Food safety
Food quality and safety
Objective
The activities carried out in this area are intended to help
establish the integrated scientific and technological bases needed to
develop an environmentally friendly production and distribution chain
of safer, healthier and varied food, including sea-food and to control
food-related risks, relying in particular on biotechnology tools taking
into account the results of post-genomic research, as well as to
control health risks associated with environmental changes.
Justification of the effort
and European added value
The recent food crises, and in particular bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE), have highlighted both the complexity of food
safety issues and the fact that in most cases they have international
and cross-border implications.
The integration of the European internal market as regards
agriculture and food makes it necessary to address the problems that
arise in this area, and hence to carry out related research, on a
European scale. It is against this background that the European Food
Safety Authority has been established(3).
Citizens and consumers expect that research will help to ensure that
the food and products marketed are of high quality, healthy and can be
consumed in safety. To this end, emphasis should be placed on the whole
food production chain, "from farm to fork", including, where
appropriate, application of animal and plant sciences and biotechnology
to this area. Requirements relating to animal welfare and health should
be taken into account.
This requires the availability of the most complete, precise and up
to date scientific knowledge. Apart from the public health aspect, the
prosperity of a sector representing some EUR 600 billion in terms of
annual turnover and 2,6 million jobs is at stake.
Given that small enterprises constitute a major part of the food
sector, the success of activities undertaken will rely on the
adaptation of knowledge and processes to the specific characteristics
of these enterprises.
Europe also needs to be able to make a substantial contribution to
the research efforts on these issues, which now arise at world level,
as well as a coherent contribution to the international debate on them,
based on the most precise and complete knowledge.
The same remarks apply to the various aspects of the problems
associated with the health impact of environmental factors (e.g.
endocrine disruptors, carcinogens) which are a source of growing
concern for European citizens, and which often manifest themselves on
an international scale. For all these reasons, but also in order to
derive the benefit of the combination of the best sources of expertise
available in complex areas, the research in question should be carried
out at European level in such a way as to ensure genuine coordination
of national activities.
Actions envisaged
Community activities will cover research, including, where
appropriate, post-genomics research, relating to various aspects of the
control of health risks and links between health and food:
(a) safer and environmentally friendly production and processing
methods and healthier, nutritious, functional and varied foodstuffs and
animal feed, based on systems such as integrated production,
lower-input farming including organic agriculture, and the use of plant
and animal sciences and biotechnologies;
(b) epidemiology of food-related diseases and allergies, including
the impact of diet on the health of children and methods for the
analysis of causes of food-related allergies;
(c) impact of food, for instance new products, products resulting
from organic farming, functional food, products containing genetically
modified organisms and those arising from recent biotechnology
developments on health;
(d) "traceability" processes all along the production chain, for
instance relating to genetically modified organisms, including those
based on recent biotechnology developments;
(e) methods of analysis, detection and control of chemical
contaminants and existing or emerging pathogenic micro-organisms (such
as viruses, bacteria, yeasts, fungi, parasites and new agents of the
prion type including development of ante-mortem diagnostic tests for
BSE and scrapie);
(f) impact of animal feed, including products containing genetically
modified organisms and the use of sub-products of different origins for
that feed, on human health;
(g) environmental health risks linked to the food chain (chemical,
biological and physical), and combined exposures of authorised
substances, including impact of local environmental disasters and
pollution on the safety of foodstuffs, with emphasis being placed on
cumulative risks, transmission routes to human beings, long-term
effects and exposure to small doses, as well as the impact on
particularly sensitive groups, and especially children.
