Food Safety

The National Food Strategy makes urgent recommendations

National Food Strategy issues urgent call to action

By Michelle Perrett

The National Food Strategy has intensified pressure on food manufacturers to support healthy eating, with author Henry Dimbleby claiming the industry clothes “itself and its products in false virtue”.

The FSA has unveiled its research priorities

FSA highlights research priorities

By Michelle Perrett

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will focus research on four key areas: food hypersensitivity and allergy; assuring food safety and standards; innovation in food regulation; and the future of food systems.

Vestey Foods' Thompson uses thermal processing and allergen control as examples

Technical Opinion

Food safety: why validations and 'worst-case scenarios' are vital

By Chris Thompson

Even technical experts sometimes confuse validations with verifications, but both are crucial aspects of food safety processes, as is the 'worst-case scenario' approach, argues Chris Thompson, technical manager at Vestey Foods UK.

The revamped factory offers additional reassurance for consumers scouring allergen labelling for 'nut-free' tags

Finsbury Food Group turns cake factory nut-free

By Michelle Perrett

Finsbury Food Group, the cake manufacturer supplying supermarkets including Tesco and Sainsbury's, has turned its Hamilton Celebration Cake factory in Scotland into a nut-free site, offering consumers additional reassurances regarding allergen labelling.

CEIH's new qualification will help address the shortage of food safety officers across the UK

Food safety qualifications to fast track training

By Gwen Ridler

A food hygiene and standards qualification launched by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) – in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) – could help boost the number of trained food safety personnel fast.

Guest: 'Technical competency is essential to collect high quality information'

Ask the Expert, in collaboration with the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST)

Dalziel group technical manager: technical staff and data

By Rod Addy

How can data access and analysis be improved to help technical staff do their jobs better? Alexis Guest, group technical manager at Dalziel, explains in this Ask The Expert article.

The guidance includes plans to increase cleaning

FSA issues new guidance for food manufacturers

By Michelle Perrett

Food manufacturers are being reminded that they are required to implement and maintain hygiene procedures based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.

Top experts will address key product recall issues in the free one-hour webinar

Product recall webinar programme tackles allergens, labelling

By Rod Addy

Product recall guidance vital for tackling allergen contamination and labelling errors, plus advice on contingency planning and use of technology for cost-effective recall management were presented at an exclusive webinar on 17 March.

Allergens, expiry dates and foreign language issues were the major labelling causes for food recalls across Europe

Top label causes of food recalls

By Michelle Perrett

Allergens, followed by expiry dates and foreign language issues were the major labelling causes for food recalls across Europe over more than five years, according to Steve Spice, regulatory manager at Ashbury.

Concerns have been raised about social distancing and the lack of PPE in food plants

Measures for meat sector and general food production outlined

Coronavirus plans for meat plants and abattoirs

By Rod Addy

Coronavirus is hitting meat plant and abattoir operations as personnel contract the disease, but the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has contingency plans, FSA chief operating officer and COVID-19 incident director Colin Sullivan has claimed.

All William Reed food shows at the NEC have been postponed

William Reed food shows postponed due to coronavirus

By Rod Addy

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 health situation, William Reed has taken the difficult decision to postpone its UK Food Shows, originally scheduled to take place at Birmingham NEC from 30 March to 1 April.

Shelf-life guidance prompts meat industry fears

Shelf-life guidance prompts meat industry fears

By Rick Pendrous

The proposed extension to the shelf-life of fresh meat is still overly cautious, would hinder the industry's international competitiveness and threaten retailers and processors with prosecution, according to food scientists.

Collins: 'Bowtie takes a wider view on the risks and looks at the levels of control'

Bowtie part of Campden workshop

By Noli Dinkovski

Campden BRI is to host a one-day workshop on how blockchain and other emerging approaches can support food safety and risk management.

The Food Industry Intelligence Network is calling on businesses to join its membership base

FIIN aims to expand membership

By Noli Dinkovski

An industry-wide group set up to tackle food fraud through shared intelligence is urging businesses in under-represented sectors to join its membership base.

Jackfruit is commonly used in south and south-east Asian cuisines

2020 FOOD TRENDS

Jackfruit, tempeh and seitan to lead plant-based boom

By Noli Dinkovski

The likes of jackfruit, tempeh and seitan are likely to appear much more frequently on supermarket shelves in 2020 as the plant-based boom continues, an ingredients supplier has claimed.

Shiga-toxin infected beef has been a cause of concern

EU germ threats ranked, with STEC now third

By Rod Addy

Shiga-toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) are now the third most common cause of foodborne disease, with campylobacter strains first and strains of salmonella second, according to the EU One Health 2018 Zoonoses Report.

Social media is making it more difficult for consumers to monitor calorie intake

Social media advertising damaging obesity work

By Dan Colombini

Changes in consumer advertising behaviour and the rise of social media are making it more challenging for food manufacturers to tackle the UK’s obesity crisis.

The court found Boddy guilty of two charges

Horsemeat scandal abattoir boss hit with new fines

By Dan Colombini

Peter Boddy, owner of the Burnley-based Cross Stone Abattoir, has been hit with fines of more than £7,000 after being prosecuted by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for failing to comply with a horse-related detention notice.​

The firm issued its results for the six months ended 30 September 2019, delivering increases in revenue and profit

Cranswick boosted by plant-based and export potential

By Dan Colombini

Meat processor Cranswick is set to deliver further growth as a result of rising export opportunities to Asia in the wake of the African swine fever (ASF) crisis, as well as its recent move into the plant-based sector, according to experts.

It is estimated that around one in five people in the UK have low levels of vitamin D

BNF urges greater vitamin D awareness

By Dan Colombini

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has called for greater awareness of vitamin D deficiency across young people within the UK.

'There should be a focus on an industry-wide harmonisation of standards so that these advances are shared openly'

Opinion

Information-sharing needs to be transparent

By Dionisis Theodosis

Dionisis Theodosis, group chemistry technical manager at Eurofins Food Testing UK & Ireland, discusses the need for harmonisation and information-sharing across industry.

Reading Scientific Services called for greater guidance on allergens

RSSL urges allergen guidance

By Dan Colombini

Reading Scientific Services (RSSL) has called for greater guidance on allergens to assist with firms’ plans to administer safe free-from products.

Ramona's Kitchen has confirmed new orders are in the offing following the troubles at Zorba Delicacies

Ramona’s eyes new deals after Zorba houmous recalls

By Dan Colombini

Independent houmous business Ramona’s Kitchen has confirmed it is ready to step into a "hole” in the UK market following hundreds of recalls of Zorba Delicacies’ lines, amid an ongoing salmonella scare.

The FAC has been acquired for an undisclosed fee but it involved Romer Labs assuming 100% of the shares in the firm as it seeks to ramp up its presence in the growing food allergen testing market.

Romer Labs secures UK allergen acquisition

By Dan Colombini

Food safety testing firm Romer Labs has announced the acquisition of the Food Allergen Centre (FAC), an analytical services laboratory located in Wells, Somerset.

An unnamed third party is still thought to be responsible for the potential contamination at this stage

FSA recalls additional Zorba Delicacies houmous lines

By Dan Colombini

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed the recall of an additional 82 lines of houmous manufactured by Zorba Delicacies from major retailers, following the announcement last week that 56 lines have already been withdrawn amid salmonella fears.