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United Kingdom- Food Safety Agency Keeps Crucial Safety Role
20 July 2010
barfblog [edited] [BITES]
The Government confirmed its intention to retain the Food Standards Agency (FSA) with a renewed focus on food safety. The FSA in England will focus on its core remit of food safety policy and enforcement. The Department of Health will become responsible for nutrition policy, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will become responsible for Country of Origin Labeling. The FSA was established as a non-ministerial Government Department in 2000. Its primary purpose was to secure food safety and provide vital advice to Government and to the public; a role that the Government believes must remain independent. Reorganizing will contribute to the Government’s objectives to improve efficiency and improving the health of the nation. FSA will retain a clearly defined departmental function focused on food safety. This means that, on crucial issues of food safety, the independent advice from FSA experts would be final.
Netherlands- Q Fever
15 July 2010
RNW [edited] [ProMED]
The Dutch Agriculture Ministry has lifted restrictions on breeding and transporting milk goats and milk sheep, which had been in force since the outbreak of Q fever earlier this year [2010]. The disease is spread by bacteria that use pregnant goats and sheep as hosts. Its affects on humans can be lethal for weakened patients. Since January this year, 420 people have been infected with Q fever, and five people who were already suffering from other afflictions, died.
EU- New regulations on traceability and labeling of beef
13 July 2010
Mattilsynet [edited] [BITES]
The Health and Care Services Ministry of Agriculture and Food issued new regulations about traceability and labeling of cattle and beef. The regulations deal with marking, reporting and registration of bovine animals, as well as labeling of beef products. Key provisions include: Cattle shall be marked with two approved earmarked within 20 days after birth (but before the animal is moved from the operating unit where it is born); Both earmarked ("origin marks") shall contain a code that identifies the animal and the appropriate operational unit; All births, deaths and movements of cattle, including information on the animals' identity should be reported to the FSA and registered in the Pets Register; Cattle transfers between Norway and other EEA States will be accompanied by a passport that contains certain information about the animal. The most important changes with respect to labeling of beef products include special rules for voluntary labeling of beef and beef products and a fee requirement for supervision and control of compliance with the approved voluntary label specifications.
Dendmark: Stronger action against Salmonella and Campylobacter in food
30 June 2010
BITES [edited]
The government signed a new four-year agreement to continue efforts to control bacteria in food. Approximately 25 million kroner will be allocated a year, which is stronger than previous actions against salmonella and campylobacter. Also, funds will be used to reinforce efforts against antibiotic resistant bacteria in foods. The conciliation parties agree to intensify efforts to fight bacteria in food by launching initiatives that will focus on the whole food chain from farm to table.
EU Vet Week: Shielding Animal Health and ensuring Food Safety through traceability
11 Jun 2010
Europa [edited][FSNet]
Since the '90s when BSE and other animal diseases were delivering severe blows to industry and consumer confidence alike, the European Union has come a long way in its efforts to reinforce Animal Health and Food Safety. Traceability, the ability to follow animals or food products throughout their lifecycle –from the moment they are born or produced till they end up in our plate: from farm to fork– has been at the forefront of these efforts. These issues will be at the heart of this year's EU Veterinary Week (EVW), which starts on Monday, June 14, and ends on Sunday, June 20.
Tracing animals and animal products in a free market of 27 Member States requires sophisticated systems. Citizens are often unaware of the importance and the benefits this procedure brings along, while sometimes the industry views EU traceability rules as burdensome.
Experience shows that traceability helps ensure the highest possible levels of food safety and hygiene. In other words, it limits the risks of the EU having to cope again with serious animal diseases, such as BSE, foot-and-mouth disease or classical swine fever, while when they do emerge, it helps ensure that they are dealt with in a speedy and efficient manner as the outbreak point is quickly discovered.
In addition, traceability ensures food quality and taste as it guarantees, for example, the origin of regional specialities. The consumer knows his feta is the real thing from Greece, his Iberico ham came from Spain, "Irish Beef" from Ireland and parmesan cheese from Italy. Traceability can also address ethical elements by ensuring, for example, that only food produced in organic farms can be labelled as organic.
