Monitoring of Emerging Issues News
March / April 2012
New Food Regulations
· The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has announced the changes to the New Zealand only Supplemented Food Standard (SFS). This standard is an interim standard for supplemented foods and is intended to be in place until permissions in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) become available. The SFS was introduced in March 2010 to regulate food-type dietary supplements. The SFS contains two parts: Part 1, which outlines the new composition and labelling requirements for supplemented foods; and Part 2, which outlines the existing regulations for food-type dietary supplements. From 31 March 2012, Part 2 of the SFS will cease to exist, and from that date all food-type dietary supplements must comply with Part 1 of the standard, 23 March 2012 http://bit.ly/GLsW4e
New Publications
· The UK FSA has published the latest edition of its e-News. The latest edition includes the work the FSA is undertaking ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Play it Safe food safety campaign, a capability review to ensure that the agency is prepared to meet its current and future challenges, and the difference between best before and use by dates, 30 March 2012 http://bit.ly/HxtU5p
· The United Kingdom Food Standards Agency (UK FSA) has published two research papers during March, including the development of a number of new methods for screening GMOs, and an estimation of nutrient intakes in Scotland, 29 March 2012 http://bit.ly/GVNuXv
· The EFSA and the ECDC published the second joint EU report on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic bacteria affecting humans, animals and food, 14 March 2012 http://bit.ly/xubEAa
· The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) has published its findings linking foodborne disease outbreaks to imported food products. CDC experts reviewed outbreaks reported to CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System from 2005-2010 for implicated foods that were imported into the United States. During that five-year period, 39 outbreaks and 2348 illnesses were linked to imported food from 15 countries. Of those outbreaks, nearly half (17) occurred in 2009 and 2010. Overall, fish (17 outbreaks) were the most common source of implicated imported foodborne disease outbreaks, followed by spices (six outbreaks including five from fresh or dried peppers). Findings also show that 45% of the imported foods causing outbreaks were imported from Asia, 14 March 2012 http://1.usa.gov/wQWvzW
· The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have published their annual report on zoonoses and foodborne outbreaks in the European Union (EU) for 2010. The report shows that Salmonella cases in humans fell by almost 9% in 2010, marking a decrease for the sixth consecutive year. Campylobacteriosis continues to be the most reported zoonotic infection in humans, 8 March 2012 http://bit.ly/yaBOgm
Acrylamide study
· A new Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) report shows that the concerted effort by New Zealand’s potato crisp manufacturers to lower acrylamide in their products is paying off. Acrylamide study produces pleasing results
Australian & New Zealand Issues
· FSANZ called for submissions on a report looking at the safety of fresh produce including fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, tree nuts and edible flowers, with the submission period closing on 21 May 2012. http://bit.ly/GPHJir
· FSANZ released a consultation paper on a proposed new approach to regulation nutritive substances and novel foods. The Food Standards Code indicated that nutritive substances are foods that are not normally consumed as food on their own or used as an ingredient, for example an amino acid. Novel foods are foods or substances that don’t have a history of human consumption, which has led to difficulty in interpreting the definitions; therefore FSANZ is exploring a new approach. The submission period closes on 21 May 2012. http://bit.ly/H1KPQ2
· FSANZ called for submission on a proposal looking at potential food safety measures for producers and processors of minor meat species and wild game, including kangaroo, crocodile, rabbit, ostrich and emu. The call for submissions closes on 21 May 2012. http://bit.ly/H53wla
· FSANZ has called for submissions on its assessment of an application that seeks to remove a requirement that phytosterol-enriched milk cannot be sold in containers larger than 1 litre. The Code has a volume restriction clause for phytosterol-enriched milk under Standard 2.5.1. The submission period closes on 7 May 2012. http://bit.ly/GQEv8C
· Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) called for comment on an application for a processing aid to reduce the risk of food poisoning bacteria – Listeria, with the submission
period closing on 27 April 2012. http://bit.ly/xQ2w9R
Food Safety Incidents
Rare Salmonella Paratyphi Outbreak Grows as Investigation Continues
· The outbreak of a rare, typhoidal Salmonella strain that originated in North Carolina's Buncombe County grew to 40 confirmed illnesses on Thursday as the state and county health departments continued their investigation Rare Salmonella Paratyphi Outbreak Grows as Investigation Continues.
