Top Stories: USDA unveils new standards for school meals; USDA proposes new poultry inspection process; Research finds levels of MRSA bacteria in pork products
January 25, 2012
USDA unveils new standards for school meals
First Lady Michelle Obama and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have unveiled new standards for school meals with the goal of making meals healthier for kids across the nation. The new meal requirements will raise standards for the first time in more than 15 years. The healthier meal requirements are a key component of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which was championed by the First Lady as part of her Let's Move! campaign and signed into law by President Obama.
The final standards include:
- Ensuring students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week;
- Substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods;
- Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties;
- Limiting calories based on the age of children being served to ensure proper portion size; and
- Increasing the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats, and sodium.
The USDA built the new rule around recommendations from a panel of experts convened by the Institute of Medicine. The standards were also updated with key changes from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and aimed to foster the kind of healthy changes at school that many parents are already trying to encourage at home.
The agency received an unprecedented 132,000 public comments on its proposed standards and made modifications to the proposed rule where appropriate. “We know that robust public input is essential to developing successful standards and the final standards took a number of suggestions from stakeholders, school foodservice professions, and parents to make important operational changes while maintaining nutritional integrity,” said USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon.
The new standards are expected to cost $3.2 billion over the next five years—less than half of the estimated cost of the proposed rule and are just one of five major components of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, now implemented or under development, that will work together to reform school nutrition.
The final nutrition standards released today also provide more time for schools to implement key changes, which will be largely phased in over a three-year period, starting in School Year 2012-2013.
Press release
Final rule
USDA proposes new poultry inspection process
In a shift that will save money for businesses and taxpayers while improving food safety, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing a modernization of young chicken and turkey slaughter inspection in the United States by focusing FSIS inspection resources on the areas of the poultry production system that pose the greatest risk to food safety.
“The modernization plan will protect public health, improve the efficiency of poultry inspections in the U.S., and reduce spending,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The new inspection system will reduce the risk of foodborne illness by focusing FSIS inspection activities on those tasks that advance our core mission of food safety. By revising current procedures and removing outdated regulatory requirements that do not help combat foodborne illness, the result will be a more efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars.”
Currently, some FSIS employees in poultry establishments perform several activities that are unrelated to food safety, such as identifying visual defects like bruising, while others conduct the critical inspection activities. Under the proposed plan, all FSIS inspection activities will focus on critical food safety tasks to ensure that agency resources are tied directly to protecting public health and reducing foodborne illnesses. Additionally, some outdated regulatory requirements are being removed and replaced with more flexible and effective testing and process control requirements. Finally, all poultry establishments will now have to ensure that their procedures prevent contamination in the production process and provide supporting data to FSIS personnel.
By focusing inspectors only on the areas that are crucial to food safety, these changes will not only enhance consumer safety but will improve efficiency, saving taxpayers more than $90 million over three years and lower production costs at least $256.6 million per year.
Press release
Research finds levels of MRSA bacteria in pork products
A study published in PLoS ONE shows that retail pork products in the United States may have a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) than previously identified. MRSA can occur in the environment and in raw meat products, and is estimated to cause around 185,000 cases of food poisoning each year. The bacteria can also cause serious, life-threatening infections of the bloodstream, skin, lungs, and other organs. MRSA is resistant to a number of antibiotics.
The study represents the largest sampling of raw meat products for MRSA contamination to date in the United States. The researchers collected 395 raw pork samples from 36 stores in Iowa, Minnesota, and New Jersey. Of these samples, 26 (7%) carried MRSA.
“This study shows that the meat we buy in our grocery stores has a higher prevalence of staph than we originally thought,” said lead study author Tara Smith, Interim Director of the University of Iowa Center for Emerging and Infectious Diseases and Assistant Professor of Epidemiology. “With this knowledge, we can start to recommend safer ways to handle raw meat products to make it safer for the consumer.”
The study also found no significant difference in MRSA contamination between conventional pork products and those raised without antibiotics or antibiotic growth promotants.
Press release
Abstract
Berry wines may reduce risk of age-related diseases
A study published in the Journal of Food Science shows that moderate wine consumption may reduce the frequency of certain age-related diseases such a heart disease, hypertension, metabolic disease, and neurodegenerative disease. The researchers evaluated blueberry and blackberry wines commercially available in Illinois for chemical and quality components relevant to consumers in order to study their potential health benefits.
