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Foodborne viral outbreaks are ever present in the media spotlight. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reported that viral agents were responsible for 11.9% of the foodborne outbreaks in the European Union (EU) during 2007, coming second only to Salmonella as the most common causation agent group.

Concerns surrounding food safety continue, despite many improvements in food production and handling. Foodborne diseases constantly evolve and new infections are often discovered. In addition, new challenges to food safety arise from the global nature of the modern marketplace for food.

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS has been a totally independent award organization since 1991. When the Global Marketing team for Guinness (the Irish Stout beer) needed to verify the number of attendees at St Patrick’s Day celebrations worldwide to set their own world record for “The Friendliest Day of the Year”, they required the assistance of a capable global partner with the capability to cover most of their chosen markets. That is why they turned to SGS for help.

The latest research data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that foodborne disease outbreaks linked to imported foods are on the rise. In all, 39 outbreaks and 2,348 illnesses were linked to imported foods from 15 countries. However, nearly half of the outbreaks occurred in 2009 and 2010. Most of the outbreaks were due to fish and spices, which are among the most commonly imported foods.

Delayed for one year to allow the industry extra time to revise their product labels in preparation, South Africa has now established new labeling regulations (R146) that applies to food manufacturers both nationally and internationally and is effective from March 1, 2012. The purpose of the legislation is to inform consumers about their purchasing decisions of food and to prevent the use of misleading or ambiguous food labels.

A revised European standard EN 1930:2011 was published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in December 2011. It concerns the domestic indoor use of child safety barriers across door openings and replaces the current standard EN1930: 2000 and its amendment A1: 2005. European National Standard Organizations bound to CEN/CENELEC have to publish this new document until June 30, 2012.

To bring legislation in line with provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act 2010 (FSMA) the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an interim final rule and draft guidance for record access requirements on February 23, 2012.

Intended to result in leaner meat with a higher muscle-to-fat ratio, the use of Clenbuterol has been banned in meat since 1991 in USA and since 1996 in the European Union (EU). The drug is banned due to health concerns about symptoms noted in consumers. These include increased heart rate, muscular tremors, headaches, nausea, fever and chills. In the majority of cases these adverse symptoms are temporary.

SGS Food Services is hosting “McDonald’s: Collaboration in Food Safety & Brand Protection,” a breakfast session at the 11th Global Food Safety Conference in Orlando, Florida, from 7:45-8:45 am on Friday, February 17. Panelists from McDonald’s Corporation, global and local suppliers, a scheme owner and a certification body will provide real-world examples and insights on the role of cooperation in creating a culture of food safety and brand protection from farm to front counter. Registration is required.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on 13 September 2011 they are taking extra steps to fight E. coli in the food supply. Under the new ruling, should E. coli serogroups O26, O103, O45, O111, O121 and O145 be found in raw ground beef or the meat used to make raw ground beef, such products will be prohibited from being sold as food in the USA.