Companies making canned goods, sauces and other foods are continuing to work very hard to reduce the salt content of their products across the world.

The reason is that it has long been recognised that reducing the salt we consume daily reduces the likelihood of heart related diseases and problems.

Salt is used in foods to not only contribute to the flavour but impacts on texture and food safety as well. Most bacteria do not like to grow in salt and so foods like salted meats and fish will be safe for consumption even if not refrigerated. So reducing the salt in many foods has significant potential problems in maintaining food safety and product integrity.

The other big problem that manufacturers are facing in this salt reduction is maintaining the flavour and texture of their product so they do not lose sales because of unhappy customers.

 However a recent study based on self reporting by older adults, raises the question whether it really is necessary for the salt level to be reduced for foods for all age groups.

The current recommendation for maximum salt consumption daily is less than 6g,  and for older folk specifically, a level of less than 1500mg of sodium each day.

This level of sodium may actually be difficult to achieve it is believed because of long held dietary habits in those over 50, so this study may be of great interest.

The new study has attracted criticism on it’s method and not having a representative sample covering all the health and other issues associated with the older age group.

The study involved researchers from Emory University in Atlanta examining the food frequency questionnaires that the sample group of 2642 people had completed over 10 years. The results are therefore based on the answers that people have given over the time of the questionnaires.

The study suggest that reducing salt intake in those in the 71 – 80 years age group makes little difference in the prevention of cardiovascular or heart disease or issues. The research was published on line by JAMA Internal Medicine on19 January 2015.

The researchers wrote “In conclusion, we observed that sodium intake estimated by FFQ [food frequency questionnaire] was not associated with mortality or risk for CVD and HF in a cohort of adults 71 to 80 years old.

Our data emphasise the need for stronger evidence, preferably from rigorous controlled trials testing additional thresholds for sodium intake, before applying a policy of further sodium restriction to older adults beyond the current recommendation for the general adult population (2,300 mg/d).”

Obviously further study will be required to determine if there is a need to change the recommendations for older folk.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

Management of waste is not only a food safety issue but a significant business problem as well. If there is a way to reduce food waste, this is a major cost saving for any business.
Obviously there are methods to reduce the amount of waste that all food businesses should have in place, like buying in bulk, only using what is needed, working with suppliers to reduce packaging and using “ugly” fruit and vegetables.
Once waste has been generated, sensible and sustainable food businesses then work hard to recycle, and reuse.
Really clever food businesses can now look toward new technology to reduce costs of waste treatment and disposal by producing fuel for their cooking and vehicles through the processing of all the food waste.
The concept of converting waste to fuel has been around for hundreds of years, but it is only now that the technology has evolved to the point that even small food businesses can do it themselves.
Biogas is produced when food waste is digested by bacteria in the absence of oxygen. The gas produced is methane and it is used around the world to power vehicles and, once processed, for cooking.
The device used to produce the gas is called a biogas digester and now finally there is a small enough model available that an average restaurant and factory can install one easily.
The digester produces the methane and a biomass which can be used as fertiliser or even further processed to fertiliser and recycled water.
I don’t normally talk about specific products in my articles here, but it well worth all smaller food businesses knowing that they can, with a relatively low investment, join the big boys in being sustainable with their food waste.
Mr Ron Larkin from BioBowser said; “It’s like having your own bowser, but the fuel is free. All we need to know is the quantity of waste available on a regular basis and the energy requirements of the business and in what form and we can tailor the BioBowser to suit the needs of the individual customer. If the amount of waste increases or more gas is needed we can put in more units as the system is modular. A food factory with twenty cubic metres of waste a week could produce methane of the equivalent heat value of sixty kilograms of LPG which would be more than sufficient for cooking, heating and lighting while a larger facility producing 5 tonne of waste a day could provide sufficient energy to power a generator to produce electricity for the entire plant.”
If a business is not able to use all the fuel that one of these systems produces, it could even sell the fuel to other businesses in the area – thus using the system to make money and spread the sustainability even further.
For more information go to http://biobowser.com.au/
Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

A large supermarket chain in Australia has finally realised something really important, people will buy ugly fruit and vegetables as long as the produce tastes like it should and lasts, especially if it is cheaper than the “perfect” looking ones.

Whether this decision to sell such produce is based on simply trying to get more sales or trying to reduce costs, is not something the public will ever know. The fact that it is now happening is a brilliant start toward reducing the massive waste of food that happens in this country – there are several figures but the worse case is that at least half of the fruit and vegetables grown in this country end up getting thrown out before they are used. This disposal starts at the farm when it is thrown away because it is “ugly” or does not meet the size, colour, appearance and shape in the specification of the supermarkets. So this decision is being hailed by all those who know about this waste.