Total polyphenolic content was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, total anthocyanin content by the pH differential test, and in vitro antioxidant capacity (AC) by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method. The researchers found that the blackberry wines had an average total polyphenolic content of 2212.5 ± 1090.3 mg ellagic acid equivalents per liter, total anthocyanin content of 75.56 ± 70.44 mg/L, and AC of 26.39 ± 17.95 mmol trolox equivalents per liter. The blueberry wines had an average total polyphenolic content of 1623.3 ± 645.5 mg ellagic acid equivalents per liter, total anthocyanin content of 20.82 ± 12.14 mg/L, and AC of 21.21 ± 7.71 mmol trolox equivalents per liter. The results suggest that fruit wines made from blueberries and blackberries may have potential health applications and therefore could contribute to the economy of the wine industry.
Abstract
Flavor boom continues for floral ingredients
Rising interest in naturalness and a growing awareness of the potential health benefits of botanical ingredients have combined with the desire for something more unusual to develop the demand for floral ingredients and flavorings. According to Innova Market Insights, the number of global food and drinks launches featuring floral ingredients in the first 10 months of 2011 rose 7% over the same period in 2010 to already be within striking distance of the total recorded for the whole of that calendar year and over four times the level recorded five years previously.
The use of flowers as flavorings has long been popular in Japan and other parts of the Far and Middle East, but that trend has now spread to Western markets. Innova Market Insights records that the most popular floral flavors globally in January to October 2011 were jasmine, lotus, rose, and chrysanthemum, but that there were significant differences according to geographical region and type product.
Innova Market Insights found that a wide range of sectors have seen activity in the use of floral flavors globally, led by hot beverages, primarily tea, soft drinks, and confectionery, but also including alcoholic beverages, dairy products, spreads, and seasonings. Tea, soft drinks, and confectionery accounted for a combined 70% of total launch activity featuring floral flavorings in the first 10 months of 2011, with jasmine leading in tea, rose in confectionery, and chrysanthemum in soft drinks. In the confectionery sector, rose is a traditional flavor in Turkish Delight-type products, but it now appears in a growing number of premium chocolate lines, particularly dark chocolate, alongside lavender, violet, orange blossom, geranium, and jasmine.
Lu Ann Williams, Research Manager for Innova Market Insights, reports that companies are increasingly using floral flavors to impart new and unique notes and aromas to a range of products, particularly in countries and regions where they may not traditionally be used. “This is particularly impacting the beverages sector, although confectionery is also seeing a relatively high level of activity as consumers continue to search for something combining novelty with naturalness and a healthy image,” said Williams.
Innova Market Insights
Obesity among men, boys increased in past decade
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showing that between 1999–2000 and 2009–2010, the prevalence of obesity increased among men but not among women.
The data shows that more than one-third of adults and almost 17% of children and adolescents were obese in 2009–2010. Differences in prevalence between men and women diminished between 1999–2000 and 2009–2010, with the prevalence of obesity among men reaching the same level as that among women.
Age differences in obesity prevalence varied between men and women. The prevalence of obesity was higher among older women compared with younger women, but there was no difference by age in obesity prevalence among men. Among children and adolescents, the prevalence of obesity was higher among adolescents than among preschool-aged children.
There has been no change in obesity prevalence in recent years; however, over the past decade there has been a significant increase in obesity prevalence among men and boys but not among women and girls overall. The Healthy People 2010 goals of 15% obesity among adults and 5% obesity among children were not met.
Press release
Availability of ‘junk’ food may not affect children’s weight
A study published in Sociology of Education shows that “junk” food sold at schools may not affect middle school children’s weight. The findings suggest that efforts to combat childhood obesity might best be aimed at parents and the foods available at home and outside of school.
The study followed 19,450 children in the United States as they progressed from fifth to eighth grade. Children could change schools while in the study, but their new school had to be in the same county. Administrators at the schools provided researchers with information on whether “competitive foods,” or foods that are sold in competition with the National School Lunch Program, were available at the school through vending machines, snack bars, or a la carte. Such foods included “junk” food, such as soda and candy bars, as well as healthy food, such as nonfat yogurt and bottled water.
