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 …

Yan Weixing, the deputy director of nutrition and food safety for the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has disclosed to local media that the Guangzhou-based Wanglaoji Pharmaceutical Company has used herbal medicines that have not been approved by the Ministry of Health for its beverage products.
Earlier, China media reported that a consumer from Hangzhou got ulcer of stomach after drinking Wanglaoji Cool Tea and the doctor’s diagnosis showed that the patient had a stomach cold, which might have some affiliations with the herbal medicine in the Cool Tea.
Yan …

Su Zhi, the deputy director of the Bureau of Food Safety Coordination and Health Supervision of China’s Ministry of Health, has disclosed to local media that China will initiate a two-year campaign on food safety and food additives.
Su said that the food safety situation in China is not optimistic. It is unbalanced and there are many weak points that have not been covered by the government’s campaign.
Su stated that much work needs to be done to solve these problems. First, local governments at various levels shall be asked to be …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, just entered a consent decree in which about $1.3 million worth of dietary supplements have been condemned and forfeited to the United States for destruction.
“The court order is the result of efforts by the federal government to protect consumers from products for which there is inadequate information to assure that they do not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury,” said Michael Chappell, FDA’s acting associate …

TORONTO — Canada’s food industry says it’s concerned about its ability to bring new products to market and blames an out-of-date regulatory regime for making it difficult to keep pace with what’s occurring in other countries.
The industry group Food & Consumer Products of Canada released a report Wednesday calling on the federal government to speed up the decision-making process on approvals for food additives and health claims for food products.
“We’re not looking here at all for less regulation,” said Nancy Croitoru, president and CEO of the trade association representing companies …