Potassium Sorbate is a naturally occurring potassium salt that is used extensively in food preservation. When potassium sorbate is dissolved in water, it ionizes to form sorbic acid, which is effective against numerous micro-organisms such as molds, yeasts and bacteria. It is widely used in preserving margarine, yogurt, pie fillings, icings, baking mixes, cheeses, icings, salted fish, fruit products and other foods that come in packages. Potassium sorbate has been cleared for use and approved as a food preservative by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You can easily make your own potassium sorbate preservative to use at home.

Step 1
Pour 3 cups of water into a clean bowl. Measure 1 cup of potassium sorbate (crystals, granules or powder) and add it to the water. You can purchase potassium sorbate at any large chain health food store.

Step 2
Stir the mixture for about 10 minutes or until the potassium sorbate has been dissolved. Transfer the mixture into a clean container or jar and store it at room temperature. You now have 25 percent potassium sorbate solution, which you can use to preserve your foods.

Step 3
Add 1 tbsp. of the potassium sorbate to each 1 quart of food you want to preserve. Make sure you stir it into the food thoroughly before storing the food.

source from:www.livestrong.com

The French Pavilion will not only showcase a profusion of products but will put them in action with cooking classes organized by L’atelier des Chefs and SEB Group, offering to the visitors an opportunity to taste and enjoy the French products in many healthy and flavorful ways. The exhibitors’ products will be used to cook both French and local recipes, demonstrating how they can be easily prepared and revealing how perfectly suited they are for international and oriental cuisine.

Furthermore, for the 3rd year in a row, the French Poultry Board will be a sponsor of the Dubai International Food Safety conference. With this gold sponsorship, the French Poultry industry proves its commitment to current food safety and production issues and its will to enhance safety of the food supply chain. This year, a French lecturer will also give a speech at this conference. Dr Gilles SALVAT, Head of the French Food Safety Agency Research Laboratory on Poultry and Fish, will share his expertise on sanitary risk management on the 23rd of February.
 
“We are very proud to present such an array of French specialties and qualitative products at this new edition of Gulfood” commented Eric SANTIER, Managing Director for Sopexa Middle East. ”France, as the World’s no. 1 exporter of processed food products and Europe’s leading producer of farm and agri-food products, is targeting the Middle East Market as an opportunity for future growth, with this year more than 60 exhibitors on the French Pavilions in the Sheik Maktoum and Sheik Saeed Halls. The French presence at Gulfood is ever growing, reflecting the abundance of high-quality and tasty products France has to offer. At a crossroads of cultural and climatic influences, France has an incredible diversity of landscapes and vegetations that are all reflected in the diversity of its food products “added SANTIER.
 

Historically French exports to the Middle East were essentially made up of poultry, dairy products and apples. Today however, the offering has become much wider, with also significant exports of sweets, delicatessen products, mineral water and other beverages.
France is the 5th food provider of the Middle East and the 2nd European one, with a total of € 779 million. Between 2004 and 2008, French exports have increased by more than 30 %.
The two main markets in the region for French products are KSA and the UAE, who together represent 50% of this turnover. They have respectively imported for €173 million and €123 million worth over the first 11 months of 2009, according to French customs’ official data.
Sources: Sopexa Group, French Customs.

© 2010 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

DUBAI // With tragedies behind and challenges ahead, the time is ripe for the new federal food law, and it will be in force by the end of the year, authorities said yesterday.

Four children aged eight or younger died from food poisoning in Dubai last year.

Even as the country’s emirate-by-emirate food regulations are brought under a single federal umbrella, Rashid bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment and Water, identified looming new risks to the food supply.

“Despite the development and advancement in food technology and manufacturing, we still face many challenges with regards to food safety, especially food-borne illnesses,” Mr bin Fahad said at the Dubai International Food Safety Conference.

“This is because of the change in consumer trends and difference in food regulations between different countries, as well as poor hygienic practices and abusing the use of pesticides, veterinary drugs, food additives and growth hormones.”

