Research commissioned by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has provided insight to ongoing staffing issues experienced by UK food control authorities, and how recruitment and retention can be improved. FSA aims to take action on these findings.
As of January 1, 2024, food products containing edible insects may only remain on the market in Great Britain if a novel food application for that edible insect species was submitted to the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) on or before December 31, 2023. To help businesses comply with novel food regulations regarding edible insects, FSA published has a guidance.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we review the top food safety stories of 2023 and their implications, covering regulatory changes in the U.S. and abroad; growing concerns about chemical additives and contaminants, allergens, traceability requirements, infant formula, and retail foodservice safety; and the Poisoned documentary that premiered on Netflix in summer 2023.
Chile has become the first country in Latin America to implement a food control system assessment facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the goal of which is to improve strategic planning and strengthen governance around food safety.
After reassessing the food safety of the popular zero-calorie sweetener erythritol, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has lowered the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for the additive and reported that, for all groups the EU included in the assessment, acute and chronic exposure to erythritol is above the newly set ADI.
The European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries recently held a public hearing to discuss the issue of labeling plant-based imitation fishery products, with some stakeholders likening current labeling practices to food fraud, and others arguing that labeling plant-based foods with words that evoke animal products is helpful to consumers.
The UK Food Standards Authority Board recently decided it would begin discussions with UK Ministers about making written allergen information for non-prepackaged food a requirement, and will begin drafting guidance for industry in the meantime.
The vTPA approach is valuable at a time when public interest in safer food is increasing, but competent authorities struggle to obtain more resources from governments
This article sheds light on some critical components of successful voluntary third-party assurance (vTPA) program implementation, particularly from an accreditation and certification service perspective. It discusses the role of accreditation and certification services and the prerequisites for successfully implementing the vTPA approach with the aim of supporting competent authorities in this process.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has announced a public consultation for an application to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to permit the use of cultured quail cells as a novel food.