Links
News
2 July 2008: Milk
goes green: Cows that receive recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rbST)
make more milk, all the while easing natural resource pressure and
substantially reducing environmental impact, according to a Cornell
University study. Read more
2 July 2008: Austria has lifted a ban on importing and
processing genetically modified corn as part of the European Union's
efforts to comply with a World Trade Organization ruling on biotech
foods. Read more
30 June 2008: Drought-resistant
wheat beats
Australian heat. Read
more
26 June 2008: Food scientists confirm commercial product effectively
kills bacteria in vegetable washwater. Read more
26 June 2008: New UGA
invention effectively kills foodborne pathogens in minutes. Read more
26 June 2008: Can
biosensors tell juice
manufacturers when fruit juice is about to expire? The collective
research
project QUALIJUICE is working on technology that can. Read
more
23 June 2008:
The recent tomato contamination outbreak
has many people thinking about growing their own garden-fresh fruits
and vegetables. Read
more
23 June 2008: Common cooking spice shows promise in
combating diabetes and obesity. Read
more
23 June 2008: Researchers
at Newcastle University
in the UK
have discovered that cows which are allowed to graze as nature intended
produce
better quality milk. Read
more
18 June 2008: Study indicates grape seed extract may reduce
cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease. Read more
18 June 2008: Current
protein recommendations were
established with the goal of preventing deficiency, but newer research
indicates that many adults may benefit from eating more than the
minimum
requirement. Read
more
17 June 2008: New study:
Coffee drinkers have
slightly lower death rates than people who do not drink coffee. Read more
12 June 2008: Pigs raised
without antibiotics more
likely to carry bacteria, parasites. Read more
12 June 2008: A University
of Adelaide researcher will
lead an
Australian project to help address the world's biggest nutritional
deficiency –
lack of iron. Read
more
10 June 2008: Eating
fish and foods with omega-3 fatty acids linked to lower risk of
age-related eye
disease. Read more
10 June 2008: Study
finds Chinese food good for your heart. Read more
9
June 2008: Certain
Dry Foods Are Good Past Their Best-before Date, Food Scientists Say. Read
more
9
June 2008: Substance
In Red Wine, Resveratrol, Found To Keep Hearts Young. Read
more
30 May 2008: New
Vegetarian Food With Several Health Benefits. Read
more
27 May 2008: Cocoa
could be a healthy treat for diabetic patients. Read more
22 May 2008: A
Modest Glass of Wine Each Day Could Improve Liver Health. Read more
22 May 2008: A
foamy drink and the future of food. Read more
21 May 2008: New
pyramid puts oil, exercise, poultry in their place. Read more
16 May 2008: Green
tea compounds beat OSA-related brain deficits. Read more
12 May 2008: Cow's
milk may increase the risk of diabetes. Read
more
8 May 2008: Chemists measure chilli sauce hotness with
nanotubes.
Read more
8 May 2008: Nitrates in vegetables protect against
gastric ulcers.
Read more
8 May 2008: EU delays ruling on GM products. Read more
5 May 2008: Is
this the rice super-gene? Read
more
5 May 2008: Apples,
apple juice shown to prevent early atherosclerosis. Read more
2 May 2008: Amoebas
may vomit E. coli on your greens. Read
more
14 April 2008: Researcher looks to use nanoparticles for food safety.
Read more
14 April 2008: Wine
May Protect Against Dementia,
Study Suggests. Read
more
11 April 2008: Wine may
protect against dementia. Read more
11 April 2008: Researcher
looks to use nanoparticles for food safety. Read more
10 April 2008: First European
sighting of Far
Eastern 'stink bug' in Switzerland.
Read more
9 April 2008: Extracts from reishi mushroom and green tea shows
synergistic effect to slow sarcoma. Read more
9 April 2008: Food
biotechnology: real world
challenges. Read
more
9
April 2008: Adults
who eat apples, drink apple juice have lower risk for metabolic
syndrome. Read more
9
April 2008: Experts
push hybrid rice to solve soaring food prices. Read more
8 April 2008: Digestive
process affects anti-cancer activity of tea in gastrointestinal cells. Read more
8 April 2008: New
benefits of vegan diet revealed.
