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West Pacific: Policy Issues 2010
China- UN concerned about China's food safety activists
23 Dec. 2010
Associated Press [edited] [BITES]
UN officials stated that China’s progress in growing enough food to feed its people has been successful, but its efforts to silence people who alert the public to food safety problems are worrisome. In 2005, China shifted from a food aid recipient to an international food donor which is a sign of its significant success in coordinating and helping small-scale farmers boost productivity. However, China has also suffered food safety scandals in recent years connected to lax standards, substandard ingredients, and fake products that have shaken public confidence. The UN is concerned that intimidation and punishment of activists who have highlighted unsafe food will chill such activism when future food safety violations occur. A UN officer cited the case against Zhao Lianhai, a Beijing father whose son was sickened by chemically tainted milk formula and who helped organize other parents to protest. Zhao was sentenced last month to two and half years in jail for inciting social disorder.
New Zealand- Revised standard better manages tutin risk in honey
7 Dec. 2010
NZFSA [edited] [BITES]
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA), with input from the honey industry, has revised a honey food standard that will better manage the risk of anyone suffering from tutin poisoning. Bees collecting honeydew from insects that feed on the tutu plant can contaminate honey with toxic tutin. The Food Standard 2010 replaces the one issued in 2008 and comes into effect January 2011. The risk period for tutin in honey is in late summer. The standard provides beekeepers and honey producers with better and more effective options for managing the problem and ensuring their honey and honey products are safe. The new standard will apply to a larger part of the South Island because more regions have been found to have tutu plants and the passion vine hoppers that feed on them, producing tutin-contaminated honeydew. NZFSA believes that the changes won’t have a significant impact on business compliance costs for those who already manage tutin risk, and they provide more practical options to ensure honey sold in New Zealand or exported is within limits. This will help prevent a reoccurrence of the toxic honey poisonings that occurred in Coromandel in 2008.
China- Melamine contamination, milk products
24 Nov 2010
CriEnglish.com, Xinhua News Agency report [edited] [ProMed]
The resurfacing of melamine-tainted dairy products in central China has triggered alarm once again over food safety in the aftermath of the 2008 dairy scandal. During the week of 15 November 2010, market regulators in Xiangfan asked local businesses to trace 50 packages of corn-flavored dairy drink that are believed to contain melamine, a toxic chemical normally used in manufacturing plastics. Sample tests showed the melamine level in the beverage measured as high as 4.8 milligram (mg) per kg, suggesting that the chemical was deliberately added during the production process to fabricate higher protein content. Further investigations indicated that the drink was produced in a dairy firm in the southern neighboring Hunan Province. The producer did not conduct a check over the milk powder as the raw material supplier had offered all required quality reports. A test conducted by the Hunan administration of quality supervision and inspection showed that the melamine content was as high as 68 mg per kg which exceeds the national standard. According to FAO and WHO, the maximum amount of melamine allowed in powdered infant formula is 1 mg/kg and the amount allowed in other foods and animal feed is 2.5 mg/kg. In July 2010, a brand of milk powder was exposed for containing excessive levels of melamine. The dairy company claimed that it bought the raw material without knowing it was tainted with melamine. Tainted dairy products resurfaced despite the Chinese government stepping up their efforts in cracking down on food safety crimes since the scandal in 2008 that resulted in the deaths of 6 infants and sickening 300,000 children across the country.
Korea- Kimchi crackdown
20 Nov. 2010
Barfblog [edited] [BITES]
The Korea Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it conducted a joint inspection with local governments on kimchi producers and ingredient makers over a 2-week period in order to ensure that consumers are free from foodborne illnesses. Of more than 1,000 companies inspected, 140 were cited for having poor sanitary conditions or failing to conduct self-quality checks before selling the food products. Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables.
China- Food safety activist gets 2.5 years
10 Nov. 2010
Barfblog [edited] [BITES]
In 2008, six children died and nearly 300,000 were sickened by baby formula tainted with melamine. Zhao Lianhai pushed for greater official accountability and compensation for victims and their families after the 2008 scandal that had Chinese officials repeatedly saying they would do better at food safety basics. He organized a website to collect information about the poisonings, and was taken away by police in November 2009. It has been reported that Lianhai has now been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison after being found guilty of inciting social disorder.
Australia- new welfare regulations for the pig industry
9 Nov. 2010
Vetsweb [edited] [BITES]
A new set of animal welfare regulations for the Western Australian pig industry have been introduced. Key regulations include: new minimum space requirements for pig enclosures, six-week limit on the time a sow can be kept in a farrowing crate, and a six-week limit on the time a pregnant sow can be confined in a sow stall. The new regulations are derived from the Australian Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Pigs 3rd Edition 2008. Key elements of the code are being applied across Australia through the introduction of regulations in each jurisdiction.
New Zealand- Meat inspectors could be axed
3 Nov. 2010
TVNZ [edited] [BITES]
The Food Safety Authority (FSA) is looking into eliminating government meat inspectors and allowing meat companies to do their own inspectionsBut the move is prompting fears that the quality of New Zealand beef and lamb will be compromised. All meat is currently given a stamp of approval from government meat inspectors before it reaches the plates of New Zealanders. But over the next six months, some meat companies will trial performing their own inspections. If successful, hundreds of independent government inspectors could be culled permanently, prompting fears that tainted meats will pass quality checks.
