Newer Entries »

New food safety game

Sunday, September 12th, 2010 by Green Food Safety Coach

I have been to training sessions that make you wonder what you are doing there – as I am sure that we all have!!!!!!

Food safety is deadly serious and cannot be made a joke of, but learning about it does not have to be boring.

I have developed a food safety game called “How safe is your food?”. I have used it many times to reinforce food safety training in a fun way, and it has been very popular.

It is available for purchase as both Business and Kids versions from the eStore on my website – www.howsafeisyourfood.com.au/estore.html

I am now in the process of developing three others, and will shortly be putting the first of these into the estore. It is called “No Go” and will join my other games as a great way for food businesses and schools to top up their food safety training

Posted in Training | No Comments »

Shelf life test strips soon to be available

Saturday, September 11th, 2010 by Green Food Safety Coach

A Norwegian company has been testing a special adhesive strip that seems to be accurately measuring how much shelf life is left on food products. For more details go to the article on my website – www.howsafeisyourfood.com.au/articles.html

Posted in Food Safety | No Comments »

Foodie Friday –

Friday, September 10th, 2010 by Green Food Safety Coach

 Origins of some foods.

Devilled eggs started out in ancient Rome. They are just half cooked eggs filled with whatever you want, but there are some famous fillings. In the Netherlands and Germany, caviar is a common filling and they are known as Russian Eggs. They are a staple of  family functions and BBQs across the world.

Cheesecake is not modern, it was originally a food used at the first Olympics in Greece in 776BC. Although not the same ingredients as currently used, it was highly nutritious and full of energy for the athletes. It came to Europe by the Romans in around 1000AD. The cheesecake we know (and love) today originated in the USA in 1872, when cream cheese was invented.

Steak Tartare is raw minced meat eaten with a raw egg and onions , as well as a specific sauce. It is an aquired taste and considered by many to be a gourmet delight. It originally started out at the time of Genghis Khan. Raw meat was placed under the saddles of the horses and this tenderised it as the horse moved during the day. It was then eaten raw each evening or whilst riding. It was eventually taken to Russia and adopted. Over time Russian Chefs then added the egg and onions.

Friday’s Green Tip – With water rates rising dramatically in many places, now is definitely past  the time to review usage and find all those dripping taps or pipes.

Every little bit helps.

Posted in Sustainability, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Food poisoning bacteria are using food to hide

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 by Green Food Safety Coach

A recently presented study from University College Cork, is showing that the food poisoning bacteria are able to use the acids and other components to protect themselves from the acids and harsh environment in the stomach.

This is then leading to food poisoning. The study shows that some foods like those containing high amounts of glutamate seem to provide better protection for them than others.

This study helps explain why soft cheeses and other similar foods are a good source of Listeria.

Tags: Food Safety, foodpoisoning, Listeria
Posted in Food Safety | 5 Comments »

Another clip on YouTube

Monday, September 6th, 2010 by Green Food Safety Coach

I have often heard staff in food businesses say that they just added a little more cleaning chemical because it works better then.

The next of my Food Myths on the GreenFoodSafety Channel on YouTube deals with exactly this myth.

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcm8HUdjeGA

Tags: Food Safety, Green idea
Posted in Food Safety | No Comments »

FSANZ calls for comments or submissions on changes to the Code

Monday, September 6th, 2010 by Green Food Safety Coach

FSANZ are calling for anyone who has an interest to make a comment or submission about several proposed changes to the Food Standards Code.

For more information about what the changes are and how to make a submission, go to the article on my website – www.howsafeisyourfood.com.au/articles.html

Posted in Food Law | 3 Comments »

Chocolate sales up in the US.

Saturday, September 4th, 2010 by Green Food Safety Coach

A report from Packaged Foods, a research group in the US, shows that chocolate products are set to exceed US$19billion within four years.

There is a saying that “Chocolate is the sixth food group”, and it seems that these figures from the US show that many must believe this. Chocolate is considered to be both a comfort and indulgence food, and the market in that country is reflecting this.

It is the premium part of the market that is showing the most growth, with manufacturers starting to add new, exotic and indulgent flavours to their ranges.

Chilli has long been added to some chocolate, and now other savoury flavours are also starting to appear, including curry, bacon and cheese 

People seem more willing to try new flavours with chocolate than with most other foods. In fact, in Australia, a large chocolate manufacturer has just released a new range of unusual flavours in their milk chocolate.

Little would those who originally brought choclate to the rest of the world have realised what an important food it was to become.

Posted in Health and Nutrtion | 4 Comments »

Foodie Friday – some foodie facts

Friday, September 3rd, 2010 by Green Food Safety Coach

Removing the pip of an olive removes some of the flavour from the fruit.

Lettuce has been grown and eaten by humans for around 2500 years!!!!!!

Chilli heat is not affected by cooking or freezing – if’ it’s hot – it will stay that way!!!!

To get a single jar of peanut butter, you have to crush more than 500 peanuts.

Oysters can go back and forth between being male and female throughout their lives.

Friday’s Green Tip – Don’t print out all the Acts, Standards and Codes of Practices you may need in a business, mark the websites where they are, as favourites and make sure that you have written this into your Manual so auditors and others know where to find them. This saves an enormous amount of paper and ensures that the version you refer to is the most recent.

Every little bit helps!!!!!

Posted in Sustainability | No Comments »

Choice targets cans and consumers speak

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 by Green Food Safety Coach

Bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to quite a few illnesses, including; infertility, breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, heart diseases and attention deficit disorder.

Baby bottles containing this chemical have recently been phased out in the major retailers in Australia.

Food cans often use quite acidic solutions to help in the preservation of the food they contain. To protect the metal in the can from corroding and spoiling the food, BPA is found in the epoxy resins which are used to seal the inside of those cans.

A recent study by CHOICE has found that BPA is being found in the food from these cans. 38 cans randomly selcted from a supermarket were tested and 29 were found to have BPA levels that some experts think may be harmful.

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand and other food safety authorities around the world consider that, based on current science, it is safe to consume 50 micrograms of BPA per kilogram of body weight per day. 

In the CHOICE study, none of the cans had levels of even ten percent of this level. Their concern is that there are an incresing number of scientist around the world who are saying that this currently acceptable level is too high and further esearch is needed.

Australia’s largest canneries have been in the process, for some time, of reviewing their can coatings to determine how BPA can be removed from them. This is due to the increasing public interest, and concern in this chemical.

Posted in Food Safety, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Use by Dates and using food after that.

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 by Green Food Safety Coach

use by dates are set by manufacturers based on microbiological testing results. The Food Standards Code has maximum bacterial levels for different foods and the use by date set for foods is based on ensuring that the food is less than these levels.

A question I was asked today in an interview for a possible A Current Affair story was  –  is it Ok to use foods after the use by date has past?

 The answer is yes, as long as the material has been properly tested and shows that the bacterial levels are less then that allowed in the code. The whole process must be done according to a standard method and be well documented.

Keep an eye out for the interview in the next week or so.

Posted in Labelling | No Comments »

Newer Entries »