Read more
8 April 2008: Tart
cherries may reduce factors
associated with heart disease and diabetes. Read more
8
April 2008: Ingredient
found in green tea significantly inhibits breast cancer growth in
female mice. Read
more
7 April 2008: New And Deadly Viruses Passed Through Sweet Food And
Domestic Animals. Read
more
7 April 2008: Drinking
Tea May Offer Health
Benefits, But Evidence Still Limited. Read
more
3
April 2008: Contrary
to popular opinion, not all trans fats are bad for you. Read more
3
April 2008: Evidence
lacking on health benefits of drinking lots of water. Read more
3
April 2008: Prebiotics
-- the key to fewer food poisoning stomach upsets -- and healthy farm
animals. Read more
2
April 2008: New
study shows children benefit from drinking chocolate/flavored milk. Read more
27 March 2008: 'Diet' foods may not fool the brain. Read
more
27 March 2008: Apple
pectin, apple juice extracts
shown to have anticarcinogenic effects on colon. Read more
26 March 2008: Are organic
crops as productive as
conventional? Read
more
26 March 2008: Defining
gene's role may lead to prevention of dangerous corn toxin. Read more
26 March 2008: Mounting
evidence shows red wine antioxidant kills cancer. Read more
26 March 2008: EU-funded
researchers have developed a genetic tool which allows rice breeders to
block the action of genes which confer unwanted traits. Read
more
26 March 2008: Facts
On Fats Could Prompt Healthier
Eating. Read
more
25
March 2008: Biofuel boom
threatens food
supplies: Nestle. Read more
25
March 2008: Eating Causes Stress,
But
Antioxidants Can Help. Read
more
19 March 2008: Research
carried out by scientists at the Peninsula Medical School in the South
West of
England has found that resveratrol, a compound present naturally in
grape skin,
can protect against the cellular damage to blood vessels caused by high
production of glucose in diabetes, Read more
19 March 2008: In a finding
likely to get cheese
lovers talking, researchers in Nepal
and Canada
report that yak cheese contains higher levels of heart-healthy fats
than cheese
from dairy cattle, and may be healthier. Read
more
13 March 2008: Thousands of
research studies have
documented how the oils known as omega-3 fatty acids can benefit the
cardiovascular system, particularly among people diagnosed with
coronary artery
disease. Read
more
10 March 2008: If you're
allergic to soy, help is on
the way. Two University of Illinois
studies show that fermenting soy dramatically reduces its potential
allergenicity and also increases the number of essential amino acids in
soy
products, making them a healthy and a safe choice for consumers. Read
more
7
March 2008:
Increasing food quality risks are affecting global food supply chain. Read more
7
March 2008:
Researcher develops power-packed soy breakfast cereal. Read more
7
March 2008:
Many patients can reach LDL cholesterol goal through dietary changes
alone,
study shows. Read
more
7
March 2008:
Scientists aim to overcome allergic reactions to soy. Read more
7
March 2008:
Study finds that broccoli may help boost the aging immune system. Read more
7
March 2008:
Soaking potatoes in water before frying reduces acrylamide. Read
more
7
March 2008:
Symposium on nutrition and health from pregnancy to adolescence. Read
more
5
March 2008:
Blueberry and green tea containing supplement protects against stroke
damage. Read more
4
March 2008:
In an advance in food safety, researchers are reporting development of
a
nano-sized sensor that detects record low levels of the deadly prion
proteins
that cause Mad Cow Disease and other so-called prion diseases. Read more
4
March 2008:
Severely milk-allergic kids can be desensitized. Read
more
4
March 2008:
The incredible, hypoallergenic egg: New process to help egg-allergy
sufferers. Read
more
4
March 2008:
China
saw a
rise of almost a third in food-poisoning deaths last year even as the
total
number of incidents dropped, underscoring the food safety challenge China
still faces. Read
more
3
March 2008:
Researchers have developed a new technology that can simultaneously
screen
thousands of samples of food or water for several dangerous food-borne
pathogens in one to two hours. Read
more
3
March 2008:
A little rosemary can go a long way in reducing acrylamide in food. Read
more
3
March 2008:
Since advice about what to eat for optimal health has evolved over time
with
advances in nutrition science, dietary recommendations are sometimes
seen as
contradictory. Read
more
3
March 2008:
New study shows low-fat diets more likely to reduce risk of heart
disease than
low-carb diets. Read
more
3
March 2008:
The majority of patients with narcolepsy/cataplexy experience a number
of
symptoms of eating disorders, with an irresistible craving for food and
binge
eating as the most prominent features, according to a new study. Read
more
29 February 2008: Farmed fish
fed cheap food may be
less nutritious for humans. Read
more
29 February 2008: Extract of
broccoli sprouts may
protect against bladder cancer. Read
more
28 February 2008: Women who
regularly consume low-fat
milk or yogurt may have a lower risk of developing high blood pressure,
new
research suggests. Read
more
26 February 2008: An extract
of Coccinia indica, a
perennial herb that grows abundantly in India,
may help people with mild type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar
levels. Read
more
25 February 2008: Kava linked
to liver damage, new
evidence shows. Read
more
25 February 2008: Eating
curcumin, a natural ingredient
in the spice turmeric, may dramatically reduce the chance of developing
heart
failure, researchers have discovered. Read
more
25 February 2008: Veggies and
alcohol may ward off
prostate woes. Read
more
22 February 2008: Regularly
eating yogurt and other
foods with lactic acid may be good for your mouth, Japanese researchers
report.