Hong Kong- Food items fail safety checks
30 September 2010
UPI [edited] [BITES]
Food safety authorities in Hong Kong say recent tests of 3,900 food samples in local shops and restaurants found 14 food items that failed safety checks. Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety took about 2,700 samples for chemical tests and the remainder for microbiological and other tests. Among the food items failing were frozen suckling pig with excessive levels of a veterinary drug, frozen fish and shrimp with high mercury levels, and some fresh fish with elevated levels of cadmium. A sample of Singaporean-style fried noodles was contaminated with bacteria, while other foods were found to contain banned preservative chemicals. The food safety center issued citations to the shops and restaurants involved.
New Zealand- New sheep and lamb inspections to be trialed
1 October 2010
NZFSA [edited] [BITES]
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) plans to run a trial on several sheep processing chains. The trial will start in November and will run for about six months in three meat processing facilities. The trials are part of government’s continuing push to get the export industry into line with global best practice outlined in the internationally-accepted Codex Code of Hygiene Practice for Meat, and outcomes that are consistent with New Zealand’s domestic processing requirements. A number of trading partner countries share this approach and, on several aspects of meat hygiene, trials are progressing in Australia, the USA, UK and EU.
Japan- Resumes talks about beef exports this week with the U.S.
20 September 2010
Food Chemical News Vol. 52, Number 27 [edited]
Representatives from the U.S. and Japan held talks in San Francisco last week on relaxing Japan’s restrictions on U.S. beef imports, the first bilateral dialogue since August 2007. Japan has restricted beef imports from the U.S. since the first U.S. case of mad cow disease was discovered in December 2003, and currently bans imports of U.S. beef from cattle aged over the age of 20 months. The U.S. slowly has regained some share in the Japanese market, but its exports remain at about 25% of its 2003 market share.
China- Arrests made after latest melamine scare 25 August 2010 Food Quality News.com [edited] Chinese police have arrested six people for allegedly distributing melamine tainted milk powder, following the seizure of more contaminated materials in July. The dairy materials were thought to be from the same batch that should have been destroyed following the 2008 scandal, which resulted in 300,000 cases of illness and six deaths.
Related Story:
China- 26 tons of toxic milk powder found, 7 arrested, as China continues to battle tainted food
21 September 2010
Canada East [edited] CAHFS-DAILYNEWS
A Chinese dairy company executive and six other people were arrested after authorities discovered 26 tons of milk powder tainted with a toxic chemical, the latest incident highlighting the country’s enduring struggle with food safety. The company traded fresh milk for expired milk powder that contained high levels of the industrial chemical melamine. China has been shaken by a series of safety incidents, some of them fatal, involving products such as toxic toothpaste, faulty tires and tainted milk. The troubles underscore the challenges in regulating the multitude of small companies producing consumer goods and food products in China.
Singapore- Nestlé wins Gold Award for Food Safety Excellence
30 July 2010
Nestle [edited] [BITES]
Nestlé was among those companies given the Singapore’s Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) Food Safety Gold Excellence Award, the first time the honor has been awarded. The Gold Award recognizes 15 consecutive years of ‘A’ Grades in food safety. The Food Safety Excellence Award was established in 1997 to encourage food manufacturers to maintain a consistently high standard of hygiene. The awards have been good for Singapore as an exporter of food products. The primary food safety evaluation criteria included factory sanitation, housekeeping, production line automation, personal hygiene, product quality management programs as well as factory structural design. According to a Nestlé Singapore Factory Manager, their key management philosophy for food safety is the Nestlé Quality Management System, which has been established according to the international standards, ISO 9001:2000 as well as ISO 22000:2005. The strict implementation of such a system has enabled Nestlé to always strive for the best product quality, building a solid foundation of confidence in the customers’ minds.
Singapore- Boosts food safety practices
26 July 2010
GovMonitor [edited] [BITES]
Measures have been put in place to ensure a resilient supply of safe food. These measures include diversifying food sources and developing strategic local agricultural sectors. A new Food Safety Excellence logo will also be introduced to mark the high food safety standards that companies have achieved.
China- May impose fine on exporters who violate food safety rules
8 July 2010
Bloomberg Businessweek [edited] [BITES]
China has drafted new rules that would fine food exporters as much as 30,000 yuan ($4,400) for violating food safety laws. Violations would include exporting food containing illegal chemicals or using raw materials from uncertified sources, and falsifying food safety documents.
Taiwan- Vacuum packaging might not be free of bacteria- advice to consumers
14 Jun 2010
Taiwan Health News-Department of Health [edited][FSNet]
Recently, there have been several cases of Botulinum toxin poisoning due to bean curd in vacuum packaging, which cast doubt among consumers about the safety of vacuum packaging. The chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) has expressed his intent to hold a meeting as soon as possible to discuss the issue. He also acknowledged that the public still has little knowledge about vacuum packaging, and more promotional efforts should be carried out. As a result, and CPC and the Department of Health will be holding a joint press conference to shed more light on the topic of vacuum packaging.
Many believe "vacuum" means "sterilized", and therefore food inside vacuum packaging is perfectly safe. However, this is not actually true. Some food, such as stewed bean curd, is low in acidity (pH >4.6) and high in water activity. If the food is contaminated by the Botulinum toxin during the manufacturing process, the anaerobic environment inside the packaging actually becomes an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria. What should consumers pay attention to when purchasing such products? Do the products have to be stored in room temperature or the refrigerator? The CPC issues recommendations on what consumers should pay attention to when purchasing soy based products.
