TAIPEI, Taiwan — A recent academic study found excessive levels of bacteria in beverages sold over tea stands across the nation, with drinks from a popular bubble tea chain based in Taipei County carrying viable bacteria numbers 2,100 times the accepted norm, local media reported yesterday. Hsieh Ming-zhe, a professor with the College of Public Health and Nutrition at Taipei Medical University, was cited as saying that sanitation reports found that 92 percent of red, green or oolong teas sold over refreshment stands showed unsatisfactory levels of the bacterium colon …

(NaturalNews) The latest session of the U.N. Codex Alimentarius ended without final adoption of a maximum residue level for ractopamine, a feed additive widely used in pork and beef production. The commission agreed to review additional information on the drug to be submitted by China, a country that has outlawed its use. Although this is very good news for meat eaters, the U.S. delegation to Codex expressed disappointment in the commission’s decision to delay adoption of a minimum residue level for ractopamine, and urged that the review of information from …

Large quantities of expired and fake food products seized from the markets were Thursday destroyed by the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) as part of a national exercise to rid the country of such goods.
The items included beverages, tin foods, crates of schnapps, fruit juice, packets of food additives, cooking oil, baked beans, baby food, biscuits and candies, among others.
Most of the items were imported from Togo and Nigeria and because the board had for sometime waged war on aphrodisiacs, most of the dealers have-shifted their focus to trading in …

Bharatbook.com launches a new report on “Food Safety Products in China” covers information on market environment and industry structure of Food safety products in China.
Food Safety Products in China to 2013
Demand to increase 15% annually through 2013
Demand for food safety products in China is forecast to increase 15 percent per annum through 2013 to ¥13.0 billion. Growth will be driven by the continuing expansion of food and beverage output, mainly in the processed food, beverage and dairy product segments that are more intensive 
users of these products. A greater focus on …

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese consumers are now saying ‘no’ to imported food and returning to home-grown products as they fear the quality of foreign goods.
Petty merchants at markets in HCM City all say that the number of buyers of imported pork, beef and chicken has been decreasing. A chicken seller at Tan Dinh Market in HCM City said that previously she could sell 15-20 kilogrammes of imported chicken wings and legs per day, but now she sells 5-7 kilogrammes only.
 
Imports unsalable
 
Vu Thi Hien, the owner of a fresh food shop …

Australia’s largest organic body – the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) – has rejected claims by Britain’s Food Standard Agency (FSA) that organic produce has no health or nutritional benefit over conventionally produced food.
Shane Heaton, nutritionist spokesperson and researcher for the BFA, said that, despite the review finding that organic produce contains only slightly higher nutrient levels, the wider health and environmental benefits of organic over non-organic production are in no way ‘insignificant’.
“Proof of the nutritional benefits is there, which adds to the raft of other benefits of organic food …

When reading nutrition labels on packages, it becomes apparent food chemicals are added to flavor, color and preserve the foods we consume.

Since the purchase of organic foods have increased, it’s apparent quality food is important to Americans.

Which food coloring, food flavor, food chemical or food additive is safe and which food additive to avoid? Use the food additive checklist for easy shopping.

St. Louis, July 30, 2009 — Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a substance in the liver that helps process fat and glucose. That substance is a component of the common food additive lecithin, and researchers speculate it may one day be possible to use lecithin products to control blood lipids and reduce risk for diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease using treatments delivered in food rather than medication.
“Currently, doctors use drugs called fibrates to treat problems with cholesterol and triglycerides,” says the study’s co-first …

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is calling on food additive manufacturers and enforcement authorities to comment on an EU directive laying down new purity criteria.
The consultation is being launched to discuss the implementation into English law of directive 2009/10/EC, which contains specific purity criteria on food additives other than colours and sweeteners.
Financial impact
The FSA said it does not expect that any of the amendments to carry financial implications for the food companies but is seeking industry feedback to confirm this. The deadline for responses is 15 October 2009.
The amendment to …

Melvin Baker – AHN Reporter
Washington, D.C. (AHN) – The Food and Drug Administration is warning against the use of several body building products the agency says contain synthetic steroids.
The agency said Tuesday that products sold by American Cellular Laboratories, Inc., are marketed as containing “steroid-like ingredients” but actually include synthetic steroids.
“Although products containing synthetic steroids are frequently marketed as dietary supplements, they are not dietary supplements, but instead are unapproved new drugs that have not been reviewed by the FDA for safety and effectiveness,” the agency said in a statement.
Steroids …