Read
more
22 February 2008: Diet
patterns tied to breast, ovarian
cancers. Read
more
22 February 2008: Veneto
Victoria research
fellowship
program — Food science. Read
more
21 February 2008: Eating fish
could protect the brain
from decline. Read
more
20 February 2008: The 2008 edition of Nutrigenomics
will take place in Paris, France, on 13 & 14 March. The aim of the event is
to bring face to face the scientific vision and the Industrial
vision
of Nutrigenomics field, gathering
specialists from academic and industrial world involved in this
emerging field.
Read more
20 February 2008: A non-profit
nutrition education
organization has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to drop
heart
disease health claims for soy protein. Read more
19 February 2008: Team seeks
to improve the black-eye
pea. Read more
19 February 2008: European
Union farm ministers fell
short of a consensus agreement on Monday to allow imports of five
genetically
modified (GMO) products. Read
more
19 February 2008: Obesity
needs to be tackled in the
same way as climate change, a top nutritional scientist has said. Read more
18 February 2008: Many snack
foods have gone
"trans-fat free". Read
more
18 February 2008: Women
tea-drinkers have less plaque
in arteries. Read
more
15 February 2008: Fast-food
binge harms liver, but
boosts good cholesterol: study. Read more
15 February 2008: "Good"
bacteria commonly
found in probiotic yoghurts and drinks may be fatal for people with
severe
cases of pancreatitis. Read
more
13 February 2008: The early
years in a child's
development have profound impacts on him or her well into adulthood.
Scientists
are only now finding out just how far-reaching the impact of the early
developmental years is for adult wellbeing. Read
more
13 February 2008: The humble
white button mushroom
(Agaricus bisporus) has as much, and in some cases, more anti-oxidant
properties than more expensive varieties. Read
more
12 February 2008: Scientists in Arkansas are
reporting new evidence that natural
pigments responsible for the beautiful blue/purple/reddish colour of
certain
fruits and vegetables may help prevent obesity. Read
more
12 February 2008: Want
to lose weight? It might help to pour that diet soda down the drain.
Researchers have laboratory evidence that the widespread use of
no-calorie
sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their
intake and
body weight. Read more
12 February 2008: Whole
grain diets lower risk of chronic disease, study shows. Read more
11 February 2008: Sugar isn’t the only enemy of teeth.
Acids found in diet and regular soda, energy drinks, juice and wine can
erode
tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay. The February issue of Mayo Clinic
Health
Letter suggests ways to minimize the risk of damage from acidic foods
and
drinks.