Taiwan- Health authority imposes strict control over food products for the Dragon Boat festival
15 Jun 2010
Taiwan Health News-Department of Health [edited][FSNet]
The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) of the Department of Health (DOH) have supervised health bureaus of various cities and counties to check on masses of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and their ingredients for the Dragon Boat Festival since May. A total of 415 glutinous rice products and 458 pieces of 8 main ingredients were checked; 412 glutinous rice products were found qualified (qualified rate 99.3%) with only 3 products unqualified, and 390 pieces of ingredients were found qualified (qualified rate 85.2%), and 68 pieces were unqualified. Unqualified ingredients included bamboo leaves (out of 111 pieces checked, 9 were unqualified, giving a qualified rate of 91.9%), dried shrimps (out of 106 pieces checked, 19 were unqualified, giving a qualified rate of 82.1%) and dried radish (out of 129 pieces checked, 40 were unqualified, giving a qualified rate of 69.1%). Other ingredients including chestnuts, scallops, egg yolk, mushroom and dried squid were qualified. Unqualified food products
described above were fined NT$30,000-150,000 in accordance with the Act Governing Food Sanitation, and names of the manufacturers producing these unqualified food products were posted on the website of each health bureau.
The TFDA recommended the public to carefully choose food materials for making the glutinous rice masses wrapped in bamboo leaves. Dried shrimps should be in a complete shape with less broken pieces, and avoid purchasing dried shrimps in uncommon red color or bright red. It is better to buy bamboo leaves smelling like green grass; do not buy bamboo leaves with strong or irritative smell. Choose dried radish or other preserved food products that are stored in the refrigerator or well packaged. Do not buy food products of unknown origin.
The TFDA would also like to remind the public to pay attention to the storage temperature when purchasing glutinous rice masses wrapped in bamboo leaves; ready-to-eat glutinous rice products should be stored above 60°C and consumed as soon as possible, or should be refrigerated or frozen before and after purchasing. To avoid food poisoning, people please keep in mind the five rules: washing hands, buying fresh food, storing cooked and raw food separately, eating well cooked food, and paying attention to storage temperature.
Hong Kong issues warnings over tainted milk 04 Jun 2010
Xinhua [edited][FSNet]
The Center for Food Safety of Hong Kong on Friday issued warnings to a licensed local milk factory and a supermarket after a sample of mango papaya low-fat milk was found to contain Bacillus cereus.
The Center for Food Safety on Friday released the findings of its Food Safety Report for April. Out of the 3,700 food samples tested, three samples were found to be unsatisfactory and the overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 percent.
The center also said a sample of fresh green peas was found to contain coloring matters Brilliant Blue FCF and tartrazine. Coloring matters are forbidden in fresh vegetables.
A sample of chilled threadfin was found to contain malachite green.
New Zealand- Bill to overhaul Food Act introduced
26 May 2010
NZPA [edited][FSNet]
A new bill that overhauls the outdated Food Act 1981 was introduced to Parliament today.
The Food Safety Minister reportedly said the current regulatory system was not as effective or efficient as it could be.
The bill has been developed over the past three years and was aligned with the New Zealand Standard platform, which provided the basis for food exports.
Vietnam city prohibits street eateries in front of schools to prevent diarrhea
14 May 2010
Saigon [edited][FSNet]
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training called on the help of district people’s committees to prohibit street eateries from operating in front of schools, apparently in the hopes of preventing acute diarrhea.
Furthermore, administrators have been ordered not to let such restaurants reopen in the future.
Schools have been instructed to work closely with district governments to drive away restaurants deemed unsafe, as well as to ensure school cafeterias serve wholesome, nourishing meals that meet state standards for hygiene.
New Zealand- Imported foods pass compliance spot checks
04 May 2010
NZFSA [edited][FSNet]
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority has released the latest findings from its Imported Food Monitoring Programme.
An official was quoted as saying NZFSA’s monitoring programme has put finfish and dried plums to the test.
In the finfish survey, 20 samples of basa, also known as catfish, and one sample of tilapia were tested. It found no detectable levels of antimicrobial residues, except in one sample of basa where the chemical gentian violet was found at a low level of 0.0022mg/kg (2.2 parts per billion). Gentian violet is an antifungal.
NZFSA has also conducted a small ‘snapshot’ survey of lead in imported dried plums. This work was initiated after Texan authorities reported a problem with unacceptable levels of lead in these products. Testing here found lead at levels ranging from 0.023-1.3mg/kg with five non-compliant results reported.
The monitoring programme for next year is currently being developed.
It is every food importer’s responsibility to ensure the food they import complies with relevant legislation and is safe and suitable including for microbiological pathogens and chemical residues. To check the controls are working NZFSA monitors certain foods for particular hazards. Foods are selected for the monitoring programme that have caused problems for overseas authorities or have been associated with compliance issues here.
This monitoring programme is additional to the routine intervention of high risk foods that are stopped at the border daily and cleared only when the importer demonstrates that they meet requirements.
New Zealand- Independent panel tells MAF to start again on pork
28 Apr 2010
New Zealand Pork
An independent expert panel has given twenty-nine recommendations for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) to correct deficiencies in both the process and conclusions drawn during its development of provisional import health standards for pig meat and pig meat products from EU, Canada, USA, and Sonora State of Mexico.