20 July 2010
barfblog [edited] [BITES]
The Government confirmed its intention to retain the Food Standards Agency (FSA) with a renewed focus on food safety. The FSA in England will focus on its core remit of food safety policy and enforcement. The Department of Health will become responsible for nutrition policy, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will become responsible for Country of Origin Labeling. The FSA was established as a non-ministerial Government Department in 2000. Its primary purpose was to secure food safety and provide vital advice to Government and to the public; a role that the Government believes must remain independent. Reorganizing will contribute to the Government’s objectives to improve efficiency and improving the health of the nation. FSA will retain a clearly defined departmental function focused on food safety. This means that, on crucial issues of food safety, the independent advice from FSA experts would be final.
Netherlands- Q Fever
15 July 2010
RNW [edited] [ProMED]
The Dutch Agriculture Ministry has lifted restrictions on breeding and transporting milk goats and milk sheep, which had been in force since the outbreak of Q fever earlier this year [2010]. The disease is spread by bacteria that use pregnant goats and sheep as hosts. Its affects on humans can be lethal for weakened patients. Since January this year, 420 people have been infected with Q fever, and five people who were already suffering from other afflictions, died.
EU- New regulations on traceability and labeling of beef
13 July 2010
Mattilsynet [edited] [BITES]
The Health and Care Services Ministry of Agriculture and Food issued new regulations about traceability and labeling of cattle and beef. The regulations deal with marking, reporting and registration of bovine animals, as well as labeling of beef products. Key provisions include: Cattle shall be marked with two approved earmarked within 20 days after birth (but before the animal is moved from the operating unit where it is born); Both earmarked ("origin marks") shall contain a code that identifies the animal and the appropriate operational unit; All births, deaths and movements of cattle, including information on the animals' identity should be reported to the FSA and registered in the Pets Register; Cattle transfers between Norway and other EEA States will be accompanied by a passport that contains certain information about the animal. The most important changes with respect to labeling of beef products include special rules for voluntary labeling of beef and beef products and a fee requirement for supervision and control of compliance with the approved voluntary label specifications.
Dendmark: Stronger action against Salmonella and Campylobacter in food
30 June 2010
BITES [edited]
The government signed a new four-year agreement to continue efforts to control bacteria in food. Approximately 25 million kroner will be allocated a year, which is stronger than previous actions against salmonella and campylobacter. Also, funds will be used to reinforce efforts against antibiotic resistant bacteria in foods. The conciliation parties agree to intensify efforts to fight bacteria in food by launching initiatives that will focus on the whole food chain from farm to table.
EU Vet Week: Shielding Animal Health and ensuring Food Safety through traceability
11 Jun 2010
Europa [edited][FSNet]
Since the '90s when BSE and other animal diseases were delivering severe blows to industry and consumer confidence alike, the European Union has come a long way in its efforts to reinforce Animal Health and Food Safety. Traceability, the ability to follow animals or food products throughout their lifecycle –from the moment they are born or produced till they end up in our plate: from farm to fork– has been at the forefront of these efforts. These issues will be at the heart of this year's EU Veterinary Week (EVW), which starts on Monday, June 14, and ends on Sunday, June 20.
Tracing animals and animal products in a free market of 27 Member States requires sophisticated systems. Citizens are often unaware of the importance and the benefits this procedure brings along, while sometimes the industry views EU traceability rules as burdensome.
Experience shows that traceability helps ensure the highest possible levels of food safety and hygiene. In other words, it limits the risks of the EU having to cope again with serious animal diseases, such as BSE, foot-and-mouth disease or classical swine fever, while when they do emerge, it helps ensure that they are dealt with in a speedy and efficient manner as the outbreak point is quickly discovered.
In addition, traceability ensures food quality and taste as it guarantees, for example, the origin of regional specialities. The consumer knows his feta is the real thing from Greece, his Iberico ham came from Spain, "Irish Beef" from Ireland and parmesan cheese from Italy. Traceability can also address ethical elements by ensuring, for example, that only food produced in organic farms can be labelled as organic.
