Researchers have described the first national outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in the United Kingdom associated with burgers that affected 12 people in 2017.
It was also the first known outbreak in the UK linked to frozen burgers. Four small, local outbreaks occurred in England and Wales between 2009 and 2015 and they were likely due to the consumption of undercooked fresh burgers or cross-contamination outside the home.
Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising technology with far-reaching implications for the food industry. The combination of immutability, enhanced visibility, transparency and data integrity provides numerous benefits that improve trust in extended food supply chains (FSCs). Blockchain can enhance traceability, enable more efficient recall and aids in risk reduction of counterfeits and other forms of illicit trade.
How safe is your Sage? That’s the question posed by researchers at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) after finding more than a quarter of samples of the popular herb were adulterated – some by as much as 58%.
This is another example of where an authenticity issue can have a very direct effect on food safety. The consequences for nature and humans are incalculable. Nobody knows what these pesticides are made of, which and how much toxins they contain.
The Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety has already examined dozens of suspicious samples this year and discovered many counterfeit or unapproved pesticides. In the first half of the year alone, Europol has seized over 1,300 tons of illegal pesticides, a new record. The European police authority estimates the proportion of counterfeits in the total amount of all pesticides at 14 to 15 percent.
Grass-based milk production is a major contributor to Irish agricultural output. The study characterized the Irish milk pool using stable isotope ratio analysis of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur. Authentic raw milk samples were collected from 50 farms on five occasions over 13 months. Mean values of −27.11, 6.79, −3.27 and 6.16‰ were obtained for δ13C, δ15N, δ18O and δ34S, respectively. δ13C values reflected a high level of grass input and values increased with increasing cereal concentrate feed input (P < 0.001). δ18O values were most negative in spring. There was a significant interaction between feed and season for δ13C and δ15N values (P < 0.05), with the impact of concentrate feeding most evident in spring. δ34S values were lowest at the highest level of concentrate input (P < 0.05). The isotopic values reported here describe the Irish milk pool and may offer the potential to discriminate Irish milk and dairy products from similar commodities from other countries.
Food security scientists at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) have helped identify the cause of a humanitarian crisis and avert a larger catastrophe in Uganda.
Researchers at the university’s Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) were called in to support an investigation after a major food-poisoning incident in Uganda in March 2019, which killed five people and saw hundreds hospitalised.
Cocoa beans, the seeds of the tree Theobroma cacao L., are the key raw material for chocolate production that implies an extensive post-harvest process. Chocolate properties can vary depending on cocoa origin, composition and manufacturing procedure, which will give unique sensory properties to the final product. On the other hand, the high global consumption of cocoa products, long recognized as a major source of dietary polyphenols with important health benefits, has increased interest in tracking the geographical origin of cocoa and authenticating chocolate to guarantee product quality and reveal possible commercial fraud. However, the sustainable production of high-quality cocoa is still far from reality, and the cocoa sector continues to face many challenges in this field. This review provides an update on the progress toward the authenticity, traceability and sustainability of cocoa products, issues that chocolate producers still need to resolve.
The Cuban police dismantled a criminal organisation adulterating pork sausages with water,flour and other non-authorised ingredients. The pork products were illegally sold through the
black market.
Cibercuba 02/09/2020
The Italian authorities seized 1 000 kg of Mozzarella cheese produced illegally in two unauthorised production plants, destined for delivery to restaurants, bars and hotels. The
criminal organisation produced fake labels as well, falsifying the origin, production date and organoleptic properties.
Repubblica 03/09/2020
Ottopagine 03/09/2020
Researchers in the United Kingdom have examined the emergence and spread of a strain of Salmonella common in pigs.
Scientists hope that understanding how and why new strains of Salmonella emerge in livestock will help develop improved strategies to reduce the incidence and make the food supply safer.
Work was led by the Quadram Institute and the University of East Anglia with Public Health England, the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Earlham Institute, and the Teagasc Food Research Centre. It was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and published in the journal Microbial Genomics.
French authorities have renewed warnings about eating wild mushrooms after hundreds of poisoning cases in the past few months.
The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) reported that since the start of the mushroom-picking season in early autumn, poison control centers have recorded a sharp increase in cases, particularly in recent weeks.
The recommendations set out in the review aim to improve the quality, nutritional value and safety of food served in hospitals.
The Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food was announced by Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock following a listeriosis outbreak in 2019.
The final report (Opens in a new window), published today, includes a number of recommendations to improve food safety, based largely on evidence provided by the FSA. These recommendations include having dedicated food safety specialists in each trust, hospitals implementing robust food safety management systems, and a compulsory function to report concerns across the entire hospital food chain. Crucially, NHS Trusts must also recognise that they are food business operators and responsible for ensuring that the food they provide is safe.
The Guest Programme is addressed to scientists, PhD candidates and professionals who can share their expertise in a particular area of EFSA’s activities or are interested in specific projects related to EFSA’s scientific work. It is a cost free scheme for which EFSA does not pay any financial contribution other than those related to the performance of their duties during their secondment.
We are pleased to announce the speaker line-up for our ‘Understanding Food in A Digital World’ online event on Monday 9 November 2020.
This regular Food Standards Agency (FSA) event is part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science, in partnership this year with the University of Sheffield.
Presentations will cover how the increasingly digital world has changed how we buy and eat food, and how digital data collection and analysis can inform our understanding.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is to develop a new food safety strategy.
The Committee on Agriculture (COAG), held virtually from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 2020, agreed to support the development of the strategy. A previous session backed FAO’s food safety plan in 2014. The COAG has more than 100 member nations and meets every two years. It provides overall policy and regulatory guidance on issues including food safety.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a warning about eggs that could be contaminated with Salmonella.
The British Lion eggs were sold in some Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Asda stores in England and Wales in packs of six, 10, 12, and 15.
Affected mixed size, medium, large, and very large free-range eggs can be identified by the batch code 1UK15270 stamped on the eggshell and best before date from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5, 2020.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is undertaking a competition for the purpose ofidentifying a suitable candidate for appointment to the position of:
Temporary Technical Executive
Public Health Nutrition Policy
Fixed Term (2 years)
Ecoli, STEC, VTEC, O157…confused about the terms used for different groups of Escherichia coli and their relative food safety risks?
Knowledge is power which is why in our microbiology ambassador’s October update, Roy Betts details the difference between these groups of E. coli and causes of previous outbreaks to help you avoid similar pitfalls.
College of Agriculture Food & Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Loughry Campus offers a wide range of accredited and non-accredited training courses aimed specifically at the food industry. Like every other aspect of provision, CAFRE has had to adapt the way it delivers programmes in light of the current pandemic.
Fortunately, we have moved our most popular courses online. Many of the courses are accredited by Highfield Qualifications and Royal Society for Public Health. The courses that are being offered this year include:
The first of these courses will commence on Monday 2nd November 2020. Level 4 programmes are scheduled to be offered in 2021.
All course materials have been moved to a platform called CAFRE Online. Leaners can complete the units at home or in the workplace. Each course will have a specific release date and examination date. Applications are completed online. Learners can then access the course online over a specified time period. For the majority of courses a text book will be provided. Those enrolling on the course will have the flexibility to learn at a pace suitable to their needs.
Tutor support will be offered by a member of the CAFRE Food Industry Training team. In order to gain the accredited qualification, candidates are required to attend Loughry Campus on a specific date to sit their examination. The examinations will adhere to COVID-19 guidelines.
To find out more please contact Catherine Devlin. Phone 028 867 68114 or email catherine.devlin@daera-ni.gov.uk
