Breaking News on Prepared Food and Meat Processing

News in brief

Irish Food Board foreign assignment to fellows

Ireland has launched new initiative to boost food exports, by assigning 25 graduates as fellows to partner with Irish food firms in 33 international markets.

Manufacturers urged to detail potassium and phosphates on labels

Researchers have urged food manufacturers to label additives in enhanced meat products if they include potassium or phosphates due to their potential risk to dialysis patients.

Self cleaning barcode system cuts costs and downtime, says company

A unique self-cleaning method that ensures low cost of ownership, minimal downtime and high quality printing of barcodes onto outer case packaging are the benefits claimed by the manufacturers of the system.

Organic nutrition review a call for stronger science

A new review of studies on the nutritional content of organic and conventional produce has broadly concluded that there are no differences – but the investigators raise big concerns over standard of the science.

Questions posed for three-pronged nutrition labelling scheme

A new consultation starts today on practical issues to developing a colour coded GDA front-of-pack labelling scheme that includes the words ‘high, medium and low’.

Dehumidifying system cuts meat processor’s costs by a cool 43 per cent

A meat processing company has slashed part of its energy costs by almost half after the installation of a new cooling system, said the US manufacturers.

Weekly comment

Imagining a world where we eat less meat

Cutting back meat consumption is the new darling cause of pop stars. But if necessary environmental and health goals are to be achieved, the whole supply chain needs to be strumming along in tune.

Unclear communication hurting US food agency credibility - study

The credibility of the US food inspection watchdog is being undermined by flaws in the way it communicates – by creating unrealistic expectations among consumers which it cannot fulfill, experts have said.

Organics not embraced by Canadian processed food makers: Report

Food manufacturers are resistant to using organic ingredients because they perceive investment to be high and returns to be low, says a new report from the USDA on the state of the Canadian organics market.

Huge differences in salt levels found in global food brands

New research on salt levels in global products from some of the biggest food manufacturers has revealed wide and random variations.

Meat Institute urges court to dismiss ‘nuisance’ hotdog lawsuit

The American Meat Institute has urged a New Jersey court to dismiss a lawsuit from vegan advocacy group Cancer Project that claims hotdogs should carry a cancer warning label.

Canada listeria report lays bare food safety flaws

A void in leadership, a raft of systemic flaws and a shortage of inspectors were just some of the criticisms levelled at Canada’s food safety system in a damning report on last year’s listeria outbreak released yesterday.

Weekly comment

Mainstream press ‘exposed’ for health claim sensationalism

Not again! As if industry is not struggling enough with the severity of the European Food Safety Authority’s nutrition and health claims rulings so far, the situation has not been helped by the kind of articles that appeared in the UK press today and yesterday.

News in brief

Leatherhead marks birthday with branding and discounts

Leatherhead Food International is marking its 90th anniversary this year and has unveiled new company branding a slate of promotions to mark the occasion.

UK FSA criticised over Irish pork dioxin crisis

The UK Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) handling the Irish pork dioxin incident last year has come under fire with a majority of industry players levelling stinging criticism at the agency.

Walmart sustainability index to put suppliers under spotlight

More than 100,000 suppliers to Walmart will be asked to prove their green credentials after the company unveiled plans yesterday to develop a world-wide sustainable product index.

Performance monitoring system cuts downtime for vibratory conveyors

A reduction in downtime and labour, as well as improvements in processing efficiency, are claims made by the manufacturer for a new wireless performance monitoring system for vibratory conveyors.

US market for meat, poultry and seafood packing to top $9bn by 2013

An expansion in US meat, poultry and seafood production and a continuing shift to case-ready packaging by retailers will be the main drivers in packing for the sectors topping $9bn by 2013, according to a new study.

News in brief

Lord Rooker to lead Food Standards Agency

Former Defra minister Lord Rooker has been appointed as the next chair of the UK’s Food Standards Agency, taking over from Dame Deirdre Hutton later this month.

Soy sauce may help with salt reduction in foods: Study

Adding soy sauce to certain foods may enhance perception of saltiness and enable food manufacturers to cut salt content without affecting taste, according to new research from Japan.

Weekly comment

Safety is no accident in food factories

Industrial accidents are not funny. Does anyone need a reminder? Apparently yes; judging by how some headline writers and bloggers made light of the plight of Vincent Smith who died last week after falling into a vat of liquid chocolate at a New Jersey processing plant.

Cargill tackles sodium intake with potassium chloride launch

Cargill has introduced a new product to its line of salt reduction ingredients, as manufacturers strive to formulate good tasting products with a lighter salt content.

Hormone released by stressed chickens could be key to combating Campylobacter - study

The release of a hormone at times of stress could be key to understanding why some food poisoning bacterium become more invasive in animals after transportation, a new study has said.

Ulrick & Short spins new wheat starch for batters

A new wheat-based flour from Ulrick & Short can provide a crispy texture for tempura batters, the company says, and is an alternative to chemically-modified or high amylose starches.

News in brief

Breakfast trial puts morning meal on policy map

Campaigners to put breakfast on the public policy agenda have held a mock trial in Brussels to raise awareness of the importance of the first meal of the day.

Med diet components linked to longer life: Study

Consuming a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in vegetables, fruits and nuts, olive oil, and legumes, may lead to longer life, according to a new study from Greece.

Weekly comment

Defining nano: Size does matter

The Atlantic Ocean separates continents; it also separates schools of thought on the definition of nanotechnology. In order to educate manufacturers and consumers on nanotechnology a definition is critical.

All eyes on sustainable food under Swedish presidency

The CIAA has invited the Swedish presidency to take part in the recently launched Round Table on Sustainable Production and Consumption (SPC); while Sweden has made food and the climate one of its priorities for agriculture over the next six months.

Government outlines stricter food safety measures

The Obama administration has said it will propose new regulations to strengthen the US food safety system and create a position for a deputy food commissioner on Tuesday, according to newswire reports.

EU funding vital to cushion extra animal welfare costs, say meat processors

Europe’s meat processors will suffer unless the European Commission meets extra costs resulting from a new regulation on improving animal welfare at slaughter, said an industry body.

News in brief

Cargill opens Russian animal feed mill

Cargill has invested US$12.5m in a new animal feed mill in Efremov, Russia, to handle co-products from other agro-industrial products at the site.

News in brief

Brits neglect heart health (and don’t believe the hype)

Only one third of Brits pay attention to their heart health, and 45 per cent said heart health claims were untrustworthy, according to Datamonitor research.

Symrise targets authentic natural flavours with new analysis tool

Symrise has developed a new tool for comprehensive flavour analysis which it says will enable it to produce more authentic profiles quickly and efficiently – and develop more true to life natural flavours.

News in brief

Canadian organic certification comes into effect

Canada’s new organic certification standards went into effect on Tuesday, June 30, opening up trade opportunities for Canadian organic products.

Meat processors hail decision to shelve inspection charge increases

UK meat processors have applauded a Food Standards Agency (FSA) U-turn on its recent decision to hike annual inspection charges by four per cent in a bid to cut government subsidies to the industry.

Calls to curb meat consumption through labelling

The WWF suggests that red meat packs should carry labels advising people to consume no more than three portions a week, and dairy products no more than three a day, according to reports.

News in brief

FDA probes ingredient supply chain in quest for E. coli source

The FDA is continuing its investigation into how E. coli found its way into Nestle’s Toll House brand cookie dough, after the outbreak strain’s presence was confirmed in a sample of the dough on Monday.