The aim of this literature review of 51 scientific papers was to answer the question - "What is the mislabelling rate in seafood products sold on the Italian market?“. Samples were considered mislabelled when the species found by DNA analysis did not correspond with the description on the label. The most sampled seafood taxa were fish (83.8%): mackerels, cods, herrings, flatfishes and jacks were the most represented species. Unprocessed fillet/slice was the most analysed retail form (61.4%), and samples were collected at retail premises (76.5%) in 10 Italian regions.

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This is Tenet's quarterly publication (Issue 5), which discusses the various methods of tackling food fraud, from food safety and quality legislation, and consumer protection legislation, to contract law and trade practices. It also examines the importance of auditing your suppliers and look deeper into non-party disclosure and ‘Norwich Pharmacal’ orders.

If you work in the food and drinks industry and take an interest in fraud and financial crime impact in the sector, please take a look at the Secret Ingredient -Issue 5.

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At the 1996 World Food Summit, the Heads of State and Government reaffirmed the right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger (World Food Summit,1996). To achieve this commitment, agrifood systems will need to be transformed to sustainably deliver safe and nutritious food for all.

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New evidence by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has found some people are taking food safety risks because of money pressures and rising energy costs.

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The FAO and WHO have highlighted a range of food safety hazards linked to eating seaweed plus a lack of data and regulation.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) said there was a need for a risk assessment of relevant seaweed hazards to understand their public health significance.

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The shelf-life of a product is the time that it remains acceptable to eat. Within the shelf life the product will remain safe and retain the desired sensory, chemical, physical and microbiological characteristics.

Understanding shelf life is essential in assuring the safety and quality of the product. It’s important to re-evaluate shelf life when products are reformulated because changing or reducing levels of salt, sugar or preservatives can all impact on shelf life.

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Nitrosamines (or more formally N-Nitrosamines) are chemical compounds that can form in food as a result of food preparation and processing. They have been found in several types of foodstuffs such as cured meat products, processed fish, cocoa, beer and other alcoholic beverages. Nitrosamines may also be present in a variety of other foods such as cooked meat, processed vegetables, cereals, milk and dairy products, or fermented, pickled and spiced foods. Some nitrosamines are genotoxic (may damage DNA) and carcinogenic (can cause cancer). EFSA’s draft opinion assesses the risks to public health related to the presence of nitrosamines in food.

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An ongoing project is identifying the bacteria present in dairy processing environments to evaluate the impact on Listeria monocytogenes.

Teagasc in Ireland and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna in Austria are collecting samples from dairy processing plants and characterizing the microorganisms, with the aim being to prevent the presence of harmful pathogens.

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Public health officials in the United Kingdom are investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157 that has sickened almost 200 people in a month.

Since early September, 192 genetically linked cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157 have been identified in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

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The National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) and the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit (SFCIU) are seeking the views of subject matter experts on the current and future food fraud risks. The information you supply will help to identify trends and highlight any key themes.

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There has been a decline in consumer handwashing from mid-2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on results from a Food Standards Agency (FSA) survey.

Between April 2020 and January 2022, the proportion who reported handwashing with soap and warm water “always” or “most of the time” declined from 79 percent to 68 percent. Public health officials say handwashing is one of the best ways to avoid food poisoning.

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Lidl has reported Campylobacter in chicken levels above the FSA’s target for the second quarter of 2022.

The supermarket chain recorded 8 percent of birds in the highest category which is up from 2 percent in the previous quarter and 6 percent in the period before that.

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The Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS), and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are reinforcing their advice to vulnerable groups of consumers in relation to the risks of Listeria monocytogenes infection linked to ready to eat smoked fish.

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The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has published its annual publication, ‘Northern Ireland Food and Drinks Processing Report’ previously known as ‘Size and Performance of the Northern Ireland Food and Drinks Processing Sector, Subsector Statistics’.

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Eggs are the main food source of Salmonella outbreaks in Europe, according to a study.

From a list of 18 food sources, eggs and egg products were the most important source of salmonellosis outbreaks, followed by pork and general meat products.

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The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that four Closure Orders and eight Prohibition Orders were served on food businesses during the month of July for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The Enforcement Orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE).

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