Food Safety News and Research

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FDA sets new safety standards for transportation of food

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is asking commercial food transporters to follow new guidance the agency is issuing today to reduce the chances of physical, chemical, biological and other risks during transportation of foods while the agency reviews current food safety transportation regulations.

3 May 2010

Researchers explore use of nanomedicine techniques for treatment of diseases in children

"Children are not small adults"—pediatricians say that's what makes their specialty different from the practice of medicine in adults. For similar reasons, researchers exploring the medical uses of nanotechnology believe that the use of molecular-level nanomedicine techniques in children will also require its own specialty.

3 May 2010

AES CHEMUNEX to distribute SDIX's RapidChek food pathogen detection systems in Europe

Strategic Diagnostics Inc., now doing business as SDIX, a leading provider of biotechnology-based products and services for a broad range of life science, biotechnology, diagnostic, and food safety applications, today announced it has signed a distribution agreement with AES CHEMUNEX.

27 Apr 2010

SQI Diagnostics signs development agreement with Silliker

SQI Diagnostics Inc., a medical systems automation company focused on evolving laboratory-based biomarker testing, today announced that it has entered into a development agreement with Silliker, Inc., a leading internationally accredited company dedicated to improving nutrition, food safety and quality, for the commercialization of a botulism toxin panel that will run on SQI's SQiDman analytical system.

26 Apr 2010

ITI granted AOAC approval for additional Salmonella matrices

Idaho Technology, Inc. (ITI) has received AOAC Performance Tested Method approval for two additional Salmonella matrices—stainless steel environmental samples and dry pet food. These matrices join the list of already approved matrices in the Salmonella LT Food Security System including chocolate, cooked ham, fresh raw chicken, lettuce, raw ground beef, and liquid whole eggs. This assay uses real-time PCR technology to identify the presence of Salmonella in less than one hour after a pre-enrichment period.

20 Apr 2010

Trans fats back on the agenda in UK

Dariush Mozzaffarian and Meir J Stamper, wrote an article in the British Medical Journal urging the government to ban industrial trans fatty acids or TFAs. This adds to the plea of doctors and medical charities across the country, who want to follow the example of Denmark and New York City where TFAs have been eradicated without affecting the price, taste or availability of products.

19 Apr 2010

UDH to participate in Abbott's new PLEX-ID BPEP

Abbott today announced that the Utah Department of Health is one of five sites in the United States to participate in Abbott's new PLEX-ID Biopreparedness Evaluation Program, which involves Abbott, the Association of Public Health Laboratories and five state public health labs.

16 Apr 2010

Melamine concentrations in eggs do not exceed FDA limits

Eggs from chickens that consumed extremely high levels of melamine in their feed still did not contain levels of the potentially toxic contaminant that exceeded U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits.

16 Apr 2010

Escherichia coli cases drop in 2009

As per a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a 12 % drop in rates of Escherichia coli (E.coli) infection has been noted in 2009 as compared to statistics for 2008. This is being seen by federal health officials as a sign that the new food safety measures are effective. Most of the pathogens under study are from the bacteria family like E.coli 0157, salmonella, campylobacter, listeria and vibrio. It was found that food poisoning rates for the most common pathogens have changed little from statistics collected in 2004.

16 Apr 2010

To ban or not to ban trans fats

Now it is doctors too who have joined the move towards banning trans fats from food. Trans fats are hydrogenated solid fats that are found in deep fried foods, margarine, bakery products, fast foods etc. they are used because they are cheap and keep better. However it has long been known that these fats are bad for the heart leading to heart attacks, strokes and high blood cholesterol etc.

16 Apr 2010

FDA publishes guidance to prevent Salmonella Enteritidis in shell eggs

On April 13, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published guidance for small egg producers to help them comply with a 2009 federal egg safety regulation designed to prevent Salmonella Enteritidis in shell eggs during production, transportation, and storage.

16 Apr 2010

Thermo Fisher Scientific opens global food testing laboratory in Dreieich, Germany

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today opened a global food testing laboratory devoted solely to helping contain costly and life-threatening chemical contamination crises. The Food Safety Response Center, located in Dreieich, Germany, is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and staffed by world-class chemists who will quickly mobilize to aid governments and businesses facing an unknown food safety threat involving chemical contaminants.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 15 Apr 2010

AB SCIEX announces formal opening of Asia Pacific Application Support Center in Shanghai

AB SCIEX, a global leader in life science analytical technologies, today announced the formal opening of its Asia Pacific Application Support Center in Shanghai. With state-of-the-art, award-winning facilities, the new Application Support Center serves as a regional center of excellence for comprehensive service, support and application development to enable the science community in China and the region to continue its increasing use of mass spectrometry and complementary technologies for a broad range of applications.

12 Apr 2010

Level of bacteria on fresh produce can vary according to income level: Study

No one wants a mixed salad tossed with extra bacteria, mold and yeast, but those are just what you might find when you try to eat a healthier diet in poorer neighborhoods. A new study shows that the level of bacteria found on the fresh produce can vary according to the income level of the neighborhoods where it is for sale.

9 Apr 2010

Cancer Prevention Coalition submits petition on imminent health hazard from hormonal meat

As reported in a March 18, New York Times editorial, "Honest Food Labels," FDA Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, M.D., publicized letters to 17 food companies accusing them of -- "masking undesirable ingredients" -- in their products. She also emphasized the importance of "providing nutrition information that consumers can rely on."

3 Apr 2010

Campbell Soup honored for commitment to food allergy safety, awareness and education

Campbell Soup Company was recently honored by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network for its commitment to food allergy safety, awareness and education.

30 Mar 2010

BRIC ministers reach agreement on promoting global food security

Brazil, Russia, India and China, collectively known as BRIC, have reached an agreement to promote global food security, the Moscow Times reports (Anishyuk, 3/29).

30 Mar 2010

Neogen's third-quarter fiscal 2010 revenues up 21%

Neogen Corporation announced today that its net income for the third quarter of FY 2010, which ended Feb. 28, increased 38% from the previous year to $3,881,000. Adjusted for a 3-for-2 stock split effective Dec. 15, net income in the quarter rose to $0.17 per share, compared to the prior year's $0.12.

29 Mar 2010

Norovirus outbreak associated with oysters: FDA and Mississippi, Louisiana public health agencies issue warning

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with state health officials from Mississippi and Louisiana to notify consumers, food service operators and retailers nationwide about an outbreak of norovirus associated with oysters recently harvested from an area near Port Sulphur, La. known as Area 7. The oysters were sold or distributed nationwide.

27 Mar 2010

New research may help advance treatment strategies for common liver disease

A research article published in the journal PloS Pathogens could lead to improvements in the production of vaccines for hepatitis A, the most widespread viral disease in the world.

26 Mar 2010