How can industry achieve a circular bioeconomy in food packaging? The solution lies in valorising waste into packaging products that can later be biodegraded back into soil, according to Professor Jose Lagaron from the Spanish Council for Scientific Research.
The food system is exposed to increased food safety risks from climate change – a danger regulators must be mindful of, UK Food Safety Agency Chair Professor Susan Jebb suggests. Authorities also need to help the sector mitigate the contribution it currently...
The number of food recalls in Europe has increased as the food industry grappled with COVID-19, supply chain challenges and trade disruption. We hear from Tom Russell, managing director of The Food Incubator, about why focus on food safety is required.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has green-lighted the mung bean protein ingredient used in Eat Just’s egg substitute product, paving the way for the company to launch its JUST Egg plant-based alternative in Europe.
Swiss agrifood testing company SwissDeCode is working with confectionery giant Mars Wrigley to find an early detection solution that can identify Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease (CSSD), a virus that can devastate cocoa crops.
Bread is an age-old staple that conjures up uncomplicated natural wholesomeness, however, the difference between theory and practice is miles apart. Certainly, mass producing bread demands specialised equipment that will pinpointedly control the process...
“Current data indicates that neither food nor food packaging is a pathway for the spread of viruses causing respiratory illnesses, including SARS-CoV-2,” according to a new guidance document from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization...
An everyday chemical has been found to be highly toxic. Contamination of waterways is responsible for what had been the unexplained mass deaths of Coho salmon. We take a look at 6-PPD quinone, what it means for the food system and why it is important...
The European Food Safety Authority was asked to review the link between sugar consumption and various diseases. The results are in: “Based on the risk of developing chronic metabolic diseases and dental caries, the intake of added and free sugars should...
The European Commission’s Food and Feed Crisis Coordinators have agreed a mass recall of products containing E410 locust bean gum contaminated with ethylene oxide.
The European Commission has approved the use of Sweegen’s non-GMO Signature Bestevia Rebaudioside M (Reb M) for use in food and beverages. “We are opening the doors for product developers to explore a new toolkit for sugar reduction across all products...
Ecologists in Spain are demanding a 50% reduction of the use of pesticides - especially those more toxic and unauthorized - after data revealed a ‘worrisome’ level of exposure of pesticide residues found in food in the country.
The EFSA has given the green light on a Novel Foods application from Baïa Food for its ‘Dried Miracle Berry’ (DMB) ingredient. We caught up with the Spanish start-up to learn more about its innovative approach to sugar reduction.
In light of the recent ruling concerning titanium dioxide, French authorities have cast the net wider and urged caution over the use of nanomaterials in food as well as in antibacterial products.
Food safety is a business-critical issue. People worry about food safety and security as much as global warming, pollution and poverty, research from confectionery giant Mars reveals. FoodNavigator hears from Dr Guangtao Zhang, director of the Mars Global...
Royal DSM, a global science-based nutrition, health and sustainable living company, has launched Delvotest Accelerator Smart – a fully-automated system designed to be used in combination with DSM’s internationally validated Delvotest plates to optimize...
The Vegan Society is partnering with UK food testing laboratory Food Forensics to identify and flag animal derived materials or evidence of cross-contamination in products looking to carry the Vegan Trademark. We speak to Food Forensics’ Rick Sanderson...
The plant-based meat and dairy market is booming globally. But, as consumer concern over safety increases, experts from Kerry Taste and Nutrition stress that there is a need to develop food safety strategies that build consumer trust in the sector.
Detecting facial expressions and emotions of farm animals has the potential to improve animal welfare, according to Wageningen University & Research Associate Professor Suresh Neethirajan.
EFSA has updated its safety assessment of controversial food additive titanium dioxide, E171. The verdict: “Titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive.”
Meat and dairy are regularly targeted for their environmental impact. In the UK, for example, the government’s Committee on Climate Change has recommended a 20% cut in meat and dairy by 2030, rising to 35% by 2050 for meat only. Sugar may be next, warns...
