Posts from the "Reports and Articles" category
USA: Researchers confirm flies can transfer E. coli from feedlots to produce fields
By Coral Beach on July 31, 2019
Along with feedlot dust blowing in the wind and surface irrigation water flowing adjacent to feedlots, flies captured in leafy greens plots near feedlots are capable of transferring E. coli from animal operations to produce fields.
Set for publication in August in the “Journal of Food Protection,” new research from a team of experts links contamination of leafy greens with E. coli from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), also referred to as feedlots, via “pest flies.”
“Most fly isolates were the same predominant pulsed-field gel electrophoresis types found in feedlot surface manure and leafy greens, suggesting a possible role for flies in transmitting E. coli O157:H7 to the leafy greens,” according to the research abstract.
Consumer expectations met through new fresh produce food safety guidelines
“The Guidelines for Fresh Produce Food Safety 2019 ensure Australian produce has the highest safety standards of any produce anywhere in the world”, said Peter Tuohey, Chair, Melbourne Market Authority.
Launching the 2019 version of the Guidelines today at Hort Connections in Melbourne, Mr Tuohey acknowledged that Australian horticulture had seen some damage in recent years through contamination and tampering that impacted producers, retailers and exporters.
“However it is by continuing to evolve and change the standards within these Guidelines that we will meet our consumer expectations”.
“These Guidelines set out the procedures and steps to prevent or deal with contaminations, and covers a comprehensive list of practices and potential hazards to assist growers, packers, transporters, wholesalers and retailers along the supply chain”.
AU: Allergen information concern: Half of all adverse reactions occur in products without warning labels
Foodnavigator-Asia: More than half of all cases of anaphylaxis or food allergy reactions featured in a new study occurred after the consumption of products that failed to contain any allergen warning labels, according to researchers at the University of Melbourne.
Read Article →UK: Updated advice on businesses on protecting food and drink supply
Food Standards Agency: Revised guidance has been published for businesses on how to improve protections for food and drink supply. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the British Standards Institute have today published a revised guide for food businesses on how to improve protections for food and drink supply.
Download the full report at food.gov.uk
CH: Food safety in a globalised world
Swiss Re: Has the number of recalls really increased? Is the severity of these recalls rising? How safe is food today in general? These were the questions we asked ourselves as far back as 2001, when the issue first appeared on our radar screen and we started working on it.
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US: Research uncovers consumer values influencing food decisions
PR Newswire: Taste, price and convenience are no longer the sole deciding factors when people buy food and beverages, according to a new study, from Deloitte, Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).
The study, “Capitalizing on the Shifting Consumer Food Value Equation,” found that roughly half of Americans surveyed (51 percent) weigh “evolving drivers” – health and wellness, safety, social impact, experience and transparency – in their purchasing decisions, in addition to the “traditional drivers” of taste, price and convenience. Moreover, this occurs regardless of demographic factors.
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US: Consumer definition of food safety expanded, study finds
Associations Now: Health and wellness, safety, social impact, experience, and transparency are all factors 51 percent of consumers weigh when determining which food items to purchase, according to a joint study from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), Food Marketing Institute (FMI), and consulting firm Deloitte. The study, “Capitalizing on the Shifting Consumer Food Value Equation,†found these new factors influence purchasing decisions in addition to traditional drivers like taste, price, and convenience.
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The #1 reason we bother with food safety? Because consumers demand it!, writes Richard Bennett
Consumers rank food safety at the supermarket as number 1. As suppliers, we often don’t give food safety the profile in our businesses that reflects this ranking, probably because we are focussed on price and quality. Consumers take a long time to forgive a food safety incident, which is why we must be so diligent to get food safety right.
Read Article →Agents of Foodborne Illness
Food Standards Australia & New Zealand: Agents of Foodborne Illness is a technical publication for the food industry, food safety consultants and food regulators. It contains information about pathogens that cause foodborne illness including:
· growth and survival characteristics
· symptoms of disease
· virulence factors