The new legislation, he said, would lead to better prevention of food-poisoning and more hygienic standards and practices.

He said Dubai Municipality would co-ordinate with health authorities and civic bodies from other emirates to draw up a unified action plan.
This plan will involve the training of hotel, restaurant and cafeteria staff on safe food practices as well as continued inspections of food outlets and penalising offenders.

“We hope to have the new food law in place by end of the year,” said Mr bin Fahad.

“We have already started the process and the committee responsible to form the law has already finished the first draft.”

At present, the municipal authority of each emirate has its own food-safety regulations.

The new legislation will apply to food producers, distributors and retailers, including restaurants and supermarkets.

The opening ceremony of the three-day food-safety conference yesterday came with an assurance by Mr bin Fahad that a consolidated, national approach would improve efforts to guarantee a safe food supply.

“Before, we have a lot of procedures and regulations but not unified under one law,” he said.

The World Health Organisation lists more than 250 food-borne diseases which are contracted by more than 30 per cent of the world’s population every year.

It estimates that 2.2 million people die annually from food-borne diseases.

Hussain Lootah, the director general of Dubai Municipality, said: “This conference comes at a time when the concept of producing one dish of food from one country is diminishing, as the component of one food could be produced in more than 10 different countries.

“This has put tremendous pressure on the food-control authorities around the world to ensure the safety of foods for the public.”

pmenon@thenational.ae

It is reported that the two governments reached an understanding on the agreement in October 2009, during a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

The report states the purpose of the agreement is to reassure Japanese consumers following the “Poisonous Dumplings Incident” in 2008 when ten Japanese suffered from food poisoning as a result of eating dumplings made in China. Under the agreement, Japanese representatives can enter Chinese food factories to check on the quality of food products, including food additives, food packaging and containers, and on baby toys.

In addition, the agreement says that each party shall notify the other party when problems occur with food and, when necessary, provide the other party with information such as original place of manufacture and manufacturer, and distributer of the products. Besides, a regular ministerial meeting will be held by the two parties every year to make detailed food safety plans and to explore ways of solving food safety problems.

In early 2008, ten Japanese citizens got food poisoning after eating dumplings made in China. Although so far there is no evidence showing that the food poisoning was caused by the Chinese dumpling products, the image of made-in-China products was greatly damaged in Japan and even triggered political disputes between the two countries.

The Comments observe that FDA’s stated purpose in issuing the draft guidance is the concern over “an increase in the marketing of beverages as dietary supplements” and the purported “growth in the marketplace of beverages and other conventional foods that contain novel ingredients, such as added botanical ingredients or their extracts.” The FDA does not, however, actually address ingredient safety issues in its draft guidance. Rather, according to Steven Shapiro, a partner at the firm, “the guidance serves as an attempt by the FDA to announce a substantive change in the Agency’s statutory and regulatory policy toward how the agency distinguishes dietary supplements from conventional foods and beverages. For the first time, in contradiction to 15 years of policy and public statements, the FDA is announcing that a product’s physical form and packaging, together with the volume of liquid consumed will now be determinative factors in whether a product will be regulated as a dietary supplement of a conventional beverage.”

In adding new determinative factors, the firm argues, it is FDA’s obvious intent to regulate more products as conventional beverages instead of dietary supplements. Thus, the ingredients in such products would be subject to “food additive” status and a safety standard, which the FDA must perceive as less onerous that the “significant or unreasonable” safety standard that applies to dietary supplement ingredients.

The comments further note that If FDA intends to use packaging or form of a product as determinative of its status as a dietary supplement or conventional food, then FDA can extend its analysis right down the slippery slope to such things as “bar” dietary supplements that are packaged similarly to candy bars, powder dietary supplements that are packaged similarly to breakfast drinks or “gummy” vitamins that look like candy. There is a reason that packaging has not been a factor in making this determination and FDA should not finalize a guidance that would make it a determinative factor now.

