German prosecutors have opened an investigation following the discovery of dioxin in eggs and meat in the country in the past week, with the contamination reported to have stemmed from feed contaminated with industrial fats.
Europe’s food import controls are fit for purpose but their fragmented and complicated nature means they are inconsistently applied across the economic bloc, according to a report from the European Commission (EC).
Complementary food for infants in developing countries, especially where corn is a staple food, should be protected against the mycotoxin fumonisin, according to an international team of scientists.
The IFFO has announced a pilot Chain of Custody scheme as an extension to the year-old Responsible Supply standards, and Croda looks set to be the first concentrated fish oil supplier to be certified.
Two analytical methods to measure mycotoxins in infant food have been adopted as the European benchmark test by the region’s standard setting committee.
Fish, raw milk, dairy and egg products are foods containing the highest levels of non dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL PCBs), while fruit and vegetables have the lowest traces, said the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The European Commission authorized six genetically modified (GM) maize varieties for food and feed use on Wednesday after member states failed to return majority decisions for or against on three occasions.
Maximum limits for melamine in food have been set at the latest session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission following the contamination scandals in China.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has produced draft guidelines for reducing the use of growth-promoting antibiotic drugs for meat-producing animals, saying it contributes to drug resistance in humans.
New voluntary standards for the responsible production of soy have been agreed by the industry roundtable, and the first certified material from South America is expected to be in the market in 2011.
The tolerable daily intake (TDI) for melamine has been cut by 60 per cent after new research suggests the chemical may pose health risks at lower levels than previously thought, said EFSA.
Excessive levels of dioxins were detected in eight per cent of thousands of foods sampled over a nine-year period, said EFSA. But the food safety watchdog has challenged the significance of its own findings.
The European Union said measures to step up border controls on a range of imported foods of non-animal origin in a bid to boost food safety came into effect yesterday.
Trade body Dairy UK has challenged the conclusions of a recent report assessing how the food industry can cut greenhouse gas emissions, claiming it included “dangerous” and “alienating” principles.
Foodborne diseases are a risk to global health security and any solutions to bolster food safety must be international ones, a World Health Organisation (WHO) report has said.
Originates, producer of the EssentiOmega line of fish oil ingredients, has slammed a New York Times article which claimed that fish oil supplements are a major contributor to depleting supplies of menhaden, a fish that plays a key role in the ecosystem...
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has reaffirmed the safety of Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) GT73 oilseed rape, stating that it is unlikely to have a detrimental effect on human or animal health or the environment when used for food...
The European Commission has approved Syngenta’s genetically modified (GM) maize to be processed for food and feed use in the European Union – which could enable the resumption of soy imports for animal feed.
Consumers think that current labelling regulation for genetically modified (GM) foods is inadequate, according to a new report from the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The amount of radiation absorbed by the UK population through the food chain remains low and poses no health concerns, said the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The European Commission last week approved three varieties of genetically modified maize for import and processing for food and feed uses, as soy imports into the EU were held up by the bloc’s zero tolerance policy.
Spanish consumers report not knowing much about genetically modified foods, but being very concerned about potential effects on human health, says a new study that suggests more policies are needed to open up the market.
Greenpeace has attacked dairy giant Fonterra for using palm-based animal feed from cleared forests and for pushing an intensive farming model in New Zealand.
The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) has released a “clarified definition” of the term ‘probiotic’, which it says will help manufacturers and regulators ensure the proper use of the bacteria.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has reaffirmed that two antibiotic resistance marker genes, nptII and aadA, pose no threat to humans or the environment.
The current system for monitoring and tracing Irish pork is inadequate and should be overhauled urgently, a highly critical report from the country’s Parliament has said.
Monsanto has filed a lawsuit against the German government after the EU member state banned planting of its genetically modified MON810 maize last week.
UK organic farmers will not have the option to switch to conventional animal feed during the recession, the Soil Association has decided, as a consultation raised concern for consumer confidence.
A major change is needed in the way food is produced, handled and disposed of in order to feed the world's rising population and protect the environment as prices are expected to remain volatile, according to a new UN report.
Economic terrorism and deadly strains of E. coli are among the main food safety issues that manufacturers could face in the US in 2009, according to a law firm which represents victims of food-borne illness outbreaks.
UK organic certifiers are in early stage discussions over whether it could be feasible for organic farmers to feed some animals conventional feed for a limited period, without compromising their organic certification in the long term.
Four beef samples from Irish farms using contaminated feed have higher levels of dioxins than those found in the pork which led to the recent Irish pork product recall, said Ireland’s food safety agency.
The Irish pork crisis has consumers staring at the prospect of an empty table at Christmas, and industry doing sums on how much the so-called ‘biggest meat crisis since BSE’ is going to cost. It’s no wonder new questions are being asked of food safety...
Meat processors and suppliers should check the terms of supply arrangements and review their insurance policies in light of the Irish pig meat recall, claims a product liability expert from international law firm Eversheds.
The profile of dioxins found in the tainted Irish pork meat is similar to those found in electronic transformer oils, claims the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Consumer safety heads of the EU, US and China signed a revised memorandum of understanding on product and food safety yesterday at a high-level summit that reinforced the political importance of safety.
The FDA has stepped up its import controls for dairy products from China following the melamine scare and extended its investigation into non-dairy protein products.
French claims that a genetically modified maize product poses a potential health risk have been disputed by a newly published scientific report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Hong Kong officials say they have found dangerous levels of melamine in a brand of eggs imported from China prompting fears that the chemical has found its way into animal feed.
With dairy farming now accounting for 1.2 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, more critical research is needed by European stakeholders to improve environmental sustainability, says a new report.
UK food manufacturers can now source soy that is certified as Non-GM and Responsibly Produced, as two new standards have been developed in response to retailer demands.
A three-pronged approach including stepping up scientific research
and embracing innovative technology will help combat new food
challenges, says US secretary of agriculture, Ed Schafer.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says that the growing use
of antimicrobial agents in food could be damaging human resistance
to bacteria and other microbes.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has appointed the Central
Science Laboratory (CSL) as the central UK, expert body on
contaminants in food, to help and advise the Agency across a range
of food contaminant issues.
The use of biomass for fuel should not jeopardise the food supply,
EuropaBio has proclaimed, but more European investment is needed in
second generation technology that does not compete with food
sources.