Only one brand received a five star rating for consistency, taste and overall satisfaction in the Canstar Blue’s Best Australian Ice cream survey for 2018.

It was from South Australia and is made by an independent producer, which was established in 1923. It is not well known outside of it’s home state but is expanding and this win will set it up well for consumers to see it on their shelves nationally.

Golden North topped the Top 10 Best Ice Creams in Australia for this year.

Following are the Top Ten Best Ice Creams according to the Canstar Blue survey

1. Golden North
2. Aldi
3. Bulla
4. Cadbury
5. Connoisseur
6. Peters
7. Sara Lee
8. Streets
9. Ben & Jerry’s
10. Coles
11. Woolworths

So keep an eye out for the number one to be in your supermarket.

The following is a new media release from the Food Safety Information Council Ltd and is included here with permission.

With the growing popularity of foraging for wild food, the Food Safety Information Council today warned people not to pick or eat wild mushrooms as deadly deathcap mushrooms start to appear in southern and western Australia.

Rachelle Williams, Council Chair, said that foraging for wild food is becoming a popular activity but gathering wild mushrooms can be a life threatening risk.

‘The poison in one deathcap mushroom, if eaten, is enough to kill a healthy adult. In the past 16 years, four people have died after eating deathcap mushrooms found in the ACT. In 2012 two people died after eating the deadly mushrooms at a New Year’s Eve dinner party in Canberra, and in 2014 four people were seriously poisoned.

‘Deathcap mushrooms can appear any time of year but are more common during Autumn a week or two after good rains. They have been found in the Canberra region, in and around Melbourne, in northern Tasmania and in Adelaide. They are not native to Australia and are often found near oak trees growing in warm wet weather. The similar marbled deathcap mushrooms have also been recently found in WA, although they may not be as toxic. While no cases have been reported in NSW it is possible that they also grow there.

‘Deathcap mushrooms are difficult to distinguish from other wild mushrooms so we recommend you play it safe and only eat mushrooms that you have purchased from the supermarket, greengrocer or other reputable source. People born overseas, especially in Asian countries, should be aware that these deadly mushrooms can look like edible mushrooms that they may have gathered in their home countries.

“The toxin in deathcap mushrooms is not destroyed by peeling, cooking or drying. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps and often don’t appear until 10 to 16 hours after eating. These symptoms may ease for 2 to 3 days before a terminal phase of 3 to 4 days begins. Without early, effective medical intervention people may go into a coma and die after 2 or 3 weeks of liver and kidney failure.

‘Nine out of ten deaths from mushroom poisoning in Australia result from deathcap mushrooms. However there are other wild mushrooms in Australia that, while not fatal, can make you ill with abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. These include the yellow stainer which resembles a field mushroom and is the most commonly ingested poisonous mushroom in Victoria. Australian Poisons Information Centres received almost 900 calls about possible wild mushroom poisoning over a recent 12 month period, approximately a third of which were referred to hospital or medical treatment.

‘Many reported cases of yellow stainer poisoning are in children under five years of age. As well as never cooking or eating wild mushrooms, remember that small children have a natural inclination to put things in their mouths so keep an eye on them when outdoors at this time of year. Parents, schools and childcare workers should regularly check outdoor areas and gardens for mushrooms and remove them to reduce the risk of accidental poisoning. This will also protect your pets.

‘If you suspect you may have eaten a deathcap mushroom don’t wait for any symptoms to occur but go to a hospital emergency department taking a sample of the mushroom with you if you can. You can also contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (24 hours a day 7 days a week),’ Ms Williams concluded.

Further information:

ACT Health: If you think you see any possible Deathcap mushrooms growing in Canberra do not touch but report them contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81 see more information

Queensland see more information

Better Health Channel (Victorian Government) see more information

Australian National Botanic Gardens see more information

WA Health: if you have concerns about possible wild mushroom poisoning contact the WA Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 see more information

Tasmania http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/publichealth/food_safety/information_for_consumers
Media contact:

Lydia Buchtmann, Food Safety Information Council, 0407 626 688 or info@foodsafety.asn.au

The four legged toy chewing fur / feather baby is not only an important part of many Australian homes but is also a potential source of food poisoning bacteria.

We all know that we are supposed to wash our hands after playing with animals or their beds / habitats, and especially after cleaning up after them. The problem seems to be that people forget this and kiss their dogs, cats, rats, guinea pigs, horses and even chickens, or forget to wash their hands after being with them or anything linked to them.