According to Steve Shapiro, “I find this reminiscent of the Traco and Oakmont Black currant oil cases of the 1980’s, which lead to the enactment of DSHEA in the first place. Here, as in those cases, rather than addressing a perceived ingredient issue “head on”, the agency is attempting to manipulate the classification of products under the Food and Drug Act so as to be able to use the pre-approval provisions applicable to “food additives”, instead of the provisions actually applicable under the Act. This seems to be yet another attempt by the agency to circumvent DSHEA as opposed to actually implementing and enforcing DSHEA.”

source from:www.npicenter.com

The FY 2011 request, which covers the period of Oct.1, 2010, through Sept. 30, 2011, includes increases of $146 million in budget authority and $601 million in industry user fees.

“The FY 2011 resources will strengthen our ability to act as a strong and smart regulator, protecting Americans through every stage of life, many times each day,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “This budget supports the ability for patients and families to realize the benefits of science that are yielding revolutionary advances in the life and biomedical sciences.”

The budget request reflects the FDA’s resolve to transform food safety practices, improve medical product safety, protect patients and modernize FDA regulatory science to advance public health. Funding in the FY 2011 request also supports new regulatory authority to regulate cigarettes and other tobacco products received in June 2009.

The proposed budget includes support for the FDA’s investment in addressing the challenges of the 21st century. The FDA envisions a transformed U.S. food safety system that focuses on prevention, increased efforts to address medical product safety challenges and a focus on modernizing regulatory science at the FDA.

These four initiatives are the major highlights for the FY2011 budget increases.

* Transforming Food Safety (+ $318.3 million)                                                      
The Transforming Food Safety Initiative reflects President Obama’s vision of a new food safety system to protect the American public. The FDA will set standards for safety, expand laboratory capacity, pilot track and trace technology, strengthen its import safety program, improve data collection and risk analysis and begin to establish an integrated national food safety system with strengthened inspection and response capacity.

* Protecting Patients (+ $100.8 million)
The Protecting Patients Initiative advances the Obama Administration’s priorities for safe, quality health care for all Americans. The resources in this initiative will support the safety of drugs, devices, and vaccines, as well as the Nation’s blood supply. The FY 2011 resources will also strengthen the FDA’s ability to act as a strong and smart regulator to address medical product safety challenges in the years ahead.

* Advancing Regulatory Science (+ $25.0 million)
Advancing Regulatory Science builds on President Obama’s commitment to harness the power of science for America’s benefit. During the past two decades, extraordinary investments have led to revolutionary advances in the life and biomedical sciences. Many key discoveries, however, have yet to translate into real therapies for patients. The FY 2011 budget will allow the FDA to begin to strengthen its core scientific capacity. This investment will allow the  FDA to identify improved pathways to product development and approval for new technologies that offer promising new opportunities to diagnose, treat, cure and prevent disease.

* Tobacco (+ $215.0 million)
An increase in tobacco user fees will allow the FDA to continue to implement the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Preventing youth from using tobacco and helping Americans quit, promoting public understanding of the harmful constituents of tobacco products, developing the foundation of science for regulating tobacco, and regulating tobacco to reduce the toll of tobacco-related disease, disability and mortality are tobacco program priorities for FY 2011.

Source:Food Ingredients First

Honey Mead
** 15 lbs of honey in 5 gallon batch makes good sweet but 20 lbs of honey is like cotton candy. I like to use the pasteurized processed clover honey from Sam’s Wholesale club or Wal-Mart. I’ve tried different honey with varying result. The honey makes a dramatic difference in the body and flavor of your mead. Pasteurized and processed honey negates the need for campden tablets as long as you’re not putting in anything else that may be contaminated with bacteria. Use good filtered water too. It really makes a difference. I use a Britta filter.

