Africa's No.1 Food Safety, Quality & Compliance Magazine
U.S – A California bill that could outlaw products containing certain additives is drawing retaliation from industry stakeholders who have argued that the additives in contention are “safe”. Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, who represents part of Los Angeles, filed AB418 in February to limit the use of five popular food additives that have been linked to cancer, DNA damage, and organ…
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BURKINA FASO – Burkina Faso’s Council of Ministers has passed a regulatory Act that will allow the country to import biopesticides as a means of tackling the fruit fly menace. The mango makes up over 50% of the fruits produced in Burkina Faso. The sector has numerous challenges, the most significant of which is the fruit fly, as in the…
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INDIA – Tests conducted by the Indian authorities have found that 35% of the milk samples tested are non-compliant with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI’s) requirements. According to data provided by the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industry, 3,399 milk samples out of a total of 9,717 that were examined by the relevant authorities in 2020–21…
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U.S – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to regulate several different forms of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as contaminants, setting new maximum levels for six PFAS in drinking water, according to a pre-publication draft of a final rule. In March 2021, EPA issued a determination to regulate perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) as contaminants…
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UK – In order to improve the detection and tracking of foodborne human pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), from farm to fork, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched the Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food, and Environment (PATH-SAFE) program. This £19.2 million (US$23.3 million) research program aims to create a national surveillance network using sequencing technology and environmental sampling.…
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EUROPE – As part of its “Europe’s Fighting Cancer Strategy,” which aims to reduce or eliminate the carcinogenic risk from chemicals in food in EU member states, the European Union (EU) has established new limitations on the amount of arsenic permissible in some food items, including infant formula. The new regulations, which are based on a scientific report from the…
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U.S – The Acheson Group (TAG), a food safety consultancy firm, has received a BRCGS Standard license designating it as an Accredited Training Enterprise (ATE). BRCGS Approved Training Partners (ATPs) are internationally-recognized trainers who train auditors, sites, consultants, and retailers in BRCGS’ Global Standards requirements and protocol. TAG has previously offered training on the standards and protocol of the BRCGS…
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RWANDA – Rwanda has banned the sale of meat that has not been refrigerated for at least 24 hours before sale in order to combat the transmission of zoonotic and transmissible diseases, in accordance with an earlier legislation issued in May 2022 to regulate meat enterprises. The Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA), the nation’s basic consumer rights…
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KENYA – Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), in a circular to horticulture exporters, wants all exporters to submit a list of their horticultural produce marketing agents on or before March 16, for scrutiny to try to sieve unlicensed exporters. The government agency advised farmers from avocado growing zones in the country to start harvesting their fruits for export from March…
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SWITZERLAND – The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted with concern that the global average daily salt intake is more than double its recommended levels, placing the world off-course to meeting its 2025 goal of a 30% reduction in sodium intake. As a result, it has urged Member States to swiftly implement rules to reduce sodium intake and lessen the…
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