Gluten free was not a term that was in common use either in spoken language or on food packaging even five years ago, now it is so common that everyone knows at least one person who is eating only gluten free food.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, oats, barley and rye, and every food that contains any of these grains. It can cause major health issues for some people and therefore food free of gluten is now considered to be mainstream in the food industry.

Gluten is only one of the recognised food allergens. These are also proteins found in different foods that can cause significant reactions in some people, to the point of anaphylaxis and potential death. The recognised food allergens are different in different countries, but gluten is universal.

Those that have a food allergy spend much of their time trying to ensure that the food they are eating does not contain the food that is involved in that allergy. Food businesses also spend an enormous amount of time and money ensuring that unintentional food allergens are not present in any of their products. It is a major issue for both the food industry and for those with the food allergies.

There has been a huge amount of research at both ends of the food chain to try and reduce the impact of the food allergens. Researchers have been working on vaccines to help those who have food allergies and other researchers have been developing foods that do not contain the specific proteins that cause the allergic reactions.

Scientists at the University of a North Carolina have been experimenting with a special type of flour that may eventually help people improve their tolerance of the food allergens. Peanuts are recognised as causing some of the worst food allergic reactions, so the researchers started with the proteins from peanuts in this special flour. They believe that the same process can be adapted to the proteins of the other food allergens.

The research was published in April 2014 in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The findings show that allergic reactions could be reduced by plant polyphenols. The researchers bound polypenols from cranberries with the allergy causing proteins from peanuts into a special flour. It is expected that this flour will de-sensitise those with the food allergy and reduce their allergic reaction. So it could be used in food based therapies to reduce the food allergy in people.

At this point, whatever can be developed or done to reduce the huge issue that is food allergens will be truly appreciated not only by those suffering the allergies but by all of those in the food industry as well.

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach

Research recently done by the University of Adelaide found that of the 174 ready to eat deli meats sampled in Adelaide, 134 contained bacterial levels that did not comply with the Food Standards Code. Even though E.coli and other food poisoning bacteria were not found, coliforms were found on around 15 percent of the samples. The presence of coliforms is a possible indicator of faecal contamination. This reinforces the obvious finding from the research, that there were likely hygiene problems in the businesses where the samples were taken.

Veterinary Public Health Professor Michael Reichel said; “The presence of coliform would indicate really poor hygiene such as people not washing their hands after going to the toilet. These levels of bacterial counts tell us that storage conditions, product handling and turnover should all be investigated.” Sample sizes of between 100 and 200 g were taken of each meat, and 90 percent of the samples came from the delis in large chain supermarkets. 35 supermarkets were visited during the study, but were not specifically identified in the report.

The research was actually done late in 2013 by final year veterinary science students at the University. The main culprits were sliced salami, fritz and roast pork. Interestingly the chicken and ham samples showed lower levels of bacteria.

So are deli meats safe? Due to the nature of the process in delis, the meats are more likely to have higher bacterial levels and this research reinforces this. The increase has three potential reasons;

• these products are handled more than most foods and this increases the bacterial load,
• if hygiene including good and regular hand washing is not well maintained, these bacteria can grow easily.
• if temperatures are not carefully managed at all stages during the deli process, any bacteria on the meats will grow rapidly.

Good staff training is also vitally important to ensure that they not only know what the requirements are but how to do them when required.

Like all potentially hazardous foods, these deli meats will allow pathogens to grow rapidly if they are contaminated and poorly handled. Good food safety controls will prevent this as long as staff are following them.

So at the end of the day, are deli meats safe? Yes, when there is good food safety.

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach

In April, the first company in Australia started voluntarily using the Health Star Rating system to show the nutritional information about saturated fat, sugar, sodium and energy content in it’s food products.

The system is shown as a star rating ranging from half to five stars, with five being the healthiest.

Although there has been a lot of concern raised with the food industry about the potential issues associated with showing a complex situation as a simple rating of stars, there is a strong call by the Cancer Council for more business to adopt the system.

The intent of the system is to quickly show customers and consumers the relative health benefits of a specific food through a simple rating system.

The difficulty with the system is ensuring consistency of the nutrients in the product and therefore complying with the rating shown on the packaging. This difficult is due to processing changes but mainly from the variability of raw materials.

Cancer Council Queensland spokesperson, Katie Clift, said; “Star ratings will help Queenslanders choose healthy food and avoid unhealthier options that increase the risk of obesity and cancer. The system is simple, easy to understand, and improves on the current standard which often makes product information confusing for consumers. We hope more Queensland food producers will follow this lead, adopting and fully complying with all aspects of this new system. Effective front-of-pack labelling has the potential to reduce consumers’ intake of kilojoules, saturated fat, sugars and sodium – leading to reductions in obesity rates and a range of chronic diseases.”

More information about the Health Star Rating can be found here

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach

The following is a media release from the Food Recall Team at Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and is included here with it’s permission.You can sign up to get notices of recalls and other related information by emailing food.recalls@foodstandards.gov.au

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is pleased to announce that the new edition of the Food Industry Recall Protocol, 7th Edition, May 2014 is now available. It has been officially released today by Assistant Minister for Health, Fiona Nash.

