Posts from the "Latest News" category
CH: An Overview of the New Food Safety Law
Food Safety Magazine: On April 24, 2015, the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress revised the 2009 Food Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China (Food Safety Law). The revised law came into effect on October 1, 2015.
The revisions to the Food Safety Law are wide-ranging, imposing stricter controls and supervision on food production and management.
US: Why supply chain transparency is more important than ever
Food Safety Magazine: Food quality and safety risks are at the forefront of many consumers’ minds, thanks to the spate of recent food contamination incidents in the U.S. Improved food quality and transparency have become increasingly important to many manufacturers as consumers increasingly seek these qualities in the food they buy. Social media has raised the bar too, making it far too easy for consumers to force transparency on manufacturers who do not embrace this movement in a way doesn’t always reflect well on them. Of course, these channels also provide an opportunity for brands to build new brand equity with consumers by demonstrating the qualities consumers seek—transparency and openness.
Read Article →AU-NZ: Food Standards launches template for food recall plans
Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has developed a Food Recall Plan template to help food businesses manage recalls. FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Steve McCutcheon said every food business needs to be able to quickly remove unsafe food from the marketplace to protect the health and safety of consumers. “The template developed by FSANZ is particularly aimed at helping smaller businesses ensure they have a food recall plan in place and know what to do if something goes wrong,†Mr McCutcheon said.
Read Article →US: Metrics proposed to prevent the harvest of leafy green crops exposed to floodwater contaminated with Escherichia coli
Allied and Environmental Microbiology: In this study, the suitability of the LGMA metrics for farms in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States was evaluated. The upper end of a spinach bed (in Beltsville, MD) established on a −5% grade was flooded with water containing 6 log CFU/ml Escherichia coli to model a worst-case scenario of bacterial movement through soil. While E. coli was quickly detected at the 9-m distance within 1 day in the spring trial and within 3 days in the fall trial, no E. coli was detected on plants outside the flood zone after 14 days.
Read Article →AU: Perth company uncovers where your food really comes from
Perth Now: Food fraud is so lucrative that organised crime syndicates are now involved, TSW Analytical’s chief executive Cameron Scadding says. Mr Scadding, also a forensic chemist, said the explosion in demand for healthy and ethically produced foods is also being exploited.
Read Article →US: Keeping it safe and traceable throughout the food supply chain
Smart Brief: Connecting with consumers is becoming increasingly important as digital distractions increase and shoppers spread their budgets across multiple trips to the store. And while food retailers are constantly seeking new ways to connect with shoppers via mobile channels and inside the stores, there is another piece of the puzzle that is somewhat less glamorous but just as important — food safety.
Read Article →NZ: Food act discussions with MPI
Horticulture New Zealand: HortNZ’s Matt Dolan and Richard Palmer met with MPI on Friday to discuss MPI’s acceptance of growers certified as achieving Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) meeting the requirements of the Food Act. HortNZ will continue to work with MPI to develop an efficient, fit-for-purpose co-regulatory model using the GAP programmes to deliver the safe food Kiwis expect.
Read Article →UK: New diagnostic tests could hamper tracking of foodborne illness
Food Safety Watch: So-called culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) help doctors diagnose foodborne infections in a matter of hours because they do not depend on traditional bacterial culture techniques, which often take several days to complete. Unfortunately, the absence of a bacterial culture makes it difficult to obtain detailed information from the bacteria responsible for the infection, such as genetic fingerprint and genome sequencing data.
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CA: New survey shows Canadians view farmers favourably but know little or nothing about farming
The London Free Press: Canadians admit to knowing very little about farming even though most trust farmers, says a new ag-advocacy research group. About 69 per cent of Canadians surveyed in a recent poll say they view farmers “warm and favourably†when they’re looking for reliable food information — a higher ranking than for any other food adviser including doctors, friends/family and dieticians.
Read Article →NZ: 400 people attend food safety workshops in Southland
Scoop.co.nz: Around 400 people attended workshops in Invercargill, Gore and Te Anau last week to find out what they needed to do under the new Food Act. Workshops were organised by the local councils in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). They were attended by a diverse range of people, including those from local food businesses, hotels, community groups, education and health services.
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