ISO 22000 Blog » News

People would pay more for safe food

vinca — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:50:28 +0000

PHILADELPHIA, May 22 (UPI) — Challenging conventional wisdom that most people want smaller government and less expensive food, a U.S. survey indicates most would pay more for safer food.

The Pew Charitable Trusts commissioned a poll by Hart Research and American Viewpoint that indicates 66 percent support additional funding for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to carry out new responsibilities related to food safety.

Seventy-four percent feel it is worth a 1 percent to 3 percent increase in the cost of food to pay for new safety measures in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which was signed into law this year. In addition, 70 percent of those surveyed favor food companies paying an average annual fee of $1,000 to help cover the cost of new FDA food safety activities.

Twenty-five percent of U.S. adults say they worry a great deal about food being contaminated with bacteria that makes it unsafe to eat, while 85 percent say the government should be responsible for ensuring that food is safe to eat and 71 percent of voters say the FDA plays a very important or essential role in protecting Americans’ health and safety.

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, strengthening the oversight authorities of the FDA, by improving safety standards for food facilities and fresh produce, strengthens inspection requirements, boosts powers to help limit the dangers of food imports and provides the FDA with the power to issue a mandatory recall of contaminated food, among other authorities.

Before the new law, the FDA examined about 1 percent of food imports and each facility received a visit from an FDA inspector on average once a decade, Pew officials say.

The survey, conducted April 28 to May 4, surveyed 1,015 likely voters on land-line phones and cellphones. The survey has a margin of error 3.1 percentage points.

FDA Food Safety Modernization Act

vinca — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:40:52 +0000

Improving Capacity to Prevent Food Safety Problems FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Moves Forward!

Released by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), a copy of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) was released this week. The bill is expected come to the Senate floor in September.

Many of the changes and responsibilities fall on the FDA, but there are also requirements for Food Facilities.

These are some highlights of sections that will impact Food Facilities directly:

Inspection of Records

The FDA will have expanded access to records when there is a threat of serious adverse health consequences from an adulterated food or a reasonable probability that a food will cause serious adverse health consequences.

Registration

Food Facility registration requirements will be expanded. All food facilities will need to register, and renew biennially. Registration may be suspended if there is a reasonable probability that food will cause serious adverse health consequences.

Hazard Analysis and Risk Based Preventative Controls

All registered domestic facilities will need to have a Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventative Control program in place. Facilities must identify possible hazards and implement controls to minimize or prevent the risk of the hazard occurring. This requirement will include the need for a written plan, available to the FDA.

Fees

The FDA will be able to assess fees for compliance failures.

Transportation

The FDA will promulgate regulations on the sanitary transportation of food.

Inspection Resources

The FDA would be able to allocate resources based on risk profiles. There would also be an increase int the frequency of inspections overall with facilities being inspected at least every 4 years, but as frequent as every year, based on risk profiles.

Mandatory Recall Authority

The FDA would have the authority to order food recalls if the food is not voluntarily recalled and could cause serious adverse health affects.

HOW WOULD THE BILL AFFECT IMPORTED FOODS?

Some of the requirements that will affect those that import foods, and the international companies that want to sell in the United States include:

Supplier Verification

The current version of bill requires importers to manage suppliers with supplier verification activities; importers will not be able to import without complying with this section.

Qualified Importer

Participation in a “Voluntary Qualified Importer Program” allows importers to qualify for expedited review. (Includes use of recognized Third Party Certification)

Import Certifications

The FDA may require certification for high-risk foods and refuse admission of foods without required certification. (Includes recognized Third Party Certification)

Inspection

The FDA would be able to arrange with foreign governments to facilitate inspection of foreign facilities and refuse entry of food from a country that does not allow inspection by the United States.

Accreditation of Third-Party Auditors

The FDA will recognize accreditation bodies to certify that foreign food facilities comply with U.S. food safety standards. Third party certification may be used for the “Voluntary Qualified Importer Program” to fulfill import certification requirements.

