The following is provided with permission from Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Fresh Frozen Young Coconut Juice

Vihenti Co Pty Ltd has recalled Fresh Frozen Young Coconut Juice from Asian grocery stores in WA due to the presence of an undeclared allergen (dairy). Consumers who have a dairy allergy or intolerance should not consume this product and may have a reaction if the product is consumed. The product can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Date notified to FSANZ – 27/10/2015  

Food type – Coconut drink

Product name – Fresh Frozen Young Coconut Juice

Package description and size -300ml plastic cup

Date marking – All best before dates up to and including 15-01-2016

Country of origin – Thailand

Reason for recall -The presence of an undeclared allergen (dairy)

Distribution -Asian grocery stores in WA

Consumer advice

Consumers who have a dairy allergy or intolerance should not consume this product and may have a reaction if the product is consumed. The product can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Contact – Vihenti Co Pty Ltd   08 9375 3388 www.vihenthi.com.au

Coconut Peach Drink

CA National Services Pty Ltd has recalled Coconut Peach Drink from Asian grocery stores in QLD due to the presence of an undeclared allergen (dairy). Consumers who have a dairy allergy or intolerance should not consume this product and may have a reaction if the product is consumed. The product can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Date notified to FSANZ – 27/10/2015

Food type -Soft drink

Product name – Coconut Peach Drink

Package description and size -240ml can

Date marking – All use by dates up to and including 2015.10.28

Country of origin – South Korea

Reason for recall -The presence of an undeclared allergen (dairy)

Distribution – Asian grocery stores in QLD

Consumer advice

Consumers who have a dairy allergy or intolerance should not consume this product and may have a reaction if the product is consumed. The product can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Contact – CA National Services Pty Ltd   0410 095 909

More than 20 people in South Australia have become ill in the last year after eating from a home rotisserie or spit.

With more people wanting to cook outside and with warmer weather approaching the message coming from the SA Health Minister, Jack Snelling, is important to all other states and territories as well.

Mr Snelling said; “The use of home rotisseries and spits is becoming increasingly common across the state as a fun way to feed large groups, especially with the weather warming up and people wanting to cook outside. What many people don’t realise is there are a number of important steps people must take to avoid making people sick if they are planning to cook a large animal. Proper storage, including hygiene and refrigeration are vital so that dangerous bacteria do not get the chance to multiply before the cooking process takes place.”

These steps start with the collection, transport and storage of the meat, and especially if it is a whole carcass. A carcass may need to be stored and transported by the butcher shop if a home doesn’t have bigger enough cold storage and transport vehicle, to ensure it stays cold before it is placed into the spit or rotisserie.

The other big issue, beside keeping everything clean, is making sure that the meat is fully cooked.

Salmonella was the type of food poisoning bacteria involved in the 20 cases in South Australia. It is easily killed, as long as the meat temperature has reached 75 degrees Celsius.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

So it was the night before the judging of the Sydney Royal Deli Meat Competition and the makers of the 676 products awaiting judging were quiet as a mouse – but very anxious!!!!

The winner of the Champion Smallgoods Exhibit has now taken the competition twice.

The Vienna Deluxe, a German style smooth hot dog, took the cake for Barossa Fine Foods.

The competition was once again sponsored by the New South Wales food Authority.

The Competition is just one part of the Spring Sydney Royal Fine Food Awards.

The Spring Competition is held in September and includes; deli, pasta, olive oil and both branded meats and lamb.

The Summer Competition is where the bakers come into their own, and the coffee producers are up for the challenge.

The Deli meat competition 2015 was heavily contested by NSW businesses, with 65 percent of the products coming from that state. It did well with the winners as well with nine champion trophies making into Blues territory.

For more details about the Sydney Royal Fine Foods Awards, go to http://www.sydneyroyal.com.au/finefood.htm

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

“Did you know? (busting the food safety myths)’ is the theme for Australian food safety Week 2015.

The Food Safety Information Council, the driver of the week,  has just announced this year’s them and is promising a bit of fun during the second week of November (08 to 15).

Obviously well known and believed ideas like the infamous “5 Second Rule” and there is no difference between Use By and Best Before Dates are just two of the food safety myths up for a busting this year.