Between fifth and eighth grade, the percentage of students who attended schools that offered competitive foods increased from 59.2% to 86.3%. Children who moved into middle schools that offered competitive foods were no more likely to gain or lose weight than children who attended schools that did not offer competitive foods. In addition, children who moved out of schools that sold competitive food were no more likely to gain or lose weight than children who remained at schools that sold competitive foods.
The findings held even after the researchers took into account factors that could affect the results, including the students’ age, gender, ethnicity, family-income level, and the schools’ revenue. The biggest factor influencing children’s weight in middle school was how much they weighed when they were younger, according to the study.
The researchers hypothesized that one possible explanation for the results may be that children’s food preferences and dietary patterns are firmly established before adolescence. Also, middle school environments may dampen the effects of competitive food sales because they so highly structure children’s time and eating opportunities.
It should be noted that the study did not examine what the children were actually choosing to eat at the schools.
Study (pdf)
Consuming calcium-rich foods may lower prostate cancer risk
A study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Preventing Chronic Disease shows that calcium from food may lower men’s risk for prostate cancer.
The researchers used data from a case-control study conducted among veterans between 2007 and 2010 at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The study consisted of 108 biopsy-positive prostate cancer cases, 161 biopsy-negative controls, and 237 healthy controls. They determined whether these associations differed for African Americans and Caucasians or for low-grade and high-grade prostate cancer. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess diet and estimate calcium intake.
The researchers found that intake of calcium from food was inversely related to risk for prostate cancer among all races in a comparison of cases and biopsy-negative controls and cases and healthy controls. Total calcium was associated with lower prostate cancer risk among African American men but not among Caucasian men in analyses of healthy controls. The highest tertile of calcium from food was associated with lower risk for high-grade prostate cancer in a comparison of high-grade cases and biopsy-negative controls and high-grade cases and healthy controls.
The researchers concluded: “Our findings suggest that, among men with diets that have moderate to low calcium intake, adequate calcium intake may reduce the risk for prostate cancer, particularly among [African American] men, and reduce the risk for high-grade prostate cancer among all men.”
Study
Magnesium-rich foods may lower stroke risk
A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that people who eat foods rich in the mineral magnesium may reduce their stroke risk.
The researchers reviewed data from seven previously published studies of magnesium intake and stroke conducted between 1998 and 2011. The 241,378 study participants, ages 34+, were followed from eight to 15 years. During that time, 6,477 people had a stroke. The average magnesium intake of all study participants ranged from 242 mg a day up to 471 mg daily.
The research showed that people who had higher amounts of magnesium in their diets had a lower risk for stroke. This was true even when the scientists took into account multiple other factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, age, smoking, high cholesterol, physical activity, vitamin supplementation, other dietary factors, alcohol consumption, and family history of heart disease. The researchers suggest that the mineral’s benefits may be related to its ability to lower blood pressure.
Abstract
Compounds in mate tea may induce death in colon cancer cells
A study published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research shows that the bioactive compounds present in yerba mate tea may induce death in human colon cancer cells.
“The caffeine derivatives in mate tea not only induced death in human colon cancer cells, they also reduced important markers of inflammation,” said Elvira de Mejia, a University of Illinois Associate Professor of Food Chemistry and Food Toxicology. That’s important because inflammation can trigger the steps of cancer progression, she said.
In the in vitro study, the researchers isolated, purified, and then treated human colon cancer cells with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives from mate tea. As the scientists increased the CQA concentration, cancer cells died as a result of apoptosis. The researchers believe the ability to induce apoptosis, or cell death, is a promising tactic for therapeutic interventions in all types of cancer.
During the process, certain CQA derivatives dramatically decreased several markers of inflammation, including NF-kappa-B, which regulates many genes that affect the process through the production of important enzymes. Ultimately, cancer cells died with the induction of two specific enzymes—caspase-3 and caspase-8.
The researchers concluded that the results of the study suggest that the caffeine derivatives in mate tea have potential as anti-cancer agents and could also be helpful in other diseases associated with inflammation. But, because the colon and its microflora play a major role in the absorption and metabolism of caffeine-related compounds, the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of mate tea may be most useful in the colon.
