VIETNAM – Scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in England who were researching on antibiotic resistance in Salmonella strains isolated from pork meat at food retail outlets, have highlighted high levels of drug resistant Salmonella in pork in Vietnam. They studied multi-drug resistance — when a strain shows resistance to different antimicrobials and looked for the…
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SOUTH AFRICA – As per a new report published by Allied Market Research, the South Africa food safety testing market size is estimated to reach US$145,995,000 by 2025, registering a CAGR of 10.4% from 2018 to 2025. The research titled, “South Africa Food Safety Testing Market by Contaminant, Food Tested, and Technology: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018 – 2025,…
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SPAIN – A study by Spanish researchers has uncovered that amoebas that live on organic leafy vegetables can shelter human pathogens like Pseudomonas, Salmonella, and Helicobacter. Single-celled organisms such as free-living amoebae (FLA) feed on bacteria and can act as hosts to pathogenic bacteria which resist FLA digestion. “Food and food-related environments create an ideal meeting place for free-living amoebae…
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U.S – Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have embarked on a study of how the DNA of a specific population of E. coli O157:H7 gradually evolves within its natural environment, to enhance traceability in case of a foodborne outbreak. E. coli O157:H7 is a frequent source of concern for public health due…
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ZAMBIA – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are working with Zambian experts to address drug resistant microbes as well as food contamination in meat and other animal products. The causes of food poisonings and contamination range from production and handling practices to the unsafe use of veterinary drugs among others. For many…
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U.S – Cornell AgriTech, an agricultural research station and Sun World International, a global fruit genetics and licensing company, have developed two grape varieties that have better growing characteristics for farmers and offer new flavors for consumers. The 13-year collaboration has led to the development of Sugrafiftytwo, an ultra-early ripening green seedless grape variety with a sweet Muscat flavor and…
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UK – The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSS) have based on the lack of reports of adverse reactions to refined rapeseed oil in the UK population, and lack of evidence of severe illness or deaths, hinted the frequency of allergic reactions to refined rapeseed oil to be very low. This is after it received…
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UK – National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF International), a leading global public health and safety organization, has in a study on the state of quick service restaurant (QSR) operations around the world, revealed Covid-19 regulatory requirements, the rise of delivery services and equipment malfunctions as some of the areas of concern. The study identified the challenges directly impacting food safety…
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AUSTRALIA – A team of scientists has developed a natural antibacterial material for use in food packaging by replicating the bacteria-killing wings of certain insects, thus extending shelf life and cutting food waste. The research – a collaboration between RMIT, Tokyo Metropolitan University and Mitsubishi Chemical’s The KAITEKI Institute – highlighted that dragonfly and cicada wings are covered by a…
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ZIMBABWE – Seed Co Zimbabwe, a leading certified seed company in Africa, has launched three new maize seed varieties SC 547, SC 437 and SC 303 as part of its efforts to address farmers’ challenges posed by climate change. The varieties were launched at the national annual field day at Seed Co’s Rattray Arnold Research Station in Goromonzi. The field…
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