A combination of specific packaging films, cleaning chemicals and
modified atmospheres can lengthen the shelf life of fruit and
vegetable varieties, according to studies by the US Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
An entry level X-ray inspection system offers processors a
cost-effective way of meeting the EU's food safety requirements,
its UK-based manufacturer claims.
The European Commission has launched an online database and a
journal to help regulators and processors share information on the
EU's new hygiene regulations as they are applied across the bloc.
An updated model of a gristle removal machine, uses new technology
that results in a more gentle treatment of the meat, and a high
quality of product, its manufacturer claims.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) continues to expand its
scientific work this year, with an eye on the upcoming
implementation of new EU legislation covering a variety of industry
segments.
The presence of salmonella in samples of most raw meat and poultry
products tested by federal inspectors decreased slightly in the
first quarter of 2006.
Turmeric, normally used as a spice to Asian foods, can be used to
curb bad flavors from forming in pickles packaged in plastic
containers, according to a study.
A new packaging system provides an extended shelf life for fresh
food products without using the more expensive thermoforming
process, its Swiss-based manufacturer claims.
Scientists have renewed calls for a listeriosis reporting network
across the EU, pointing to the relatively high rates of the deadly
disease throughout the bloc.
Progress is being made in reducing the levels of the potentially
cancer-causing acrylamide from many foods, but reducing its
presence in coffee still poses a challenge, scientists say.
A new pressure tester compensates for temperature and also predicts
shelf life, helping food and beverage packagers to ensure the
quality of their products.
With confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission of the avian
influenza virus, scientists are now warning that mass vaccination
of domestic poultry may hinder detection of the deadly H5N1 strain
of the disease.
Pesticide testing in the UK has found that two per cent of foods
sampled contained residues above the maximum permitted levels, with
organic products from Spain and France topping the mark.
The EU's food sector has called on the European Commission to draw
back from proposals for additional labelling requirements and allow
the industry to regulate the information it provides to consumers.
A total of about 47 food safety problems were reported across the
EU last week, including a cluster of alerts about aflatoxins in
nuts and unauthorised cheese from the UK.
Luxembourg and Sweden are among the safest places to eat an egg in
the EU, with Portugal, Poland and the Czech Republic the riskiest,
according to tests for Salmonella at commercial producers across
the bloc.
Processors in Norway are using up stocks of domestic and imported
meat supplies after food safety inspectors began a strike on
Tuesday over wages, leading government to step in to order an end
to the dispute.
A new method for determining the amount of yeasts and moulds in
food samples gets the job done within two days, speeding up the
time products can be released on the market.
An internationally-validated test for Campylobacter, can pick up
the pathogen within three hours, allowing processors to speed up
the time when they can release products to the market.
Regulation and the demand for better traceability throughout the
supply chain is driving the search for better, more efficient food
safety products in the US, according to a forecast report.
A document setting out procedures for managing chemical
contamination in the food chain gives processors an overview of the
traceability requirements they will have to follow under EU
regulation.
Gaps in regulating future uses of nanotechnology include those
relating to particle size, to the use of nano versions of already
approved ingredients, and to packaging, according to a UK
legislative review of the food sector.
A tracking software program is designed to help meat packing plants
identify live animals, link them to individual cuts through to
point of sale, and help companies better manage their inventories.
A more effective way of cleaning vegetables such as leafy greens
can dramatically reduce the risk of contamination, according to a
Canadian research study.
A single test for about 600 deadly viruses speeds up the process of
spotting a food-related disease outbreak -- such as bird flu -- in
hours rather than days.
An electronic biosensor using nanotechnology techniques could help
companies to develop the right smells for their foods, or to sniff
out rotting ingredients in the receiving area.
Measures to prevent avian influenza in poultry flocks could be
compromised by lax management, poor international coordination, and
a lack of funds, according to researchers.
New weighers released for the European market indicate machine
manufacturers are attempting to meet processors' demands for
increased speed and hygiene on the line.
A number of food safety and nutrition research studies up for
funding by the UK regulator could result in new codes of practice
or regulation for the industry.
A slaughterhouse partially owned by meat supplier Gilde was
contaminated with a virulent strain of the E. coli bacteria that
hospitalized about a dozen children and resulted in one death,
Norway's food safety authority said yesterday.
A Finnish professor of pharmacology has questioned the findings
behind a study that suggests that lowering the salt content of food
could be bad for people's health.
The market for smart packaging for food and beverage products using
such technologies as radio frequency identification (RFID) will
grow to $8.8 billion in 2013 from the current $160m, according to a
forecast report.