Press release
Abstract
Barry Callebaut, Unilever sign long-term partnership agreement
Barry Callebaut AG and Unilever have signed a new long-term global partnership agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Barry Callebaut will become Unilever’s strategic global supplier and innovation partner of choice for its cocoa and chocolate needs.
This new global supply agreement builds on the existing working relationship and will nearly double Barry Callebaut’s current volumes with Unilever. Ultimately, Barry Callebaut will provide 70% of Unilever’s global cocoa and chocolate products. This will be achieved under a wide-ranging joint business development plan involving close cooperation across the areas of innovation, sustainable sourcing, capacity expansion, and value improvement.
“Our ice cream category has a significant role to play in Unilever’s sustainable growth model to deliver our ambition of doubling the size of our business whilst reducing our environmental impact. Our leadership position has been built on great taste, innovation, and increasingly sustainable ingredients. We need partners like Barry Callebaut to help us extend this position and achieve our overall aim,” said Kevin Havelock, President of Unilever’s Refreshment Category.
As a result of the agreement, Barry Callebaut will invest approximately CHF 22 million ($24 million) in its worldwide factory network in order to prepare the capacity required to fulfill the long-term partnership agreement. The additional volumes have a ramp-up period of 12 months, starting immediately.
Press release
Nestlé’s alters packaging to make products easier to use
Nestlé is adapting the packaging of some of its products to ensure consumers of all ages can use them without difficulty. One approach, established by the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, is called ‘Inclusive Design.’ Nestlé is the first food and beverage company to adopt this method following its partnership with the university in 2009. Inclusive Design is a process that seeks to develop product design to meet the needs of more people. Nestlé also aims to make its products safe to use, maintains freshness, provides easy to understand instructions, and minimizes waste.
In Australia, a special pair of gloves designed by researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta, Ga., is helping Nestlé understand the impact of arthritis. Nestlé packaging experts used the gloves on five of the company’s most popular products to simulate the way the debilitating disease restricts an arthritis sufferer’s movement and strength. As a result, Nestlé launched an Accessibility Benchmarking Scale last year with Arthritis Australia. The scale allows packaging designers to predict how many people can use their packaging.
Nestlé is already creating easy-to-use packaging as a result of its design process. The Nescafé Gold packaging was redesigned last year to make the company’s coffee product easier to use with a new easy-to-hold jar, ‘click and lock’ screw cap, and easy-peelable foil membrane. In the United States, the company launched new packaging for its ready-to-drink brand Boost in February 2011. To make it easier for its target market—the elderly—to use the Boost product range, a global team of Nestlé experts worked together to redesign the packaging. Improvements include an easy-to-grip bottle, easy-to-open cap without the inner seal, and easy-to-handle multipack holders.
Press release
ChromaDex, Glanbia Nutritionals to partner on antioxidant compound
ChromaDex Corp. has signed a letter of intent with Glanbia Nutritionals Inc., a global ingredient and micronutrient premix company, for the distribution of pTeroPure—Chromadex’s patent-pending pterostilbene. Glanbia Nutritionals will serve as the primary distributor of pTeroPure in North America.
pTeroPure is a proprietary, nature-identical formulation of the antioxidant compound pterostilbene, which is found naturally in blueberries. Pterostilbene metabolizes more slowly in the body than other polyphenols, allowing more time for its antioxidant activities to act. Along with a number of other effects, pterostilbene has shown promise for supporting cardiovascular health, cognitive function, and anti-aging.
“Partnering with a large, exceptionally strong company like Glanbia is a tremendous next step in expanding pTeroPure’s adoption into numerous consumer products. With our upcoming human clinical data release and our various patents pending, in combination with Glanbia’s strong distribution base, we are now very wellpositioned to more rapidly accelerate our national expansion of pTeroPure,” said William Spengler, President of ChromaDex.
Press release
AB SCIEX, Phenomenex partner to improve food safety testing
AB SCIEX, a leader in life science analytical technologies, and Phenomenex, a leader in separation science techniques, have announced a collaboration agreement designed to improve food testing. Critical to the collaboration is the creation of a joint rapid response team responsible for developing the industry’s quality, cost-effective methods. This partnership is expected to support efforts to prevent the spread of tainted food and help increase safety of the global food supply.