Read
more
11 February 2008: The French
government on Saturday
suspended the use of genetically modified corn crops in France
while it awaits EU approval for a full ban. Read more
11 February 2008: It's the
French paradox redux: Why
don't the French get as fat as Americans, considering all the
baguettes, wine,
cheese, pate and pastries they eat? Read more
8 February 2008: Aphids that eat Brussels
sprouts are smaller than normal and live in undersized populations,
which has a
negative knock-on effect up the food chain according to new research. Read more
8
February 2008:
Researchers have discovered that drinking just 500ml of beetroot
juice a
day can significantly reduce blood pressure. The findings could have
major
implications for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Read more
8
February 2008:
What Willy Wonka did for chocolate, UCLA microbiologist Wenyuan Shi
is
doing for lollipops. Read
more
8
February 2008:
Eating more apples, bananas and oranges just may help stave off
such
neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, suggests a
new
Cornell study published online in the Journal of Food Science. Read more
7 February 2008: Several outbreaks of ciguatera fish
poisoning have been confirmed in consumers who ate fish harvested in
the
northern Gulf of Mexico, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
Read more
7 February 2008: Diets
with high amounts of whole grains may help achieve significant weight
loss, and
also reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and
cardiovascular
disease, according to a team of Penn State
researchers at University
Park and the College of Medicine. Read
more
7 February 2008: The
Bush administration on Monday proposed boosting funding to better
protect the
food supply, including opening an office in China.
Read more
5
February 2008:
A compound that naturally occurs in grapefruit and other citrus
fruits may
be able to block the secretion of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from infected
cells,
a process required to maintain chronic infection. Read
more
5
February 2008:
Amid concern that people in the United
States are consuming inadequate
amounts of
iodine, scientists in Texas
have
found that 53 percent of iodized salt samples contained less than the
U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended level of this key nutrient.
Iodized
table salt is the main source of iodine for most individuals, they note
in a
new study. Read
more
4 February 2007: Almost since the beginning of human evolution, people
have been searching for ways to preserve food, from smoking meat to the
invention of the humble tin can. These innovations and others like them
have revolutionised the way people eat. With current technological
advancements, food scientists are still looking at ways to
revolutionise the way we store our food. Read
more
4 February 2007: Keep
an eye on the salsa this Super
Bowl Sunday: A researcher inspired by a famous "Seinfeld" episode has
concluded that double dipping is just plain gross. Read more
4 February 2007: According
to researchers at the University of Minnesota, the
food industry has made progress in reducing the trans fat content in
its
products since a 2003 labeling mandate by the Food and Drug
Administration, but
consumers should still read labels to be certain the products are trans
fat-free. Read
more
1 Feburary 2008:Apples,
bananas, and oranges are the most common fruits in both Western and
Asian
diets, and are important sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Read
more
30 January 2008: Red wine has
long been known to
contain a substance, resveratrol, that is heart-healthy. Now research
shows
that both red wine grapes and winemaking residue, known as pomace,
contain
substances that may help prevent tooth decay. Read more
29 January 2008: Daily
consumption of caffeine in
coffee, tea or soft drinks increases blood sugar levels for people with
type 2
diabetes and may undermine efforts to control their disease. Read more
28 January 2008: Supplements
of the omega-3 docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) can reduce levels an enzyme linked to Alzheimer's disease, Read
more
25 January 2008: From cod
liver oil to Omega 3 in
salmon, the health benefits of eating fish have long been promoted, and
still
are by modern doctors. Eager to further propagate these 'fishy'
benefits, the
EU has been providing funding to research projects investigating the
benefits
of fish and seafood in the diet. Read
more
24 January 2008: Australian states should not ban commercial production
of genetically modified (GM) plants and food as the risks are alarmist
and exaggerated, according to a new study. Read more
24 January 2008: Evidence
supports drinking cranberry
juice — a familiar home remedy — to treat urinary tract infection
(UTI),
according to a new review from Scotland.
