We’ve all been there, that feeling at around 3pm when you want something to nibble on.

Although this hasn’t changed over time, the nibble we are choosing has.

In the past it was probably something sweet – the lolly jar sure did get a workout.

Now you will find that the nibble is something healthy, according to the results of a recent survey by Galileo Kaleidoscope

So even though we are snacking (and we know that we really shouldn’t) we are probably making ourselves feel better about it when we do it, by nibbling on convenient foods which improve wellness and have maximum health benefits.

Those taking part in the survey said that the reasons for snacking are stress relief,social engagement and that mid afternoon low energy.

There is obviously a significant market developing for “healthy” snack foods and the traditional brand names need to be looking at how they can service it.

According to IBISWorld, snack industry revenue is expected to reach at least $1.8 billion.

It may involve simply removing artificial ingredients or reducing salt and or sugar from current products, or increasing protein or wholegrains, or even the development of completely new products.

Another feature of this specific part of the food industry is the increasing number of new brands and companies.

More and more research is showing that our health is very much linked to what we eat, specifically what fibre we eat and how much of it.

CSIRO Director of Health and Biosecurity Dr Rob Grenfell said; “After the brain, the gut is really the next most crucial and complex part of the human body. Maintaining a healthy gut can lead to enormous benefits. Beyond digesting our food, it is the coal face of the nutrients our body absorbs, regulates hormones used throughout our body, and is a frontline of our immune response system.”

Bowel health is obviously vital to our health and ensuring we eat the right type of fibre is key. This fibre is resistant starch. This makes it way through the system without being broken down, until it reaches the bowel and specific bacteria then work on it and as a result create an environment which is beneficial to other bacteria and therefore to our health.

According to CSIRO, the benefits of healthy gut bacteria include:

• Creating an environment that stops the growth of potentially harmful bugs.
• Ensuring the gut barrier stays strong to stop nasty bacteria from entering the body.
• Promoting appropriate immune responses via the 70–80 per cent of the body’s immune cells found in the gut.
• Keeping our gut cells healthy which help eliminate the DNA mutations that can contribute to colorectal cancer.
• Promoting hydration from fluid and electrolyte uptake in the large bowel.

CSIRO has recently developed the CSIRO Healthy Gut Diet, which includes meals based foods containing the resistant starch. These foods include the following;

• Sweet Potato
• Lentils
• Green peas
• Red kidney and Black eyed beans
• Chickpeas
• Cooked and cooled rice, pasta and potato
• Wholemeal pasta
• Rolled oats

According to the 2018 State of the (Red Meat) Industry Report, Australia holds only  six percent of the world’s sheep flock, but we are the leading exporter of sheep meat.

Independent Chair of the Red Meat Advisory Council, Don Mackay said; “We were also the third largest exporter of beef in 2017 behind Brazil and India and the world’s leading exporter of goatmeat in 2016. We also exported 867,056 live cattle, 1.9 million live sheep and 12,245 goats. This represents around $13.3 billion in export earnings.”

The Report was prepared by Meat and Livestock Australia.

Other interesting statistics from the Report include;

• 438,100 Australians employed directly and indirectly
• 4 percent of the employment for the country
• 90 per cent of these jobs are regionally and rurally based
• 82,500 businesses are supported by the industry
• $65 billion in turnover
• In 2016-17 the red meat industry was valued at $65 billion
• Australians eat three times more beef and five times more sheep meat than the global average

To read the full report – http://rmac.com.au/policy-leadership/state-industry-2018/

The Microbiological Criteria Compendium has been reviewed by Food Standards Australia new Zealand and the new version is now available on the FSANZ website.

The Compendium contains a lot of information that assists food businesses and testing laboratories in ensuring that foods and the processes involved in making them meet internationally recognised food safety and hygiene standards.

The new version not only includes the food safety criteria and the process hygiene criteria, but new guidance on environmental monitoring, particularly with the establishment of a Listeria monocytogenes monitoring program. The updated process hygiene criteria now includes dairy products from raw bulk milk to components like cream, cheese and liquid milk.

The Compendium provides information about both the pathogens and indicator organisms.

This compendium brings together information on pathogens and indicator organisms significant to food safety, microbiological guideline criteria for Ready To Eat foods, and process hygiene criteria that have been established for specific food commodities.

The following is a quote directly from the revised compendium, explaining what each of the criteria means and why they are needed;

“Microbiological criteria are established to support decision making about a food or process

based on microbiological testing. Criteria can be developed and applied for different

purposes across the food supply chain, with different consequences if the limits are not met.

Internationally, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) and the International

Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) have provided the lead on

contemporary food safety management approaches and applying microbiological criteria. An

important principle is that a microbiological criterion is established at a specified point in the

food chain for a particular purpose. In general, this is to establish the safety of a food or to

verify that the food safety control system or elements of it are working as intended.