Germany- Nanosilver has no place in food, textiles or cosmetics
10 Jun 2010 BfR [edited][FSNet]
BfR currently advises against using nanoscale silver ions in consumer products
The manufacturers of consumer products have made use of the antimicrobial properties of silver ions for some time now. Recently, silver particles in the nanorange have likewise been used. For instance, the surfaces in fridges coated with nanosilver are intended to inhibit the growth of germs and nanosilver aims to prevent odour formation in sports socks. It is not possible at the present time to determine in a definitive manner whether nanosilver constitutes a health risk for consumers.
Silver and silver compounds release silver ions that can inhibit the growth of germs. For that reason they are used for instance in cosmetics, textiles and household appliances. Furthermore, silver is approved as a dye for food (E174).
Recently, the manufacturers of consumer products have been increasingly using silver in the form of nanoparticles, too. Nanoparticles are particles with a diameter of less than 100 nanometres. The properties of nanoparticles differ from those of larger particles of the same substance. It is these special properties that make them interesting for various applications. However, it has still to be ascertained whether their toxic properties change and they could become a health risk for consumers.
BfR recommends refraining from using any nanoscale silver in consumer products until a definitive safety assessment becomes available. In any case nanoscale additives in food require approval. Nanosilver has not been approved for use in food.
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientific institution within the remit of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV). It advises the federal government and federal Länder on all aspects of food, chemical and product safety.
03 Jun 10
Agra Europe Weekly [edited][FSNet]
Denmark is to step up efforts to curb antibiotic use in livestock as part of a new action plan against antibiotic resistance, jointly developed by the country's Health and Food Ministries.
Although Danish farmers use antibiotics sparingly when compared to their counterparts in many other parts of the world, usage is rising both in livestock and humans. As a result, Denmark is starting to face the complex problems of antibiotic resistance which are already apparent elsewhere, the Danish food minister reportedly said.
European Union implements random testing of Indian seafood
03 May 2010
FIS [edited][FSNet]
In March, the EU Health Authority recommended the random testing of 20 percent or more of the aquaculture products imported from India for antibiotic residue and micro-organisms, among other tests, according to the reports of the technical committee on seafood imports to the European bloc.
This new development has the potential of causing mass delays for the consignments destined for Europe and a consequent drop in exports to that region, noted officials from the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI).
Recurrent rejections of farmed freshwater prawn exports to the EU in the early part of 2009 led EU authorities to make their newly implemented decision.
India counts the EU as one of its main importers of domestic aquaculture products and thus represents a vital market. Aquaculture exports to the EU make up nearly 32 per cent of the value of total seafood exports, according to the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), news sources reported.
The EU has been tightening its import regulations by boosting its environmental and health standards. Starting on 1 January 2010, India and other countries have had to attach catch certificates to all their seafood shipments to the region indicating the origin of the products if they were to be accepted.
This rule was implemented by the EU in hopes that it would help reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Brussels-based Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) is responsible for ensuring the safety of food products imported into the EU and has the power to reject and ban imports that do not meet its standards. Following FVO’s biennial audit of Indian seafood testing laboratories, the office told the Indian government in a letter that the Indian method of residue monitoring and testing was structurally flawed and useless.
02 Jun 2010
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Food Standards Agency is changing the way it issues information to consumers about food product withdrawals and recalls. The new system takes effect from June 2010.
Under the new system, a 'Product Withdrawal Information Notice' or a 'Product Recall Information Notice' will be issued to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food. These replace what was known under the previous system as the ‘Food Alert for Information’.
The ‘Food Alert for Action’ category of alert will continue to be issued and will remain unchanged. This alert is issued to provide local authorities with details of specific action to be taken on behalf of consumers.
In 2009, the FSA carried out a 12-week consultation to review the way it communicates with local authorities during incidents. The change will:
China- 5 FDA officials arrested for taking bribes
19 Apr 2010
Shangai Daily [edited][FSNet]
Five officials from China's food and drug watchdog have been arrested on graft charges only three years after its former head was executed for the same offence.
Another official was ordered by investigators to stay at home pending results of the investigation.
