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Health food store owners are warning they will be forced to close down after April 30 this year, when the European Union Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) kicks in. (Nutraingredients.com) Companies have had a seven year-grace period since the THMPD entered EU law books in 2004, but EU-wide registrations under the regulation have been chronically low, meaning unless thousands of products register in the coming months, they will be... read more →

Campylobacter has been detected on the external packaging of 40 per cent of fresh chickens on sale in shops across one major UK city, a study has found. (Foodproductiondaily.com) The report from Birmingham City Council urged meat processors to use stronger packaging, called on supermarkets to employ better display techniques and suggested a public awareness campaign in a bid to cut the risk of cross-contamination of the foodbourne bacteria from external... read more →

New Zealand opposition party members are calling on the government to fortify the country’s flour supply and bread output with folic acid, following reports of the success of a similar program across the Tasman Sea in Australia. (Bakeryandsnacks.com) New Zealand Labour Party Food Safety spokesperson, Dr Ashraf Choudhary, referenced a recent study that found blood folate levels in Australia have increased since the country began fortifying its bread supply... read more →

The UK’s food and medical research bodies are looking to expand understanding of the mechanisms underlying food allergies, with a call for new research that could help improve diagnosis, prognosis and management. (Bakeryandsnacks.com) Food allergies affect around 2 per cent of adults in the UK and between 5 and 8 per cent of children. The major allergens are peanuts, nuts, eggs, crustaceans, sesame seeds, cereals containing gluten, soya, celery, mustard,... read more →

New research on the safe handling of tomatoes will examine how plastics in food contact materials and gloves used by workers can affect the formation, transfer and survival of salmonella in the fruit. (Foodproductiondaily.com) A team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in the US, has received a US$235,000-grant from the Center for Product Safety, Davis, California, as part of a drive to improve food safety in growing and harvesting fresh produce. The... read more →

Israeli scientists have said their new nano-coated “killer paper” could be used in food packaging to combat bacteria such as E.coli to extend product shelf life. (APfoodtechnology.com) The team from Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, claim to have developed a “simple one-stop process” of coating paper with antimicrobial colloidal silver nanoparticles using ultrasonic radiation. The study – Sonochemical... read more →

The European Commission has given its strongest signal yet that legislation tightening up the monitoring of dioxins in the food and feed chain will follow in the wake of the German crisis. (Foodproductiondaily.com) John Dalli, EC Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner, said yesterday Brussels was considering all options , “including legislative ones”, and that the crisis would be discussed at a meeting of European Union agriculture heads on 24 January. He... read more →

A unique molecular test that detects Salmonella enteritidis (SE) in poultry eggs can provide results up to 10-times faster than traditional methods, said the US company behind the product.(Foodproductiondaily.com) Life Technologies Corp said it has launched the first real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection system to test for SE after receiving an equivalency rating from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The firm said the decision by... read more →