China's Xinhua news agency today reported that Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III has approved a law that aims to protect consumers from trade malpractices and substandard or hazardous food products. Although President Aquino signed the bill — Republic Act No. 10611, to be known as the Food Safety Act of 2013 — into law on August 23, the presidential palace just informed the media on September 3.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service today reaffirmed the equivalence of the food safety inspection system for processed poultry in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which was originally established in 2006. This will enable the PRC to certify plants to export processed poultry product to the United States.
Science has revealed what ancient kings and sultans never knew: instead of improving health, spices sometimes make people very sick, so Indian government officials are quietly pushing some of the most far-reaching changes ever in the way farmers here pick, dry and thresh their rich bounty. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will soon release a comprehensive analysis that pinpoints imported spices, found in just about every kitchen in the Western world, as a surprisingly potent source of salmonella poisoning.
Merck Animal Health this month suspended U.S. sales of its beta-agonist Zilmax, after Tyson Foods and other large meat processors announced they would stop buying cattle treated with the drug, due to animal health concerns. Feedlot operators, who have long been adding Zilmax to feed to help cattle gain weight shortly before slaughter, are concerned and dismayed by the move, but some consumer advocates hope it is the start of a trend.
3M Food Safety announced on August 28 that its 3M Molecular Detection System has won a bronze Stevie® award in the 2013 International Business Awards. The system, awarded under the category of Best New Product or Service of the Year – Health & Pharmaceuticals, was recognized for being a simple, accurate and cost-effective pathogen detection solution that benefits food processors, universities, governments, and contract testing laboratories.
More central Ohioans who are heading out to eat at a restaurant, food truck, festival or fair — or to shop at a supermarket — can now go online to check the latest food-safety inspections. This month, the Delaware General Health District became the latest local public-health entity in the region to post its inspections on its website, joining health departments in Columbus and in Franklin and Union counties.
Thermo Scientific announced August 26 that its SureTect Listeria species Assay has received Performance Tested Methods status from the AOAC Research Institute. Food microbiology laboratories can now confidently test to a recognized standard for Listeria species.
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) today announced that a Retail/Wholesale Technical Working Group has been formed to review the role of retailers and wholesalers in the food supply chain. The group will subsequently draft key requirements for inclusion in the GFSI Guidance Document, so that existing food safety management schemes that cover this scope can be benchmarked against them.
The American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) today announced that it has forged material deposit agreements with more than 30 leading public and private institutions to facilitate the creation of a new Biomaterial Contributor Network (BCN).
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced yesterday that an individual in Texas was found to be infected with the same strain of Listeria monocytogenes that has sickened five other people in the Midwest over the past few months. All six individuals reported being hospitalized; one of them died and another, who was pregnant, miscarried as a result of her illness.
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