The five were arrested on suspicion of taking bribes, it was reported yesterday.\ 13 Apr 2010
Wales Online [edited][FSNet]
The hygiene scores of all food businesses in Wales will be available to the public in about six months.
Star ratings from zero to five allocated under the Food Standards Agency’s scores-on-the-doors scheme will be listed on a single website.
The move is in response to increasing public pressure to make caterers more accountable in the wake of South Wales’ deadly E. coli O157 outbreak.
It will mean that for the first time, consumers will have the ability to choose to eat or buy their food from the most hygienic businesses.
China- 5 FDA officials arrested for taking bribes
19 Apr 2010
Shangai Daily [edited][FSNet]
Five officials from China's food and drug watchdog have been arrested on graft charges only three years after its former head was executed for the same offence.
Another official was ordered by investigators to stay at home pending results of the investigation.
The five were arrested on suspicion of taking bribes, it was reported yesterday.
UK: New Operations Group for the Food Standards Agency
31 Mar 2010
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced in July 2009 its intention to form a new Operations Group in 2010. This will take effect from 1 April 2010 when the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) and FSA merge.
The FSA Operations Group will streamline and improve the Agency’s approach to compliance with official food and feed controls across the United Kingdom and will support the Agency’s priority to always put consumers first.
Anticipated benefits of the new Operations Group include: · Providing coordinated and consistent support to UK food and feed businesses and delivery partners to help compliance with official controls and other statutory requirements. · Ensuring that regulation is effective, risk-based and proportionate. · Improving the sharing of knowledge, information and expertise throughout the Operations Group to provide a better understanding of which interventions are most effective in delivering compliance. · A consistent and targeted UK approach will contribute to improvements in public protection of food safety and a reduction in instances of foodborne illness. · A structure that will help deliver strategic objectives in line with external expectations and drivers – for example, the recommendations arising from the 2009 Report of the Public Inquiry into the September 2005 outbreak of E. coli O157 in South Wales and recommendations of EU Food and Veterinary Office Missions. · Driving internal improvements for efficiency and effectiveness, freeing up resources to enable work on the issues that will really make a difference to food safety. · Savings of approximately £2 million are forecast to be generated through the merger, mainly through back office efficiencies.
United Kingdom- Agency welcome shelf-life guidance for chilled foods
25 Mar 2010
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Agency has welcomed the publication of new guidance to help food businesses determine the shelf life of ready-to-eat foods by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Chilled Food Association (CFA), working in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency.
The guidance is designed to help businesses, from small food outlets to major food manufacturers, calculate a safe shelf life for how long particular foods can be kept before being eaten. It is also designed to help firms meet European Union hygiene rules that set limits on bacteria in food, such as Listeria monocytogenes, which is the focus of the guidance.
Complex issues are explained simply for staff at all levels of expertise. Real life examples are also provided to show how the advice should be put into practice.
29 Jan 2010
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Food Standards Agency is to expand its eatwell website to bring together all government information on food aimed at consumers. Advice on food safety and healthy eating will be integrated with information on a wide range of other topics relevant to consumers' food choices, with a particular focus on environmental and wider sustainability issues.
The Agency will work closely with other government departments and bodies over the coming year to gather up-to-date information, and it plans to launch the remodelled website in spring 2011.
The report of this scoping exercise, 'Integrated advice for consumers: discussion and analysis of options', provides a snapshot of existing information on government websites, identifies gaps in consumer advice and recommends options for implementing the new integrated site. The report is available online at the link below, alongside summaries of research undertaken with consumers and school-aged children as part of this project.
Earlier this month, 'Food 2030', the Government’s new food strategy, set out the Government's vision for the food system and how to achieve it by 2030.
Food 2030 confirmed the Government’s commitment to providing an integrated source of government information and advice for consumers, to help people make informed choices about the impact of the food they choose to eat.
Originally, the need for this website was identified in the Cabinet Office 'Food Matters' report, published in July 2008, also available at the link below.
'Food Matters' highlighted the need for government to take a more joined-up approach, not only in providing information to consumers, but to food policy overall. The need to tackle in an integrated way the health, social, environmental and economic challenges in the food system is an approach reinforced by the recent Food 2030 strategy.