The marketing research in the UK by the market research organisation Mintel confirms that it is a good decision for the business as well. It shows that 48 percent of those questioned in a recent survey would be happy to purchase weird shaped produce as long as the quality is good.

When the price of this produce is reduced as well, the research shows that 42 percent of all fruit and vegetable purchasers would buy the “ugly” produce if it is cheaper.

Kiti Soininen, Head of UK Food, Drink & Foodservice Research at Mintel, said; “It is clear that consumers are open to ‘ugly’ produce, but where oddly shaped fruit and veg sits with mainstream offerings, it is at risk of going unchosen, even if subconsciously. The fact that half of consumers would buy good quality oddly shaped fruit and veg and the recent focus on food waste and the grocers’ role in curbing it shows there is scope to actively use the non-standard quality of produce as a selling point. In addition, prices come across as a real consideration for many and by positioning ‘ugly’ fruit and vegetables as a tasty, low-cost option should help the grocers to reach this group.”

So hopefully in the not too distant future, we can look forward to all the supermarkets joining in and the waste from only perfect produce starting to reduce.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

Antibiotics kill bacteria and they have been the medical lifesaver since being first discovered. Many millions of people owe their lives to these drugs, however we are now facing a major crisis.

Many bacteria have over time built up immunity to these life saving chemicals. This means that our magic silver bullet is no longer the guaranteed lifesaver that it was.

The reason is simple, we have just over used this amazing gift.

We routinely add antibiotics to the feed of our livestock to reduce deaths in the herd / flock and increase profit. This means that bacteria have massive and ongoing exposure to the drugs and so have time to build up the immunity that now causes us a significant problem. At least 50 percent of all antibiotics used on earth are used in animal / chicken feed.

Some food poisoning bacteria are now also immune to antibiotics, like some Salmonella, so it is not just diseases that we can no longer fight but food poisoning. These are the so called ”superbugs” and the classic food and human related example is Golden Staph or as the antibiotic resistant version is known – Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This is now present in nearly all places where humans can be ill and congregate, like hospitals, childcare centres and aged care centres.

So what do we do?

Scientists across the world have been frantically working on finding alternatives to these antibiotics for some time, with varying degrees of success.

One of these groups of scientists at Northeastern University in Boston has just discovered the first new antibiotic for 30 years and it shows no sign of having any drug resistance.

It may well be the thing we need to help us through this crisis.

It targets the fatty molecules in the cell walls of many bacteria, including MRSA, and this seems to make it less likely to cause immunity issues like other antibiotics.

Teixobactin was isolated from soil bacteria in a special new technique and is likely to be available for use within five years.

It is huge news and there may now be light at the end of a very scary tunnel.

Professor Kim Lewis, who led the Northeastern team, said; “No resistance normally means that we discovered a new detergent, which is a molecule that will destroy the membrane of the bacterial cell but also will destroy the membranes of our cells, so these are toxic compounds. That was my first reaction; that we found another boring molecule. But then in parallel we tested that compound against mammalian cells, and found it was not toxic against mammalian cells. So we have something very intriguing. Here is a new molecule that hits bacterial cells, does not hit mammalian cells, and there’s no resistance … That was unique and very exciting.”

However, it does not work on the group of bacteria which are gram negative, as these have a type of shield around their cells which prevents this new antibiotic access. E.coli is unfortunately a member of this group and as there is now one type at least with antibiotic resistance, and it is the cause of the largest food poisoning in world history, there are still major causes for big concern.

The good news is that the technique this team have used, involves actually growing possible antibiotic producing bacteria in soil with the lab and this allows developments which have not happened previously. This means that there may well be an antibiotic that can be found using this technique which will work on the gram negative bacteria.

Although this development may be the solution we need, it does not mean that all other work in searching for a solution to our antibiotic resistant crisis can stop. We need more than one new silver bullet, and so the work in labs around the world continues.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

