Africa's No.1 Food Safety, Quality & Compliance Magazine
U.S – A recent study led by Tulane University shed light on the presence of toxic metals in commonly consumed beverages, raising concerns as some levels exceeded federal drinking water standards. The study aimed to address knowledge gaps surrounding the contents of beverages in the United States, as limited peer-reviewed research has been conducted in this area. The comprehensive analysis…
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U.S – According to a recent study by experts at the University of California, Davis, close to 70% of private-label avocado oil items on retail shelves are either contaminated with other oils or have gone rancid. 36 private label avocado oil products were evaluated for quality and purity in the study, which was published in the journal Food Control. The…
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THAILAND – Thailand researchers have developed an antimicrobial coating infused with cannabidiol—a non-hallucinogenic compound from cannabis known as CBD—and sodium alginate to extend the shelf life of berries. Berries are commonly stored and transported by refrigeration in controlled atmospheres to protect shelf life for long periods of storage. They generally last anywhere from 3 to 7 seven days once they…
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GLOBAL – Gen Z and younger Millennials are ‘breaking the norm’ when it comes to sweetener preferences among different generations, a new study by taste and nutrition company Kerry has revealed. According to the study, younger consumers are placing greater importance on sugar in food and drinks, with 36% of these consumers skeptical of ingredients used to replace sugar in…
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SINGAPORE – Researchers from the National Center for Food Science of the Singapore Food Agency and the National University of Singapore have created a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the detection of viable Salmonella Enteritidis contamination in shell eggs that, if integrated, would speed up the current Salmonella testing procedure. When verifying the identity of S. enteritidis isolates…
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U.S – The University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center’s researchers have figured out how Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a foodborne infection, spreads to humans after they consume raw or undercooked seafood, a development that could result in improved methods for treating diseases brought on by intestinal bacteria. The work offers a new perspective on how enteric bacteria, when exposed to bile…
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U.S – The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently financed a study that assessed the cost of foodborne diseases associated with flour and flour-based food products in the United States from 2001 to 2021 to be as high as U.S$258 million. The study, which was carried out by experts at Ohio State…
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GLOBAL – A new research by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has revealed that contaminated food products of land animal origin contribute to a third of the global foodborne disease burden. The report examined the impact of foods derived from terrestrial animals on human health, including pertinent food safety issues. It was created in response…
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CANADA – Researchers in Canada have created a colorimetric sensor they claim can “rapidly” identify Salmonella-contaminated food using a nucleic acid probe. The gadget is an “easy-to-use” colorimetric assay, according to the scientists, that is based on a novel nucleic acid probe that has been cleaved by an RNase enzyme unique to the Salmonella species. The researchers from McMaster University…
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SWEDEN – Researchers at Livsmedelsverket, or the Swedish Food Agency in English, have created a new system for evaluating and categorizing Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains according to the potential public health impact. The goal of the study was to fill knowledge gaps regarding the characteristics dictating the degree to which certain subtypes of STEC can cause severe illness.…
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