25 Jan 2010
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Food Standards Agency is launching a UK-wide campaign today, to raise awareness among food businesses about the Agency tools available to help businesses comply with food hygiene law.
The tools being promoted include Safer food, better business (for use in England and Wales), CookSafe and RetailSafe (for use in Scotland), and Safe Catering (for use in Northern Ireland). These tools provide innovative and practical approaches to food safety management.
The campaign includes posters, advertisements in trade publications and on the radio, and promotion online. Running from today until Monday 1 March 2010, the campaign will target catering businesses that supply food direct to consumers – such as restaurants, takeaways and cafés.
08 Jan 2010
FSAI [edited][FSNet]
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today stated that there were a total of 54 Enforcement Orders – including 34 Closure Orders -- served for breaches in food safety legislation in 2009 compared with 46 in 2008, an increase totaling 17%.
The FSAI reportedly re-emphasized that it is unacceptable that food businesses were continuing to breach food safety laws and warned all food business operators to place robust food safety measures and hygiene practices top of their agenda for the new decade or face the full rigors of the law being imposed.
Agra Europe Weekly [edited][FSNet]
Denmark is to step up efforts to curb antibiotic use in livestock as part of a new action plan against antibiotic resistance, jointly developed by the country's Health and Food Ministries.
Although Danish farmers use antibiotics sparingly when compared to their counterparts in many other parts of the world, usage is rising both in livestock and humans. As a result, Denmark is starting to face the complex problems of antibiotic resistance which are already apparent elsewhere, the Danish food minister reportedly said.
UK:Local authority audits published
03 Jun 2010
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Agency has published reports of local authority audits carried out in a number of areas of the audit programme.
The first set of reports for the programme of audits looking at Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) compliance includes the reports of audits in the local authority areas of Arun, New Forest, South Northamptonshire, Westminster and Wychavon.
The audit for Worthing is concerned with feed/food law service delivery and food business compliance.
In addition, the Agency has published the report into the focused audit of 34 local authorites within Berkshire, Derbyshire, Humber and Lancashire Food Liaison Groups evaluating their inter-authority and peer review processes.
03 Jun 2010
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Agency has published reports of local authority audits carried out in a number of areas of the audit programme.
The first set of reports for the programme of audits looking at Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) compliance includes the reports of audits in the local authority areas of Arun, New Forest, South Northamptonshire, Westminster and Wychavon.
The audit for Worthing is concerned with feed/food law service delivery and food business compliance.
In addition, the Agency has published the report into the focused audit of 34 local authorites within Berkshire, Derbyshire, Humber and Lancashire Food Liaison Groups evaluating their inter-authority and peer review processes.
European Union implements random testing of Indian seafood
03 May 2010
FIS [edited][FSNet]
In March, the EU Health Authority recommended the random testing of 20 percent or more of the aquaculture products imported from India for antibiotic residue and micro-organisms, among other tests, according to the reports of the technical committee on seafood imports to the European bloc.
This new development has the potential of causing mass delays for the consignments destined for Europe and a consequent drop in exports to that region, noted officials from the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI).
Recurrent rejections of farmed freshwater prawn exports to the EU in the early part of 2009 led EU authorities to make their newly implemented decision.
India counts the EU as one of its main importers of domestic aquaculture products and thus represents a vital market. Aquaculture exports to the EU make up nearly 32 per cent of the value of total seafood exports, according to the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), news sources reported.
The EU has been tightening its import regulations by boosting its environmental and health standards. Starting on 1 January 2010, India and other countries have had to attach catch certificates to all their seafood shipments to the region indicating the origin of the products if they were to be accepted.
This rule was implemented by the EU in hopes that it would help reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Brussels-based Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) is responsible for ensuring the safety of food products imported into the EU and has the power to reject and ban imports that do not meet its standards. Following FVO’s biennial audit of Indian seafood testing laboratories, the office told the Indian government in a letter that the Indian method of residue monitoring and testing was structurally flawed and useless.
