Food safety
Reusable shopping bags ‘pose food safety risk’
Reusable food shopping bags and packages can contain a high level of bacteria, yeast, mould and coliform counts which pose a significant food safety risk, according to a new study from Sporometrics, an environmental microbiology lab based in Canada. Swab tests of reusable bags last November revealed a bacteria count of 1,800 colony-forming units, while […]
New sanitiser to boost food hygiene standards
A new water-based surface and utensil sanitiser offers UK food and drink processors an effective, safe, low cost and environmentally friendly means of maintaining hygiene standards, according to its manufacturer Radical. The Radical Water System uses naturally occurring biocides, generated by oxidation, to combat the harmful micro-organisms that can cause salmonella, listeria, e-coli and other […]
New UK salt reduction targets
The Food Standards Agency has unveiled revised salt reduction targets for the food industry, affecting 80 food categories. By 2012, the FSA is hoping to have reduced salt intake to 6g a day for adults (2.4g sodium), from around 9.5g in 2000/1. The current consumption estimate is at 8.6g, indicating that progress has been made […]
New discovery could lead to salmonella vaccine, say scientists
UK scientists have made a discovery which, they say, raises hopes of a potential vaccination against salmonella. Their revelation – that the food poisoning bug feeds on glucose – could also lead to vaccine strains to protect against other disease-causing bacteria, including superbugs, according to Dr Arthur Thompson from the Institute of Food Research. “This […]
New Coca-Cola bottle made from plant-based plastic
The Coca-Cola Company has unveiled a new plastic bottle made partially from plants. The PlantBottle is fully recyclable, has a lower reliance on a non-renewable resource, and reduces carbon emissions, compared with petroleum-based PET plastic bottles. “It is a significant development in sustainable packaging innovation, says Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.“It […]
New meat culture for cooked ham
Natural ingredients supplier Chr Hansen has launched a new meat culture for cooked ham. The Bactoferm CS-300 culture is also suitable for other cured and cooked meats as well as bacon and fermented sausages like salami.“The main advantage of the two selected bacterial strains used in this blend is their ability to provide a mild, […]
Food container demand set to soar
US demand for food containers is set to rise by 2.5 per cent a year to reach more than 300billion units – valued at $25billion -within four years, according to a new study from research firm The Freedonia Group. The report Food Containers: Rigid & Flexible predicts that the growth in demand will be fuelled […]
EU go-ahead for lycopene use in foods
European Commission approval for the use of several lycopene forms in foods looks set to significantly expand the market for the tomato-based antioxidant now that it is no longer restricted to food supplement applications. Offerings from Vitatene, BASF, DSM and Lycored have all won Novel Foods approval, making the market ripe for growth, according to […]
Thumbs-up for new salmonella detection kit
A new, rapid detection kit to identify salmonella species in food has received approval from international accreditation body the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC). The Salmonella Rapid Culture Method, developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific, is said to deliver highly accurate results in less than 48 hours compared with up to four days for other methods. […]
EFSA re-confirms aspartame safety
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said there is no indication that aspartame causes cancer, following its assessment of a study that linked regular intake of the sweetener with an increased risk of certain cancers. EFSA’s panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) was asked by the European Commission for […]
£10m boost for food waste facilities
The recent budget announcement of an additional £10 million funding for the development of reprocessing facilities for food waste has been welcomed by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). The funding will, it says, enable new composting and anaerobic digestion facilities to be built – processing over 300,000 additional tonnes of food waste every year. […]
UK snack food firm sells loss-making subsidiary
UK snack food and confectionery firm Zetar has sold a loss-making snacks business to the unit’s chief executive in a deal worth almost £2.7 million. The Baked Snacks Company Ltd (BSC) has gone to Mobeen Mehdi, following a management buy-out by his team. Mehdi has paid £590,000 up front, with the balance due over the […]
Ulrick & Short to steer a new path
UK clean label ingredients developer, supplier and manufacturer Ulrick & Short has revealed plans to launch a range of new nutritionally beneficial ingredients later this year. The company has joined forces with Appetizing Innovation to prove the efficacy and legality of ingredients with specific health declarations, and to help the company take its first major […]
Green tea cheer for Tate & Lyle
Tate & Lyle has sealed a deal for the exclusive EMEA distribution rights of a new green tea extract from tea and coffee sourcing company A Holliday & Co. Called Teawell 95, the extract has a 95% concentration of the catechin Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) – among the highest purities available on the market today. EGCG is […]