Food Safety - FLEXNEWS

New Scientific Studies Establish the Safety of Rebiana, a Sweetener from the Stevia Plant Atlanta and Wayzata, Minnesota, May 15 - Research published electronically today in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Food and Chemical Toxicology clearly establishes the safety of rebiana (common or usual name for high-purity Rebaudioside A from stevia) for general use to sweeten foods and beverages, according to experts at Cargill and The Coca-Cola Company.

15/05/2008

EU Import Restrictions on Indian Guar Gum Come into Force 15 May, 2008 – Tough new rules imposed by the European Commission on Indian guar gum imports have come into force after a dioxin contamination incident last year. Guar gum is used as an additive in a range of foods.

15/05/2008

FDA Defends Safety of Baby Bottle Chemical Washington, May 14 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday said it sees no reason to tell consumers to stop using products such as baby bottles made with a controversial chemical found in many plastic items.

15/05/2008

Nestle Recalls Some Nutrition Build-up Original May 12 - Nestle has recalled, as a precautionary measure, one batch of its own-brand Nutrition Build-up Original (400g) because it may contain small pieces of thin plastic. The Agency has issued a Food Alert for Information.

13/05/2008

FSA: Sunflower Oil from Ukraine May 9 - The Food Standards Agency has today written to organisations representing suppliers and importers of cooking oils, to alert them to the presence in the UK of sunflower oil containing significant levels of mineral oil. The sunflower oil originated in Ukraine.

09/05/2008

Pringles, Fanta, Nestlé Products Blacklisted by Chinese Authorities on Safety Grounds 9 May 2008 – China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) has blacklisted products from companies including Coca-Cola, P&G and Nestlé after tests found that 593 food items imported into China in January and February were unfit for human consumption, according to media reports.

09/05/2008

Greece on Alert Over Tainted Ukrainian Sunflower Oil (DJ) Athens, May 9 - Greek food inspectors this week ordered the recall or seizure of over 2,000 metric tons of imported Ukrainian sunflower oil found to be tainted with mineral oil.

09/05/2008

Dutch Study Unlocks Key to Firm Tomatoes London, May 9 - Dutch scientists said on Friday they have identified a key gene that protects tomatoes against a common fungus that causes the plants to wilt.

09/05/2008

TB Strain May Be Linked to Unpasteurized Dairy

07/05/2008

Can Commission Back Out of GMO Impasse? Brussels, 5 May 2008 - The credibility of the European Commission will be seriously undermined if it is unable to respond to intense pressure to reform EU GMO policy at a long-awaited internal debate on Wednesday 7 May, warned Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth Europe today.

05/05/2008

Sainsbury's Recalls Chocolate and Toffee Crisp Bites May 2 - Sainsbury's has recalled some if its own-brand Chocolate and Toffee Crisp Bites because they might be contaminated with glass. The Agency has issued a Food Alert for Information.

05/05/2008

UK: Asda Recalls Flapjacks May 2 - Asda has recalled some own-brand Flapjack Mini Bites because they might contain glass fragments. The Agency has issued a Food Alert for Information.

05/05/2008

Malaysia to Spend $788 Mln on Food Security in 2008 Kuala Lumpur, May 2 - Malaysia has set aside 2.5 billion ringgit ($788 million) for food security in 2008, Agriculture Minister Mustapa Mohamed was quoted as saying by state new agency Bernama on Friday.

02/05/2008

China: Food Exports to Japan Fall After Dumpling Poisoning Case (DJ) Beijing, May 2 - China's food exports to Japan, a key market, plunged 30% in February, hurt by a scare over poisoned Chinese-made dumplings, according to data reported Friday.

02/05/2008

EFSA Completed Consideration of 120 Dossiers Relating to Nutrient Sources in Food Supplements 28 April 2008 - EFSA has completed its consideration of 120 dossiers relating to nutrient sources in food supplements which were found not to be adequate for scientific assessment.

02/05/2008

UK Food Safety Chiefs Calm Fears over Arsenic Levels in Baby Rice and Rice Milk 30 April, 2008 - The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has moved to reassure consumers following recent reports over the level of arsenic in baby rice and rice milk.

30/04/2008

Italy Quarantines 102 Buffalo Farms Over Dioxin Fears (DJ) Rome, Apr. 29 - Authorities have quarantined 102 buffalo farms in the Naples region fearing potential dioxin contamination, the Italian government said Tuesday.

30/04/2008

Florida Citrus Industry Gets $2 Mln for Pest, Disease Research (DJ) 29 April 2008 - Florida's $9 billion a year citrus industry is scheduled to receive $2 million from the state's 2008-09 budget to help fund pest and disease research, officials said Tuesday.

30/04/2008

Japan Discovers more Toxic Chinese Dumplings 29 April, 2008 – Authorities in Japan have found further Chinese dumplings contaminated with pesticides, sources report.

29/04/2008

EU Says Little Health Risk from Tainted Ukraine Sunoil Brussels, April 28 - Four EU countries are removing contaminated Ukrainian sunflower oil from shop shelves even though it doesn't pose a serious risk to human health, the European Commission said on Monday.

28/04/2008