Scientists from AB SCIEX and Phenomenex will work closely with a broad range of food industry experts in specific applications, such as pesticides, antibiotics, allergens, and natural toxins, to provide labs worldwide with verified analytical methodologies for emerging threats to food safety. Expertise and resources from both companies combine to form a new global rapid response unit comprised of personnel from Phenomenex’s method development research team and AB SCIEX’s total solutions group. Food testing scientists and analysts will be able to access this rapid response resource via the Internet to help them solve LC/MS issues that they face in their own laboratories.
As part of the collaboration agreement, Phenomenex will work with AB SCIEX to expand and sell the portfolio of AB SCIEX’s iMethod applications and combine Phenomenex’s HPLC/UHPLC columns and sample preparation with AB SCIEX’s mass spectrometers.
Press release
SaltWorks unveils new gourmet salt facility
SaltWorks Inc. has opened a new 100,000-sq-ft gourmet salt factory. With more than $3 million in upgrades, the new SaltWorks headquarters coincides with the company’s 10-year anniversary. The new facility reflects equipment upgrades, allowing for improvement on quality standards. This means the final salt products shipped from this new facility are guaranteed to be the highest quality. It also includes an upgraded natural smoking facility that quadruples the company’s salt smoking capacity. There, SaltWorks smokes its brands of all natural gourmet sea salt, including the new Smokehouse line.
“This is just the beginning—we will continue to pioneer the natural salt industry and offer the best quality and most groundbreaking products possible. With the best technology out there, SaltWorks is able to not only innovate, but also to preserve the unique artistry of each specialty salt,” said Mark Zoske, Founder and CEO.
Press release
IFIS unveils new branding
IFIS, formerly known as International Food Information Service (IFIS Publishing), has unveiled a new logo and branding to reflect its focus on communicating and promoting knowledge of the sciences related to food, drink, and nutrition through its scientific abstract and index database FSTA.
As part of this rebranding, the new website (www.ifis.org) went live in December 2011. In addition to providing information and resources on food science and FSTA, the new website also provides content in the form of articles and whitepapers. This rebranding is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to remain a respected and renowned international provider of food science information within a constantly evolving industry.
“We are committed to building on our previous successes, strengthening existing partnerships, whilst looking to the future in terms of meeting the needs of our customers,” said Richard Hollingsworth, Managing Director of IFIS.
IFIS
WFFC announces recipient of the 2012 Flavor Scholarship Award
The Women in Flavor & Fragrance Commerce (WFFC) has named Diane Schmitt the 2012 recipient of the WFFC Flavor Scholarship Award. A freshman at Cornell University, Schmitt is studying for a master’s degree in food science. In addition to her academic pursuit, she actively participates in community services. A member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Schmitt co-leads Developing Solutions for Developing Countries, a product development team with IFT and has visited Tanzania to raise money and work with women who suffer obstetric fistula. Furthermore, Schmitt is involved with a number of other student associations, including a food science club.
WFFC
President Obama emphasizes food safety in State of the Union
According to Food Safety News, in his State of the Union address Jan. 24, President Barack Obama said that he won’t be backing down on food or water safety.
“I’m confident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal agency looking over his shoulder,” said the President. “But I will not back down from making sure an oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago. I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury pollution, or making sure that our food is safe and our water is clean.”
The mention comes just over a year after the President signed the sweeping Food Safety Modernization Act into law. The President also told Congress not to “gut” investments in research in federally financed labs and universities, at a time when growing deficits continue to threaten agricultural research.
Food Safety News article
FDA orders Maine company to destroy smoked salmon
A Maine food processing and storage company destroyed its cold-smoked salmon product under the supervision of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after inspectors found Listeria monocytogenes within the firm’s facility and on processing equipment.
Based on conditions at Mill Stream Corp., Hancock, Maine, FDA investigators ordered an administrative detention of the firm’s cold-smoked salmon product, a ready-to-eat food, during an inspection in December 2011. Once the food was detained, Mill Stream Corp. agreed to voluntarily destroy the cold-smoked salmon, under FDA supervision.