The panel’s report raises serious concerns about; process, transparency, methodology, definitions, evidence, consistency, treatment of uncertainty, and use of independent experts by MAF.
New Zealand- World keeping an eye on melamine
22 Mar 2010
NZFSA [edited][FSNet]
A New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) toxicologist is working with a group of experts from around the world to set an internationally-accepted limit for melamine in foods that will harmonise global efforts to detect any deliberate adulteration in the future.
This follows the 2008 event in China when infant formula laced with melamine killed at least six children and made many thousands sick.
A New Zealand action level for the presence of melamine was put in place in September 2008.
Many other countries have set their own limits at the same levels, but others who have no set limits take action to prohibit imports of products if any presence of melamine is detected. Melamine mimics protein, artificially bumping up protein measurements when a product is tested.
Small amounts of melamine inadvertently get into products either through migration from the equipment food is processed on or because it’s common in tiny amounts in the environment.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) sets international standards and related documents for use by the 183 member nations to protect consumer health and international trade. These standards are recognised as international benchmarks for many developed and developing countries.
Internationally-accepted standards are vital for countries exporting and importing food. About 80% of the food New Zealand produces is exported.
New Zealand: Carving out new rules for halal meat
22 Feb 2010
NZFSA [edited][FSNet]
It’s important to consumers – wherever they are in the world – that food is suitable and wholesome. For consumers in Islamic countries suitable food means food that is produced according to halal principles.
Applied to food, the concept of halal includes not only a ritual slaughter method for animals, but encompasses food safety and sanitary aspects in producing and handling products in accordance with halal principles. Other aspects of halal integrity include halal-compliant ingredients in processed foods as well as correct segregation of halal from non-halal products in production and transport right through to retail display.
New Zealanders may not generally appreciate the significance and size of the global market for halal products. With New Zealand’s relatively small Muslim population, we see few retail butchers in the streetscape advertising their meat as halal. However, what is probably even less known is that a large proportion of New Zealand sheep and beef meat is produced as halal to enable export to a wide range of Muslim markets.
According to The Economist 1.57 billion people – or nearly a quarter of the world's population – are Muslim. The world-wide halal food market has dramatically increased in the past decade. Its global value is now estimated at more than US$600 billion annually or approximately 16% of the entire food industry.
Halal meat is big business for New Zealand meat producers. Annual sheep meat exports to Saudi Arabia, for example, are worth $98 million, and $37 million to Malaysia. To ensure New Zealand beef and lamb continue to be acceptable to Islamic markets, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has developed new rules for halal food certification. This work has been carried out in consultation with industry and halal certification agencies to ensure the country’s halal food certification is robust, credible and recognized by our trading partners.
The distribution and retail sale of halal meat products on the domestic market are not covered under these new rules.
A National Islamic Advisory Council will be established under the new regulations and NZFSA will be able to look to these experts for advice on halal issues as they arise in the future.
Under the regulations government will have oversight of Islamic organisations which provide halal food export certification. The certifiers will continue to be approved by the Islamic authority in the importing country. This will give trading partners improved assurances that New Zealand meat products have been produced according to the halal standards.
Australia- FSANZ seeks public comment on changes to Food Standards Code for semi-dried tomatoes and ingredients
21 Jan 2010
FSANZ [edited][FSNet]
Food Standards Australia New Zealand is seeking public comment on an urgent amendment to the Food Standard Code to protect public health and safety. The proposed measures would require traceability and processing requirements of semi-dried tomatoes and ingredients. The amendment would apply in Australia only.
In November 2009 Australian health authorities advised people to avoid eating semi-dried tomatoes unless they were thoroughly cooked. This followed the investigation of locally-acquired cases of hepatitis A, for which there was an association with consumption of semi-dried tomatoes. Most cases occurred in Victoria.
At the time, the Victorian Government put in place short term measures to protect public health and safety and these measures are about to expire. The proposed national measures would ensure that sufficient records are available to respond effectively in any future outbreak, and that any hepatitis A virus is destroyed in semi-dried tomatoes or in the tomatoes used in semi-dried tomatoes.
Fears for sick, elderly in Australian food safety overhaul
17 Jan 2010
Sydney Morning Herald [edited][FSNet]
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the process of checking food safety standards at NSW hospitals, aged-care facilities and other food handling businesses has been quietly privatised by the State Government, leading to fears of an increase in food poisoning outbreaks among the sick and elderly.
Previously, companies and institutions known as ''high-risk food businesses'' had to undergo regular, rigorous audits by the government-run NSW Food Authority, which examined storage, preparation and hygiene.
But the Government changed the rules in October to hire private auditors to inspect the facilities.
Private auditing has been criticised in the construction industry because of the view that businesses seek out auditors whose inspections are less rigorous in an attempt to reduce compliance costs.
Introduced with little fanfare, the new food safety auditing system has drawn a furious response from organisations representing older people and from the NSW Greens, who say the Government has abandoned its responsibility to maintain food safety standards for the sake of cost cutting.
The new minister reportedly said the changes would give businesses more flexibility and avoid cost duplication without compromising food safety levels. There was a rigorous approval process for businesses and auditors wanting to operate under the new system. All businesses would have their first audit conducted by the authority, and only premises performing well would be allowed to use a private auditor.
