crocetti's Oakdale Packing Co has recalled more than 1,000 lbs of beef patties after reports that more than 20 children were suffering from E.coli.

Weekly comment

Tackling E.coli – legislation or self-regulation?

26-Oct-2009 - Everybody wants food to be safe - but the recent slugging match over how best to protect US consumers from E.coli-tainted meat highlights whether legislation or self-regulation is the answer to mending the country's flawed safety system.

US government and trade body clash on E-beam debate

26-Oct-2009 - A four-year campaign by the American Meat Institute (AMI) to have electron beam technology approved as a processing aid appears no nearer resolution after the government and the group disagreed over progress on the issue.

Australia, NZ to review burden of food labelling laws

26-Oct-2009 - Australia and New Zealand are to undertake a review of food labelling laws and policy to reduce the regulatory burden on food companies without compromising health and safety.

Project bids to eliminate risk of botulinum in baked goods

23-Oct-2009 - A project aimed at quantifying and eliminating the risk associated with the growth of Clostridium botulinum in baked goods is being initiated by a UK research group.

News in brief

Chemists add soy sauce to ‘perfect’ gravy

23-Oct-2009 - The Royal Society of Chemistry in the UK has unveiled its recipe for the perfect gravy, which bears a striking resemblance to that of a 19th century cookbook writer.

Listeria in salmon killed by smoke treatment: Study

23-Oct-2009 - Smoking salmon at sufficiently high temperatures reduces the risk of Listeria monocytogenes, according to a new study from the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists.

FDA chief calls for stronger food safety bill

23-Oct-2009 - A bill to overhaul the food safety system needs to be stronger and incorporate more funding, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told a Senate committee hearing on Thursday.

Meat test rule change would prevent most E.coli, Listeria recalls

22-Oct-2009 - More than 80 per cent of this year’s meat recalls for E.coli and listeria could have been avoided if US authorities made companies keep hold of tested products until safety officials had given them the all clear.