Search Results for: food

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has approved a proposed regulation tightening and harmonising EU food and animal feed controls. As it informally agreed amendments in advance with EU ministers, the law is now expected to be rubber-stamped. One change insists that national governments erect “effective, proportionate and dissuasive” sanctions to breaches of these controls and another says relevant information held by food authorities must be publicised quickly, except data “covered by professional secrecy”.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PHARMACEUTICAL sector is a key element of a free trade agreement recently struck between the USA and Australia, although some onlookers claim Washington failed to achieve many of its aims regarding the industry. Nonetheless, the US Trade Representative’s office lauded the fact that Australia would make product-listing procedures within its pharmaceuticals benefits scheme more transparent, notably through the creation of an independent review process.…

BY MONICA DOBIE
AN ONLINE database of information on how pathogenic bacteria respond to different environmental conditions in food has been established by Britain’s Institute of Food Research and the Eastern Regional Research Centre’s Microbial Food Safety Research Unit, in the United States.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
CONCERNS about biocontamination of food processing and other industries, have sparked the development of an International Organisation for Standardisation (IOS) management blueprint on checks and reforms. *ISO 14698-1:2003 and ISO 14698-2:2003 – contact sales@iso.org…

BY PHILIP FINE

A LOW-COST American air carrier has just set up a temporary retail shop in Boston to showcase its own wares that has been designed and furnished to look like one of its aeroplane cabins. Song, the low-fare unit run by Delta Air Lines, has opened the shop on a trial basis for two months.…

BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKE
DRAFT safety regulations regarding the production of all carbonated drinks have been agreed by India’s Central Council of Food Standards (CCFS). The move follows concern sparked last year about the detection of pesticide residues in colas. The council said that the new draft covered soft drinks, with separate standards being drawn up for fruit juices and other beverages.…

BY PHILIP FINE

WHILE genetic modification (GM) seems to have scored a public relations disaster in the area of food, many health advocates are putting support behind the emerging area of GM insects. Three of the most promising ongoing projects are investigating the development of mosquitoes incapable of transmitting malaria, which could be released into the wild, maybe replacing insects that can carry the disease.…

BY PHILIP FINE

WHILE genetic modification (GM) seems to have scored a public relations disaster regarding food crops, an attempt to garner some praise is being made in the emerging science of GM insects. Scientists hope to modify insects to control noxious weeds and insect pests, reducing the use of pesticides on agricultural, pasture and horticultural lands.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
PREGNANT women and small children could suffer mercury poisoning from swordfish, tuna and other large predatory fish the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has warned.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A MASS vaccination campaign against bird flu might result from the ongoing outbreak in Asia, with the UN Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) moving away from a pro-culling policy. Following meetings with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Office International des Épizooties on animal health the FAO said that a targeted vaccination campaign in heavily affected countries maybe required.…