SOUTH KOREA – From 2010, all poultry meat will be sold in packs – one of a series of new measures to improve food safety.
 
A package of measures to enhance the general level of food safety was decided on at a meeting presided over by Prime Minister, Han Seung-soo, at the government complex in central Seoul yesterday, reports Korea Times.
Among these is that all poultry meat will be marketed in packages, starting in 2010. Coastal areas will be also classified according to the level of pollution, and fish and other …

Lovers of steamed bread and buns could be putting their health and that of future generations at risk by tucking into their favorite foods.
The Centre for Food Safety said yesterday about 97 percent of 256 food samples it tested, including bread, steamed buns, confectionery and ready-to- eat jellyfish, contained aluminum. That can cause growth retardation, reproduction defects or premature births in those exposed to it over time.
CFS community medicine consultant Ho Yuk- yin played down the findings, saying most Hongkongers are safe from overexposure to aluminum. But he warned that …

FOOD ADDITIVES – preserving food by pickling with vinegar, salting bacon or adding sulfur dioxide to wine – have been used for centuries.
However, the steady rise in production and consumption of processed foods since the 1950s has greatly increased the use of additives, both natural and artificial. And legislation in Europe and the US has mushroomed as food scares and a growing body of research suggest that certain additives are dangerous, or even lethal, to consumers’ health.
Boric acid was a key precursor to food additive legislation – widely used as …

A WASHING powder used by restaurants to clean crayfish was banned by the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration yesterday.
Officials will confiscate the powder, destroy tainted crayfish and close businesses that break the rules in a two-day campaign. The administration will also investigate the source of the washing powder, which is widely used by restaurants.
Authorities said they banned the washing powder because it had no brand name, manufacturer, ingredients and instructions on the package, breaching the nation’s food safety rules.
Laboratory tests found its two major ingredients were citric acid, an acidity …

Control Yuan members yesterday called on government health officials in charge of food safety to pay attention to potentially harmful food additives following a report that suggested they are widely used.
The report, which included tests on 50 food products, was written by Control Yuan members Cheng Jen-hung (程仁宏), Yang Mei-ling (楊美鈴), Chao Chang-ping (趙昌平) and Hung Chao-nan (洪昭男). It suggested that local governments should exercise sufficient supervision over food safety.
Cheng told a press conference yesterday that 44 percent of selected dried shrimp, 77 percent of selected dried radishes and 40 …

There is an outcry in New Zealand about a plan to put a health additive in the nation’s bread.
Supermarket suppliers and bakers say they want the government to protect them from lawsuits about a new product to be put in the daily loaf.
Questions are growing about the health impact of the food additive.
The New Zealand Herald reports that in four months’ time, bakers must begin putting a synthetic form of folic acid into almost every loaf made in New Zealand.
It says the the move is going ahead despite a market …

THE PRESSURE is on for food and beverage manufacturers to cut costs as the global recession drives changes in consumer spending and behavior.
While most of 2008 saw positive demand growth for food and beverages, the volume of products being sold has slowed down, especially in the past six months, according to several food ingredient companies. Consumers are said to be reducing their discretionary spending on certain product categories.
“The types of food and beverage products consumed changed significantly in 2008 due to the economic pressures,” says Beth Warren, director of food …

THE GLOBAL market for food ingredients was estimated to be worth roughly $25bn (€18.5bn) in 2007, and is expected to reach $30bn by 2010, demonstrating a growth rate for the market of 5-6% year on year.
Globally, food ingredients is a multibillion dollar industry and is fast expanding, growing in sync with the processed food market. Innovation in the food and beverage market, especially in processed foods, has created innumerable opportunities for new product development in the ingredients market too.
Growing urbanization, changing lifestyles and the need for convenient healthy foods have …

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) on May 12 highlighted three private sector initiatives that will improve the safety and security of the nation’s food supply.
 
“The food industry is ultimately responsible for the safety of its products,” said Pamela G. Bailey, GMA president and CEO. “We take that responsibility very seriously and want our consumers and policymakers to know that we are vigilant when it comes to product safety and consumer protection. We are stepping up to the plate, taking responsibility and developing innovative reforms to improve the safety of our …

The Federal Government is being urged to speed up the decision making process on approvals for food additives and health claims for food products.
The group Food & Consumer Products of Canada has released a report saying it’s concerned about its ability to bring new products to market.
President and CEO Nancy Croitoru says the group is looking for “smarter regulation so that we can really provide Canadians with the healthy products that are now available out there.”
The food industry blames an out-of-date regime for making it difficult to keep pace with …