How Safe is Your Food?

microbe of the Month – Yersinia

The following is from The Bug Bible - http://www.safefood.net.au/AudienceHierarchy/TheBugBible/Default.htm Yersinia enterocolitica has been recognized as an important cause of foodborne disease since the late 1980s. It is found in the general environment as well as the gut of various animals, and is associated more with the temperate regions of the world. Many foods have been…

So how can a business save money and look good doing it?

Isn’t the ultimate aim of any business, to not only save money but look good doing it? The big question is how do they do this? The traditional method is to tighten the belt and reduce expenses. The problem with this method is that there comes a point where you cannot tighten the belt any…

Labelling Review Paper

The Food Labelling Review was established by Food Standards Australia New Zealand in late 2009 to conduct a thorough review of the labelling laws in the Food Standards Code. The Committee received initial comments and submissions during the first consultation period once it was formed. The 5 March 2010 will see the release of a…

Volunteers are food handlers

A volunteer is a person who gives their time freely to help others. These special people are essential in our society. Community groups simply would be unable to function without them. In aged care centres as an example of a food business, they hold a key role and assist the staff with feeding and supporting…

Stamped eggs

This week was the sixth meeting of the Egg Standard Development Committe. The soon to be Standard 4.2.5 is set to go to the Board of Food Standard Australia New Zealand and then, all being well, to the Ministerial Council in September 2010.The new standard will not apply in New Zealand. There may be an…

Kitchen Crimes Week

New Zealand is focussing on the food poisoning crimes that happen in homes during Kitchne Crimes Week - 24-28 May. Some 5.3 million days of work are lost in that country due to food poisoning , which costs New Zealanders around $86 million a year. A recent study by the New Zealand Food Authority shows…

Trade Measurement Changes

Effective as of 01 July 2010 in Australia, the National Measurement Insitute (NMI) will become the regulatory body responsible for trade measurement. This will be very good for food businesses as it will significantly reduce state differences and fees, whilst making the country equal with our trading partners. All consumer and trade enquiries and control…

The store that caused the”Soup Nazi” reopens

The sitcom "Seinfeld" had a character called The Soup Nazi", which was based on the "Original Soup Man" (Al Yeganeh). He had a soup stall in New York for 20 years, and it has been reopened by the group that now owns . Although he is no longer directly involved in the running of that…

Antibiotic use for meat producers to be reduced in USA

Although hormones and steroids are not used in meat chickens in Australia, antibiotics are. These are being used to reduce bacterial infections in the flock and improve both bird health and growth, as well as maintain the numbers available for slaughter. They have an important economic and health impact. Antibiotics are a key part of…

New egg safety law in US

Effective 09 July 2010, all US egg producers with more then 50 000 birds are required to meet the new egg safety regulations from the Food and Drug Administration. This group amount to about 80percent of egg production in the US. Smaller producers are allowed until 2012 to meet the requirements. The new regulation requires…