Between mid 2015 and the end of 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported nine cases of Salmonella infection in the USA which were directly attributable to the handling and cleaning of guinea pigs and their habitats.

“This outbreak is a reminder that pet rodents such as guinea pigs, regardless of where they are purchased or adopted, can carry Salmonella bacteria even when they look healthy and clean. This result provides more evidence that people in this outbreak got sick from contact with pet guinea pigs,” according to the CDC advisory

The Food Safety Information Council Ltd recently sent out a media release about the link between food poisoning and pets and what methods should be used to prevent it. This information has been put into a Fact Sheet on their website – www.foodsafety.asn.au

Having pets has been found to be of enormous benefit to our health, nut obviously we need to be aware of the food poisoning issues and prevent them.

The following is a recall notice from Food Standards Australia new Zealand, and is included here with permission.

Sharwood’s Plain Puppodums 113g

Size: 113g,

Best before: All Best Before End Dates up to and including Best Before End MAY 2019

Manassen Foods on behalf of Sharwood’s is conducting a recall on the product with the packaging design as shown above and with the label Gluten Free on pack, which has been available for sale in Coles, Woolworths, IGA’s Supabarn and independent Supermarkets supplied by Manassen Foods and Sharwood’s throughout Australia.

Problem: The recall is due to an agricultural cross contamination issue resulting in the presence of an undeclared allergen (gluten).

Food Safety Hazard: Any consumers who have a gluten and/or wheat allergy or intolerance may have a reaction if the product is consumed.

What to do: Consumers who have a gluten and/or wheat allergy or intolerance should not consume this product. Consumers should return the product to the place of purchase for a full cash refund. Sharwood’s would like to apologise for any inconvenience.

Country of Origin: Manufactured in India, Packed in the United Kingdom.

For further information contact:

Manassen Foods Customer Services

8 Interchange Drive, Eastern Creek, NSW 2766, Australia.

customerservice@manassen.com.au

TEL: 1800 888 606

Website: http://www.sharwoods.com.au/contact-us

Amyloid beta is recognised as a precursor to Alzheimer’s, and new research has found that a diet higher in protein reduces it’s level in the brain and therefore the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The diet of 541 Australians were studied by researchers from Edith Cowan University and the amount of amyloid beta in their brains was measured.

The relationship between the levels of amyloid beta in their brain and the amount of protein in the diet was found.

It was confirmed through breaking the group into three and  having different daily protein consumption.

Those on 118g or more of protein each day had the lowest levels of amyloid beta – 12 times less than those on the lowest amount of around 54g of protein daily.

Lead researcher, Dr Binosha Fernando, said; “The research clearly demonstrates that the more protein eaten the lower the chances someone has of having a high amyloid beta burden on the brain, which corresponds to a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s in the future.”

Although the link has been found between protein intake and amyloid beta levels, it is not yet understood how it works.

“One possibility is that previous studies have shown that a high protein diet is associated with lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for both Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease. We also know that developing cardiovascular disease increases your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr Fernando said.

Factors like; gender, activity levels, age etc were not considered in this study, so there is obviously a need to further develop this research.

You are what you eat – we have all heard that said.

Now, more than ever, it is not just a saying but a fact

A few years ago, an amazing thing happened – the human genome was plotted. This means that for the first time in history we were able to identify all the DNA that makes us human.

This has had an incredible impact, we can now work out if a specific human being is likely to contract certain diseases and this means that we can now adjust our lifestyles and diets to prevent these.

It has also confirmed an important fact – we may be the same but we are all different.

This is evident with medication, the amount of a particular tablet that one person needs to manage an illness is not likely to always be the same for another person.

So the amount of a particular nutrient that one person needs to be healthy is also not necessarily the same for the next person.

Therefore the officially recognised Dietary Guidelines must be taken as exactly that, a guide, as we now know that  we will all need different amounts of nutrients to be healthy.

So what does this mean?

We are at the beginning of an era when we will eventually have diet which are specifically tailored just for us with foods that meet our exact nutritional needs.

Food businesses have to realise that this is coming and clever ones are already starting to move their business models toward this. The companies which can best adjust to this oncoming move will benefit greatly in the long run.

Nutritionists and Dieticians are going to be busy with both individuals and companies developing tailored foods and diets, as this is one area which will not be able to be done by computers for a while.