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Food Standards Agency is changing the way it issues information to consumers about food product withdrawals and recalls. The new system takes effect from June 2010.
Under the new system, a 'Product Withdrawal Information Notice' or a 'Product Recall Information Notice' will be issued to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food. These replace what was known under the previous system as the ‘Food Alert for Information’.
The ‘Food Alert for Action’ category of alert will continue to be issued and will remain unchanged. This alert is issued to provide local authorities with details of specific action to be taken on behalf of consumers.
In 2009, the FSA carried out a 12-week consultation to review the way it communicates with local authorities during incidents. The change will:
- increase FSA speed of response during incidents – this is because information notices will be quicker for the FSA to produce and issue
- increase the impact of ‘for action’ alerts issued to local authorities – some local authorities indicated that they were receiving too many alerts (mainly of the type where no action needed to be taken)
- address concerns voiced by some parts of the food industry over the terminology the FSA previously used, particularly when all the required actions by food business operators have been carried out following an incident
China- 5 FDA officials arrested for taking bribes
19 Apr 2010
Shangai Daily [edited][FSNet]
Five officials from China's food and drug watchdog have been arrested on graft charges only three years after its former head was executed for the same offence.
Another official was ordered by investigators to stay at home pending results of the investigation.
The five were arrested on suspicion of taking bribes, it was reported yesterday.\
Wales Online [edited][FSNet]
The hygiene scores of all food businesses in Wales will be available to the public in about six months.
Star ratings from zero to five allocated under the Food Standards Agency’s scores-on-the-doors scheme will be listed on a single website.
The move is in response to increasing public pressure to make caterers more accountable in the wake of South Wales’ deadly E. coli O157 outbreak.
It will mean that for the first time, consumers will have the ability to choose to eat or buy their food from the most hygienic businesses.
China- 5 FDA officials arrested for taking bribes
19 Apr 2010
Shangai Daily [edited][FSNet]
Five officials from China's food and drug watchdog have been arrested on graft charges only three years after its former head was executed for the same offence.
Another official was ordered by investigators to stay at home pending results of the investigation.
The five were arrested on suspicion of taking bribes, it was reported yesterday.
UK: New Operations Group for the Food Standards Agency
31 Mar 2010
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced in July 2009 its intention to form a new Operations Group in 2010. This will take effect from 1 April 2010 when the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) and FSA merge.
The FSA Operations Group will streamline and improve the Agency’s approach to compliance with official food and feed controls across the United Kingdom and will support the Agency’s priority to always put consumers first.
Anticipated benefits of the new Operations Group include: · Providing coordinated and consistent support to UK food and feed businesses and delivery partners to help compliance with official controls and other statutory requirements. · Ensuring that regulation is effective, risk-based and proportionate. · Improving the sharing of knowledge, information and expertise throughout the Operations Group to provide a better understanding of which interventions are most effective in delivering compliance. · A consistent and targeted UK approach will contribute to improvements in public protection of food safety and a reduction in instances of foodborne illness. · A structure that will help deliver strategic objectives in line with external expectations and drivers – for example, the recommendations arising from the 2009 Report of the Public Inquiry into the September 2005 outbreak of E. coli O157 in South Wales and recommendations of EU Food and Veterinary Office Missions. · Driving internal improvements for efficiency and effectiveness, freeing up resources to enable work on the issues that will really make a difference to food safety. · Savings of approximately £2 million are forecast to be generated through the merger, mainly through back office efficiencies.
Ireland- Guide to food law for artisan food producers available
29 Mar 2010
FSAI [edited][FSNet]
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) published a comprehensive guide to food law to assist artisan and small food producers who have started or are planning to start a new food business. The publication of the Guide to Food Law for Artisan/Small Food Producers Starting a New Business is timely given that the FSAI has witnessed a marked increase in interest in starting a new food business from members of the public. In 2009, there was a 50% increase on 2008, on the number of enquiries to the FSAI’s advice line asking for information on how to set up a new food business. To operate legally the food business operator must ensure: that their food business is registered, or approved; that they have a food safety management system in place; that their business has an effective traceability system; that staff handling food have received food safety training; and that they comply with food law. The guide provides concise and clear details on these legal requirements. It also includes simplified summaries on food legislation.