The microbiological criteria used by food regulatory agencies generally include:

food safety criteria: microbiological criteria that are applied to determine the safety of a

food lot. Food safety criteria are included in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards

Code (the Code) and are applied to food for sale (e.g. at any point following final product

manufacture).

process hygiene criteria: microbiological criteria applied to verify hygiene measures or

control of process. Process hygiene criteria are included in Section 2 of this document.

They are applied at a specified point in the manufacturing process.”

The Compendium is available at;

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/publications/Documents/Compedium%20of%20Microbiological%20Criteria/Compendium_revised-Sep%202018.pdf?utm_source=Food+Standards+News&utm_campaign=768da47b90-Food_Standards_News_Mar-18_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71d71e1fc3-768da47b90-310072897

Like with all businesses, there are good aged care centres and there are poor aged care centres

I have the experience of working for and also utilising the services of an aged care centre, and it gives me a different perspective to most.

I am very fortunate in that I do work with an excellent aged care centre, so much so that my father was a resident there for a while before he passed. The staff are caring and attentive, the food is tasty and suitable for older people  and there is a very extensive activity program – including an annual beach holiday.

There are horrific stories about abuse and photos on Facebook of food which many claim is poor. There are also many like me who are saying loudly that the brush should not be used to tar all centres.

As it is such a hot button issue, we all know that the government is setting up a Royal Commission to investigate the aged care industry as a whole and  review the current standards which all centres must meet.

One of the big issues in aged care is texture modification, and which resident needs it and if so at what level is it needed.

Currently there are different levels for food and for drink and a single resident may be able to swallow a 400 drink  whilst at the same time have their meat  at a minced and moist and their vegetable soft. In other words, the staff have got to be aware of the individual needs of each specific resident and then ensure that is available to that resident.  It can get very confusing with multiple texture modifications often being given to the same resident, depending upon their swallowing / choking.

In May 2019 Australian aged care and child care centres will need to have implemented the new international 0 to 7 texture modification system, which will be easier to remember and use than the current system. However it will not change the fact that it is people who will be preparing and serving these foods and drinks, who need to make them appealing.

Choking is now one of the major causes of death in aged care centres, so getting the texture modification right is a matter of life and death.It is not only the texture of the food / drink being given to residents which impacts on whether choking occurs, it is the supervision of that resident whilst they are consuming that material.

With the Listeria outbreak earlier this year and now the whole problem of tampered strawberries, on top of a drought affecting much of the country, Australian farmers and their respective industries are suffering badly.

Being a farmer isn’t just a job , it is who they are. Most were raised on that farm and have being doing it since they could walk and they are raising their children in it as well.

It is no wonder that many farming families are not only struggling on their properties but are considering chucking it in altogether.

But if they do chuck it all in, what do they do next and just as importantly what do we do as a nation when that business isn’t around anymore contributing food into our economy and supermarkets, and money into it’s local town.

We can buy foods from overseas, but is that really the best for us all?

They and their communities need our help.

Buy Australian produce whenever you have the choice, especially when there are things like this strawberry tampering, where  we can buy the products and cut them up to ensure they are safe.

Go on a long weekend out in the country and stay at a country hotel, have some meals at the café and check out the tourist haunts.Your money is helping keep locals employed, which puts more money into the community and keeps businesses like the servo, hotel, café, chemist and Doctor open.

We have to put our money where our mouths and Facebook posts are – support our farmers and their local communities.

This tampering is serious and it is a police matter. The person / people who did this originally will eventually be found and punished as required. The very sad thing is that there are people out there now who think it is all just funny and are doing hoaxes, and not only with strawberries but other fruit. Not funny, it’s just stupid. It is just making a bad situation for our farmers and their communities much much worse – stop it, no one is laughing.

There has been a lot going on in food safety this year  with food borne illnesses and food recalls, and our national food agency, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has also been very busy.

Even those who  work in the food industry can sometimes be unsure which agency is responsible for what when it comes to recalls, inspections and outbreaks. To make it easier to understand, FSANZ has developed a short clip on Youtube. It can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeMHXehEBHw&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=Food+Standards+News&utm_campaign=a872488e10-Food_Standards_News_Mar-18_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71d71e1fc3-a872488e10-310072897

Another project by FSANZ has been the development of the Food Allergen Portal. This tool is designed to let not only the food industry understand it’s responsibility and obligations with allergens, but is a brilliant starting point for consumers looking for allergen information.

 It can be found on the FSANZ website at – http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/foodallergies/foodallergenportal/Pages/default.aspx?utm_source=Food+Standards+News&utm_campaign=a872488e10-Food_Standards_News_Mar-18_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71d71e1fc3-a872488e10-310072897

With the number of food recalls we have had this year, it is important that all food businesses know when those recalls are happening. If your business has not already registered to receive the Recall Notifications from FSANZ, you need to do so at http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/media/pages/subscriptionservice.aspx

The following is a media release from the New South Wales Food Authority about a current food recall and is included here with permission.

The NSW Food Authority advises that ‘Eggz on the Run’ is undertaking a voluntary recall of Glendenning Farms eggs as part of an investigation into human illness.