23 Dec. 2010
Associated Press [edited] [BITES]
UN officials stated that China’s progress in growing enough food to feed its people has been successful, but its efforts to silence people who alert the public to food safety problems are worrisome. In 2005, China shifted from a food aid recipient to an international food donor which is a sign of its significant success in coordinating and helping small-scale farmers boost productivity. However, China has also suffered food safety scandals in recent years connected to lax standards, substandard ingredients, and fake products that have shaken public confidence. The UN is concerned that intimidation and punishment of activists who have highlighted unsafe food will chill such activism when future food safety violations occur. A UN officer cited the case against Zhao Lianhai, a Beijing father whose son was sickened by chemically tainted milk formula and who helped organize other parents to protest. Zhao was sentenced last month to two and half years in jail for inciting social disorder.
New Zealand- Revised standard better manages tutin risk in honey
7 Dec. 2010
NZFSA [edited] [BITES]
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA), with input from the honey industry, has revised a honey food standard that will better manage the risk of anyone suffering from tutin poisoning. Bees collecting honeydew from insects that feed on the tutu plant can contaminate honey with toxic tutin. The Food Standard 2010 replaces the one issued in 2008 and comes into effect January 2011. The risk period for tutin in honey is in late summer. The standard provides beekeepers and honey producers with better and more effective options for managing the problem and ensuring their honey and honey products are safe. The new standard will apply to a larger part of the South Island because more regions have been found to have tutu plants and the passion vine hoppers that feed on them, producing tutin-contaminated honeydew. NZFSA believes that the changes won’t have a significant impact on business compliance costs for those who already manage tutin risk, and they provide more practical options to ensure honey sold in New Zealand or exported is within limits. This will help prevent a reoccurrence of the toxic honey poisonings that occurred in Coromandel in 2008.
China- Melamine contamination, milk products
24 Nov 2010
CriEnglish.com, Xinhua News Agency report [edited] [ProMed]
The resurfacing of melamine-tainted dairy products in central China has triggered alarm once again over food safety in the aftermath of the 2008 dairy scandal. During the week of 15 November 2010, market regulators in Xiangfan asked local businesses to trace 50 packages of corn-flavored dairy drink that are believed to contain melamine, a toxic chemical normally used in manufacturing plastics. Sample tests showed the melamine level in the beverage measured as high as 4.8 milligram (mg) per kg, suggesting that the chemical was deliberately added during the production process to fabricate higher protein content. Further investigations indicated that the drink was produced in a dairy firm in the southern neighboring Hunan Province. The producer did not conduct a check over the milk powder as the raw material supplier had offered all required quality reports. A test conducted by the Hunan administration of quality supervision and inspection showed that the melamine content was as high as 68 mg per kg which exceeds the national standard. According to FAO and WHO, the maximum amount of melamine allowed in powdered infant formula is 1 mg/kg and the amount allowed in other foods and animal feed is 2.5 mg/kg. In July 2010, a brand of milk powder was exposed for containing excessive levels of melamine. The dairy company claimed that it bought the raw material without knowing it was tainted with melamine. Tainted dairy products resurfaced despite the Chinese government stepping up their efforts in cracking down on food safety crimes since the scandal in 2008 that resulted in the deaths of 6 infants and sickening 300,000 children across the country.
Korea- Kimchi crackdown
20 Nov. 2010
Barfblog [edited] [BITES]
The Korea Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it conducted a joint inspection with local governments on kimchi producers and ingredient makers over a 2-week period in order to ensure that consumers are free from foodborne illnesses. Of more than 1,000 companies inspected, 140 were cited for having poor sanitary conditions or failing to conduct self-quality checks before selling the food products. Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables.
China- Food safety activist gets 2.5 years
10 Nov. 2010
Barfblog [edited] [BITES]
In 2008, six children died and nearly 300,000 were sickened by baby formula tainted with melamine. Zhao Lianhai pushed for greater official accountability and compensation for victims and their families after the 2008 scandal that had Chinese officials repeatedly saying they would do better at food safety basics. He organized a website to collect information about the poisonings, and was taken away by police in November 2009. It has been reported that Lianhai has now been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison after being found guilty of inciting social disorder.
Australia- new welfare regulations for the pig industry
9 Nov. 2010
Vetsweb [edited] [BITES]
A new set of animal welfare regulations for the Western Australian pig industry have been introduced. Key regulations include: new minimum space requirements for pig enclosures, six-week limit on the time a sow can be kept in a farrowing crate, and a six-week limit on the time a pregnant sow can be confined in a sow stall. The new regulations are derived from the Australian Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals - Pigs 3rd Edition 2008. Key elements of the code are being applied across Australia through the introduction of regulations in each jurisdiction.
New Zealand- Meat inspectors could be axed
3 Nov. 2010
TVNZ [edited] [BITES]
The Food Safety Authority (FSA) is looking into eliminating government meat inspectors and allowing meat companies to do their own inspectionsBut the move is prompting fears that the quality of New Zealand beef and lamb will be compromised. All meat is currently given a stamp of approval from government meat inspectors before it reaches the plates of New Zealanders. But over the next six months, some meat companies will trial performing their own inspections. If successful, hundreds of independent government inspectors could be culled permanently, prompting fears that tainted meats will pass quality checks.
