South African Bureau of Standards gets new Board after four-year absentia

SOUTH AFRICA – After four years of functioning without a permanent Board or a full-time Chief Executive Officer, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Competition has named eight individuals to the board of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) for a five-year term. Ebrahim Patel, the Minister of Trade and Industry, claims that despite having been in operation for…

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Uganda’s animal feeds industry watchdog seeks to regulate sector to up quality

UGANDA – Uganda Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (UGAFMA), the umbrella organization for animal feed producers, has begun a campaign to rid the industry of quacks by requiring all dealers to adhere to certain standards. Members of UGAFMA met with representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture and Trade to discuss enforcing standards in their industry earlier in the week. “As players…

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Food Standards Scotland appoints four new Board members

SCOTLAND – The Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has appointed four new Board members who will support the organization’s efforts to safeguard consumers from food safety hazards and encourage a healthy diet. The new Board members, Mrs. Christina Bichan, Dr. Paula Charlesworth, Mr. Phillip Couser, and Miss Kate Richards, were all chosen by Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Public Health, Women’s…

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Ireland records ongoing adherence to permitted residues in food

IRELAND – The National Residue Control Plan (NRCP) tests conducted in 2021 by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) have revealed that 99.89% of the food samples taken were compliant and contained no indications of permitted or banned pollutants. The NRCP involves testing for banned substances, approved veterinary medicines, approved animal feed additives, and environmental contaminants. Over…

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EFSA GMO panel declares herbicide-tolerant maize MON 87429 safe

EUROPE – The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) GMO Panel has declared herbicide-tolerant maize MON 87429 safe for import, processing, and food and feed uses within the European Union (EU). On 2 October 2019, Bayer Agriculture submitted the EFSA-GMO-NL-2019-161 application under Regulation (EU) No 503/2013, requesting that the EFSA GMO Panel provide a Scientific Opinion on the safety of GM…

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FDA works to prevent Cronobacter infections associated with consumption of powdered infant formula

U.S. – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed a prevention plan to stop the diseases caused by Cronobacter sakazakii linked to the intake of powdered infant formula. The FDA received reports between September 2021 and February 2022 regarding four instances of infants who consumed powdered infant formula becoming ill or dying. They started an onsite inspection at the…

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McDonald’s accused of purging its own norms, condoning antibiotic-raised cattle in processing products

U.S – The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has published a report purporting that conventional beef producers are selling antibiotic-raised cattle to McDonald’s and other fast food outlets in the U.S. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) arises when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and cease to respond to medications, making illnesses more difficult…

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