Kellogg Cereal Recalled

vinca — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:09:18 +0000

Kellogg Company has recalled 28 million boxes of breakfast cereal in the United States over fears an unknown chemical that has tainted its packaging could cause diarrhoea and vomitting.

The company told FoodProductionDaily.com that it believes an unidentified wax-like substance has migrated from the inner packing into four kinds of the cereals marketed largely for children. Kellogg said the threat of serious health problems from contaminated packaging was small but warned “sensitive” consumers to avoid eating the cereals.

Wax-like substance

“Our chemistry team is working to isolate the exact substance,” said spokeswoman Adaire Putnam. “At this time, we know it’s a wax-like compound that can produce an uncharacteristic off-taste and smell.”

Kellogg said the liners had first been used in March this year and since then the company has been contacted by around 20 consumers complaining of stale, metallic and soap-like smells and tastes. Some five people were said to have reported nausea and vomiting, said reports in US media.

It is understood the company began contacting its commercial customers last Wednesday and raised the alarm with the public on Friday over a total of 1.7 million cases of its Corn Pops, Honey Smacks, Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks breakfast cereals. The 28 million packets have been distributed nationwide with best before dates ranging from 26 March, 2011, to 22 June, 2011.

All the tainted packages were produced at the firm’s facility in Omaha, Nebraska. The company has “destroyed the inventory in its control” and was working with its customers to withdraw the product from circulation, Putnam added.

Low potential for serious health problems

Only products with the letters ‘KN’ following the Better If Used Before Date have been included in the recall. The company stressed that cereals with a ‘KM’ designation were not included and that no products in Canada were affected. No other types of its cereals have been tainted, said the food giant.

A company statement said: “While the potential for serious health problems is low, some consumers are sensitive to the uncharacteristic off-flavour and smell and should not eat the recalled products because of possible temporary symptoms, including nausea and diarrhoea.”

“We apologise to our consumers and our customers and are working diligently to ensure that the affected products are rapidly removed from the marketplace,”said David Mackay, company president and chief executive officer.

http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Quality-Safety/Kellogg-issues-massive-recall-as-tainted-packaging-sparks-health-fears/

50% of Reusable shopping bags carry E-Coli

vinca — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:58:51 +0000

Tucson, AZ (PRWEB) June 24, 2010 — Reusable grocery bags can serve as a breeding ground for dangerous food-borne bacteria and pose a serious risk to public health, according to a joint food safety research report issued today by researchers at the University of Arizona (Tucson) and Loma Linda University (Loma Linda, California).

The research study – which randomly tested reusable grocery bags carried by shoppers in the Los Angeles area, San Francisco, and Tucson– also found consumers were almost completely unaware of the need to regularly wash their bags.

“Our findings suggest a serious threat to public health, especially from coliform bacteria including E. coli, which were detected in half the bags sampled,” said Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a University of Arizona environmental microbiology professor and co-author of the study. “Furthermore, consumers are alarmingly unaware of these risks and the critical need to sanitize their bags after every use.”

The bacteria levels found in reusable bags were significant enough to cause a wide range of serious health problems and even lead to death – a particular danger for young children, who are especially vulnerable to food-borne illnesses, he said.

The study also found that awareness of potential risks was very low. A full 97 percent of those interviewed have never washed or bleached their reusable bags, said Gerba, who added that thorough washing kills nearly all bacteria that accumulate in reusable bags.

The report comes at a time when some members of the California State Legislature, through Assembly Bill 1998 (Brownley), are seeking to promote increased consumer use of reusable bags by banning plastic bags from California stores.

“If this is the direction California wants to go, our policymakers should be prepared to address the ramifications for public health,” said co-author Ryan Sinclair, Ph.D., a professor at Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health.

The report noted that “a sudden or significant increase in use of reusable bags without a major public education campaign on how to reduce cross contamination would create the risk of significant adverse public health impact.”

Geographic factors also play a role, said Sinclair, who noted that contamination rates appeared to be higher in the Los Angeles area than in the two other locations – a phenomenon likely due to that region’s weather being more conducive to growth of bacteria in reusable bags.