Hong Kong- Food items fail safety checks
30 September 2010
UPI [edited] [BITES]
Food safety authorities in Hong Kong say recent tests of 3,900 food samples in local shops and restaurants found 14 food items that failed safety checks. Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety took about 2,700 samples for chemical tests and the remainder for microbiological and other tests. Among the food items failing were frozen suckling pig with excessive levels of a veterinary drug, frozen fish and shrimp with high mercury levels, and some fresh fish with elevated levels of cadmium. A sample of Singaporean-style fried noodles was contaminated with bacteria, while other foods were found to contain banned preservative chemicals. The food safety center issued citations to the shops and restaurants involved.
New Zealand- New sheep and lamb inspections to be trialed
1 October 2010
NZFSA [edited] [BITES]
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) plans to run a trial on several sheep processing chains. The trial will start in November and will run for about six months in three meat processing facilities. The trials are part of government’s continuing push to get the export industry into line with global best practice outlined in the internationally-accepted Codex Code of Hygiene Practice for Meat, and outcomes that are consistent with New Zealand’s domestic processing requirements. A number of trading partner countries share this approach and, on several aspects of meat hygiene, trials are progressing in Australia, the USA, UK and EU.
Japan- Resumes talks about beef exports this week with the U.S.
20 September 2010
Food Chemical News Vol. 52, Number 27 [edited]
Representatives from the U.S. and Japan held talks in San Francisco last week on relaxing Japan’s restrictions on U.S. beef imports, the first bilateral dialogue since August 2007. Japan has restricted beef imports from the U.S. since the first U.S. case of mad cow disease was discovered in December 2003, and currently bans imports of U.S. beef from cattle aged over the age of 20 months. The U.S. slowly has regained some share in the Japanese market, but its exports remain at about 25% of its 2003 market share.
China- Arrests made after latest melamine scare 25 August 2010 Food Quality News.com [edited] Chinese police have arrested six people for allegedly distributing melamine tainted milk powder, following the seizure of more contaminated materials in July. The dairy materials were thought to be from the same batch that should have been destroyed following the 2008 scandal, which resulted in 300,000 cases of illness and six deaths.
Related Story:
China- 26 tons of toxic milk powder found, 7 arrested, as China continues to battle tainted food
21 September 2010
Canada East [edited] CAHFS-DAILYNEWS
A Chinese dairy company executive and six other people were arrested after authorities discovered 26 tons of milk powder tainted with a toxic chemical, the latest incident highlighting the country’s enduring struggle with food safety. The company traded fresh milk for expired milk powder that contained high levels of the industrial chemical melamine. China has been shaken by a series of safety incidents, some of them fatal, involving products such as toxic toothpaste, faulty tires and tainted milk. The troubles underscore the challenges in regulating the multitude of small companies producing consumer goods and food products in China.
Singapore- Nestlé wins Gold Award for Food Safety Excellence
30 July 2010
Nestle [edited] [BITES]
Nestlé was among those companies given the Singapore’s Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) Food Safety Gold Excellence Award, the first time the honor has been awarded. The Gold Award recognizes 15 consecutive years of ‘A’ Grades in food safety. The Food Safety Excellence Award was established in 1997 to encourage food manufacturers to maintain a consistently high standard of hygiene. The awards have been good for Singapore as an exporter of food products. The primary food safety evaluation criteria included factory sanitation, housekeeping, production line automation, personal hygiene, product quality management programs as well as factory structural design. According to a Nestlé Singapore Factory Manager, their key management philosophy for food safety is the Nestlé Quality Management System, which has been established according to the international standards, ISO 9001:2000 as well as ISO 22000:2005. The strict implementation of such a system has enabled Nestlé to always strive for the best product quality, building a solid foundation of confidence in the customers’ minds.
Singapore- Boosts food safety practices
26 July 2010
GovMonitor [edited] [BITES]
Measures have been put in place to ensure a resilient supply of safe food. These measures include diversifying food sources and developing strategic local agricultural sectors. A new Food Safety Excellence logo will also be introduced to mark the high food safety standards that companies have achieved.
China- May impose fine on exporters who violate food safety rules
8 July 2010
Bloomberg Businessweek [edited] [BITES]
China has drafted new rules that would fine food exporters as much as 30,000 yuan ($4,400) for violating food safety laws. Violations would include exporting food containing illegal chemicals or using raw materials from uncertified sources, and falsifying food safety documents.
Taiwan- Vacuum packaging might not be free of bacteria- advice to consumers
14 Jun 2010
Taiwan Health News-Department of Health [edited][FSNet]
Recently, there have been several cases of Botulinum toxin poisoning due to bean curd in vacuum packaging, which cast doubt among consumers about the safety of vacuum packaging. The chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) has expressed his intent to hold a meeting as soon as possible to discuss the issue. He also acknowledged that the public still has little knowledge about vacuum packaging, and more promotional efforts should be carried out. As a result, and CPC and the Department of Health will be holding a joint press conference to shed more light on the topic of vacuum packaging.
Many believe "vacuum" means "sterilized", and therefore food inside vacuum packaging is perfectly safe. However, this is not actually true. Some food, such as stewed bean curd, is low in acidity (pH >4.6) and high in water activity. If the food is contaminated by the Botulinum toxin during the manufacturing process, the anaerobic environment inside the packaging actually becomes an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria. What should consumers pay attention to when purchasing such products? Do the products have to be stored in room temperature or the refrigerator? The CPC issues recommendations on what consumers should pay attention to when purchasing soy based products.