At least 110 people have been diagnosed as having food poisoning from a Chinese restaurant south of Brisbane. Around 30 of those have been hospitalised as well.
There were about 150 people who ate at the restaurant over the weekend of the 3 and 4 January and the Health Department in Queensland expects that most of these will eventually end up on the food poisoning list for this outbreak.
This is now ranking as one of the biggest food poisoning outbreaks in Queensland history. It has just been confirmed that the likely cause is a bad batch of eggs used in the Deep Fried Ice cream. This is obviously a high risk food with hot and cold being served together.
The mayonnaise used in salads at a family function on Christmas Day in Victoria was the cause of at least 30 people with food poisoning.
In both cases it was Salmonella from bad eggs.
So as we start 2015, eggs continue to be the number one cause of food poisoning in Australia.
In Japan, a site of an international quick serve chain has had a very bad week. A deep fried tooth was found in a pack of fries. This is on top of plastic being found in chicken products at other sites of the chain recently. To make matters worse, the chain had a major shortage of fries late in 2014 and had to bring in special deliveries.
In both the Chain and the Chinese restaurant, the stories going around are not just about the food safety issues but the poor customer service once people had made the complaint.
What were bad situations have been made significantly worse by the customers being poorly handled and treated.
Every food business must have a set, agreed and understood method for dealing with such complaints and issues. The method must include the following as a minimum;
• Completion of the record
• Being polite at all times
• Never admitting liability at any time
• The process for collection and storage of required records – eg; temperature, cleaning and training reports
• Who is to be involved in the process
• Who is to be the spokesperson for the business
The record needs to contain all details of the complaint and the person making it. These details include;
• The food
• The symptoms
• The duration
• The onset
• What the complainant and all affected people did – eg; Doctor’s visit or hospital
Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

Effective as of 01 January 2015, Australia has a new version of the Franchise Code of Conduct. Like the previous version, this is also mandatory and applies to all franchise agreements.

The new version has some significant changes, including;

• An obligation for parties to act in good faith in all dealings with each other
• The introduction of penalties and infringement notices for serious Code breaches
• The requirement that franchisees be given an information sheet  by the franchisor about franchising risks and rewards
• Except under very limited conditions, franchisors will be prohibited from imposing significant capital expenditure on the franchisee
• The establishment of a separate fund for marketing and advertising fees
• Much more obvious and clear use and accounting of all marketing and advertising funds by franchisors
• Clarification of online selling abilities of both the franchisor and franchisee

Many food businesses are franchise operations, so knowing that there is a new version of the Franchise Code of Conduct is essential for both franchisors and franchisees.

Who and how the new version of the Code will apply is dependent upon the date of each specific franchise agreement.

Even though provisions of the new version of the Code may not be mandatory, dependent upon agreement date, these parts could still be applied from now if agreed by both franchisor and franchisee.

The Franchise Code of Conduct is the responsibility of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and can be found at http://www.accc.gov.au/business/industry-codes/franchising-code-of-conduct

The ACCC recommends that each current or prospective party to a franchise agreement discuss the new version of the Franchise Code of Conduct, and their obligations and responsibilities with their franchising solicitor. There is a Deed of Variation for the Code available at the ACCC website and any possible use of this document should also involve the businesses solicitors.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

Operation Trident has been in place since 2007, as one of the key parts of the New South Wales government’s black market seafood crackdown.
It includes covert operations and surveillance along the whole NSW coast. It is being done by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and is focussed on oysters primarily, and dismantling the black market for this expensive and popular seafood.
Black market oysters are a significant food safety risk, as they have come from businesses that do not have the required food safety controls in place.
The Acting Director Fisheries Compliance, Patrick Tully said; “DPI fisheries officers will be on the beat – in the streets as well as out on the water to protect the valuable crops from illegal fishers.”
Over this festive period, consumers are being encouraged to only buy oysters and other seafood from reputable suppliers and to be the eyes and ears for the DPI.
NSW Food Authority CEO, Polly Bennett, said; “Illegal seafood is often stored in the backs of unrefrigerated trucks and we strongly advise against anyone consuming seafood if they don’t know where it’s come from. Stolen oysters might not come from an area covered by the NSW Shellfish Program, the NSW Food Authority recommends people only buy oysters from reputable retailers as these oysters have been monitored for their safety.”
Just because seafood is cheap, does not mean it is safe. That is the basic message being spread this year to help stop black market oysters.
If anyone thinks they may have come across these products, they are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

The global market research company Innova Market Insights has just released it’s top ten food related predictions for 2015.

Increasing “natural” marketing.

Although there isn’t , as yet, an agreed international definition for the word “natural”, around 25 percent of the product launches in 2014 had labelling that declared it was either natural or emphasised the origin of the food.

Innova is expecting that the public will be demanding more natural or clean foods and so we can expect to see this increasing in 2015.

The current focus by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in this country on the labelling of “free range” eggs fits into this prediction, with people expecting that when eggs are labelled free range, they are from free range hens.

Cooking show encouragement

The huge number of cooking shows on commercial TV channels as well as the number of actual cooking and food related channels on pay TV, is an indication that the trend toward home cooking is not stopping any time soon.

However although people want to cook more at home, they still want some level of convenience. This is the prediction that Innova is making, that the trend of convenience for home cooking will actually increase in 2015.

Millenials want something different

The age group from 15 to 35 are now being called the Millenials, and they are less brand loyal than any other group.

