Food Safety News and Research

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New polymer powder simplifies tests, increases food safety

To guarantee a high quality of their beer, breweries monitor the production process very closely. With a new polymer powder, this monitoring will be able to be faster and simpler in the future.

2 Mar 2015

Soft drink consumers exposed to unnecessary cancer risk

Public health researchers have analyzed soda consumption data in order to characterize people's exposure to a potentially carcinogenic byproduct of some types of caramel color. Caramel color is a common ingredient in colas and other dark soft drinks. The results show that between 44 and 58 percent of people over the age of six typically have at least one can of soda per day, possibly more, potentially exposing them to 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI), a possible human carcinogen formed during the manufacture of some kinds of caramel color.

19 Feb 2015

California Strawberry Commission lists out 12 reasons to enjoy heart-healthy strawberries

February is Heart Health Month and just one of many reasons to add heart-healthy foods like strawberries to the daily diet.

17 Feb 2015

Health Canada: Parents advised not to feed honey to infants less than one year old

In Canada, honey is the only food which has been linked to infant botulism – a rare but serious illness that is caused by ingesting the bacterium C. botulinum.

12 Feb 2015

Standard cleaning procedures in retail delis may not eradicate Listeria pathogen, study shows

Purdue University research shows that standard cleaning procedures in retail delis may not eradicate Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which can cause a potentially fatal disease in people with vulnerable immune systems.

11 Feb 2015

Study: Infant gut microbiota associated with healthy weight gain

Researchers in Singapore and UK as part of the EpiGen consortium worked together with scientists at the Nestlé Research Center, Switzerland, on a new study on the bacterial makeup of the gut (gut microbiota) of infants in Singapore. Their study reveals that the rate of bacterial colonisation of the gut is influenced by external factors such as the method of delivery and duration of gestation.

5 Feb 2015

One in four nonsmokers still exposed to secondhand smoke, shows CDC report

Although secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in the United States dropped by half between 1999 to 2000 and 2011 to 2012, one in four nonsmokers -- 58 million people -- are still exposed to SHS, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

4 Feb 2015

Trust for America's Health supports President's proposal to end sequestration

The following is a statement from Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and chair of the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health.

4 Feb 2015

Most home chefs engage in risky food practices

If you're gearing up for a big Super Bowl bash, you might want to consult the best food-handling practices before preparing that feast. New research from Kansas State University finds that most home chefs drop the ball on food safety.

29 Jan 2015

Luminex's xMAP Biothreat Toxin Panel now available for detecting dangerous biotoxins

Quickly detecting and identifying dangerous biotoxins is now a reality, thanks to the xMAP Biothreat Toxin Panel (BTP) by Luminex. The xMAP Biothreat Toxin Panel is the first multiplex assay to rapidly detect and identify the six most easily acquired and most dangerous biotoxins. All six of these biotoxins are on the US government's list of most dangerous substances.

From Luminex 21 Jan 2015

Third annual Food Labs Conference to be held in conjunction with Pittcon 2015

The Pittcon Organizing Committee is pleased to announce the third annual Food Labs Conference, the only food conference focused on the food laboratory, will be held in conjunction with Pittcon 2015, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The co-location of the two conferences provides that the registration fee to attend the two-day Food Lab Conference, March. 9-10, will also include unlimited week long admission to the Pittcon exposition floor and technical program.

14 Jan 2015

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma treatment may reduce risk of transmitting norovirus

Treating surfaces with cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) may reduce the risk of transmitting norovirus, a contagious virus leading to stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea, according to a new study.

14 Jan 2015

QIAGEN's circulating tumor DNA test CE-IVD marked to assess genomic mutation NSCLC patients

QIAGEN announced today the CE-IVD marking of its novel liquid biopsy-based companion diagnostic that analyzes circulating nucleic acids obtained from blood samples to assess an important genomic mutation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common form of this cancer.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 12 Jan 2015

Voters willing to pay more for lowered risk of food-related illness than consumers

Voters are more willing to pay for a decreased risk of food-related illness than consumers, but female consumers are more willing to pay than male consumers, according to an international team of researchers.

9 Dec 2014

Katja Heinze, Patrick Choquet receive award for developing intelligent foils for food packaging

The Mainz chemistry professor Katja Heinze and her Luxembourg cooperation partner Dr. Patrick Choquet have received the Interregional Research Award for the development of novel, intelligent foils for food packaging. This is the sixth time this award worth EUR 35,000 has been presented. Its purpose is to promote collaboration in cross-border research projects and reinforce the profile of the interregional research landscape.

7 Dec 2014

Many people willing to buy GM or nanotech in foods if there are health or safety benefits

New research from North Carolina State University and the University of Minnesota shows that the majority of consumers will accept the presence of nanotechnology or genetic modification (GM) technology in foods - but only if the technology enhances the nutrition or improves the safety of the food.

3 Dec 2014

Elsevier launches new journal Current Opinion in Food Science

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, is pleased to announce the launch of the latest title in the Current Opinion journal series : Current Opinion in Food Science.

24 Nov 2014

Denmark researchers calculate the real burden of foodborne infections

Campylobacter is the foodborne bacteria that contributes most to the burden of disease in Denmark. This is the finding of a study from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, which for the first time in Denmark ranks three foodborne bacteria according to the burden of disease they impose on society as a whole.

13 Nov 2014

Quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry for life science research analysis announced by Bruker

Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR) announced today, the evolution of their maXis™ line of ultrahigh-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight (UHR-qTOF) mass spectrometers, bringing industry-leading resolution and mass accuracy to the liquid chromatography, time-of-flight MS market space.

From Bruker 6 Nov 2014

Eight million US women skip cervical cancer screening in the past five years

Despite evidence that cervical cancer screening saves lives, about eight million women ages 21 to 65 years have not been screened for cervical cancer in the past five years, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of new cervical cancer cases occur among women who have never or rarely been screened.

6 Nov 2014