Taiwan- Health authority imposes strict control over food products for the Dragon Boat festival
15 Jun 2010
Taiwan Health News-Department of Health [edited][FSNet]
The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) of the Department of Health (DOH) have supervised health bureaus of various cities and counties to check on masses of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and their ingredients for the Dragon Boat Festival since May. A total of 415 glutinous rice products and 458 pieces of 8 main ingredients were checked; 412 glutinous rice products were found qualified (qualified rate 99.3%) with only 3 products unqualified, and 390 pieces of ingredients were found qualified (qualified rate 85.2%), and 68 pieces were unqualified. Unqualified ingredients included bamboo leaves (out of 111 pieces checked, 9 were unqualified, giving a qualified rate of 91.9%), dried shrimps (out of 106 pieces checked, 19 were unqualified, giving a qualified rate of 82.1%) and dried radish (out of 129 pieces checked, 40 were unqualified, giving a qualified rate of 69.1%). Other ingredients including chestnuts, scallops, egg yolk, mushroom and dried squid were qualified. Unqualified food products
described above were fined NT$30,000-150,000 in accordance with the Act Governing Food Sanitation, and names of the manufacturers producing these unqualified food products were posted on the website of each health bureau.
The TFDA recommended the public to carefully choose food materials for making the glutinous rice masses wrapped in bamboo leaves. Dried shrimps should be in a complete shape with less broken pieces, and avoid purchasing dried shrimps in uncommon red color or bright red. It is better to buy bamboo leaves smelling like green grass; do not buy bamboo leaves with strong or irritative smell. Choose dried radish or other preserved food products that are stored in the refrigerator or well packaged. Do not buy food products of unknown origin.
The TFDA would also like to remind the public to pay attention to the storage temperature when purchasing glutinous rice masses wrapped in bamboo leaves; ready-to-eat glutinous rice products should be stored above 60°C and consumed as soon as possible, or should be refrigerated or frozen before and after purchasing. To avoid food poisoning, people please keep in mind the five rules: washing hands, buying fresh food, storing cooked and raw food separately, eating well cooked food, and paying attention to storage temperature.
Hong Kong issues warnings over tainted milk 04 Jun 2010
Xinhua [edited][FSNet]
The Center for Food Safety of Hong Kong on Friday issued warnings to a licensed local milk factory and a supermarket after a sample of mango papaya low-fat milk was found to contain Bacillus cereus.
The Center for Food Safety on Friday released the findings of its Food Safety Report for April. Out of the 3,700 food samples tested, three samples were found to be unsatisfactory and the overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 percent.
The center also said a sample of fresh green peas was found to contain coloring matters Brilliant Blue FCF and tartrazine. Coloring matters are forbidden in fresh vegetables.
A sample of chilled threadfin was found to contain malachite green.
New Zealand- Bill to overhaul Food Act introduced
26 May 2010
NZPA [edited][FSNet]
A new bill that overhauls the outdated Food Act 1981 was introduced to Parliament today.
The Food Safety Minister reportedly said the current regulatory system was not as effective or efficient as it could be.
The bill has been developed over the past three years and was aligned with the New Zealand Standard platform, which provided the basis for food exports.
Vietnam city prohibits street eateries in front of schools to prevent diarrhea
14 May 2010
Saigon [edited][FSNet]
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training called on the help of district people’s committees to prohibit street eateries from operating in front of schools, apparently in the hopes of preventing acute diarrhea.
Furthermore, administrators have been ordered not to let such restaurants reopen in the future.
Schools have been instructed to work closely with district governments to drive away restaurants deemed unsafe, as well as to ensure school cafeterias serve wholesome, nourishing meals that meet state standards for hygiene.
New Zealand- Imported foods pass compliance spot checks
04 May 2010
NZFSA [edited][FSNet]
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority has released the latest findings from its Imported Food Monitoring Programme.
An official was quoted as saying NZFSA’s monitoring programme has put finfish and dried plums to the test.
In the finfish survey, 20 samples of basa, also known as catfish, and one sample of tilapia were tested. It found no detectable levels of antimicrobial residues, except in one sample of basa where the chemical gentian violet was found at a low level of 0.0022mg/kg (2.2 parts per billion). Gentian violet is an antifungal.
NZFSA has also conducted a small ‘snapshot’ survey of lead in imported dried plums. This work was initiated after Texan authorities reported a problem with unacceptable levels of lead in these products. Testing here found lead at levels ranging from 0.023-1.3mg/kg with five non-compliant results reported.
The monitoring programme for next year is currently being developed.
It is every food importer’s responsibility to ensure the food they import complies with relevant legislation and is safe and suitable including for microbiological pathogens and chemical residues. To check the controls are working NZFSA monitors certain foods for particular hazards. Foods are selected for the monitoring programme that have caused problems for overseas authorities or have been associated with compliance issues here.
This monitoring programme is additional to the routine intervention of high risk foods that are stopped at the border daily and cleared only when the importer demonstrates that they meet requirements.
New Zealand- Independent panel tells MAF to start again on pork
28 Apr 2010
New Zealand Pork
An independent expert panel has given twenty-nine recommendations for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) to correct deficiencies in both the process and conclusions drawn during its development of provisional import health standards for pig meat and pig meat products from EU, Canada, USA, and Sonora State of Mexico.