The FDA may order the detention of food when an investigator has a reason to believe that the food is adulterated or misbranded. Food subject to an FDA detention order may not be moved, without agency permission, until the agency releases it or the detention order expires. A detention order may remain in place for up to 30 days.
No illnesses have been reported to date from Mill Stream Corp. products.
Press release
Standardized methods for substantiating health claims
Over the next four years, a consortium led by researcher TNO will be developing standardized research methods for use in studies into the health effects of food. This will give manufacturers greater insight into these effects and allow them to develop new health-promoting food as well as provide better scientific substantiation for health claims.
To this end, TNO has established the NutriTech consortium of 23 research organizations and universities from around the world. The European Commission is backing the initiative with €6 million. In addition, a second consortium has been established with eight major European food manufacturers for €4 million in order to accelerate application within the food industry. Both projects begin in January and will last four years. TNO has a coordinating role due to its position in this conceptual innovation and experience in leading major European research projects.
“Global standardized and accepted research methods will enable manufacturers to scientifically substantiate their health claims,” said Ben van Ommen, Principal Scientist and Program Director of System Biology at TNO. “Food manufacturers develop products that have a positive effect on health but the scientific substantiation of such effects can be difficult to establish. To date, many health claims have not been acknowledged by the EFSA on the grounds of insufficient scientific substantiation. This is discouraging, which is a shame because manufacturers need to be stimulated to continue developing healthy food. The new measurement methods that the consortium will develop will enable the health effect of food to be better demonstrated and so facilitate the development of new, healthy food.”
Press release
USDA awards grant to Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln for E. coli research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a research grant to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to help reduce the occurrence and public health risks from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) along the entire beef production pathway.
“Shiga toxin-producing E. coli are a serious threat to our food supply and public health, causing more than 265,000 infections each year,” said Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Acting Director of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). “As non-O157 STEC bacteria have emerged and evolved, so too must our regulatory policies to protect the public health and ensure the safety of our food supply. This research will help us to understand how these pathogens travel throughout the beef production process and how outbreaks occur, enabling us to find ways to prevent illness and improve the safety of our nation's food supply.”
Dr. James Keen at UNL, along with a multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary team of researchers, educators, and extension specialists, will use the $25 million grant to improve risk management and assessment of eight strains of STEC in beef. This work will include the O104 strain that caused the recent outbreak in Germany. The project will focus on identifying hazards and assessing exposures that lead to STEC infections in cattle and on developing strategies to detect, characterize, and control these pathogens along the beef chain. This knowledge will then be used to find practical and effective STEC risk mitigation strategies.
Press release
Online course: Incorporating Food Safety in Product Development
Understand where food safety fits into product development and start integrating food safety measures at the onset of production. Through five course modules, participants will explore the key issues around food safety, including how to identify food safety hazards and control measures, implement food safety practices, and consider consumer concerns about food safety. There’s still time to register before the first Q&A call takes place tomorrow, January 26. Register now.
New webcast: Traceability and Food Safety Systems
In partnership with, and organized by the IFT Washington D.C. Section, this Feb. 1 webcast examines traceability as a new regulatory imperative of the Food Safety Modernization Act. As FDA develops implementation guidelines, the industry continues to collaborate on background and guidance information to better facilitate development of regulations. Learn more and
register today.
Short course: Fundamentals of Risk Analysis
Understanding the components and interdependencies of risk analysis (RA) is critical for the food industry. Through this one-day pre-conference Short Course taking place Feb.26, you will understand the application of each component of RA to improve the safety of specific food products, and get an appreciation for the role food safety has to reduce the risk of foodborne disease across populations. This workshop precedes the inaugural global perspective event—the Food Science & Innovation Conference—which takes place Feb. 28–29 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Additional Pre-Conference Short Courses are also available. Register today for one or more events.
Wellness 12: March 28–29
Understand what constitutes a healthy diet worldwide through the Wellness 12 General Session, International Comparison of Food-based Dietary Guidelines: The Nutritional Message Across Countries and Cultures. This, topped with more than 20 focused sessions and informal discussions with other industry professionals involved in bringing healthy foods to market, makes Wellness 12 your go-to event for the latest product development advances in the healthful foods arena. A Short Course on sensory evaluation is offered just prior to the main event. Check out the agenda with additional tracks and sessions, before registering today.