Posts from the "Latest News" category

EU: Molecular typing – investigating foodborne illness

Food Safety Exchange: Scientists are increasingly using a technique called molecular typing or DNA fingerprinting to investigate foodborne outbreaks. The wealth of data being generated is opening up exciting areas of research and innovative techniques for safeguarding Europe’s food. What is molecular typing? How does it work? The EFSA’s interactive infographic answers these and other questions.

Read Article →
US: Study looks at lettuce grown near livestock

The Packer: Lettuce grown too close to livestock production areas can be at greater risk of pathogen contamination. That’s the conclusion of a recent study by scientists at New York’s Clarkson University, “Bioaerosol Deposition to Food Crops near Manure Application: Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment.”

Read Article →
AU: Are you using codes and labels to their full potential?

Food Processing: Coding and labelling technology has moved way beyond simple product identification. Now you can convey a treasure-trove of information, improve business efficiency, defeat counterfeiters, maximise productivity and more. But information is power — make sure you understand what is available and what you should expect from your investment.

Read Article →
AU: FPSC’s first professional development event a resounding success

The first professional development event held by the Fresh Produce Safety Centre (FPSC) in Sydney has passed with flying colours, according to the participants.

The events are designed by FPSC to provide industry with in-depth understanding of specific fresh produce food safety issues.

This first event tackled the complex area of fresh produce chemical and microbial testing, with eight speakers—from grower, wholesale, retail, regulatory and research—identifying the purpose and value of the different types of testing.

Read Article →
US: Alliance for food and farming slams “Dirty Dozen” list

Fresh Fruit Portal: A U.S. nonprofit representing farmers has criticized the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) latest “Dirty Dozen” list, which ranks produce items based on pesticide residues and now claims strawberries are the “most contaminated”. In a release, the Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) highlighted the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Pesticide Data Program said pesticides did not pose a safety concern for U.S. food.

Read Article →
UK: Video: Managing unannounced audits under GFSI standards

International Food Safety and Quality Network: The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) an industry-driven global collaborative platform to advance food safety and their GFSI Standards are something that is respected by those that work in the food industry. But even though they have the respect of many, it does not mean that their unannounced audits come welcomed. This web seminar to help you always be prepared for the surprise auditors and what you can do to have your food business maintain good food safety practices.

Read Article →
CA: Phage-based bioactive paper a safe Breakthrough for detecting bacterial pathogens in food

Global Food Safety Resource: Bacteriophages (phages) have been deployed as a promising technology to control the growth of various foodborne bacteria since their discovery early in the 20th Century. Lytic phages are viruses—mostly from 20 to 200 nanometres in diameter—that can infect and replicate within bacteria in a strain-specific manner. When a key number of phages accumulate in the cell, they will lyse (dissolve) the bacterial cells. The key to their specificity are the proteins in their tail fibres which recognize receptors on the surfaces of bacterial cell walls.

Read Article →
CA: Nature’s Touch recalls frozen fruit over Hep A concerns

Fresh Fruit Portal: A frozen berry and cherry blend product has been voluntarily pulled from the shelves in Canada, in response to findings during a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak.

“Nature’s Touch is recalling Nature’s Touch brand Organic Berry Cherry Blend from the marketplace due to possible Hepatitis A contamination,” the CFIA said in an announcement.

Read Article →
Kiwi fruit [with red background] (CC BY 2.0) Tawheed Manzoor via Flikr
NZ: New Zealand well placed to deliver to Asia’s growing protein demand

Scoop: Why would the amount of rice being eaten in Asia plateauing be good for New Zealand? Because Asia’s growing middle class is turning from rice to eating protein which is rising in consumption by 5 percent annually and New Zealand is well-placed to meet that increased demand, said Stefan Hajkowicz, a top scientist on strategic foresight at Australia’s federal scientific agency CSIRO.

Read Article →
NZ: Listeria scare: Spinach recalled following positive test

TVNZ: The Ministry For Primary Industries (MPI) and Cambridge-based produce company Southern Fresh have recalled the batch of spinach following confirmation it tested positive for listeria monocytogenes."As a further precaution, Southern Fresh have made the decision to place all washed salad products in the marketplace on hold until testing confirms that it is 100 per cent safe to eat.

Read Article →