Posts from the "Latest News" category
US: Dole Fresh Vegetables announces allergy alert and voluntary limited recall of DOLE-branded spinach due to possible contamination by walnuts
Dole Fresh Vegetables: Although no illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported, Dole Fresh Vegetables is initiating a limited voluntary recall of DOLE Baby Spinach products. This recall is due to possible contamination of these products by walnuts. The walnuts fell from a tree into spinach bins being delivered from a field and were discovered at the plant. No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported. However, people who have an allergy to tree nuts may have a serious or life- threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products or products containing walnuts.
Food safety is the first priority of Dole Fresh Vegetables, so although the contamination is not confirmed, this recall is being initiated in an abundance of caution for the benefit of our customers.
Click here to read the full media release from Dole Fresh Vegetables.
Sponsorship opportunities now open for the Fresh Produce Safety Conference: 12 August 2015
7 May 2015
Sponsorship opportunities are now open for the second annual Fresh Produce Safety Conference. The Fresh Produce Safety Conference 2015: Advancing Research and Outreach for Safe, Fresh Food will be held on 12 August 2015 in Sydney. Sponsorship packages to the value of $1250 to $4500 are now available. Sponsors will gain industry-leader recognition for their support of fresh produce food safety research and outreach.
GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR 2015 – We’re on our way to New Zealand
globalgap.org: The GLOBALG.A.P. TOUR takes place every two years and is part of our campaign to engage leading stakeholders around the globe. Our aim is to unite them behind our common purpose of creating private sector incentives for agricultural producers worldwide to adopt safe and sustainable agricultural practices.
Join the GLOBALG.A.P. Team at our TOUR 2015 event in Rotorua [on 29th July 2015] organized by Horticulture New Zealand, and learn more about the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices in your region. Don`t miss the opportunity to get in contact with other professionals from your sector!
Click here to find full details of the GLOBALG.A.P. event.
AU: Almond export boost
Stock and Land: The Andrews Labour Government will establish an experimental orchard in Mildura to boost almond research and training and drive production and export growth.
Additional scientists will be engaged to expand research and development into disease management, food safety, water efficient production systems and increased quality and volumes.
Research at the Mildura facility will focus on enhancing the quality of almond crops, while also helping to minimise pest and disease damage and meeting export food safety standards.
Click here to read the full article from Stock and Land.
US: Inactivation dynamics of Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in wash water during simulated chlorine depletion and replenishment processes
Food Microbiology: Maintaining effective sanitizer concentration is of critical importance for preventing pathogen survival and transference during fresh-cut produce wash operation and for ensuring the safety of finished products. However, maintaining an adequate level of sanitizer in wash water can be challenging for processors due to the large organic load in the wash system. In this study, we investigated how the survival of human pathogens was affected by the dynamic changes in water quality during chlorine depletion and replenishment in simulated produce washing operations.
Click here to read the Abstract from Science Direct.
US: Researchers seek alternatives for reducing foodborne bacteria in fresh produce with the help of nanoengineering techniques
Wayne State University: Nearly half of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. from 1998 through 2008 have been attributed to contaminated fresh produce. Prevention and control of bacterial contamination on fresh produce is critical to ensure food safety. The current strategy remains industrial washing of the product in water containing chlorine. However, due to sanitizer ineffectiveness there is an urgent need to identify alternative antimicrobials, particularly those of natural origin, for the produce industry.
Read Article →CA: Sliced apples recalled in Canada for Listeria risk, 1 illness reported
Food Safety News: Sun Rich Fresh Foods Inc. is recalling from the marketplace sliced apples and products containing sliced apples produced in its Brampton, Ontario, facility due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. One illness has been reported associated with consumption of these products, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
Click here to read the full article from Food Safety News.
US: 8 things food-safety experts never eat
Women’s Health: You know which foods nutritionists steer clear of, but what about the people whose job it is to stop foodborne illnesses in their tracks? Eating healthy doesn’t just mean chowing down on things that might affect your waistline—it also encompasses making sure the food you’re eating won’t send you running to the porcelain throne, thanks to vicious bacteria. Check out the items food-safety experts don’t let pass their lips, then follow their advice for keeping yourself safe.
Click here to read the full article from Women’s Health.
A-NZ: Questions and answers about the revised Food Standards Code
Food Standards Australia New Zealand: FSANZ has reviewed the Food Standards Code to make the requirements clearer and to ensure it better meets the needs of stakeholders. The Code is enforced in Australia by state and territory authorities, the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture for imported food and the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand. One of the reasons for changing the Code was to ensure it was more closely aligned with the food Acts of the Australian and New Zealand Governments and Australian states and territories, which rely on requirements to be clearly stated. The changes will reduce uncertainty when it comes to code enforcement issues.
All industry stakeholders will benefit from a clearer, easier to follow, and in-turn, easier to enforce Food Standards Code. Both the current and revised provisions of the Code have been developed with regard to the main objective of protecting public health and safety and ensuring that Australia and New Zealand has a safe food supply.
Click here to read the full article from Food Standards Australia New Zealand, including links to the new Code.
The hepatitis A virus – an overlooked cause of foodborne disease
Food Safety Watch: Bacteria are by far the most common and best known causes of foodborne illness in the developed world and the food industry is well aware of the risks presented by Salmonella, E. coli O157 and other bacterial pathogens. But there are also a small group of disease-causing viruses that can be transmitted by contaminated food. Noroviruses are the most familiar to many people, but the hepatitis A virus (HAV) is also an important cause of disease worldwide. In 2013 an unexpected spate of foodborne HAV outbreaks in Europe and North America drew attention to the virus as a potential food safety hazard. A closer look at the characteristics of HAV suggests that it would be dangerous to underestimate the threat of the virus in today’s food supply chains.
Click here to read the full article from Food Safety Watch.