Posts from the "Latest News" category
US: Fate of Listeria monocytogenes in fresh apples and caramel apples
International Association for Food Protection: An outbreak of listeriosis in late 2014 and early 2015 associated with caramel apples led to questions about how this product became a vector for Listeria monocytogenes. This investigation aimed to determine information about the survival and growth of L. monocytogenes in both fresh apples and caramel apples
Read Article →US: Is the man with mouse poison a bioterrorist or prankster?
Food Safety News: When someone sets out to intentionally poison food, the dividing line between bioterrorism and just a prank or malicious mischief comes down to motive and, more importantly, whether anyone was sickened or worse. The motive of the man the FBI has in custody for spraying a mixture that included mouse poison on unpackaged foods at grocery stores in the Ann Arbor, MI, area isn’t yet known. Michigan health officials say they don’t know of anyone who was sickened.
The man, though not yet charged or identified, is said to have mixed alcohol-based hand-sanitizer, water, and mouse poison. Then he went to three Ann Arbor grocery stores and sprayed it on fresh produce and open food bars. Officials report he may have repeated the routine at stores in the Saginaw and Midland. The health officials figure that since the man sprayed fresh foods, they’ve probably been consumed. If so, the threat is passed.
AU: Celebrating 25 years of food standards setting
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ): Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is hosting a symposium to mark its 25th anniversary in national food standards setting. The symposium will be held on 17 and 18 August 2016 at the National Library of Australia, Parkes Place, Canberra. Experts will gather to talk about the future of food safety and public health protection through food standards.
The symposium will also explore the new challenges and opportunities of the digital age. Come along and listen to highly regarded intellectuals and professionals working at the forefront of public health protection, food safety regulation and risk analysis. You will also hear from experts involved in developing an innovative Australian and New Zealand food industry as well as those advocating consumer choices.
ES: Pre- and postharvest preventive measures and intervention strategies to control microbial food safety hazards of fresh leafy vegetables
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition: This review includes an overview of the most important preventive measures along the farm to fork chain to prevent microbial contamination of leafy greens. It also includes the technological and managerial interventions related to primary production, postharvest handling, processing practices, distribution, and consumer handling to eliminate pathogens in leafy greens.
Read Article →AU: Imported ‘extra virgin’ olive oil increasingly failing quality tests
The Age: The vast majority of imported “extra virgin olive oil” in Australian supermarkets fails to meet local and international standards, renewing concerns shoppers are paying a premium for inferior products. Tests of 27 imported bottles sold at Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and Foodland revealed 85 per cent failed to meet the voluntary Australian Standard and 78 per cent failed to meet the International Olive Council (IOC) Standard.
The research, commissioned by the Australian Olive Association (AOA) and conducted by internationally accredited labs, shows half of the oils failed because they tasted “rancid, musty, fusty or [had] some other organoleptic defect”. “If we had the Australian Standard mandated, many of the oils sitting in supermarkets as ‘extra virgin’ would suddenly have labels saying ‘refined’, ‘pomous’, or ‘virgin’, which all have a place but need to be appropriately priced.”
US: Listeria outbreak spurs CRF to expand frozen food recall
Food Safety News: CRF Frozen Foods has expanded its recall of certain frozen fruits and vegetables to include everything produced in its Pasco, WA, facility since May 2014 after learning seven people have become sick with Listeria infections. Two have died. More than 350 products sold under 42 brands are included in the recall. The products were sold in all 50 states and Canada. Several major retailers’ brands are part of the recall, including: Costco, Costco Canada, Walmart, Safeway and Trader Joe’s.
“This expanded recall of frozen vegetables includes all of the frozen organic and traditional fruit and vegetable products manufactured or processed in CRF Frozen Foods’ Pasco facility since May 1, 2014,” according to the recall notice. “All affected products have the best by dates or sell by dates between April 26, 2016 and April 26, 2018.” Products include organic and non-organic broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, corn, edamame, green beans, Italian beans, kale, leeks, lima beans, onions, peas, pepper strips, potatoes, potato medley, root medley, spinach, sweet potatoes, various vegetable medleys, blends, and stir fry packages, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries.
US: FDA recognizes canada as having a comparable food safety system to the U.S.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed an arrangement with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Department of Health Canada (Health Canada) recognizing each other’s food safety systems as comparable to each other. The arrangement was signed at a meeting of the FDA-CFIA Health Canada Joint Committee on Food Safety. This is the second time that the FDA has recognized a foreign food safety system as comparable, the first being New Zealand in 2012. A similar system recognition process is underway between FDA and Australia and the European Commission.
By recognizing each other’s systems, FDA, CFIA, and Health Canada, have confidence that they can leverage each other’s science-based regulatory systems. For example, each partner will consider the oversight of the other when prioritizing inspection activities, but the benefits go beyond inspection and admissibility. Systems Recognition establishes a framework for regulatory cooperation in a variety of areas that range from scientific collaboration to outbreak response.
AU: Call to share your “Gastro Nightmare” – crowdfunding appeal launched to save Food Safety Week
Food Safety Information Council: The Food Safety Information Council is using May Day to put out an SOS call to save Food Safety Week with a crowdfunding appeal. Council Chair, Rachelle Williams, said there are an estimated 15.9 million cases of gastroenteritis in Australia each year and a quarter of these are due to food poisoning. ‘We are calling on Australians to share their ‘Gastro Nightmare’ story with us on social media. ‘We’d like to hear your story and also ask you to donate to our appeal to ensure the 20th Food Safety Week can still go ahead in November 2016.
‘[T]he loss of Federal Government funding in 2014 has left us with greatly reduced income, to the extent that we may not be able to run Food Safety Week and our educational campaigns this year. This is tragic as the estimated 4.1 million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year result in 31,920 hospitalisations, 86 deaths and 1 million visits to doctors.
US: FDA report: dole officials knew about Listeria in facility
Food Safety News: Company officials knew a Dole salad plant was contaminated with Listeria for a year and a half before they shut it down — then they only took action after the U.S. and Canadian governments traced a deadly outbreak to the facility. Inspection reports (483) obtained by Food Safety News revealed the timeline of positive Listeria results and inaction. Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. finally suspended production at its salad plant in Springfield, OH, on Jan. 21 this year after a random test by state officials showed a bagged salad contained Listeria monocytogenes.
By that time, at least 33 people in the U.S. and Canada had been sickened with the same strain of Listeria as was found when Ohio inspectors tested the Dole salad they collected from a retailer. All 33 victims had such severe symptoms they required hospitalization. Four of them died.
NZ: New Zealand Food Awards announces refresh and entries opening for 2016
Monday, 2 May 2016, 12:10 pm
Press Release: Massey University Food Awards
2 May 2016
Scoop.co.nz: Entries open for the 2016 New Zealand Food Awards today, calling for all local food and beverage producers to showcase the success and innovation of their products and businesses. The New Zealand Food Awards, in association with Massey University, provides the food and beverage industry with the opportunity to boost their profile and achieve recognition for their brands and businesses, and this year has seen some changes to the award categories to provide more opportunities for businesses to enter.
Entrants have the opportunity to put forward their products to an expert judging panel, receive feedback, and benchmark themselves against industry peers which provides valuable insights for future development and approaches. The award categories for the competition have been refreshed this year providing lots of opportunities for both large and small manufacturers to enter. Awards are also available for health and wellness, novel ingredients, primary sector products, food safety, business innovation, export innovation and the overall supreme winner.