There’s going to be a quiz based on the myths available for use on the FSIC website and there are mailouts of  Food Safety Week materials being sent out to local councils and businesse which have requested them.

If your organisation or group is doing something to recognise the week and  it’s importance in helping to reduce the 4.1 million case of food poisoning each year in this country, then let the FSIC know what you are doing  by emailing info@foodsafety.asn.au

According to the FSIC, there are already library and shopping centre displays being organised by many organisations across the country as well as food safety related functions at businesses and handing out of food safety week materials. What can you do?

The FSIC wants to recognise the best Food Safety Week promotion in it’s November and December newsletters. This goes out to more than 500 people and organisations, so is good PR for the organisations which have the best promotion. So make sure you let them know what your organisation will be doing.

If your business is looking for resources to use for Food Safety Week, there are quirte a few available for download on the FSIC website – www.foodsafety.asn.au

The theme for each year’s Food Safety Week is set by the FSIC members at the Annual Planning Meeting in May and they also get extra materials and access to the shell media release before anyone else. This gives them extra time to prepare their displays and other Food safety week events.  membership is only $50 for individuals per year and $300 for Corporate and Government. Members also get access to a Member’s Only page which includes all the research and surveys done by the FSIC, particularly all the past Food Safety Week polls. this information is used by members to plan their own food safety promotion throughout the year.

If you would like to join, email the FSIC on info@foodsafety.asn.au

The following is based on information from The Bug Bible – http://www.safefood.net.au/AudienceHierarchy/TheBugBible/Default.htm

Campylobacter was not recognised as a cause of foodborne disease until the 1970s. It is naturally present in the intestines of a number of different domestic animals and birds. It can be frequently isolated from the surface of poultry and also on the surface of cuts of raw meats. It has also been isolated from raw milk

The organism is sensitive to heat. Adequate cooking, reheating and control of cross contamination from raw foods to cooked foods are the primary control mechanisms in the kitchen. There have been a number of case investigations where salads have been implicated as the source of the organism. Transfer of the organisms to the salad vegetables from surfaces or implements used for raw meats being the most likely cause.

Campylobacter jejuni is one of the major causes of food borne illness in Australia but is not well known by the public.

The longest penalty for a food poisoning has recently been handed down in the USA. The former owner of a food business is now serving 28 years in prison for a food poisoning which caused the deaths of nine and illness of hundreds.

He is joined by his brother, who is serving 20 years and the Quality Control Manager of the plant involved, who was given five years.

The Peanut Corporation of America started business in 1977 and closed after a food poisoning in 2008-9 which also generated the one of the largest product recalls in history. It’s products were almost literally everywhere and had to be recalled due to Salmonella contamination.

The reason the two brothers were handed such long sentences for federal conspiracy was because it was found that they allowed Salmonella contaminated peanut products to be distributed from their plant.

Interestingly the Judge was lenient on the former owner, as the maximum potential sentence was 803 years. The case was not about the deaths or illnesses but the defrauding of customers.

The prosecution included emails in it’s case, which clearly showed that the owner knew that the products were contaminated and that it was to be despatched, as delays were expensive. An FDA inspection in February 2009 found a variety of contamination sources, including the processing areas being contaminated by a leaky roof.

This case is an important watershed in food poisoning history, not only because of the long sentence but as continuing proof that when we work in the food industry we are taking responsibility at all levels to ensure that the food we make, sell, display, transport or process is safe for consumption at all times.

So who loves a beer then?

Well according to the latest research from Roy Morgan Research, that is really only the case in the warmer months in Australia.

It seems that we prefer red wines and ports / sherries etc in the colder months.

The results show that this is not a new thing but has been happening for the last decade at least. On average 37.6 percent of Australians drink beer in the July to September quarter compared with 43 percent in the warm quarter of January to March.

Andrew Price, General Manager of Consumer Products at Roy Morgan Research, said; “Unlike beer-drinkers in the northern hemisphere, Australians do not tend to see beer as a winter beverage. So it’s no surprise that the proportion of us drinking it during the cool July-September quarter falls, only to peak again in the warm January-March quarter every year. Of course, this doesn’t mean that so-called ‘winter beers’ aren’t available here, but it does suggest that marketers wishing to overcome our resistance to (or at least, inability to process) the concept have their work cut out for them.”