Food Recalls
USA – FDA
Link to the United States Food and Drug Administration recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm#bottom
Henry’s Farm Inc. Expands Recall Of Soybean Sprouts Due To Possible Health Risk Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts > Henry's Farm Inc. Expands Recall Of Soybean Sprouts Due To Possible Health Risk
UK – UKFSA
Link to the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency’s food alerts, product withdrawals and recalls:
http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/alerts/
Canada – CFIA
Link to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s March food recalls and allergy alerts:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recalls-and-allergy-alerts/eng/1299076382077/1299076493846
USA – FSIS
Link to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service recalls and alerts: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp?src_location=Content&src_page=FSISRecalls
Australia – FSANZ
a2 Dairy Products Australia Pty Ltd (foreign matter)
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/foodrecalls/currentconsumerlevelrecalls/a2fullcreammilkforei5488.cfm April
Simplot Australia has recalled John West Tuna Tempters Sweet Seeded Mustard flavour (with a batch code 4ER12) from Coles, Woolworths, IGA and other independent supermarkets nationally due to foreign matter - glass fragments, 30 March 2012
Fantastic Snacks has recalled Fantastic Noodles Chicken Flavoured and Beef Flavoured nationally from Coles, IGA and other independent supermarkets due to reports of unpleasant odour and stale taste, possibly caused by the chemical composition of the cooking oil, 28 March 2012
Woolworths Ltd has recalled Mars flavoured cookies, Large 4 Pack, from Hogans Corner Safeway in Hoppers Crossing, VIC due to undeclared allergen – peanut, 27 March 2012
Goodman Fielder has recalled Meadow Lea Extra Light margarine from Coles Supermarkets and independent supermarkets nationally due to possible chemical contamination with a cleaning agent, 22 March 2012
Woolworths Ltd has recalled Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Devil's Food Cupcakes (mix) and Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Confetti Cupcakes (mix) nationally from Woolworths/Safeway/Food For Less/ Flemings Supermarkets due to undeclared allergens - milk and traces of tree nuts, 22 March 2012
Almarae Dairy Products have recalled Country Cheese from two outlets in Punchbowl, NSW due to microbial contamination of Listeria and E.coli, 9 March 2012
Pacific Organics have recalled ‘GF Harvest Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (Gluten Free)’ from health food stores and bakeries in NSW due to non-compliant labelling, 13 March 2012
Vitaco Health Australia has recalled all flavours of Healtheries Kidscare Rice Wheels and Healtheries Wiggles Ricey Bites Cheese flavour from supermarkets nationally due to foreign matter – glass, 2 March 2012
The Reject Shop Ltd has recalled Snack Stacks Potato Crisps Barbeque from their retail stores nationally due to an undeclared allergen – milk, 2 March 2012.
New Zealand – NZFSA
Homecare Health Management has recalled its Lotcare Gold Grow Up Nutritional Supplement due to not meeting the New Zealand requirements for composition, 16 March 2012
Goodman Fielder New Zealand Pty Ltd has recalled its Deli Kitchen Classic Ham & Mustard sandwich and its Classic Ham & Mayo sandwich due to potential contamination of foreign matter – plastic, 15 March 2012
Hellers Limited has recalled its precooked flavoured sausages due to potential contamination of gluten, as the product is labelled gluten free, 14 March 2012
Goodman Fielder New Zealand Pty Ltd has recalled its Deli Kitchen Sandwiches Gourmet Farmhouse due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, 13 March 2012
Oriental Merchant Pty Ltd has recalled its Crown Pie – Chocolate Pie with Marshmallow Cream due to undeclared allergens on the label – egg, 6 March 2012
Vitaco Health (NZ) Limited have recalled Healtheries Kidcare Rice Wheels and Wiggles Ricey Bites due to potential contamination of glass, 2 March 2012
Rapid Alert System Notifications
The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) has recently been updated, and now the system utilises a portal where interested parties can view the alerts on a database rather than through PDF links.
The link to the new database can be found here: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/portal/
Within the database, there are various search options available to narrow your search.
To capture the relevant week of notifications, click under the ‘date’ heading and then ‘current week’ and ‘previous week’ respectively to view the notifications. Other search options are also available.
FSANZ makes the material in this newsletter available on the understanding that users exercise their own skill, care and judgement with respect to its use. Before relying on the material, users should carefully evaluate the accuracy, completeness and relevance of the information for their purposes, and should obtain appropriate expert advice relevant to their particular circumstances.
Links to external web sites are inserted for convenience only and do not constitute endorsement of any information, product or services at those sites. FSANZ makes no representations or warranties regarding, the source, quality, accuracy or completeness of the materials on any website to which a hyperlink is provided above.