At first this will be like big screen TVs, really expensive and something we all heard about but can’t get. But eventually the price will come down as the popularity of knowing your personal diet increases, until it will become commonplace.

Any business that is not in it now, will miss out in the long term. People will allways eat stuff they shouldn’t but most will obviously try to stick to a diet which prevents them from getting specific diseases.

There are massive repercussions to the sequencing of the genome – legal, social, moral, physical – and they are on their way.

So what is a kilojoule?

It is a measurement of energy and it is recommended that active adult Australians consume 8700kJ per day to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The problem is that the term kilojoule is a relatively recent introduction and therefore many people still think in terms of calories.

A calorie is 4.2 kilojoules, but this is not a calculation bouncing around in most people’s mind.

It is well known that to stop weight gain, your energy intake should be less than your energy output, in other words you should be eating less in terms of energy than you burn during the day.

So, in an increasingly obese society, knowing how much energy you are consuming is important.

It is a requirement that all packaged food shows the energy content in 100g and serving sizes, so that people can keep an eye on their energy intake.

However, many people eat food that is not packaged, particularly food from fast food places.

Therefore in some states and territories it is already a legal requirement for those businesss to display the kilojoule content of their serving sizes of every item on their menus.

The problem is those people who just do not understand what the kilojoule number means.

So the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation is reviewing kiulojoule contents across all states and territories as part of it’s current review of fast food menu labelling scheme.

The menu labelling scheme was introduced by the Australian Federal Government in 2011 and has since become mandatory in most states and territories.Tasmania and the Northern Territory believe they do not have enough fast food restaraunts to make it mandatory.

Submissions can be made to the Food Regulation Secretary by 16 March 2018

The following is a media release from the NSW Food Authority about the current Listeria outbreak and is included here with permission.

The NSW Food Authority is advising consumers who are most vulnerable to Listeria infection such as older persons, and people who have weakened immune systems due to illness or pregnancy, to avoid eating rockmelon after a recent spike in listeriosis cases in elderly people has been linked to the fruit.

As a precaution, consumers particularly those who are elderly, pregnant or immune compromised who may have rockmelon already in their home are advised to discard it.

Listeria is found widely in the environment and rarely causes serious illness in the general population but for vulnerable people, such as those who are over 70, pregnant, or have diabetes, cancer or suppressed immune systems, it can be extremely serious or even life threatening.

All states and territories are working together to investigate the outbreak and to date they have identified ten cases in elderly patients in NSW (six), Victoria (one) and Queensland (three) with onset of illness notification dates between 17 January and 9 February 2018. All 10 cases consumed rockmelon prior to their illness.

The outbreak has been linked to a grower in Nericon NSW. The company voluntarily ceased production on Friday 23 February 2018, shortly after being notified of a potential link to illness and is working proactively with the Authority to further investigate how any contamination could have occurred in order to get back into production as soon as possible.

Any affected product is being removed from the supply chain, so consumers can be assured rockmelons currently available on shelves are not implicated in this outbreak.

Listeriosis starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea, and sometimes diarrhoea. The symptoms can take a few days or even up to six weeks to appear after eating contaminated produce.

People at risk should consult their local doctor as early as possible should symptoms appear.

The NSW Food Authority and NSW Health will continue to work with other jurisdictions to monitor the situation.

The six NSW cases linked to consumption of rockmelon form only a portion of the increased listeriosis cases in NSW so far this year, with 15 people affected, mainly elderly with underlying health conditions. Vulnerable people are reminded to avoid all foods that pose a risk of listeriosis, including:

• Pre-cut melons such as rockmelon or watermelon
• Pre-packed cold salads including coleslaw and fresh fruit salad
• Pre-cooked cold chicken, cold delicatessen meats, pâté
• Raw seafood, uncooked smoked seafood (e.g. smoked salmon)
• Unpasteurised milk or milk products, soft cheeses (e.g. brie, camembert, ricotta or blue-vein)
• Sprouted seeds or raw mushrooms.

The NSW Food Authority and NSW Health are continuing investigations into other possible sources of the remaining recent listeriosis cases.

Further food safety advice relating to the safe preparation and storage of rockmelon can be found at www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/foodsafetyandyou/special-care-foods/rockmelons

Prebiotics, probiotics, gluten free, FODMAP, fibre, low cholesterol.

What do all of these have in common?

