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uk cut-backs set up ‘food poisoning time bomb’: cieh
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guidance sets out processing strategy on salt
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a new guidance from the british meat processors association (bmpa) is designed to help manufacturers cut down on salt in their products without compromising quality and safety. the publication provides information and practical tips for businesses on how to reduce salt in meat products, while considering factors such as food safety, labelling and additives. the reduction of salt in some manufactured foods, such as bacon, ham and sausages, may reduce the current accepted safe storage time and increase the risk of the food supporting the growth of food poisoning and spoilage organisms, the bmpa noted. "to take account of these issues, manufacturers may need to take appropriate action, such as reducing shelf life or implementing alternative preservative methods," the bmpa stated. such methods include the reduction in storage temperature throughout the supply chain, the use of preservative gases to improve storage or the use of alternative additives. "it is also possible, however, that the improvement in manufacturing and distribution standards in modern food manufacturing may mean that safe storage time may not be significantly affected," the bmpa stated. "each recipe change must therefore be thoroughly assessed in its own right before the product is made available to the consumer." the guidance was written following a recommendation from the food standards agency (fsa), which examined the potential impact of salt reduction on food safety, the bmpa stated. the guidance advises manufacturers about the type of foods that require reductions, and on the levels that are needed to help reduce consumers' intakes. the guidance follows the fsa's identification last year of voluntary salt reduction targets for 85 categories of processed foods. the categories covered by the targets are wide-ranging and include dietary staples such as meat products, bread, breakfast cereals and cheese. the fsa also targeted convenience foods such as ready meals, pizza and sandwiches, along with a wide range of snacks, including both savoury products, cakes and pastries. the fsa set a maximum target levels for meat products per 100g. an average target has been set for bacon and ham products. the targets also introduce an upper limit that all products within the category should achieve and gives a benchmark below which levels should be reduced. in the majority of cases the targets have been set for products as sold. high salt intake has been linked to a number of health problems, including increased blood pressure. high blood pressure can increase the risk of suffering from heart disease and stroke. those with high blood pressure are three times as likely to suffer from these diseases, and twice as likely to die from them, than someone with normal blood pressure, according to a 2003 study by the uk's scientific advisory committee on nutrition (sacn). the study also concluded that a reduction in the average salt intake of the population would proportionally lower blood pressure levels and confer significant public health benefits by reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. following publication of the sacn report, the government set a target to reduce the salt intakes of the uk population to an average of 6g per day by 2010. since the government adopted this target, the fsa has been working to get manufacturers to voluntary reduce salt levels in their products. data suggests that around one-third of adults in england suffer from high blood pressure, a large proportion of which is undiagnosed and therefore untreated, the bmpa noted. the fsa targets for meat products can be found at: http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/salttargetsapril06.pdf the bmpa guidance can be downloaded at: www.bmpa.uk.com.
Source :Food Ingredients Food Science - Additives, Flavours, Starch
Date :
21
June
2007
Category :
Codiments,Desserts,food additi
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reusable food shopping bags and packages can contain a high level of bacteria, yeast, mold and coliform counts which pose a significant food safety risk, warns a new study from sporometrics, an environmental microbiology lab based in toronto, canada. swab tests of reusable bags last november revealed a bacteria count of 1,800 colony-forming units while 550 were discovered in tupperware containers.
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new regulations on microbiological safety will not result in increased testing procedures for most companies, industry experts say. "don't panic," advises kaarin goodburn, the managing director of the uk's chilled food association. goodburn, who was involved in providing advice during the european commision's drafting of the legislation, said she was concerned that some companies might be fooled into thinking the regulation would increase the level of food safety testing they would have to do.
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food makers have until 1 january to implement procedures for testing their processing plants and products for dangerous bacteria such as listeria and e. coli. the procedures, as set out by the microbiological criteria for foodstuffs regulation, seeks to harmonise the industry's procedures for detecting the presence of dangerous bacteria. it is being introduced as part of the bloc's new food hygiene regulations, which also come into effect on 1 january.
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the chief executive of the uk's food standard agency (fsa) used last week's keynote speech to discuss food safety detached from the everyday context of media hype and public scare stories. speaking at the society of food hygiene technology annual lecture in london's millennium mayfair hotel, dr jon bell underlined the importance of balancing public fears and actual risk.
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we report elsewhere today on confirmation from the uk food and drink federation that food safety is an absolute priority for uk, and european, food manufacturers. but just this week the british medical association reports in the scientific journal 'gut' that cases of serious food poisoning in england and wales requiring admission to hospital have risen in real terms over the past decade -despite rates of overall illness having halved over the same time period.
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following recent calls for controls on the widespread incidence of the common food bug campylobacter, safefood, a body that sets out to promote food safety in northern ireland and eire, held a meeting at the university college in dublin this week to discuss the development of preventative programmes. researchers outlined their current activities and demonstrated how these will be applied to foodchain monitoring and management.
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warranted or not, it comes as no surprise to learn that there is growing concern among uk consumers over food safety. according to new research from mintel, 41 per cent of adults were concerned about the safety of food in 1997, while in 2002 this figure has risen to 44 per cent of consumers. the report revealed that there is a considerable difference in attitude between men and women with over half of women (51 per cent) worried about food safety, compared to just 36 per cent of men.
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Coca.Cola
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PEPSI
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Mcdonald
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Nestle
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Mars
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Baskin & Robins
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Nutrika
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Mumika
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Chika
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around 250 
the british reputation for being too polite to complain about 