News

Australia has been the latest country to be hit by mass recalls of frozen vegetables, following the recall of hundreds of products across the UK and Europe last week. These recalls follow the deaths of 9 people in the UK from listeria thought to be linked to the consumption of frozen vegetables. Australian supermarkets affected include Woolworths, Aldi and IGA stores. About ten frozen vegetable products have been recalled in total including frozen corn, carrots…

Food safety for pets has been in the news recently after 74 dogs across Australia were struck down with an incurable illness called megaesophogus. Megaesophogus is an incurable and sometimes fatal condition that causes the oesophagus to become enlarged and restricts the ability of food to move through the animals stomach. Whilst no definitive link has been proven as yet, all of the dogs are thought to have consumed pet food called Advance Dermocare, made by glo…

The prestigious Southport School based on the Gold Coast in Queensland is set to end the current school term three days early following a recent norovirus outbreak that’s already affected over 400 students and staff. The school, which teaches both day pupils and boarders, will close on March 23rd to allow time for a ‘complete and thorough antiviral clean’. This is deemed necessary as new cases of infection continue to arise five weeks after the start of the out…

In a bizarre social media trend, people are biting into capsules of laundry detergent in order to impress followers. The craze called the ‘Tide Pod Challenge’ involves biting into a Tide Pod (a popular US brand of laundry detergent) that is bright blue and green in colour and looks somewhat like a hard lolly. Clearly this is a bad idea. The capsules contain high levels of dangerous chemicals, as well as ethanol, polymers and hydrogen peroxide, that are highly…

A new trend in the USA is seeing demand for “unfiltered, untreated, unsterilised spring water” – or “raw water” – increase at an alarming rate. Companies such as Live Water, Tourmaline Spring and Liquid Eden are selling the water for up to AUD $76 for 9.4 litres of untreated water. Other companies such as Zero Mass Water sell technology that enables consumers to collect raw water from the atmosphere from near their homes. Furthermore, people following the “wat…

Virgin Australia passengers flying from LAX to Australia are being given vouchers to purchase food prior to boarding following a listeria scare with the airline’s food provider. The in-flight catering company used by Virgin, Gate Gourmet, has had a number of airlines stop using it’s services after a recent inspection found traces of listeria at it’s facilities. Airlines response to situation Airlines that are known to have stopped using the Gate Gourmet servi…

A man in southern Germany has deliberately slipped poison into baby food and other supermarket food items in an attempt to extort millions of euros. The man contacted police by email to alert them to what he’d done and threatened to target other supermarkets in Germany and across Europe if his demands weren’t met. He said that he’d poisoned the food with ethylene glycol, a colourless, odourless liquid used in the manufacture of antifreeze, which can be deadly…

Raw oysters and shellfish harvested in Tasmania have been banned from import and sale into Hong Kong according to a directive issued this week. The announcement was made by the food safety authority of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) after a batch of oysters were identified as containing the Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxin. The affected oysters were from Blackman Bay Lease 44 however all oysters and shellfish from the region a…

Residents of Western Australia are struggling through a terrible year for stomach bugs. Just last month the Australian Institute of Food Safety reported that a record high of 713 cases of Salmonella had been recorded already in 2017. That number has now exploded with 4076 cases of gastrointestinal disease reported so far this year, 1566 of which have been linked to the consumption of uncooked eggs. Australian Medical Association WA president Dr Omar Khorshid e…

After only three months of operations, a game meat processor based in Charleville in Queensland has been issued with a Suspension Notice from Safe Food Queensland. Barco Queensland began operations at the plant in March this year and had 25 employees working on the premises. The Charleville plant received carcasses from 30 kangaroo shooters which were then skinned on the premises before being sent to premises belonging to parent company, Millennium Pet Foods, f…

Five confirmed cases of salmonella poisoning have been linked to pies baked by The Pork Pie Shop in Victor Harbor, South Australia, with other non-confirmed cases also being reported throughout the state. The source of the outbreak was identified on Wednesday this week after four people between the ages of 54 and 80 were hospitalised after eating the items. Both the Ascot pies and pork pies produced by the bakery are thought to be affected. The Pork Pie Shop b…

Would you eat a possum? Whether salivating or spewing at the thought, it’s looking more likely this year in South Australia. Did you know that game meats such as goat, rabbit, hare, kangaroo and wallaby can be slaughtered, sold and consumed legally in SA already? However, there are changes coming into effect that will mean buffalo, camel, deer, donkey, horse, kangaroo, rabbit, possum or wallaby killed in the wild will also become legal to eat. Animal welfare g…

Christmas is a time of sharing and caring. Friends and family are embraced, gifts are exchanged, and of course, food is eaten. In a time of such joy, many forget to consider food safety when preparing, transporting and storing their festive feast. Preparing food If making meals at home, you must always wash your hands thoroughly and keep equipment clean. Once meals have finished cooking, it’s important to place them into a refrigerator or freezer once they sto…

Every year around Christmas, there’s a spike in food poisoning incidents across Australia. There are a number of factors that contribute to this – the warmer weather, the preparation of foods that we’re not accustomed to cooking, and the prevalence of leftovers. Of course, there are many benefits that come along with saving leftovers. Saving food for use at a later date can help to prevent overeating. It can help avoid waste and save your family money. What’s m…

Hundreds of people in 10 different countries have been found to be suffering from Salmonella Enteritidis due to contaminated eggs. 360 people are known to have been affected by the outbreak, which has been traced to eggs from a producer in Poland. So far, it is believed to have caused one death. According to the European Food Safety Authority, it was thought that the outbreak had run its course after 260 cases in 7 countries were identified between May and Oct…