Read more
23 January 2008: Otherwise-healthy
adults who eat two or more servings of meat a day — the equivalent of
two
burger patties — increase their risk of developing metabolic syndrome
by 25
percent compared with those who eat meat twice a week, Read more
22 January 2008: In the
1960s, Ancer Keys, a US
expert on nutrition, studied the health benefits of the Mediterranean
diet for
the first time. Since then many studies on the benefits of olive oil
have been
conducted. Read
more
16 January 2008: Today, the Food and Drug Administration posted a
summary of a final report that supports the use of cloned animals for
food. According to the report, cloned animals and their offspring are
safe to enter the U.S.
food supply. Read
more
16 January 2008: Scientists
in the United States
and India
are reporting development of a high-protein variety of rice, dietary
staple for half the world's population. Read
more
16 January 2008: Acrylamide
is a chemical formed when frying, roasting, grilling or baking
carbohydrate-rich foods at temperatures above 120°C. Acrylamide is
thus found in a number of foods, such as bread, crisps, French fries
and coffee. Tobacco smoking also generates substantial amounts of
acrylamide. Read
more
16 January 2008: The
European Commission has adopted a
proposal revising the Novel Foods Regulation so that new and innovative
foods
have better access to the EU market, while consumer protection is
guaranteed.
'Novel foods' include those which are produced using new techniques and
technologies, and those that have no history of consumption within the
EU, but
have been consumed elsewhere. Read
more
14 January 2008: Meat and
milk from cloned animals is probably safe for humans, the European
Union's food safety agency said in a preliminary report released
Friday. The report, by the European Food Safety Authority, seems likely
to fuel new debate over whether the EU should allow cloned animals to
enter the food chain. Read more
14 January 2008: Cranberry
juice, long dissed as a mere folk remedy for relieving urinary tract
infections in women, is finally getting some respect. Read
more
14 January 2008: French government moves to ban the country's
only genetically modified (GMO) crop drew fire on Sunday from the
speaker of
the country's parliament, farmers and biotechnology industry groups. Read
more
10 January 2008: If you’re worried about high cholesterol levels and
keeping heart-healthy as you get older, don’t push aside bacon and eggs
just yet. Read more
10 January 2008: A
European study has found that
increased blood levels of vitamin C may reduce the risk of having a
stroke by
42%. Read
more
9
January 2008: Oatmeal's
health claims strongly reaffirmed, science shows. Read more
8
January 2008: Benzene
concentrations in beverages. Read
more
19 December 2007: The
biggest ever study on the effect of folate and vitamin B12 on prostate
cancer
is set to go ahead at Bristol University after World Cancer Research
Fund
(WCRF) announced it would fund the project. Read more
19 December 2007: In
a study of adults aged 20 and over, researchers at Tufts University
showed that
homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are at much higher levels in
individuals
who have a combination of vitamin B12 deficiency and high blood folate
levels
than in individuals who are also vitamin B12 deficient but have normal
folate
levels. Read more
17 December 2007: Israeli
scientists claim that a wild
mushroom, used in traditional Chinese medicine for a century, could
treat
prostate cancer, the University
of Haifa
said on Friday. Read
more
14 December 2007: Does the
consumption of green tea,
widely touted to have beneficial effects on health, also protect brain
cells? Read more
13 December 2007: Pioneered
by CSIRO researchers, in
collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
(CIMMYT) and Sydney University,
the research illustrates the major genetic improvements possible
without
genetic modification (GM) technology. Read more
12 December 2007: New
findings provide evidence that
people who eat a lot of red and processed meats have greater risk of
developing
bowel and lung cancer than people who eat small quantities. Read more
11 December 2007: Carbon
dioxide increasing in the
atmosphere may affect the microbial life in the sea, which could have
an impact
on a major food source, warned Dr Ian Joint at a Science Media Centre
press
briefing today. Read
more
10 December 2007: Just three
servings a month of raw
broccoli or cabbage can reduce the risk of bladder cancer by as much as
40
percent, researchers reported this week. Read
more
7 December 2007: A new report
by the International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) states that developed countries
