Posts from the "Latest News" category
US: Multistate outbreak of Salmonella poona infections linked to imported cucumbers
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:· Since the last update on September 29, 2015, 61 more ill people have been reported from 24 states. Given the 14-day shelf life of cucumbers and the gap between when someone gets sick and when that illness is reported to public health, it is not unexpected to continue to see illnesses reported after the recalls.
Read Article →NZ: Your views sought
NZ Ministry for Primary Industries: The Food Act comes into force in March 2016. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) consulted on the regulations early in 2015. This consultation is another chance for food businesses and providers to have their say about how the Food Act 2014 will work in practice.
The proposed notices apply to all businesses that need to operate under a food control plan or a national programme.
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AU: An A-Z of common types of food poisoning
ABC Health & Wellbeing: Do you know which foods are more likely to cause Campylobacter? Or how many hours it takes to develop symptoms of Salmonella [infection] after eating a contaminated egg? Get the low-down on some of our most common causes of food poisoning.
Read Article →UK: E. coli evolved to become deadly 30 years ago, new study finds
Food Poisoning Bulletin: E. coli O157:H7 evolved to become deadly 30 years ago, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Public Health England. The study explains why deadly outbreaks began in the 1980s and demonstrates why the bacteria should be monitored closely, researchers say.
Read Article →NZ: AsureQuality inSight and Authenticateit sign agreement to bring together traceability, food safety and quality a ssurance
Australian Food News: New Zealand government-owned food safety and quality assurance company AsureQuality has officially signed a strategic alliance with Australian product authenticity, protection and traceability technology firm, Authenticateit.
Read Article →![Golden Kiwifruit [growing in an orchard] Geof Wilson https://flic.kr/p/acMdBE CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/](https://fpsc-anz.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/6040514844_4fc8027346_b-e1443577182727.jpg)
CN: Survey of microbial contamination and characterization of Escherichia coli in kiwifruit orchards in Shaanxi, China, 2013
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease: The aim of the study was to survey three foodborne pathogens in kiwifruit orchards as a continuous monitoring program. A total of 193 samples were collected from 11 kiwifruit orchards in Shaanxi province in October 2013. Among the 193 samples, 68 Escherichia coli isolates were recovered, while no Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella was recovered.
Read Article →UK: 95% of consumers buy private brands but concerns in food quality and safety point to need for greater transparency
Packaging Today: Trace One today announced the results of its “Global Consumer Food Safety and Quality” research. The survey of over 3,000 shoppers across nine countries found that despite buying private food brands often, consumers are concerned about the safety and quality of the foods they eat.
Only 12 percent of the consumers surveyed said that they wholeheartedly trust the safety of the private and National food brands they consume and only 10 percent wholeheartedly trust the quality. In fact, more than a quarter (27 percent) of consumers do not even trust the information on food product labels.
Read Article →US: Center for produce safety announces its $20,000,000 campaign for produce safety
Center for Produce Safety: Since its inception in 2007, the Center for Produce Safety has provided $16.4 million to fund critically-needed, actionable produce safety research. To expand this vital work, the Center today announced the “Campaign for Produce Safety,” a major fundraising initiative designed to secure $20 million in funding over the next five years.
Initial contributions to the campaign already total $4,720,000, demonstrating a strong conviction that food safety is a shared responsibility of the entire produce supply chain, from growers to shippers to retailers. Several industry leaders have stepped up early in the campaign to signal their support and their intent to advance timely research to keep produce products safe in the United States and worldwide.
Click here to read the full article from the Center for Produce Safety.
![Drunk [Ant] Christa / Flickr https://flic.kr/p/6JZNHS CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/](https://fpsc-anz.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/3768355228_ebd2d100ec_o1.jpg)
AU: The cost of pest infestation
FoodProcessing.com.au: In 2014, pest infestation cost Australian businesses $796 million, with a further revenue decline of $1.7 billion also attributed to unwanted creepy crawlies.
Research commissioned by pest control company Rentokil found that 83% of Australian businesses have experienced incidences of pest infestations over the last five years. On average, an incident of pest infestation in an Australian business lasted for just under three weeks. Food-based businesses were particularly vulnerable, with 12% of companies within this industry reporting losing more than 10 working days as a result of pest infestation.
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