Food industry topics and/or perspective

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"UK FSA Seeks Comments about Proposed Guidance on Allergen Labeling"
http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/news/uk-fsa-seeks-comments-about-proposed-guidance-on-allergen-labeling/

The draft guidance covers new rules on food allergen labeling and the provision of food allergen information which will apply across the European Union, including the UK, from Dec. 13, 2014.

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Tweeted by @AllergyEducator

"How Restaurant Pros Are Handling the Surge of Food Allergies"
http://eater.com/archives/2014/06/19/restaurants-food-allergies-dietary-restrictions-gluten-free.php

It was a close call. On a recent night at chef Bryce Gilmore's new seasonal American restaurant Odd Duck in Austin, general manager Jason James discovered mid-service that the mole had been made with peanuts that day, a departure from the usual recipe.

"I know a chef, I'm not going to mention his name, but he has been quoted, 'Hey, if you have peanut allergies, don't come into my f-ing restaurant'"

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Related thread

FARE launches new dining resources

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http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/food-fears/

Internet food warriors are promoting an unscientific approach to food safety, based upon the naturalistic fallacy, chemophobia, the demonization of foods and ingredients, and a misapplication of the precautionary principle.

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Tweeted by @bmarler

"Study: 175 Hazardous Chemicals Used in Food Contact Packaging"
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/07/study-175-hazardous-chemicals-legally-used-to-produce-food-packaging/#.U88Wx3-9KSN

"As a consequence, chemicals with highly toxic properties may legally be used in the production of food contact materials, but not in other consumer products such as computers, textiles and paints even though exposure through food contact materials may be far more relevant," according to the authors of the study.

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Twitter:  @sew_savaay  @MailOnline


"Now EU wants allergy alerts on all menus: Restaurants will be forced to list 14 substances including milk and mustard when rules are introduced later this year"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2653362/Now-EU-wants-allergy-alerts-menus-Restaurants-forced-list-14-substances-including-milk-mustard-rules-introduced-later-year.html

Restaurants, cafés and schools are being forced by the EU to identify and list 14 potential allergens in their food.

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"China's Food Safety Issues Worse Than You Thought"
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/07/chinas-food-safety-issues-are-worse-than-you-thought/?utm_content=buffer2f5a0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.U88Zf3-9KSN

What about large multinational food corporations operating in China?

Shuanghui International, China's biggest meat products company (which purchased Smithfield Foods last year for $4.7 billion), has been plagued by constant reports here in this country of meat infested with maggots, customers succumbing to food poisoning, and random testing that shows illegal levels of bacteria and illegal additives such as clenbuterol in their meat.

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Tweeted by @Aller_MD

"Eating In Restaurants With Food Allergies"
http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/alexandria-durrell-irritated-by-allergies/20140722/how-to-eat-in-restaurants-with-a-food?=MBE

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Tweeted by @bmarler


"Are Food Processors in Audit Overload?"
http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2014/are-food-processors-in-audit-overload/#.U-x05e4pAT4.twitter

"The 1993 event opened people's eyes and made restaurants and retailers realize that they were responsible for the safety of the food their suppliers gave them," says Theno, now retired from Jack in the Box and a principal of Gray Dog Partners Inc., a food-safety consultancy based in the San Diego area.

Given the size and complexity of America's food industry, it's a wonder it took so long to adopt the guiding principle of Chicago's long-gone City News Bureau: "If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out."

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Updates - Peanut Corporation of America

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"The FDA, ConAgra, Coca-Cola Share Food Allergen Control Strategies"

http://www.foodmanufacturing.com/articles/2014/06/fda-conagra-coca-cola-share-food-allergen-control-strategies

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National Peanut Board creates allergy awareness website

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"Traceback Litigation: Epidemiological Point/Counter-Point"

http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/fsm-edigest/traceback-litigation-epidemiological-pointcounter-point/

Traceback litigation usually follows one of two events—a recall or consumer-launched lawsuit.

In both situations, the litigation involves a hunt for the source of contamination, which in turn involves the interplay of epidemiology (and other disciplines) and the law.

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"Report: Europe Outranks U.S., Canada and Japan on Food Traceability"

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/08/europe-bests-united-states-canada-and-japan-on-food-traceability/

"Currently, the complexity of following food through a global supply chain makes the process of traceability slow and inefficient in times of crisis," said Brian Sterling, managing director of the Global Food Traceability Center, one of the authors of the report. "This is why it's imperative that traceability requirements and regulations be harmonized across the globe.

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Tweeted by @CSPI

"Fighting food: Consumers revolt online"

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/food-fight-consumers-revolt-online-109126.html

In a different era, a stern letter from an angry customer might be answered by a corporate form letter, and that would be the end of it. But now consumers can leverage hundreds of thousands of like-minded people in a short amount of time, and companies are finding that it's smart business — and politics — to respond quickly and decisively.

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"Traceability Is Not a Substitute for Transparency in the Recipe for Food Company Success"

http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/fsm-edigest/traceability-is-not-a-substitute-for-transparency-in-the-recipe-for-food-company-success/

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Tweeted by @bmarler

"Are lessons being learned from previous food scares?"

http://conversation.which.co.uk/energy-home/food-scares-campylobacter-salmonella-horsemeat/#.VAR0087dpN0.twitter

Elliott's interim report highlighted the need for a zero tolerance approach to food crime that puts consumer interests first. He highlighted the importance of intelligence gathering, surveillance, tougher industry checks and tighter Government controls as well as the need to give policy responsibility for food standards back to the FSA.

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"Canadian Researchers Working on 'Smart Labels' to Detect Food Pathogens"
http://tinyurl.com/mwju3sk

The day may not be too far off when consumers and food manufacturers will be able to detect the presence of E. coli, Listeria or Salmonella by visual changes in a polymer-based "smart label" now being developed by engineering professors at the University of Alberta.