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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
EFSA SECONDED NATIONAL EXPERTS CALL
EFSA/NS/SNE/2017/01
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), based in Parma, Italy
is opening positions for
Seconded National Experts (SNEs)
All Units and Departments
The call is on-going with no deadline for submitting applications
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.
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.
Thank you for your interest in submitting an Expression of Interest to contribute to work toward the estimation of the global burden of foodborne diseases.
It is not possible to return and modify this submission. To complete this application you will need to have the following information prior to applying:
- Reference number (found on the Terms of Reference)
- Contact information from the main focal point only (ie. Lead Investigator)
- Cover letter/statement of motivation, including a maximum of 600 words detailing why your team are submitting this Expression of Interest, and why you believe your team is the most suitable to undertake this work. It is recommended to prepare this in a separate Word document so you can copy and paste into the application.
- ONE document (ideally in PDF format) that includes every Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the proposed research team.
- ONE document (ideally in PDF format) that includes a brief biography of each research team member (max 150 words per person).
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.
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.
About this event
The world of social media provides an overwhelming amount of information on food and nutrition. Often this information can be misleading and, in some instances, harmful to people’s health. For the average person, it is difficult to know whether this information is fact or fiction.
The UCD Institute of Food and Health is an international leader in food and health research focusing on Food Safety, Food Sustainability, Primary Production Systems, Innovative Processing & Food Quality, and Nutrition & Health. Communicating sound, factual scientific-based evidence is an integral part of our work. For our 2022 series, we present a number of new topics and revisit some of our more popular talks with the latest scientific knowledge and advances in the area.
The lectures will be streamed live via Zoom. Registration is essential and a link will be sent in advance of each lecture with login details.
Monday 17th January – Adolescent Nutrition- the Foundations for Life Long Health. Dr Breige McNulty (Please note that this lecture will be delivered by Zoom only)
Monday 7th March - Women's Health: The Role of Nutrition. Prof Clare Corish
Monday 9th May - Taste Matters - Taste, Nutrition & Health. Dr Emma Feeney & Dr Clare Reynolds
Monday 12th September – Food Safety - Its Role in our World. Prof Patrick Wall
Monday 10th October - Nutrition & Mental Health - Latest Perspectives. Prof Lorraine Brennan
Monday 14th November - How to Keep Your Vitamin D Levels up this Winter. Dr Aifric O'Sullivan
This is a free event and is open to all.
Authorities in the United Kingdom have repeated a warning about Listeria in fish as part of an outbreak involving three deaths.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS), and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said vulnerable consumers need to be aware of the risks of Listeria monocytogenes infection from ready-to-eat (RTE) smoked fish.
The number of people affected in the outbreak has gone up by two to 14 since it was announced in April this year. At least three patients live in Scotland and the first illness onset date of all cases was in October 2020.
Ten sick people are older than age 65, and one is a pregnant woman. Three of those affected who were older than 65 died.
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’.