must
step up international agricultural research in order to help the
world's poor
and curb rising food prices. Read
more
6 December 2007: The natural
compound sulforaphane,
which is abundant in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, may
have a role
in the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa simplex. Read
more
4 December 2007: Metabolic syndrome is a condition afflicting one
quarter to one third of adult men and women and is an established
pre-cursor to diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other serious
illnesses. Read
more
4 December 2007:
We've all seen the term "super
food" used to describe those nutrition-loaded edibles that promote
health
and discourage disease. Powerhouse foods high in antioxidants and
phytochemicals that block the development of cancer cells have been
touted as nature's
way to fight off the potentially devastating disease. Read more
4 December 2007: The
Irish government is investing EUR 5.2 million in marine functional food
research under its Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation
2006-2013
(SSTI) and the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM). Read
more
29 November 2007: South Dakota
State University
researchers are looking for ways to increase the amount of the trace
mineral selenium in flour. Read more
29 November 2007: A
new test can identify take-away
paper-based food containers (such as pizza boxes) that break phthalate
safety
rules. The phthalates (plasticisers) are present because the containers
were
made from pulp that contained at least some recycled paper and
cardboard. Read
more
28 November 2007: Garbanzos, lentils, and dry peas and beans can now
make crunchy, great-tasting snacks that are also good for you. Read
more
28 November 2007: A
new research area appeared
overnight when the presence of acrylamide in heated food was discovered
in
2002. One of the first teams to investigate the finding and its
implications
was the HEATOX team, funded under the EU's Sixth Framework Programme. Read
more
27 November 2007: Eating
foods high on the glycemic
index, which measures the effect of carbohydrates on blood glucose
levels, may
be associated with the risk for developing type 2 diabetes in Chinese
women and
in African-American women. Read more
27 November 2007: Not enough 'good' cholesterol makes it harder to recover from
stroke. Read more
21 November 2007: New
research out of the Channing
Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) reports that frequent
consumption of foods containing the flavonoid kaempferol, including
nonherbal
tea and broccoli, was associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer.
Read
more
20 November 2007: Genetically
engineered plants which produce essential omega-3 fish oils could offer
a new
way of improving people's diets, scientists working on an EU project
said at a
conference on 'Incorporating Omega 3 in the food chain'. Read
more
20 November 2007: Scientists
at a conference organised
by the European Science Foundation (ESF) and the European Cooperation
in the
field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) have called for a
new, more
holistic approach to the study of European eating habits. Read
more
20 November 2007: It’s
not just sugary sodas that are adding to the obesity crisis – it’s
fruit
drinks, alcohol and a combination of other high-calorie beverages. Read more
19 November 2007: The
European Commission has published
a catalogue of all projects funded under the 'Food quality and safety'
strand
of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Read
more
15 November 2007: Low doses
of freeze-dried grape
powder inhibit genes linked to the development of sporadic colorectal
cancer, University of California,
Irvine
cancer researchers found. Read
more
15 November 2007: Some
doctors in Texas
are throwing cold water on a Mexican herbal tea some claim is a remedy
for
diabetes. Read more
14 November 2007: A major component of green tea could prove
the perfect elixir for severe sepsis, an abnormal immune system
response to a bacterial infection. Read more
14 November 2007: UK
researchers have developed a new technology which could lead to much
quicker detection times for a variety of potentially fatal
contaminants. Read more
14 November 2007: To
get more out of your next cup of tea, just add juice. A study found
that citrus juices enable more of green tea's unique antioxidants to
remain after simulated digestion, making the pairing even healthier
than previously thought. Read more
14 November 2007: Two
of the biggest U.S.
meat processors on Tuesday defended a packaging technique designed to
keep meat
looking fresh at grocery stores even as U.S.