The panel’s report raises serious concerns about; process, transparency, methodology, definitions, evidence, consistency, treatment of uncertainty, and use of independent experts by MAF.
New Zealand- World keeping an eye on melamine
22 Mar 2010
NZFSA [edited][FSNet]
A New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) toxicologist is working with a group of experts from around the world to set an internationally-accepted limit for melamine in foods that will harmonise global efforts to detect any deliberate adulteration in the future.
This follows the 2008 event in China when infant formula laced with melamine killed at least six children and made many thousands sick.
A New Zealand action level for the presence of melamine was put in place in September 2008.
Many other countries have set their own limits at the same levels, but others who have no set limits take action to prohibit imports of products if any presence of melamine is detected. Melamine mimics protein, artificially bumping up protein measurements when a product is tested.
Small amounts of melamine inadvertently get into products either through migration from the equipment food is processed on or because it’s common in tiny amounts in the environment.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) sets international standards and related documents for use by the 183 member nations to protect consumer health and international trade. These standards are recognised as international benchmarks for many developed and developing countries.
Internationally-accepted standards are vital for countries exporting and importing food. About 80% of the food New Zealand produces is exported.
New Zealand: Carving out new rules for halal meat
22 Feb 2010
NZFSA [edited][FSNet]
It’s important to consumers – wherever they are in the world – that food is suitable and wholesome. For consumers in Islamic countries suitable food means food that is produced according to halal principles.
Applied to food, the concept of halal includes not only a ritual slaughter method for animals, but encompasses food safety and sanitary aspects in producing and handling products in accordance with halal principles. Other aspects of halal integrity include halal-compliant ingredients in processed foods as well as correct segregation of halal from non-halal products in production and transport right through to retail display.
New Zealanders may not generally appreciate the significance and size of the global market for halal products. With New Zealand’s relatively small Muslim population, we see few retail butchers in the streetscape advertising their meat as halal. However, what is probably even less known is that a large proportion of New Zealand sheep and beef meat is produced as halal to enable export to a wide range of Muslim markets.
According to The Economist 1.57 billion people – or nearly a quarter of the world's population – are Muslim. The world-wide halal food market has dramatically increased in the past decade. Its global value is now estimated at more than US$600 billion annually or approximately 16% of the entire food industry.
Halal meat is big business for New Zealand meat producers. Annual sheep meat exports to Saudi Arabia, for example, are worth $98 million, and $37 million to Malaysia. To ensure New Zealand beef and lamb continue to be acceptable to Islamic markets, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has developed new rules for halal food certification. This work has been carried out in consultation with industry and halal certification agencies to ensure the country’s halal food certification is robust, credible and recognized by our trading partners.
The distribution and retail sale of halal meat products on the domestic market are not covered under these new rules.
A National Islamic Advisory Council will be established under the new regulations and NZFSA will be able to look to these experts for advice on halal issues as they arise in the future.
Under the regulations government will have oversight of Islamic organisations which provide halal food export certification. The certifiers will continue to be approved by the Islamic authority in the importing country. This will give trading partners improved assurances that New Zealand meat products have been produced according to the halal standards.
Australia- FSANZ seeks public comment on changes to Food Standards Code for semi-dried tomatoes and ingredients
21 Jan 2010
FSANZ [edited][FSNet]
Food Standards Australia New Zealand is seeking public comment on an urgent amendment to the Food Standard Code to protect public health and safety. The proposed measures would require traceability and processing requirements of semi-dried tomatoes and ingredients. The amendment would apply in Australia only.
In November 2009 Australian health authorities advised people to avoid eating semi-dried tomatoes unless they were thoroughly cooked. This followed the investigation of locally-acquired cases of hepatitis A, for which there was an association with consumption of semi-dried tomatoes. Most cases occurred in Victoria.
At the time, the Victorian Government put in place short term measures to protect public health and safety and these measures are about to expire. The proposed national measures would ensure that sufficient records are available to respond effectively in any future outbreak, and that any hepatitis A virus is destroyed in semi-dried tomatoes or in the tomatoes used in semi-dried tomatoes.
Fears for sick, elderly in Australian food safety overhaul
17 Jan 2010
Sydney Morning Herald [edited][FSNet]
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the process of checking food safety standards at NSW hospitals, aged-care facilities and other food handling businesses has been quietly privatised by the State Government, leading to fears of an increase in food poisoning outbreaks among the sick and elderly.
Previously, companies and institutions known as ''high-risk food businesses'' had to undergo regular, rigorous audits by the government-run NSW Food Authority, which examined storage, preparation and hygiene.
But the Government changed the rules in October to hire private auditors to inspect the facilities.
Private auditing has been criticised in the construction industry because of the view that businesses seek out auditors whose inspections are less rigorous in an attempt to reduce compliance costs.
Introduced with little fanfare, the new food safety auditing system has drawn a furious response from organisations representing older people and from the NSW Greens, who say the Government has abandoned its responsibility to maintain food safety standards for the sake of cost cutting.
The new minister reportedly said the changes would give businesses more flexibility and avoid cost duplication without compromising food safety levels. There was a rigorous approval process for businesses and auditors wanting to operate under the new system. All businesses would have their first audit conducted by the authority, and only premises performing well would be allowed to use a private auditor.
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