The Food Industry Protocol has been updated by FSANZ with the assistance of the Australian state and territory food enforcement agencies and the food industry.

This Protocol provides information on recalling food in Australia specifically the:

• roles and responsibilities of food businesses and government during a food recall
• key steps in the food recall process
• legal requirements for food businesses in relation to food recalls
• important elements of a food recall plan.

The new Protocol is available on the FSANZ website (pdf 1908kb) | (word 3307kb), and hard copies are available from FSANZ on request.

Key updates in the new edition include:

• revised recall templates
• updated information on communicating recalls to the public
• removal of the reference to the term ‘voluntary recall’ – this term caused confusion with consumers and some businesses who interpreted a ‘voluntary recall’ as meaning it was voluntary for them to take action
• a new section on the importance of traceability and food business’s obligations under the Food Standards Code

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach

China has just accepted it’s first trial delivery of fresh milk as part of a new partnership with Norco. This is huge news for the Australian Dairy industry, as fresh milk is rapidly gaining popularity there and if Australia is not in the market early there was a great chance of other countries taking leadership.

To date delivery into China has been difficult due to the shelf life of the milk and the quarantine it went through. This has changed due to adjustments to the quarantine clearance process to allow for the shelf life to be extended to 21 days. The trial has allowed milk to reach homes in China within seven days. This now makes exporting into China viable for the first time.

Greg McNamara, Norco Chairman, said; “This opens the door for Norco to access the burgeoning demand from Chinese consumers for Australian fresh milk products. The pipeline has the capacity to deliver more than 20 million litres of fresh milk to consumers in China within the first 12 months of operation.”

Obviously to achieve the required shelf life, there needs to be very strict controls of temperature at all stages of the process and with this in place, a huge market is now open to Norco farmers and eventually to other producers.

Peter Verry, PGS (Peloris Global Sourcing Pty Ltd, one of the partners in the trial) Managing Director, said; “The cold chain pipeline solution incorporates stringent quality assurance controls that ensure the fresh milk meets or exceeds China’s food health and safety standards, that the product is maintained at the optimal temperature at all times during transit, and incorporates an innovative product security system that identifies and tracks the location of individual units.”

It has taken 12 months of intense negotiation and process adjustments to reach this historic point. The first delivery was just 1000 litres in March 2014.

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) “Advertising and selling guide” has recently been revised. This terrific guide will help any business that is involved in advertising and selling products ensure that it meets it’s legal obligations and understands it’s rights.

Dr Michael Schaper, ACCC Deputy Chair said; “Truth in advertising is not just a slogan, it’s the law. The Australian Consumer Law aims to put businesses on a level playing field by requiring them to truthfully advertise their goods or services. Nor can they try to get an unfair advantage over other firms by misleading their customers. Whether on television, radio, the internet or print media – businesses must ensure their advertising and selling practices comply with the law.”

Based on recent enforcement action by the ACCC, the revised guide includes guidance on “was/now” or “strikethrough” pricing.

With online purchases now making up a large percentage of sales in Australia, the guide also includes tips for online marketing.

The fundamental principle of the guide is that customers must get what has been advertised, so greenwashing and other poor practices are not permitted and can result in significant penalties.

The guide is available in an eBook format to allow quick searching and access. It can be found at http://www.accc.gov.au/accc-book/printer-friendly/29527

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach

I remember the very first time I ate hot chips. My sister and I were being looked after one cold wet afternoon by a neighbour. She was English and introduced us to the pleasure that can be had from eating really good hot chips. She served them in newspaper cones with salt and vinegar. I have been a fan ever since.

Newspaper is not allowed to be used on foods anymore, but hot chips are now a regular for many people, including me – especially on cold wet afternoons!!!!!

A recent report on the Australian Health Survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has shown that one in five of all teenage males are likely to have eaten hot chips in a typical day. This goes with the one in four who would have eaten a burger, of some type, on the same day. Interestingly, the proportion of burger eaters on a typical day is less in the general population, at “only” one in 14.

The basic findings from the survey is that “junk food”, like burgers and hot chips, is now a staple for teenage and young adult males in this country.

The Survey also found that 51 percent of teenage males would have consumed a soft drink within a day of the interview. For the male 19-30 age group the proportion was 44 percent. The general population sits at around 30 percent.

So not only are “junk foods” a big part of the diet of teenage and young adult males, but soft drink is a well.

These results are not the only scary findings from the survey, the following are also a major cause for concern when it comes to our nature’s health and increasing obesity rate;

• 75 percent of the teenager / young adults surveyed had consumed vegetables on the interview day, but 50percent of those were potatoes (including hot chips).
• Only 40 percent of teenage / young adult males had consumed fruit within 24 hours of the interview, the proportion for females of the same age groups was 50 percent.
• Only 60 percent of the general population would eat fruit in a day – based on the results from the survey.
• One in seven teenagers drink coffee daily, with the proportion increasing as we age – 33 percent in young adults and 50 percent in the general population.

People have recognised that there is problem with their diet and 2.3 million have admitted to being on a diet and 3.7 million are avoiding foods due to an actual or perceived allergy / sensitivity.