They are wired in technically and are looking for something different to eat, especially if it also has something to do with their mobile phones or tablets.

Set meal times are not what they used to be

Even though many families still sit down to a meal together, this is becoming less and less common, with snacking rising in popularity.

At least healthy snacks like fruit are still the preferred option (according to an article in Australian Food News in November 2014), although chocolate is coming a close second.

Good foods or parts

Good fats, good carbohydrates and sugars are now becoming sought after by consumers. So expect to see more foods appearing with naturally occurring sugar substitutes like Stevia and Omega 3 on our supermarket shelves.

Do you want protein with that?

Protein adds flavour and nutritional benefits to foods and is popular with food producers and consumers. Soy protein was the go, but is losing popularity to be replaced with that from pulses. The undisputed king of added protein is still whey powder but there is a prediction that protein from insect sources may be the preference by the industry in the long term.

Fruit in any form

If there is fruit in a product, according to Innova, consumers perceive that it is healthier than a similar one that doesn’t. Fruit can also be added to improve colour and flavour – so expect to see more added fruit products appearing in 2015.

The frozen food myth

Frozen vegetables are picked and snap frozen, this ensures that they have a high nutritional content – contrary to popular myth.

The idea that frozen foods can be fresh is going to be seen a lot in 2015, as producers try to increase market share. There will also be other varieties of vegetables and fruits appearing in the freezer this coming year.

Brands and labels

The discount supermarkets are no longer seen only as cheap stores but are now recognised as having good quality food. Watch this segment grow in 2015.

The store and private brand labels are also increasing. Consumers are seeing them as quality, and often cheaper than the known big brands. This is going to continue to have a significant effect on the food industry in 2015.

Texture is becoming king.

Although the flavour of a food will always be the final decider on whether a food is repurchased, texture is becoming the big thing.

According to Innova, expect to see texture becoming a focus on packaging as well.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

Food safety has been a big thing in 2014, especially in the USA.

At the beginning of this year, the two brothers who owned Jensen Farms actually served six months each in home detention as a result of the Listeria outbreak on rockmelons a couple of years previously. Interestingly, the prosecution did not have to even prove that the brothers knew that their product was contaminated, just because the rockmelons were distributed with a deadly pathogen was enough for them to be penalised.

This year has marked a major change in the way that food safety has been prosecuted in that country, as the USA is now using the federal criminal law in such cases.

The biggest product recall in US history happened with peanut butter in 2008 and there were nine deaths as part of the more than 700 cases of food poisoning related to it. The recall cost $US1 billion. 2014 marked when the owners and senior managers of the Peanut Corporation of America were indicted on 98 felony counts.

These two court results show that there are very serious implications for food business owners and managers.

Raw milk has also been a big thing this year, both here and in the USA. The debate about whether it should be allowed to be sold is now raging. In the USA, it is legal to sell raw milk in 10 of the 50 states, and the statistics show that over a two year period 81 percent of all food poisoning related to raw milk has occurred in these states.

The other big issue for 2014 actually slipped underneath the radar of the general public, but is a huge concern to government on industry alike. The increasing level of antibiotic resistance in the food industry has experts extremely worried. There is an enormous amount of work being done worldwide to find suitable cost efficient and effective alternatives to ensure minimal flock / herd mortality and still make sure that bacteria are not given the continued opportunity to become immune.

Genetic Engineering (GE) is another of those issues that is generally out of the attention of the majority of the public, but has been causing waves in the USA. It continues to be a major concern to some in the community. The big push is about the labelling of foods that are either GE or contain GE ingredients.

So even though these were the biggest food safety related issues in the USA in 2014, they are well worth looking at in Australia, as there are lessons for us to learn from them.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.

The 01 March 2016 will mark the cessation of the current Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. It will be immediately replaced with the new version which was released this week.

Once it has been given the final approval by the next meeting of the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation, and then gazetted it will be effective when the current version ceases.

There are some significant improvements in the new version, although generally it is not a major change and this is why there is no phasing in period . Chapters One and Two of the current version will now be individual legislative instruments. Chapters Three and Four will remain as is, although a dictionary will be added to assist people understand the various terms used within them.

There are still reviews underway on various sections of the Code by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), so it is expected that between now and the commencement of the new Code, there will be at least four presentations and approvals by the FSANZ Board.

The Code has been reviewed and adjusted primarily to ensure that there is consistency in interpretation for enforcement in the states and territories and to make legal definitions easier to understand.

FSANZ put out a request for submissions for changes to the Code in July and these have all been reviewed. The changes made to the Code have come from these submissions, as well from discussion with, and research by the jurisdictions.

Written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.