The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) has issued a scientific opinion on the risk posed by Salmonella and norovirus in fresh and frozen berries. According to BIOHAZ, which reviewed the limited data pertaining to the prevalence of these foodborne pathogens in berries, the risk factors for contamination are likely to include environmental conditions, contact with animal reservoirs and insufficiently treated compost, the use of contaminated water for irrigation or chemical applications, and cross-contamination by harvesters, food handlers or equipment. To mitigate these risks, BIOHAZ urges primary producers to implement Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems as well as Good Agricultural Practices, Good Hygiene Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). More specifically, the scientific opinion identifies Norovirus in frozen raspberries and strawberries as “an emerging public health risk,” stressing the need for additional data to develop microbiological criteria for improved control of norovirus in…
Category Archives Europe
The U.K.-based Action on Sugar campaign has issued a new survey allegedly revealing “the shockingly high and unnecessary levels of sugar in carbonated sugar-sweetened soft drinks,” according to a June 12, 2014, press release. After analyzing 232 sugar-sweetened drinks sold in grocery stores, Action on Sugar researchers reported that 79 percent of surveyed beverages contain six or more teaspoons of sugar per can. In particular, the campaign singled out ginger beer as one category of sugar-sweetened beverage with higher sugar levels than expected, recommending that these drinks contain only 9 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters. “Added sugars are completely unnecessary in our diets and are strongly linked to obesity and Type II Diabetes, as well as to dental caries; which remains a major problem for children and adults,” said Action on Sugar Chair Graham MacGregor. “Replacing sugar with sweeteners is not the answer: we need to reduce overall sweetness…
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), has upheld four complaints challenging whether a TV ad for Bioglan “superfood” chia and flax seeds complied with the European Register of Nutrition and Health claims with its use of the word “superfood” and comparisons demonstrating the seeds’ protein, calcium and fiber content. At issue specifically was food manufacturer PharmaCare’s claim that adding its chia and flax seeds to breakfast provides “as much protein as a small egg; more calcium than 100 ml of milk; as much fiber as a cup of oats; and a high source of the Omega 3 fatty acid ALA.” Concluding that although PharmaCare was within its rights to present the seeds as sources of the specific nutrients, the multiple references to “superfood” to reference “a general, non-specific benefit of the food for overall health,” needed to be accompanied by a specific authorized health claim. “We noted that the Regulation…
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority has reversed an earlier decision upholding two complaints alleging that Heineken UK Ltd.’s print and TV advertisements gave the impression that its Kronenbourg 1664 beer was brewed in France and made primarily from French hops, despite text disclaimers stating that the product was “Brewed in the UK.” According to ASA, Heineken argued that Kronenbourg 1664 “could correctly and reasonably be described as a ‘French beer’ because of its heritage, the origin of its recipe and the use of the Strisselspalt hop, as well as its ownership and the yeast type used.” In particular, the company noted that the aromatic Strisselspalt hop— though not the sole hop used in the beer—was the key ingredient in creating the beer’s final character and taste, attributes that could not be captured “from a simple calculation of the proportion in which [the Strisselspalt hop] featured in the recipe.” In its…
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a public consultation on a draft scientific opinion evaluating “allergenic foods and food ingredients for labeling purposes.” Prepared by EFSA’s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA), the new draft updates previous scientific opinions “relative to food ingredients or substances with known allergenic potential listed in Annex IIIa of 2003/89/EC,” including cereals containing gluten, milk and dairy products, eggs, nuts, peanuts, soy, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, lupin, sesame, mustard, and sulfites. To this end, NDA addresses the following topics: (i) “the prevalence of food allergies in unselected populations”; (ii) “proteins identified as food allergens”; (iii) “cross-reactivities”; (iv) “the effects of food processing on allergenicity of foods and ingredients”; (v) “methods for the detection of allergens and allergenic foods”; (vi) “doses observed to trigger adverse reactions in sensitive individuals”; and (vii) “approaches used to derive individual and population thresholds for selected allergenic…
The Netherlands and Sweden have issued a discussion paper arguing that labeling food with “best before” dates results in unnecessary food waste and that European Union (EU) requirements should be adjusted to allow some foods to be sold without them. The paper, which Germany, Denmark, Austria, and Luxembourg also back, echoes a report published in April 2014 by the U.K.’s House of Lords EU Committee urging the development of “aspirational targets for each level of the supply chain” to reduce food waste in Europe. According to the European Commission (EC), up to 100 million metric tons of food are wasted each year in Europe, and a 2013 report from the London based Institution of Mechanical Engineers found that 30 to 50 percent of food on shelves is wasted, possibly due to poor understanding of “best before” and “use by” dates. The EC said that it is examining possible avenues of…
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has dismissed a complaint alleging that a cereal advertisement shown at the beginning of a “U-rated” film “condoned or encouraged poor nutritional habits or an unhealthy lifestyle in children” and “disparaged good dietary practice.” Although Kellogg Marketing and Sales Company (UK) Ltd. included on-screen text stating the sugar content of the product and emphasizing the importance of a varied diet and lifestyle, ASA argued that the Coco Pops Rocks ad in question, which featured brand equity characters and aired before a movie, would appeal to children, “who would not have the reading comprehension skills or relevant knowledge to be able to interpret and understand the information about the sugar content of the product and that it should be eaten as part of a varied diet and active lifestyle.” “We also considered that, in the context of the exciting action in the visuals of the ad,…
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP Panel) has issued an opinion on Bacillus species used in animal production as microbial feed additives or as the source of other feed additives, mainly enzymes. Noting that the main “concern for humans, and, to a lesser extent livestock, associated with Bacillus is a capacity for toxin production,” the FEEDAP Panel cautions that the capacity for toxin production and the nature of the toxins produced is “unevenly distributed over the genus, occurring frequently in some species and more rarely in others.” According to the panel, the selection of strains belonging to the B. cereus taxonomic group for direct use in animal production is considered inadvisable. For other species, “concerns appear to be associated to the production of surfactin like-lipopeptides, although the relation between the presence of these compounds and/or other toxic factors and the…
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Additives and Products or Substances Used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP Panel) has proposed reducing the maximum amount of zinc permitted in animal feed “to ensure the health, welfare and productivity of the target species.” According to the FEEDAP Panel, which reviewed the available literature “as well as data received from national authorities of European countries and from stakeholders,” the new maximum levels include: (i) 150 mg of Zinc per kilogram (Zn/kg) complete feed for piglets, sows, rabbits, salmonids, cats, and dogs; (ii) 120 mg Zn/kg complete feed for turkeys for fattening; and (iii) 100 mg Zn/kg complete feed for all other species and categories. In addition, “the use of phytase in feeding piglets, pigs for fattening and sows would allow a further reduction of the newly proposed total maximum contents by 30% (from 150 to 110 mg Zn/kg feed for piglets and…
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA Panel) has published a scientific opinion proposing new dietary reference values for iodine. After conducting a public consultation on a draft opinion issued in January 2014, the NDA Panel has established adequate intakes (AIs) for infants, children and adults based on a large epidemiological study showing that “goiter prevalence is lowest for a urinary iodine concentration above 100 µg/L.” With this threshold in mind, the NDA panel has recommended the following AIs for iodine consumption: (i) 150 µg/day for adults; (ii) 200 µg/day for pregnant and breastfeeding women; (iii) 70 µg/day for infants ages 7-11 months; and (iv) 130 µg/day for children. Additional details about the draft scientific opinion appear in Issue 510 of this Update. Issue 523