They are just some of the big diet and food issues around right now and their popularity is just increasing.

The idea that the bowel is connected to the brain, is becoming a way of life for many. If your gut is healthy then you will be more active and happy. At least that is what seems to be driving these trends. It’s all about a thing called “digestive wellness”.

The only problem is that  there are ideas around which may be myths and may not be worth the expense and hassles which people are having in pursuing these trends for digestive health. The following are five of the common beliefs surrounding the idea you are what you eat.

Once you have gone on a FODMAP diet, you have to stay on it always.

FODMAP is Fermentable, Oligo-, Di-, and Mono-saccharides and Polyols, and a diet which addresses these issues is known as the FODMAP Diet. It is about eliminating those foods which contribute to the FODMAP issues. The belief is that once a person goes on this diet, they have to then saty on it forever. This is not the case, as it is usually not all of the FODMAPs which cause problems for people, it depends upon the individual. So if that person stays off all of the foods involved, they have a potential risk of mucking around with their nutrient intake and creating other health problems, particularly the fibre containing carbohydrates. So the best way to do this diet is to go off all the FODMAP foods and then slowly reintroduce them back into the food intake until it is found which foods do not cause issues.

A regular Detox is good for you.

If the liver is in good condition, we already have a natural self contained system for detoxing the body. So not drinking too much alcohol and maintaining a health fat intake will help keep our livers healthy, so detoxing is really not needed.

A gluten free diet is good for everyone

According to CSIRO, only 1 in 70 Australians actually have coeliac disease, but 1 in 3 of us are preferring to eat a gluten free diet, because we believe it is better for us. This self diagnosis is driving a whole industry and massive number of products in supermarkets. Gluten containing foods have been a key part of the Western diet for hundreds of years, and they provide much needed nutrients. If people take these foods out of their diet, they may be missing these nutrients, eg; wholegrains.

Fibre is good for digestive health

This is true but it needs clarification. It is not only about the amount of fibre consumed each day dietary guidelines recommend 30g a day), but what type of fibre is being eaten. The important issue here is that for the bacteria in the gut to grow and do what is needed, they need prebiotics. Some fibres are better at providing this than others, as an example we should be eating what is known as resistant starch. Most of the fibres commonly eaten do not provide much or any of this key dietary intake.

Everyone should have a dose of probiotics everyday.

There are both dry and liquid probiotics readily available but they are not much use if the gut does not contain enough prebiotics to allow the bacteria to grown and function properly. Some of these products now also contain prebiotics as the manufacturers have realised that they are necessary for their products to be effective.

It is becoming very apparent that nutrition is not a one size fits all and is very much about the individual. We are what we eat but it is a good ldea to talk with experienced and qualified people to help you work out what is needed to help you be a healthy as possible.

So you are starting up a small café and have to ensure that you have food safety control, do you have to do the same as a big multinational food company or even an aged care centre.

The answer is a very simple no.

All food related businesses and groups (like community groups  and sports clubs) must meet some basic food safety requirements, like temperature control, hygiene, cleaning, pest control, allergen control, stock rotation, and contamination and cross-contamination controls, but how they must do that varies depending upon the business.

What does this mean?

As a simple example, a small café is not expected to have metal detectors as part of their process to find any metal, whereas a food factory does.

Why?

The Food Standards Code is where we find the food safety requirements which businesses and food related groups must meet. In some places the requirements are very specific – eg; have and use a food grade thermometer, and in others it is less clear – eg; must do whatever is reasonable to prevent or control contamination.

It is completely unreasonable and impractical to expect that a small café would have a metal detector as part of it’s process, but completely logical that a food factory will.

The Code and associated Food Acts in each State and Territory also require that different types of food businesses will have to meet extra food safety requirements. These businesses either make food which needs extra protection (eg; shellfish) or target members of our community who are more at risk from food poisoning – the High Risk Groups. Therefore, food businesses such as Aged Care Centres and Hospitals, are required to not only meet the basic or mandatory requirments, but go to at least the next level of food safety by implementing and maintaining a food safety program.

So the answer to the question is really not that simple – essentially it is No, but it entirely depends upon the size and type of the business and what it makes or does.

The local council is the first place to go to ask what food safety controls are need for a business and then go and download a copy of Food Safety Australia from Food Standards Australia New Zealand  to help work out how to do it- http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/publications/Pages/safefoodaustralia3rd16.aspx