Danish food tech start-up Lyras has developed a pasteurisation technology that it says has a lower environmental impact than traditional pasteurisation while also cutting food waste and delivering on safety and nutrition.
With the food industry under increased pressure to promote healthier diets, address obesity and reduce diet-related diseases, more evidence emerges to suggest environmental factors, specifically screen time and poor sleep, may go hand-in-hand with overconsumption.
By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager
The need to preserve protein functionality is prompting food makers to explore ‘milder processing’ than traditional heat treatment. In his second monthly column, René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager and member of the FoodNavigator expert advisory...
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is an internationally recognised method of identifying and managing food safety risk. In an area that is both strictly regulated and highly complex, setting up an HACCP system requires a ’great knowledge’...
SwissDeCode has closed its first venture round. The funds will be used to accelerate development of its technology for real-time certification of food authenticity and quality. We caught up with the start-up’s co-founders to learn about the company’s...
A new sensory analysis method that assesses the quality of raw materials and food products has been developed by Norwegian researchers. Branded ‘Veritaste’, the novel test returns subjective assessments…and the occasional ‘strong opinion’!
The European Food Safety Authority has published its first scientific opinion on an insect-derived food. The conclusion? Mealworms are safe for human consumption.
The European Commission has initiated a process to update EU laws governing chemicals in food contact materials (FCM). “The EU’s FCM laws are outdated and ineffective in protecting people and the environment,” according to one lobby group.
The food sector – and society more generally – needs to take a joined-up approach to issues around plastics, pollution, food safety and waste, Dow Packaging and Specialty’s Sustainability Director Jeff Wooster tells FoodNavigator. “These issues are interconnected;...
Smart labels that use state of the art technology to give shoppers a host of new information about products could create a direct line of communication between consumers and producers and help foster a new era of trust between them, according to a new...
With the French Assembly set to vote on 28 January on legislation aiming to ban the use of nitrates in food products, the Federation of Industrial Charcutiers (FICT) claims there are no health risks associated with the use of nitrites at the current recommended...
Safety standards in UK slaughterhouses risk being compromised by the ‘stringent’ rules requiring a permanent veterinary presence in all abattoirs, a food lawyer has claimed.
An unprecedented shortage of meat production, prompted by the COVID-19 outbreak, is driving up the risk of meat fraud – particularly in species substitution.
Researchers in Denmark cannot rule out the potential for health risk if meat and dairy products are replaced with soy-based alternatives in children’s diets.
An IoT, blockchain, and AI-powered digital food supply chain platform is being developed to boost the traceability of ingredients in pre-packaged sandwiches.
Reports that COVID-19 has been detected on frozen food packaging and products, including on pork knuckles coming from Germany, have prompted import bans in China. However, Germany’s BfR says infection via pork meat is ‘unlikely’.
The UK food industry is facing an increased risk of food fraud due to the disruptions associated with COVID-19 and Brexit. Equipment manufacturer Elementar UK is urging the industry to act.
Hospital food in the UK’s National Health Service could be ripe for innovation after an independent review called for tastier, healthier and better-quality meals to be served to millions of NHS patients and staff.
A fresh study looking at the authenticity of popular herb sage finds that more than a quarter of products sampled in the UK are adulterated. The results, the researchers say, emphasise that global herb supply chains are susceptible to food fraud.
Dark kitchens, direct-to-consumer sales and online ordering have been given a significant boost by to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. It is incumbent that as food businesses innovate and find new routes to market to stay afloat in these...
Today’s consumers expect heightened levels of traceability – particularly when it comes to meat. Dutch retailer Albert Heijn is working with its suppliers and DNA testing expert IdentiGEN to provide shoppers with certainty around the meat they eat.
The European Commission has authorised a new GMO for food and feed – a genetically modified soybean developed by Bayer. While some welcome the approval, others fear the risk of contamination threatens the GMO-free food production chain.