The report – “Assessment of the Potential for Cross Contamination of Food Products by Reusable Shopping Bags” – offered the following policy recommendations for lawmakers, as well as tips for consumers who use reusable grocery bags:

States should consider requiring printed instructions on reusable bags indicating that they need to cleaned or bleached between uses;

State and local governments should invest in a public education campaign to alert the public about risk and prevention;

When using reusable bags, consumers should be careful to separate raw foods from other food products;

Consumers should not use reusable food bags for such other purposes as carrying books or gym clothes;

Consumers should not store reusable bags in the trunks of their cars because the higher temperature promotes growth of bacteria.

“As scientists our focus was not on the relative merits of paper, plastic or reusable grocery bags,” Gerba said. “Our intent was purely to provide relevant data to better inform consumers and lawmakers about the public health dimensions that could arise from increased use of reusable bags. With this knowledge, people will be in a better position to protect their health and that of their children.”

About the Report : Field research for “Assessment of the Potential for Cross Contamination of Food Products by Reusable Shopping Bags” was conducted according to established scientific methodologies and best practices. The sample tested included 84 actual consumer reusable bags (25 in Los Angeles, 25 in San Francisco, 34 in Tucson). New reusable bags and plastic bags were tested; none contained any contamination. The American Chemistry Council provided funding to support this study. To review the report, please visit: http://www.llu.edu/public-health/news/news-grocery-bags-bacteria.page or http://uanews.org/pdfs/GerbaWilliamsSinclair_BagContamination.pdf

Small Producer Amendments Proposed to Food Safety Bill

vinca — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:02:24 +0000

Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) says she plans to cosponsor two amendments being circulated by Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) that would protect small producers from provisions of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, S 510. The bill, which passed the Senate Health Labor and Pensions Committee in November, is awaiting a vote by the full Senate. More: www.agra-net.com

Food Safety Bill Comes Under Fire For New BPA Amendment | InjuryBoard Charlottesville

vinca — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:00:59 +0000

A recent amendment proposed by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) to the long-gestating bill to improve food safety has come under fire from the food industry and major business groups. The amendment would ban bisphenol-A from being used in food and beverage containers.

More on this story: charlottesville.injuryboard.com

Editorial: Food safety bill merits swift passage

vinca — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:38:14 +0000

Each year, 325,000 Americans are hospitalized with foodborne illnesses,
and 5,000 people die. And yet for decades, the main agencies charged
with the nation’s food safety — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture — have been under resourced and
hampered by archaic laws too often put in place back when most people
still canned their own produce and bought meat from a local butcher. In
the age of supermarkets, fast food and globally grown produce, updates
to the nation’s food safety laws are sorely needed. The stakes are
especially high in Minnesota, one of the nation’s leading states for
food processing.

Fortunately, Congress is finally making these reforms a high priority.
Over the next few weeks, the Food Safety Modernization Act is poised to
become the next major item on the U.S. Senate agenda. The act is a
critical step toward making the U.S. food supply safer, with a focus on
strengthening the FDA. More: www.startribune.com

Volcanic ash could pose a threat to food safety

vinca — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:13:52 +0000

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is investigating potential
food safety risks emerging from the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

Food headlines related to the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano
in Iceland have so far focused on the air transport chaos and its
impact on imports and business travel.

But with smoke still billowing from the volcano, the European Commission
has started asking questions about how the ash cloud will affect food
safety and animal health. More….

Government Of Canada Invests $569,000 To Boost Food Safety Systems | Gov Monitor

vinca — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:22:57 +0000

Member of Parliament Bob Dechert (Mississauga-Erindale) announced an investment of $569,000 for the Packaging Association of Canada today, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, as the Association held their Packaging Food Safety Summit. More Information

Update: Food Safety Bill Delayed in the Senate

vinca — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:10:38 +0000

It had sounded like the food safety bill s510 would be debated in the senate this week, but financial reform has pushed that time frame back. Food Safety News reports that Chairman Harkin is confident that the bill will pass the Senate before they adjourn for the Memorial Day recess.