ReleaseWire Connect

On December 5th, 2011 the People’s Republic of China announced a ban on the production and sale of ractopamine. Ractopamine is a controversial nerve stimulant used to increase the yield of lean meat in pigs. Largely banned internationally, it remains legal in some countries, notably the USA.

Nitrates occur naturally in plants and they can transform into nitrites and then react with amines and amides to produce N-nitroso compounds. Such compounds have been linked to possible causes of gastric, esophageal, nasopharyngeal, and bladder cancers. Vegetables that are green and leafy, such as lettuce, spinach, and arugula contain higher levels of nitrates than are typical. The nitrogen fertilizers and light intensity used in their cultivation are the main factors responsible for the nitrate content in these vegetables.

SGS introduces a new and unique program of three product marks for environmental impact, progressing towards the ultimate tier of greenhouse gas neutrality, to help companies transparently demonstrate their ongoing environmental commitment.

On October 19, 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) modified its regulations for bottled water quality standards to establish a maximum allowed level of 0.006 mg/L for the chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), bringing it into line with existing regulations for tap water. The modification to regulation 21 CFR 165.110, will require bottled water manufacturers to monitor their finished products, and the source water, for DEHP content on an annual basis. The new regulation takes effect on April 16, 2012.

Stevia, a natural sweetener derived from the leaves of a Paraguayan plant Stevia rebaudiana, is heralded as up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. The food industry has been keen to make use of this substance for years, but Stevia has long been suspected of causing cancer. However, after the European Authority for Food Safety (EFSA) allayed health concerns about Stevia in 2010 the European Commission (EC) has now decided Stevia is safe, provided maximum use is kept to an appropriate level. Commission regulation (EU) No. 1131/2011, which introduces the new sweetener, became effective early in December 2011. The new additive will be found listed as E 960 on food products.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the American seafood industry that federal and state regulatory personnel will sample and test premium-priced species of fish, to verify the correct labeling of their products by comparing the DNA sequences of the fish they contain.

The Taiwan Department of Health (DOH) revealed that an industrial chemical intended to soften plastic packaging was being used as an ingredient by the food industry. Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) was found in use as a cheap substitute in a clouding agent for several brands of food products in Taiwan, in direct contravention of legislation prohibiting the use of DEHP in food products. The clouding agent is a food additive mainly used to make fruit drinks more visually appealing, but banned DEHP was used as a replacement of the usual and more expensive palm oil.

The debate about genetically modified and engineered organisms (GMOs) used in food production continues, with a global agreement coming into place enabling individual countries to adopt GM food labeling. Recent decisions in Europe, America and Africa have also brought about changes to the GMO landscape.

On May 19, 2011 the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported a marked increase in the numbers of people suffering from a severe illness called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). which is known to destroy blood cells and can lead to kidney failure. By May 25 the cause of the outbreak was determined as the bacteria Escherichia coli 0104:H4, not only well-known for causing a dreaded disease, but in this case a rare enterohemorrhagic strain that also produces cytotoxins, more colloquially called Shiga-like toxins. A small amount of these bacteria are enough to bring about serious illness and the need for immediate medical attention.

On October 19, 2011 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed the presence of strains of listeria in cantaloupe samples taken from Jensen Farms. Currently, there are 33 additional illnesses and 29 deaths reported to be linked to the ongoing outbreak of listeria food poisoning from Colorado-grown cantaloupes.