News
March 26, 2015
Jo Goodhew, Minister for Food Safety in New Zealand, welcomed the introduction of a written agreement issued between Vietnam and New Zealand this month. The primary aim of the agreement is to strengthen the bond of food safety cooperation between both countries.
The Food Safety Cooperation Arrangement established between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries is intended to promote consistency a…
March 25, 2015
Thousands of furious students turned their aggression towards their high school campus in the Chinese province of Guizhou last week, as a gigantic food poisoning outbreak made hundreds of them sick.
The students of Guizhou’s Puding County’s top high school rioted throughout their dormitories, damaging property and smashing windows until government officials were forced to manage the scene and deal with the incident.
Although official reports given by the Chine…
March 17, 2015
The food safety concerns that have developed between Australia and China have taken a new turn this week, as Australian citrus farmers are beginning to see signs of a disastrous future for the industry.
It seems that Asian consumers have far more to worry about than just hepatitis-infected imported berries, as Chinese fraudsters have begun to make profits selling fake Australian fruits to other Asian countries. The fake fruits are sold in boxes that are exact r…
March 12, 2015
A group dedicated to environmental protection and corporate responsibility known as “As You Sow” released a letter from Dunkin’ Donuts Director of Corporate Social Responsibility recently, outlining Dunkin’ Donuts decision to alter their powdered doughnut formula. The letter stated that the company will be moving away from the use of titanium dioxide in its tasty treats.
The letter was a response to a proposal put forward by the advocacy group last year attempt…
March 12, 2015
The popular roast chicken food-chain “Red Rooster” has recently been accused of deceiving its customer base, by claiming that its food is completely free of any artificial ingredients or preservatives during its latest marketing campaign.
The Food Intolerance Network, which is made up of approximately 10,200 families throughout Australia and New Zealand, submitted a complaint to the Australian consumer commission. They suggested that the food company has begun…
March 10, 2015
Recent research has discovered that climate change could have an impact on food safety. Researchers at Wageningen University have established a connection between fruit and vegetable contamination and long-term alterations in weather. They found that excessive rainfall, for example, could produce increased concentrations of harmful bacteria which would otherwise be broken down using UV light.
Scientists are now asking whether the changing climate will allow for…
March 3, 2015
Ten people have been rushed into hospital this month as a result of consuming wild mushrooms gathered from various parts of New South Wales, leading health authorities to issue serious food safety warnings. It seems that the recently humid weather has created the perfect growing conditions for wild mushrooms, including poisonous varieties, much earlier than the usual start of the season.
According to health authorities, it can be very difficult to tell which mu…
February 19, 2015
Officials have issued warnings to Canberrans to avoid eating bread products purchased at Gunghalin Coles, after metal was found in a loaf purchased from the store. Chief Health Officer of ACT, Dr Paul Kelly, immediately requested that a notice be issued regarding all in-store Coles-brand bakery items that were baked between 1st November 2014 and the 16th February 2015.
Since the notice was issued, bread making at the Coles store has been suspended following an…
February 18, 2015
Both the chef and manager of a local pub in Essex have been sentenced to jail time totalling thirty months after a Christmas dinner served at their restaurant left a mother with a fatal dose of food poisoning.
The mother, Della Callagher, aged 46, died approximately two days after she consumed the four-course meal prepared at the Hornchurch Railway Hotel in December 2012. Thirty-three other customers experienced illness as a result of the same poisoning.
The m…
February 11, 2015
On Monday the 9th of February, the South Australian Cabinet approved the current draft set forward on a voluntary codefor free range eggs, where producers meeting strict conditions will be able to advertise their produce with the approved logo indicating South Australian Free Range Accreditation.
The Australian support for a free range egg movement has been in place for some time now, after a move in 2013demanded that new industry rules should be set to inform…
February 4, 2015
A number of food safety scares have arisen recently throughout the Australian Capital Territory, leading to a spate of stomach-turning ACT news reports.
The standards of food safety within Australia require businesses and corporations to focus on producing food that is safe to consume, regardless of whether that food is sold fresh from market or on a plate at a local restaurant. Yet despite these requirements, recent evidence suggests that certain organisations…
February 3, 2015
Recently, a movement to dump imperfect mangos in North Queensland as juice contracts began to run dry has outragedcustomers and growers. The reduced amount of contracts for juicing left growers with tons of bumped and blemished produce, wasted simply because they didn’t meet premium grade standards. According to mango grower, Merryl Patane, “It’s very sad. Just visual, it’s just looks. It’s not affecting the flesh whatsoever.”
Hundreds of perfectly healthy piec…
January 30, 2015
In an effort to overcome consumer fears regarding food safety, China is becoming increasingly dependent on imports of rice from other countries, including Japan. Despite the fact that China is by far the largest consumer and producer of rice in the world, importation has sky-rocketed. In fact, the amount of rice imported to China from Japan tripled in the time between 2013 and 2014.
Heavy concerns
The news of China’s increasing reliance on imports has come foll…
January 27, 2015
Jail time and massive fines for food safety offences are set to be introduced in the UAE if draft legislation set to be debated by the Federal National Council on February 3rd goes ahead.
The draft law has been proposed after the House was told that many foods are causing deaths and lethal ailments due to non-conformity with existing food safety standards. Up to 85% of cancers reported in the country are attributed to the lack of standards for genetically modif…
January 23, 2015
A Queensland woman has vowed never to eat McDonald’s food again after allegedly being served raw chicken in a McWrap this week.
Gizela Tahuri, a personal trainer from Deception Bay in Queensland says that she took two huge mouthfuls out of the sandwich before realising that the chicken was raw. “I thought this is really really soft and pulled out the chicken strip inside,” she said, “and I thought ‘oh my god that is actually raw’.”
Ms Tahuri has posted photos…