29 Mar 2010
FSAI [edited][FSNet]
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) published a comprehensive guide to food law to assist artisan and small food producers who have started or are planning to start a new food business. The publication of the Guide to Food Law for Artisan/Small Food Producers Starting a New Business is timely given that the FSAI has witnessed a marked increase in interest in starting a new food business from members of the public. In 2009, there was a 50% increase on 2008, on the number of enquiries to the FSAI’s advice line asking for information on how to set up a new food business. To operate legally the food business operator must ensure: that their food business is registered, or approved; that they have a food safety management system in place; that their business has an effective traceability system; that staff handling food have received food safety training; and that they comply with food law. The guide provides concise and clear details on these legal requirements. It also includes simplified summaries on food legislation.
United Kingdom- Agency welcome shelf-life guidance for chilled foods
25 Mar 2010
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Agency has welcomed the publication of new guidance to help food businesses determine the shelf life of ready-to-eat foods by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Chilled Food Association (CFA), working in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency.
The guidance is designed to help businesses, from small food outlets to major food manufacturers, calculate a safe shelf life for how long particular foods can be kept before being eaten. It is also designed to help firms meet European Union hygiene rules that set limits on bacteria in food, such as Listeria monocytogenes, which is the focus of the guidance.
Complex issues are explained simply for staff at all levels of expertise. Real life examples are also provided to show how the advice should be put into practice.
UK scientists devise worldwide food alert system
04 Mar 2010
ScienceDaily [edited][FSNet]
Countries producing food containing harmful bacteria and toxins could be named and shamed more quickly using a worldwide alert system devised by a team of scientists from Kingston University in South West London. The team was quoted by saying the easy to use computer tool can be used to monitor contaminated products; helping to prevent them reaching shop shelves and ensuring that food is safe to eat.
Thousands of alerts about contaminated food are produced each year, particularly by developed countries, but there is no single international system for monitoring food safety. This prompted the leading professor and his colleagues to develop a program to analyse alerts and produce a global picture of the countries that trade and detect contaminated food that can be deadly or cause health problems from food poisoning to long term degenerative diseases.
China, Iran, Turkey, the United States and Spain were the top five offenders when it came to producing contaminated food, according to an analysis of data from 2003-2008. Over the same five-year period, Italy, Germany, the UK, Spain and the Netherlands were the countries that reported the largest number of contaminated products from other countries. Toxins in pistachio nuts from Iran, food recalled by major supermarket chains and imported products stopped by border agencies were among the alerts included in the analysis.
EFSA launches cooperation project on non-plastic food contact materials
22 Feb 2010
EFSA [edited][FSNet]
The European Food Safety Authority has set up an EFSA scientific cooperation (ESCO) working group to collect and analyse information on the safety of substances used in non-plastic materials which come into contact with food.
This follows a number of incidents in recent years in which certain substances used in non-plastic food contact materials (such as inks and adhesives) have been found to migrate into foods. Whilst EU rules specify that all materials coming into contact with foods must be safe, many non-plastic components of food contact materials - unlike plastic materials - are not subject to specific provisions at the European level.
The working group has been created following discussions on this issue at EFSA’s Advisory Forum, which brings together representatives of national food safety authorities.
04 Mar 2010
ScienceDaily [edited][FSNet]
Countries producing food containing harmful bacteria and toxins could be named and shamed more quickly using a worldwide alert system devised by a team of scientists from Kingston University in South West London. The team was quoted by saying the easy to use computer tool can be used to monitor contaminated products; helping to prevent them reaching shop shelves and ensuring that food is safe to eat.
Thousands of alerts about contaminated food are produced each year, particularly by developed countries, but there is no single international system for monitoring food safety. This prompted the leading professor and his colleagues to develop a program to analyse alerts and produce a global picture of the countries that trade and detect contaminated food that can be deadly or cause health problems from food poisoning to long term degenerative diseases.
