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 …

SHANGHAI –
– Two-day expo and conference is jointly hosted by major Shanghai government ministries and features speakers from leading Chinese and Asia/Pac carriers as well as top analysts from Pyramid Research and Heavy Reading
TelcoTV Asia 2009 (www.telcotvasia.com), which extends Light Reading’s leading TelcoTV event brand for the first time into China, will be launched this October in Shanghai.
The event, jointly hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film & Television (SCRFT) and the Shanghai Economy & Information Technology Commission (SHEITC), will be convened on October 13 and 14, …

With more than 600 chemical compounds potentially occurring in wine, there are some complex reactions vintners just can’t control.
A little sniff of something that seems odd to you can mean big things have gone wrong in the wine. Your nose is your first line of defence in detecting wine flaws and, worse, wine faults.
Little departures from normal are flaws, which sometimes can actually add to a wine’s complexity. But big things are faults, and can lead to rejection by amateur tasters and wine judges alike.
Often folks notice something is off …

It is located in the China General Administration of Quality Supervision WTO / SPS National Advisory Center for news briefing: South Korea issued a circular recently, Korea Food and Drug Administration has set standards on Food Additives Amendment Bill. Products related to food additives, amendments include: equipment for interim approval as a disinfectant peracetic acid hydrogen peroxide product and norm-setting products; will detect the use of spore suspension into the test list disinfection. The draft amendment is to seek comments.

Today’s food products are typically chockfull of additives and preservatives: the latter additions are often used to keep the food fresh for longer periods of time. Yet, additives and preservatives are not necessarily healthy for the individuals that consume them on a regular basis. Additives are often put into processed foods in order to add specific nutrients, vitamins and minerals, or fend off food spoilage, or to improve upon the look, feel, smell, and taste of a particular food. Some additives are merely additional colorings and dyes which might not …