The Survey identified that there are also increasing numbers of people consuming multivitamins to ensure proper nutrition instead of adjusting their diets to achieve the same aim.

In April the ABS released findings showing that 4 million Australian have a Vitamin D deficiency, with some states and territories being significantly worse than others. Tasmania has a proportion of 43 percent of it’s population with a Vitamin D deficiency but the ACT and Victoria are the leaders at 49 percent.

These reports are scary and mean that work must be done by authorities and medical personnel across the country. If “we are what we eat” then we are in big trouble as a country.

We have increasing obesity and diabetes rates, and the associated diseases and conditions that come with them. Improving our diets can only be a good thing and that should not be coming from a bottle. This report has significant opportunities for food manufacturers and hospitality businesses, if they just want to reach out and grab them.

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach

There is a saying “you are what you eat”. We have all heard it and it seems that a recent study by Imperial College London and the Medical Research Council (MRC) is reinforcing this saying.

There is an anti-appetite molecule called acetate may be the thing we are all looking for to reduce obesity. This molecule is produced as a waste product when fibre is digested.

There is another belief that many have about the brain being connected to the bowel and if the gut is not working properly then there will be brain issues.

Acetate moves to the brain from the gut after digestion and activates a signal to stop eating. So the brain is connected to the gut and it seems that eating more fibre will produce more acetate and reduce the desire to eat. This should contribute to reducing obesity rates.

This could potentially be a major finding, and a huge way to reduce the health issues and costs associated with obesity. Professor Gary Frost, lead author of the study, from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, said; “The average diet in Europe today contains about 15 g of fibre per day,” said. “In stone-age times we ate about 100g per day but now we favour low-fibre ready-made meals over vegetables, pulses and other sources of fibre. Unfortunately our digestive system has not yet evolved to deal with this modern diet and this mismatch contributes to the current obesity epidemic. Our research has shown that the release of acetate is central to how fibre suppresses our appetite and this could help scientists to tackle overeating.”

“Acetate is only active for a short amount of time in the body so if we focussed on a purely acetate-based product we would need to find a way to drip-feed it and mimic its slow release in the gut,” Professor Gary Frost said. “Another option is to focus on the fibre and manipulate it so that it produces more acetate than normal and less fibre is needed to have the same effect, providing a more palatable and comfortable option than massively increasing the amount of fibre in our diet,” he said.

Other research recently has shown that those with more fibre in their diet have less likelihood for heart issues than those with less.

Keep an eye out for foods that have increased fibre or added acetate.

So it does seem that research is showing again and again that “we are what we eat”.

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach

The following is from a media release from Food Standards Australia New Zealand and is included here with permission

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today released the first phase of the 24th Australian Total Diet Study (ATDS) which looked at Australian consumers’ dietary exposure to acrylamide and aluminium.

FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Steve McCutcheon said levels of acrylamide in Australian foods and beverages were generally comparable, or lower than those observed internationally.

“However, the estimated dietary exposure remains in the range considered to be of possible human health concern by international expert committees,” Mr McCutcheon said.

“FSANZ is working with industry to look at ways to reduce acrylamide levels in food, such as encouraging industry to use enzymes that reduce acrylamide formation.

Acrylamide forms naturally in carbohydrate-rich foods during high temperature cooking, such as baking, frying and grilling. It can also occur through food processing methods used to enhance flavour and colour in snack foods such as potato crisps.

“The ATDS also looked at aluminium levels in the many foods that contain it naturally as well as processed foods likely to have additives containing aluminium. Most foods had some levels of aluminium, with the highest levels found in cakes, pikelets and pancakes.

“These results are consistent with international findings and indicate that most of the Australian population’s exposure to aluminium is within internationally recognised safe level—however there was a slight exceedance for 2-5 year old high consumers.

“It is unlikely that this slight exceedance represents a public health and safety issue—however FSANZ is investigating whether the current permissions for aluminium-containing food additives are still appropriate.”

FSANZ is committed to the ongoing monitoring of the Australian food supply and the ATDS is one tool we use to keep an eye on food and ensure its safety for Australian consumers.

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach

In a major surprise to the restaurant world, the former number one restaurant in the world according to S.Pellegrino has made it back to the top spot.

Noma is a Danish restaurant that had a food poisoning incident in the last year. It has now made it back to being The S.Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurant. The announcement was made on 28 April 2014 in London.

It is now a shining example on how a food business can make it back to the heights after a brand damaging food poisoning incident. The general perception is that a food poisoning incident that makes it into the media, can be enough to destroy a business. Noma has shown that by hard work and commitment, a food business can conquer the worst thing that can happen to it.

It is has been a remarkable food business for many years and the previous number one ranking for three consecutive years shows this. For it to have overcome the difficulties of the last year, and reclaim the position as the best restaurant in the world, is a credit to the owner and staff.

The highest spot claimed by an Australian restaurant was number 32 out of the top 50. Attica in Melbourne is now the holder of the Best Restaurant in Australasia and has held it for the second year in a row.

Spain did well this year with three of the top 10 positions, and the UK and USA had two.

Written by Rachelle Williams – the Green Food Safety Coach