Of particular interest in the research is that the proportion of us drinking hot chocolate increases significantly in that colder quarter. There is a potential product there for some enterprising business – a type of alcoholic hot chocolate.

The research has also shown that the number of Australians over 18 years who drink alcohol within four weeks of the study has decreased from 72 percent in 2006 to 68 percent.

So not only do we have the various annual food competitions happening at Fine Food Australia (pies, sausage rolls, baking, pizza and the Golden Chef’s Award) but there are other food awards and competitions all over the place right now.

So what else is going on;

1. Savour Australia Restaurant and Catering      HOSTPLUS Awards for Excellence in New South Wales – the winners were      announced this week.
2. 2015 Hospitality Training Group Taste of the      Future is now open.
3. The Best Ora King Award – the inaugural competition      for the salmon industry is about to happen, with two chefs competing for      the title.

The 2016 Age Good Food Guide has just been released and the following are some of the big winners;

1. Restaurant of the Year – Minamishima
2. Best new Restaurant – Tipo 00
3. People’s Choice – Red Spice Road
4. Best Regional Restaurant – Brae – Birregurra
5. Best Cheap eat – Delhi Streets
6. Best bar – Romeo Lane

For more details about the Age Good Food Guide go to

http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/food/news/the-age-good-food-guide-award-winners-announced?mid=a9573e9f7e&utm_source=Primary+Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=cbe8842e33-Hospitality+Newsletter+-+20150922132002&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_532d1e7147-cbe8842e33-108814317

So once again the bakers, chefs and pizza makers around the country are turning their eyes to a single huge food event.

Fine Food Australia 2015 is about to start, in Sydney and will be the largest food event in the southern hemisphere.

This year marks 50 years of the Nestle Golden Chef’s Award and this national title is just one of the food competitions which are now a part of the Australian Culinary Challenge at Fine Food Australia. It is the longest running competition for the young Chefs of Australia and this year has a record number of competitors.

The Fronterra Foodservice Battle of the Pacific is also a feature of Fine Foods Australia 2015.

Of course the annual Great Aussie Pie Competition is once again happening, so we will all wait to find out where we will be heading to taste pie perfection ourselves. For the second year, there is also a specific competition to find the perfect sausage roll.

The National Pizza Championship is also something to keep a close eye on. The winner goes on to represent Australia in the international competition.

If that isn’t enough foodie competition the Bake Skill competition will be as exciting as always.

In between all these food fights, there are the usual displays and talks.

So if you are in Sydney, or just love food, it sounds like the place for food industry people to be over the next few days is Fine Foods Australia 2015.

For more information and to register go to www.finefoodaustralia.com.au

So the supermarket brands are cheaper because they are not as good in quality as the known brands – right?

Well, a study done from 2011 to 2013 found that the salt content of the supermarket brands was lower across all the supermarket chains, in fact in 2013, it was 17percent lower than the known brands.

The study was done by the George Institute for Global Health and involved the analysis of 15, 680 products across 15 major food categories.

It is the largest study in Australian history comparing known brand and supermarket brand products.

Helen Trevena, the study’s lead author, said; “The general opinion among consumers is that supermarket brands are of an inferior quality, but this research shows that is not always the case in regard to salt. We looked at thousands of products across the major supermarket chains in 2011 and 2013 and found that when it comes to salt content, supermarket private label products can be a lower salt option. This is good news, especially for families shopping on tight budgets who are more likely to buy private label products, but are also most likely to suffer from health problems caused by high blood pressure.”

The study was published in the August 2015 edition of the journal, Nutrients.

The following is a breakdown of some of the study results showing the lower salt content for 2013;

• 27% in desserts
• 24% in biscuits
• 22% in processed meats
• 7% in breads

However in 2013, supermarket brand cereals were 37percent higher in salt than known brands.

Interestingly, there was a higher reduction in average salt content in the supermarket brands across the three years – only three percent reduction in the branded products and six percent in the supermarket brands.

Professor Bruce Neal, Head of the Food Policy Division at George Institute for Global Health, said; “Excess salt in food leads to high blood pressure and greatly increased risks of stroke and heart attack. Reducing salt in line with World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations could save thousands of lives every year and hundreds of millions of dollars in healthcare costs.”