China, Iran, Turkey, the United States and Spain were the top five offenders when it came to producing contaminated food, according to an analysis of data from 2003-2008. Over the same five-year period, Italy, Germany, the UK, Spain and the Netherlands were the countries that reported the largest number of contaminated products from other countries. Toxins in pistachio nuts from Iran, food recalled by major supermarket chains and imported products stopped by border agencies were among the alerts included in the analysis.
EFSA launches cooperation project on non-plastic food contact materials
22 Feb 2010
EFSA [edited][FSNet]
The European Food Safety Authority has set up an EFSA scientific cooperation (ESCO) working group to collect and analyse information on the safety of substances used in non-plastic materials which come into contact with food.
This follows a number of incidents in recent years in which certain substances used in non-plastic food contact materials (such as inks and adhesives) have been found to migrate into foods. Whilst EU rules specify that all materials coming into contact with foods must be safe, many non-plastic components of food contact materials - unlike plastic materials - are not subject to specific provisions at the European level.
The working group has been created following discussions on this issue at EFSA’s Advisory Forum, which brings together representatives of national food safety authorities.
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Food Standards Agency is to expand its eatwell website to bring together all government information on food aimed at consumers. Advice on food safety and healthy eating will be integrated with information on a wide range of other topics relevant to consumers' food choices, with a particular focus on environmental and wider sustainability issues.
The Agency will work closely with other government departments and bodies over the coming year to gather up-to-date information, and it plans to launch the remodelled website in spring 2011.
The report of this scoping exercise, 'Integrated advice for consumers: discussion and analysis of options', provides a snapshot of existing information on government websites, identifies gaps in consumer advice and recommends options for implementing the new integrated site. The report is available online at the link below, alongside summaries of research undertaken with consumers and school-aged children as part of this project.
Earlier this month, 'Food 2030', the Government’s new food strategy, set out the Government's vision for the food system and how to achieve it by 2030.
Food 2030 confirmed the Government’s commitment to providing an integrated source of government information and advice for consumers, to help people make informed choices about the impact of the food they choose to eat.
Originally, the need for this website was identified in the Cabinet Office 'Food Matters' report, published in July 2008, also available at the link below.
'Food Matters' highlighted the need for government to take a more joined-up approach, not only in providing information to consumers, but to food policy overall. The need to tackle in an integrated way the health, social, environmental and economic challenges in the food system is an approach reinforced by the recent Food 2030 strategy.
Food Standards Agency [edited][FSNet]
The Food Standards Agency is launching a UK-wide campaign today, to raise awareness among food businesses about the Agency tools available to help businesses comply with food hygiene law.
The tools being promoted include Safer food, better business (for use in England and Wales), CookSafe and RetailSafe (for use in Scotland), and Safe Catering (for use in Northern Ireland). These tools provide innovative and practical approaches to food safety management.
The campaign includes posters, advertisements in trade publications and on the radio, and promotion online. Running from today until Monday 1 March 2010, the campaign will target catering businesses that supply food direct to consumers – such as restaurants, takeaways and cafés.
FSAI [edited][FSNet]
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today stated that there were a total of 54 Enforcement Orders – including 34 Closure Orders -- served for breaches in food safety legislation in 2009 compared with 46 in 2008, an increase totaling 17%.
The FSAI reportedly re-emphasized that it is unacceptable that food businesses were continuing to breach food safety laws and warned all food business operators to place robust food safety measures and hygiene practices top of their agenda for the new decade or face the full rigors of the law being imposed.
UK- Outbreak on cruise ship
07 Jan 2010
Daily Mail [edited][FSNet]
The UK's Daily Mail told media sources that at least 289 of 795 passengers on the Boudicca this week have been struck down by the illness. At 36% of passengers, it's one of the most widespread outbreaks of a norovirus-like illness recorded on a cruise ship in years.
07 Jan 2010
Daily Mail [edited][FSNet]
The UK's Daily Mail told media sources that at least 289 of 795 passengers on the Boudicca this week have been struck down by the illness. At 36% of passengers, it's one of the most widespread outbreaks of a norovirus-like illness recorded on a cruise ship in years.