INGREDIENTS for each gallon of mead to be made:

2 1/2 to 3 lbs. (about 26 – 32 fl. oz.)unprocessed honey (dry to semi-sweet)
Water to one gallon (Specific Gravity – 1.085 – 1.105)
1 tsp. Super Ferment (or 2 tsp. regular “nutrient”)
2 tsp. acid blend (or 3/4 tsp. tartaric acid & 1 1/4 tsp. malic acid)
1 tsp grape tannin
1 campden tablet* (crushed- or substitute 1/8 tsp. sodium metabisulfite)
1-2 pkgs. wine (e.g. Premier Cuvee, Champagne, Cote des Blancs, Sherry) or mead yeast

PROCEDURE:

1. Mix all the ingredients EXCEPT the yeast and the campden tablet. Stir the must until the honey and additives are completely dissolved. Cover the pail to keep out dust and air with the large plastic sheet.

2. Crush and dissolve the campden tablet in 1 oz. of warm water. Add this to the must and stir well. Cover the pail again and tie down the plastic sheet. Let the must stand for one day, stirring several times.

*ALTERNATIVE: Heat honey with an equal volume of water to 180°F and let stand for 15 minutes to pasteurize. (DO NOT BOIL!) Cool and add remainder of water before proceeding to next step.

3. Rehydrate the dried yeast by sprinkling it into 1/2 cup lukewarm (95 – 100° F) water in a sanitized jar and cover for 20 minutes. (If using “Mead” yeast, prepare a starter 48 hours prior to using.) Add the yeast “slurry “/starter to mixture. Re-cover the primary fermenter and allow fermentation to proceed for 30-40 days or until foaming subsides.

4. Syphon the mead into a sterile glass jug. Avoid the transfer of sediment and aeration as much as possible. Be sure the mead completely fills the jug – into the neck. Attach a fermentation lock and allow the fermentation to go to completion (.995 – 1.020 S.G.).

5. One week after fermentation has ceased, syphon the mead into another sterile glass jug. Again, avoid the transfer of sediment and aeration. Crush, dissolve and add 1/2 campden tablet per gallon to the mead. Allow the mead to stand for one month in a cool dark place and repeat “racking” process. If at the end of three months, the mead is clear – bottle it. If it is not clear, repeat this step every month until it is clear and then bottle it. The mead may be sweetened to taste with additional honey, if desired, after stabilization (1/2 tsp. potassium sorbate & 1/2 campden tablet per gallon).

Note: All equipment should be well washed and sterilized with a solution of sodium metabisulphite. Fermentation temperatures should be no lower than 60 degrees F. or higher than 80 degrees F.

For an interesting variation, try adding a 6 oz. can frozen juice (e.g. orange, apple, cranberry) and cut back on the acid blend by 1 tsp.

Ratio for different meads – (parts by volume honey: parts by volume water)

DRY: 1:4 (2 1/2 lbs. honey per gallon)
SEMI-DRY: 1:3 (3 lbs. honey per gallon)
SWEET: 1:2.5 (4 lbs. honey per gallon)

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR MAKING MEAD

Large Plastic pail or earthenware crock (primary fermenter)
One gallon glass jug (secondary fermenter)
Fermentation lock & drilled rubber stopper
Syphon tubing
5 ” Fifth” wine bottles and corks per gallon
Large plastic sheet

source from:justhomebrewtips.com

Because of recent instances of excessive preservatives being detected in samples of dried fruits and pickled vegetables, the Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) decided to take a closer look.

The CFS decided to include preservatives for fruits and vegetables in its “targeted food surveillance program.”  It’s objective was to assess just how the preservatives are being used.

It analyzed 371 samples of pickled vegetables, including cucumbers, radish, leaf mustard, rakkyo, ginger, and chilies; and dried fruit, including dried mango, dried pineapple, dried raisin, apricots, plums, blueberries, and olives.

Preservatives were detected at levels exceeding Hong Kong’s legal limits in just 3.6 percent of the samples.  Eight samples of preserved vegetables were found to have higher than allowed limits of sulphur dioxide and benzoic acid, and six samples of preserved fruit had higher than allowed levels of sulphur dioxide and sorbic acid.

Overall, the CFS found that 96.2 percent of the samples were within acceptable ranges for the preservatives.  The fact that the preservatives tested are relatively low in toxicity means the samples that did test at higher levels probably do not pose a health problem, CFS reported.

