Ambitious proposals to ban the sale of European Union (EU) reared meat in all 27 member states where livestock has suffered from poor welfare have been tabled by the European Parliament’s agriculture committee. (meatinfo.co.uk). Advising the European Commission to swiftly draft a new ‘action plan on the protection and welfare of animals’ for 2011-2015, MEPs said: “The EU ought to, as soon as possible, adopt a strong general animal welfare law, which... read more →
A UN advisor has admitted flaws in the statistics of a report that claimed meat production was responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, following claims by a US scientist. (meatinfo.co.uk) Pierre Gerber, who co-wrote the 2006 ‘Livestock’s Long Shadow’ study, conceded to the BBC that statistics were not entirely accurate, demonstrating that livestock production was a greater polluter to the earth’s atmosphere than transport. Gerber was responding... read more →
A new ranking of major food and beverage companies by their corporate social responsibility is published today, with Unilever, Nestle and Danone occupying the top three spots. (foodanddrinkeurope.com) The Tomorrow’s Value Rating was launched by consultancy Two Tomorrows in September 2009, and investigates the activities of the top ten companies in a given sector by the corporate responsibility activities reported in company materials, including annual... read more →
An Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) inquiry into the treatment of migrant and agency workers in the meat and poultry processing sector has found alleged “widespread mistreatment” across the industry. (meatinfo.co.uk) The EHRC inquiry examined the employment and recruitment practices in the sector to identify differences in pay and conditions between agency and temporary workers and employees with permanent or directly employed status. The... read more →
Interest is growing in the use of antimicrobials as a replacement for standard food preservatives such as sorbate, benzoate and sulphites, but much confusion exists about what is permitted, according to research organisation Campden BRI. (foodmanufacture.co.uk) There have been rapid technological developments with different antimicrobial systems in recent years, covering product washing, incorporation into packaging and food contact surfaces, nanotechnology... read more →
Equipment that separates liquid chocolate from solid rework components by centrifugal force helps eliminate food waste by enabling the chocolate to be reused in product manufacturer, claims its German developer. (nutraingredients.com) Wastage due to breakage or defects are common occurrences in chocolate manufacturer, according to Steimel, with the resulting residual amounts of chocolate and other ingredients such as cookies, nuts, raisins or cereals traditionally... read more →
Acute foodborne illnesses cost the United States a staggering $152bn a year, with almost a quarter of this burden attributed to fresh, canned and processed produce, said a report from Produce Safety Project (PSP). (foodnavigator-usa.com) The study, Health-Related Costs from Foodborne Illness in the United States, examined healthcare, workplace and other economic losses in reaching the multi-billion dollar figure. The latest estimate dwarfs a previous widely... read more →
Austrian and German health authorities have revealed that six people died last year after eating listeria contaminated cheese made by Prolactal. (foodanddrinkeurope.com) Four of the deaths occurred in Austria, where the health ministry said this week that its research had narrowed down the source of the cases to Prolactal’s acid curd cheese. German health authorities have also confirmed that two people died after contracting listeriosis from cheese made... read more →
