Campylobacter and norovirus were highlighted as two major causes of the 11m working days lost in the UK economy every year because of stomach upsets, according to new research.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said overhauling the meat inspection charging regime in the UK will cost the industry far less than originally forecast as it challenged concerns raised by the sector over the proposals.
More research is needed to reveal the risks of the carcinogen furan – particularly with regard to the health of infants and coffee drinkers, warns a new report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
A report from Irish food safety officials aimed at poultry processors, producers and retailers has set out a series of measures to cut campylobacter contamination along the supply chain.
The risk to human health posed by bisphenol A (BPA) is “very small”, according to the latest update by a Japanese research institute as part of a six-year monitoring project on the chemical.
Structural trends towards stricter regulation and one-off food scandals were major drivers in bio-analysis company Eurofins posting strong half year results today.
The latest version of the Dutch HACCP scheme will not be submitted for GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) benchmarking –becoming a national rather international system, said the foundation for food safety certification SCV.
A new strategic approach based on intelligence gathering, more analysis, cutting bureaucracy and better training for regional bodies will boost the safety of imports into the UK, said the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
A new freeze-dry method for salmon cubes that cuts processing time and energy consumption compared to current techniques, while retaining food quality, could be used on less appealing fish meat to add value, said US scientists.
A new method that detects unwanted microorganisms in finished products and traces them back to where they occurred in the food chain is more effective, quicker and economical than current systems, said a group of Norwegian researchers.
Foodborne listeriosis is on the rise throughout Europe, but a new report from scientists suggests improved treatment methods could help combat the problem in cooked meat providing extra assurance for food processors.
A new Norwegian pathogen testing unit for manufacturers, R&D institutions and universities will be the first of its kind in Europe, catering for a broad range of food products and raw materials, according to one of the project’s collaborators.
Disinfecting the outside of foodstuffs may be insufficient to eliminate the danger from pathogens after US scientists discovered that bugs such as E.coli and Salmonella can live inside plant tissue.
Cryovac are hoping the launch of its new whole bird packaging solution will revolutionise the production and retailing of chicken, while offering a familiar experience at the consumer end.
Space-saving and error reduction are two benefits the new combined check weighting and metal detection machine can bring to food and beverage manufacturers, according to Mettler-Toledo.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has backed lactic acid as a decontaminant in beef processing and said there were no safety concerns as long as its use complied with current food additive regulations.
Russia today lifted import requirements for fresh fruit and vegetables from the European Union imposed in the wake of the E.coli outbreak in May that killed 46 people and sickened almost 4,000.
Food and animal safety company Neogen reported a 30 percent boost to its net income to reach $22,839,000 for its 2011 fiscal year, which ended May 3. Net income climbed to $0.96 per share, compared with $0.76 per share the year before.
Mettler-Toledo’s said its One Click loss-on-drying system minimises the chance of errors creeping in when measuring and recording the moisture content of food as part of quality control checks.
Raw sprouted seeds of the type linked to the outbreaks of E.coli 0104:H4 can now be eaten raw as long as the label indicates they are ‘ready to eat’ or ‘ready to wash’, said the UK Food Standards agency as it amended its safety advice.
Two US food firms are facing fines of between $71,500 (€50,500) and $85,800 (€60,600) for safety violations by the Department of Labour's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The battle against foodborne viruses should focus on prevention of contamination during production rather than measures to eliminate them from tainted food, said the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
A new method to separate various arsenic compounds in rice marks a step forward in the quest to develop more sophisticated risk analysis techniques and help set limits on inorganic levels of the toxin in foods, said Finnish scientists.
The EU has banned the import of seeds from Egypt, including fenugreek seeds, after they were identified as the probable cause of recent E.coli 104 H4 outbreaks which killed 48 people in Germany, sickened about 4000 and affected 15 people in France.
Testing for marine biotoxins in shellfish has come into the 21st century after the European Commission decided to ditch the unreliable mouse bioassay in favour of a chemical method, said Thermo Fisher Scientific.
New guidelines launched today set out streamlined safety systems between food manufacturers and the packaging used for their products, said the British Standards Institute (BSI).
Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) demasculinizes male deer mice, makes them less attractive to females of the species and hampers their navigational abilities, according to new US research.
Green tea extract (GTE) can be successfully added to ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) films to produce antioxidant active packaging, new research has found.
The UK campaign to change in European law to allow smoked skin-on sheep meat for human consumption was dealt a blow when the region’s top food safety body rejected its production proposals as insufficient, incomplete and inadequate.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said it has no safety concerns for 3H-perfluoro-3, ammonium salt, for use in food contact materials under specific conditions.
New research suggests that human dietary exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) has been underestimated and that the chemical accumulates in the body faster than previously believed.
FoodProductionDaily.com caught up with Neil Giles, of Mettler Toledo, at the recent Interpack trade show to find out about how its latest data management software can boost processing performance.
Use of cold atmospheric plasmas (CAP) to tackle Salmonella in fresh or minimally-processed foods shows great promise - but key questions remain to be answered before the technology can be integrated into the supply chain, said scientists.
Molecular technologies could now be used to foil fishing fraud and boost traceability by determining the origin of even processed products like canned fish, said scientists from the European Commission.
The virulent strain of E.coli 0104 thought to have been carried on Spanish cucumbers has now killed 10 and sickened 1,000 as the effects of the contamination crisis spread across Europe.
Spanish cucumbers are now suspected to be the source of the deadly E.coli outbreak in Germany that has been linked to between two and four deaths and sickened hundreds more.
The takeover of CI-Vision was the final piece in the jigsaw that has given Mettler Toledo the ability to offer a fully rounded inspection and quality assurance portfolio, said the company from the Interpack show in Dusseldorf.
Lower weight at birth and breathing problems among infants are negative effects linked to foetal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), according to two new studies.
A free on-line tool allows packaging designers, producers and food manufacturers to simulate the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) for a range of plastics and gauge the likely shelf life for target products, said Norner.
Dietary exposure to a range of chemicals that can migrate from packaging into food is low and poses no risk to human health, according to research from government food safety experts in Australasia.
