Posts from the "Latest News" category
NZ: Investigation into the source of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
The Ministry for Primary Industries investigation into the source of the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis outbreak in September has been completed. It did not find source of the pathogen.
This is not unusual in Yersinia outbreaks from around the world, where very few are pinned down to a definitive source.
Click here to read the full item from the Ministry for Primary Industries including a link to the report.
New funding for apple pest research
The pipfruit industry has received new government funding for pest and disease research to improve access for New Zealand apple exports to Asian markets.
Pipfruit New Zealand’s chief executive Alan Pollard said that integrated pest management approach had been successfully used for fruit going to the main export markets in Europe. "We’re looking at more biological controls, we’re looking at better management on orchard and postharvest, we’re looking at alternatives to some of the treatments that our markets require us to undertake, all on the basis of giving greater assurance around pest and disease management and food safety."
Click here to read the full article on Radio New Zealand News.
US: Could Yelp and Twitter Become Tools to Detect Foodborne Outbreaks?
Social media platforms such as Yelp and Twitter have significantly altered the online landscape for restaurants. Now anyone with an Internet connection and an opinion can broadcast their thoughts to others interested in visiting.
But what if public health officials could use Yelp and Twitter to track people mentioning foodborne illnesses online to detect outbreaks at restaurants? That’s exactly what researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute say is possible today, thanks to the number of people who take to social media to mention bouts of illness after eating out.
Click here to read the full article from Food Safety News.
AU: Microbial Food Safety Assurance
The 2014 Keith Farrer Award of Merit was awarded at this year’s AIFST Convention to Dr Tom Ross for his outstanding contribution to food science. This article is based on his address.
Most people know the basic rules of food hygiene, don’t they? They’re simple rules that reflect our awareness that invisible microbes might make us sick, to minimise contamination of food and limit growth of those organisms if contamination occurs, or to kill them before we eat the food. It’s hardly rocket science, is it? And if these are simple rules that ordinary people apply, how much safer must it be when food professionals prepare and process foods?
If it’s that easy, then it’s hard to understand why – particularly given the enormous advances in biological science and technology over the last few decades – there seems to have been no reduction in the incidence of microbial food-borne illness in decades.
Click here to read the full article in Food Australia magazine.
NZ: Fighting food fraud with forensics
A technique used by forensic scientists to identify bodies at crime scenes is being used by food producers to deter counterfeiting of their products.
All plants and animals absorb the natural chemicals of their environment, and similar technology can provide irrefutable forensic evidence of where an apple was grown. This evidence can be used to help combat misrepresentation of products in the market place, such as when inferior fruit is mislabeled as a premium brand.
Click here to read the full article from Good Fruit Grower.
US: E. coli victims appeal to workers in LGMA training video
Victims of the 2006 E. coli outbreak linked to fresh spinach tell their stories in a new food safety training video co-produced by the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement and the non-profit group STOP Foodborne Illness.
Lauren Bush tells her story in the video, describing how as a 20-year-old college student she contracted an infection from a spinach salad that ultimately sent her to the hospital with hemorrhaging and other severe symptoms.
Click here to read the full article in The Packer.
EU traceability requirements rank top in global table of food safety regulations
European Union countries rank highest when it comes to global food traceability regulations and requirements, according to a new report from The Global Food Traceability Center (GFTC). Australia and New Zealand come in as ‘Average’.
To read the full report, please click here.
Source: http://www.ift.org.
Image credit:
David Andersen / Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
GS1 Recallnet: Half-day Information & Training Sessions
19 November 2014
GS1 Australia is hosting free information and optional training sessions on product recall using GS1 Recallnet. GS1 Recallnet is a secure, online portal used to streamline the recall and notification process.
The Melbourne event will focus on the Primary Grower / Producer and the challenges that a recall event brings to this sector.
Read Article →Horticulturists join the DPI to to maximise the quality and safety of NSW fruit and vegetables available to consumers.
Western Magazine: “Two new research horticulturists have been appointed to the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to maximise the quality and safety of NSW fruit and vegetables available to consumers.
Dr Sukhvinder Pal Singh and Dr Roberto Marques will broaden the scope of the DPI post-harvest research team based at the Central Coast Primary Industries Centre, Ourimbah near Gosford.”
Click here to read the full article in Western Magazine.
Food safety standards for Australia and New Zealand
Food safety standards place obligations on Australian and New Zealand food businesses to produce food that is safe and suitable to eat. There are also health and hygiene obligations for food handlers. The standards aim to lower the incidence of food-borne illness.
A food business is any business or activity that involves the handling of any type of food for sale, or the sale of food in Australia. The requirements apply to all commercial, charitable or community activities including ‘once-only’ projects that involve the handling or sale of food.
Food businesses in New Zealand are required to comply with New Zealand’s Food Act 1981 and the regulations and standards under this Act. For more information visit the Ministry for Primary Industries website.
Source: http://www.foodstandards.gov.au