Still, it warned food manufacturers to source food and ingredients only from reliable sources, adhere to good manufacturing practices, and to remember violating regulations on the use of preservatives can result in a $50,000 fine and six months in jail.

CFS is tracing the source of the food items that tested high, and will impose “stop sale” orders on those vendors.  It will also do follow up sampling and issue warning letters to the vendors involved.  It’s possible prosecution action could follow.

Hong Kong consumers were advised to only buy food from “reliable suppliers” and to maintain balanced diets to minimize risk.  Normal consumption of fruits and vegetables should not pose a significant health risk because toxicity levels overall are relatively low.

source from:www.foodsafetynews.com

It was the third time in a month that Chinese authorities had announced problems related to melamine, suggesting that producers are still making and selling tainted food ingredients despite outrage over the 2008 scandal and what the government heralded as a crackdown.

The former head of the Guangdong Provincial Dairy Association, Wang Dingmian, confirmed the recalls in a telephone conversation. Mr. Wang, who has often taken on the role of spokesman for dairy companies in southern China, refused to provide further details.

The latest case took place in Guizhou, a province in the south of China’s interior. The provincial newspaper Guiyang Daily reported that food companies from Hebei, Liaoning and Shandong Provinces and the city of Shanghai had produced the tainted products in March and April 2009. The companies’ officials were reported to have said that the melamine was in milk powder they bought elsewhere to use as an ingredient.

The state-run newspaper China Daily reported Monday that the three companies were banned from selling products in Guizhou.

Melamine is commonly used in plastics and fertilizer, among other products. Its high nitrogen content can make foods appear to be protein-rich in standard nutrition tests. When eaten, however, the chemical can cause kidney stones and kidney failure, especially in infants and toddlers.

At least six children died and 300,000 were sickened in 2008 before investigators discovered that 22 major food companies were selling products laced with melamine to make them appear more nutritious. The revelation set off worldwide recalls of Chinese products, from dairy goods to dog food, and bankrupted China’s biggest dairy company, Sanlu. In November, China executed two people in connection with the scandal.

In interviews this month with Chinese news outlets involving an earlier recall, Mr. Wang was quoted as saying that officials had failed to monitor a large batch of melamine-tainted products left on the market after the 2008 scandal, and that the lapse had been kept quiet “to safeguard the good image of the dairy industry.”

Shanghai government officials said last month that they had closed one firm, Shanghai Panda Dairy Company, and arrested three of its executives after some batches of products made in 2008 were found to contain melamine. Journalists later reported that government officials had learned of the contamination in December 2008, but took no action.

Late last month, officials in Shaanxi Province arrested three dairy executives after discovering that 200 bags of their company’s milk powder were laced with melamine.

source from:www.nytimes.com

Kemin Industries makes vitamins and food additives at plants in Belgium, Brazil, China, India, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and the United States.  Chris Nelson, Kemin’s C.E.O., says it costs nearly three times as much to hire a scientist to work in Des Moines, but the state’s research activites tax credit helps offset that.

“So that regardless that we pay a much higher salary to somebody here in Iowa we can still be very competitive with what’s happening in a research lab outside of Shanghai or one outside of Deli, India,” Nelson says. “And that, I think, is truly one of the core issues the legislature has to come to grips with as they look at this issue.”

Nelson estimates for every dollar Kemin receives from the state tax credit, they spend five to ten dollars on an employee’s salary. 

“We think it’s a very, very good investment, overall, for the state,” Nelson says.

But others are calling for the research activities tax credit to be scaled back.  Peter Fisher, an economist with the Iowa Policy Project, says it’s shifting money away from schools and universities.

“When we’re in a recession, we do need to make certain we’re not cutting our nose to spite our face, that we’re not underfunding governmental functions that are going to be the lifeblood of this economy in this state and an educated workforce is probably number one,” Fisher says.

Fisher and Nelson made their comments Monday on the Iowa Public Radio program “The Exchange.”

source from :www.radioiowa.com