Posts from the "Latest News" category
US: Recalls of organic foods and all foods on the rise
Food Poisoning Bulletin: According to a new report from Stericycle, recalls of organic foods for microbial reasons has increased in the past year. In fact, recalls of all foods is up significantly from the first quarter of 2015. That company analyzed data from the FDA and USDA for their study.
According to the USDA, 70% of consumers think that food is safer or of high quality if it is labeled organic. But organic food is just as susceptible to bacterial contamination as conventionally grown food.
There were 178 FDA food recalls in the second quarter of 2015, which is an increase of 47% from the previous quarter. Sixty-two percent of those recalls were for bacterial contamination, mostly for Salmonella and Listeria. Vegetables were 61% of the recall activity.
Click here to read the full article from Food Poisoning Bulletin.
US: Battle of the birds: how to keep birds out of restaurants and food production facilities
Food Safety Magazine: Simply put, birds of all feathers need to be kept out of restaurants and food manufacturing areas for a variety of reasons. Not only do they transmit diseases, they’re not exactly the cleanest creatures—even if they do use a birdbath from time to time.
What makes birds especially dangerous is that they often travel great distances, meaning they have the ability to spread contagion rapidly. Fowl also harbor over 40 types of parasites and host over 60 types of infectious diseases.
AU: FAQs about food recalls for consumers
FSANZ: A food recall occurs when a food product that poses a health and/or safety risk to the public is removed from all areas of the supply chain, including retail outlets. If a food is recalled, consumers are generally advised to return or dispose of the recalled food. Consumers are advised not to consume recalled food.
Consumer level recalls (recalls for products that have reached consumers) are published on the FSANZ’s current consumer recalls webpage. FSANZ also publishes current recall information on Facebook and Twitter. Companies undertaking recalls should also have a plan to inform consumers, either through an advertisement in major newspapers; a press release to news media outlets; a notification at the store where the product has been sold; a notice on their website or social networking sites.
Click here to read more on food recalls, including FSANZ’s first infographic, on causes of Australian 2014 recalls
NZ: GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR 2015 Report: New Zealand – New Zealand Kiwi and Apples 100% GLOBALG.A.P. Certified
GLOBALG.A.P.: This year’s innovative Horticulture New Zealand Conference (HortNZ) hosted the GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR 2015 Stop in Rotorua on 29 July. More than 200 delegates attended the event, which addressed several issues that go beyond certification, including further collaboration, harmonization and big data. Taking production data from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization FAO as a reference, New Zealand is the only country in the world with a 100 percent GLOBALG.A.P. certification rate for apples and kiwi.
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Presentations available from 2015 conference
Dr Robert Premier and Dr Mark Turner have kindly made available their presentations from the Fresh Produce Food Safety Conference 2015.
Read Article →NZ: Fact sheet for microbiological limits for L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods
NZ Ministry for Primary Industries: This fact sheet provides general advice to processors of ready-to-eat (RTE) food in applying the microbiological limits for Listeria monocytogenes in RTE foods in accordance with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Food Standards Code) Standard 1.6.1.
People can become sick if high numbers of the bacteria are eaten. Pregnant women, the very young, the elderly, and immunocompromised persons are particularly susceptible to the effects of L. monocytogenes. There are also some RTE foods which are excluded from Standard 1.6.1.
The microbiological criteria for L. monocytogenes have been revised in the Food Standards Code 1.6.1 – Microbiological Limits for Food. The Schedule to Standard 1.6.1 – Microbiological Limits in Food specifies end point microbiological limits (i.e. measured at the end of a product’s shelf life) for L. monocytogenes in all types of RTE foods based on whether growth of the microorganism can occur. There are also some RTE foods which are excluded from Standard 1.6.1.
Click here to access the Fact Sheet from the Ministry for Primary Industries.
US: Food fraud a bigger problem than many realize, experts say
Food Safety News: Pick up any item in the supermarket and read through the ingredient labeling. Nearly all of the ingredients listed have the potential to be vulnerable to food fraud, according to food fraud investigator Mitchell Weinberg.
“Around the world, food fraud is an epidemic. In every single country where food is produced or grown, food fraud is occurring,†Weinberg said to a roomful of food safety professionals at last month’s annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) in Portland, OR.
Read Article →NZ: Food awards unveils the cream of the crop
Scoop: The top performers in New Zealand’s food industry have been announced, with 47 products developed by 39 primary food producers, food service providers and ingredient supply companies named as national finalists in the New Zealand Food Awards for 2015.
Competition was particularly tough this year with entries up 40% compared to 2014, with almost 150 products from 79 food and beverage producers vying for an award.
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AU: A hungrier, wealthier, choosier, smarter, riskier world: five challenges for Australian agriculture
The Conversation: You don’t need a crystal ball to know Australia’s rural industries will face significant change at global, national and local levels over the coming decades. This will create opportunities and challenges for small and large farms, and will affect rural lifestyles, agricultural landscapes and Australia’s society and economy.
In a new report, we describe this future through a series of interlinked “megatrends†set to hit Australia over the coming 20 years
Read Article →AU: ‘Halal inquiry’ not warranted but could help to eradicate myths: Australian Food and Grocery Council
ABC Rural: An inquiry into halal certification is not warranted but could be useful in eradicating myths, says Australia’s leading body for packaged food. Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) is presenting at a Senate inquiry, which began today, exploring third party certification schemes, including organic, kosher and genetically modified products.
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