A cluster of human cases of Salmonella Enteritidis, have been detected in the Sydney area. To date there have been 23 confirmed cases.

The NSW Food Authority is working with NSW Health in investigating the cluster.

Salmonellosis symptoms include fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms usually start around six to 72 hours after the contaminated food is eaten and usually last for four to seven days but can continue for much longer.

If you have immediate health concerns contact your medical professional in the first instance.

Consumers should not consume these products and either bin or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. You do not require proof of purchase for a recalled item.

Product recall details are:

• Glendenning Farms whole shell eggs. Best before dates: 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24 and 29 September 2018 and 1 October 2018. Sold in cartons and bulk trays in NSW only.

For further information, contact Eggz on the Run on 0451 110 110.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries has issued a biosecurity direction on the farm to restrict movement of livestock, eggs, manure and disposables and order the disinfection and decontamination of equipment. This direction will be in place while further investigations are underway.

The following is a Recall Notice from Food Standards Australia New Zealand and is included here with permission.

Food recall (SA & NT only) – SUNSHINE SPROUTS is recalling the following products:

White Alfalfa 125gm

White Alfalfa 250gm

White Alfalfa 1kg

Green Alfalfa 125gm

Alfalfa and Radish 125gm

Alfalfa and Cabbage 125gm

Alfalfa and Onion 125gm

Alfalfa and Garlic 125gm

Alfalfa and Mustard 125gm

Alfalfa and Broccoli 125gm

Gourmet Pak 100g

All alfalfa products USE BY 09/SEPT/18 up to and including USE BY 16/09/2018

Sold in PLASTIC CONTAINERS

Affected States/Territories: SA and NT only

Retail Outlets: multiple retailers/grocery stores

Problem: The recall is due to microbial (Salmonella) contamination.

Food safety hazard: Food products contaminated with (Salmonella) may cause illness if consumed.

What to do: Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Sunshine Sprouts: 0404477285

According to new ABARES research, in 2016-17 we were spending about $3780 per person on average on domestic food  compared to $2950 in 1988–89 in real terms.

ABARES executive director, Dr Steve Hatfield-Dodds said; “The good news story of this research is that while household food consumption expenditure continues to grow, so do our net food exports,”

A few other interesting findings from the research;

• Food production and consumption in Australia have nearly doubled since 1988-89
• Food exports have risen to $39 billion, increasing 6.5 per cent a year since 2009-10
• Domestic food consumption has also doubled over the past 20 years
• Total national household consumption is $92 billion
• Imported food only makes up around 15 per cent of that total

Dr Hatfield-Dodds said; “The story here is not just how much we are eating, but what we are eating—and that depends on how much you earn. Higher income households have shown a willingness to pay a premium for quality food, while price is a key factor in the way lower income households shop for their food. There is a trend across the whole Australian population to spend more on eating meals out and fast foods. Eating out and eating fast foods now makes up 34 per cent of household food spending, up from 25 per cent in 1988–89.”

There is a lot of media attention right now over a test result which shows that something like 40 percent of the honey samples tested using a specific test method are not the pure honey their labels claim.

This has raised publicly the whole issue of food fraud.

This is an issue  which the food industry has been working on for a long time but it is only when stories like this come along that the media dnpublic become very concerned.

Pigs anuses have been coated and sold as calamari, honey has been fiddled with, shark has been labelled as some other type of fish, champagne is called that when it should be called sparkling wine – these are all just examples of the food fraud that is going on across the world.

When people pay for a particular product they have the absolute right to expect that what is on the label is what is inside the container and is what they have paid for.

The problem is that a very small number of unscrupulous people and companies have realised that there is money to be made by selling something that looks like what is being paid for when it actually isn’t.

There are strong laws already in place to address this crime but the hassle is that the products need to be found and they need to be tested to show that they are not whet they seem.

There are international and nationally accredited and recognised testing methods for  confirming the content of foods. These tests are gtting more and more sensitive and can now not only test what species something is in a food but where all the ingredients came from. So it can now be easily shown the total chemical composition of a honey and, in fact, where the flowers grew that were involved in it.

This makes it much easier to identify if a food is not what the label claims, but that doesn’t solve the problem of food fraud. There are however still issues with the testing because there are still disagreements on the best testing methods.

Testing the food is only half the story, the key is in actually finding foods that may have been adulterated. Honey is a good example, if done right, an adulterated honey looks no different to a pure honey and to those who are not specialists in the taste of a specific type of honey, the flavour is not a good indication either.

So how can authorities find the food fraud and then find who is doing it? That is the big question and there are no simple answers.

Especially when countries are setting different laws which make identifying food fraud and then prosecuting it even more difficult in other countries. A good example of this is recently in China there has been a decision made that means that rainbow trout can be labelled as Salmon. This is all because of language issues in that country but it will make it very difficult in other countries if that type of fish is exported to them as Salmon when it is in fact Rainbow Trout.