lawmakers criticized it as unsafe and misleading. Read
more
13 November 2007: A diet rich in leafy vegetables may minimize the
tissue damage caused by heart attacks. Read more
13 November 2007: Ready-to-eat
meats are popular with
consumers. But after the initial food processing, they are also
vulnerable to
recontamination by pathogenic bacteria. A solution turns out to be an
application of an antimicrobial-incorporated edible film coating that
will fend
off the pathogens. Read
more
13 November 2007: Heather
Hallen spent eight years
looking for poison in all the wrong places. Alpha-amanitin is the
poison of the
death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides. Read more
9 November 2007: A major component of green tea could prove the perfect
elixir for severe sepsis, an abnormal immune system response to a
bacterial infection. Read more
9 November 2007: There
is a new reason for the 76
million baby boomers to grab a glass of milk. Vitamin D, a key nutrient
in
milk, could have aging benefits linked to reduced inflammation,
according to a
new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Read more
8 November 2007: The first
workshop of the EU-funded
SAFOODNET (Food safety and hygiene networking within new Member
States and Associated
Candidate
Countries) will be held in Brno, Czech
Republic, from 10 to 12 December. Read
more
7 November 2007: In a recent academic review, a University
of Minnesota professor in
the School of Public
Health has concluded that food, as opposed
to specific nutrients, may be key to having a healthy diet. Read more
7 November 2007: The
Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST) reported in
August on
their support for Auckland company Vital Foods. The
company carried out two independent clinical trials of their
proprietary
kiwifruit extract Zyactinase™, which involved the Centre for Disease
Control
and Prevention in China. Vital Foods is working in
partnership with Auckland-based Bioactives Research New Zealand, which has strong
connections with China. Read
more
7 November 2007: Coca-Cola has
opened The
Coca-Cola Research Center for Chinese Medicine at the Chinese Academy of
Medical Sciences in Beijing. Read
more
31 October 2007: A European
project has found that
some organic foods, such as fruit, vegetables and milk, could be more
nutritious than non-organically produce and contain higher
concentrations of
antioxidants, believed to cut the risk of heart disease and cancer. Read
more
30 October 2007: The
first-ever attempt at a climate neutral vineyard in France is underway
in
Bordeaux's Medoc region, where winemaker Remi Lacombe plans to offset
his own
carbon emissions by investing in a carbon-reducing project elsewhere. Read more
30 October 2007: Researchers
worldwide are learning to control the key chemical processes involved
in
ripening, a development that will lead to longer lasting, better
tasting
tomatoes, apples, and other fruits and vegetables. Read more
26 October 2007: People's
intake of fatty acids --
which have been linked to cardiovascular disease and other conditions
-- can be
substantially affected by changing the type of vegetable oil they use, Read
more
25 October 2007: The European
Union has authorized imports of four genetically modified (GMO) crop
products
for sale across its 27 national markets for the next 10 years. Read
more
24 October 2007: Men who
consume a higher amount of
whole grain breakfast cereals may have a reduced risk of heart failure.
Read more
24 October 2007: When
a study in her lab showed that mate (mah’ tā) tea drinkers had
experienced a
significant increase in the activity of an enzyme that promotes HDL
(good)
cholesterol while lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, University of
Illinois
scientist Elvira de Mejia headed for Argentina where mate tea has been
grown
and taken medicinally for centuries. Read more
17 October 2007: Men who eat just
half a serving of soya a day have drastically fewer sperm than those
who do not
consume such foods, according to a small, preliminary study. Read
more
17 October 2007: Lupeol, a
compound in fruits like mangoes, grapes and strawberries, appears to be
effective in killing and curbing the spread of cancer cells in the head
and neck.
Read
more
16
October 2007: Scientists report that adding long-chain
polyunsaturated fatty acids -- typically found in fish oil -- to baby
formula may help infants better regulate their blood sugar and make
more proteins in their muscle cells. Read
more
16 October 2007: Two case studies from Japan
presented at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American
College of Gastroenterology
point to a potential health problem in the United
States, as more Americans consume raw
fish in the form of sushi and sashimi. Anisakiasis (round worm) is a
human parasitic infection caused by the consumption of raw or
undercooked seafood containing Anisakis larvae. Read more
16 October 2007: Alternative medicine has been
touting the health benefits
of garlic for centuries, from its anti-bacterial and antifungal
properties, to
its positive effects on the cardiovascular system. Read more
16 October 2007: The next time
you think about throwing out those aging strawberries or very ripe
grapes,
consider this: Belgian scientists report that fruits and vegetables do
not lose
any antioxidant content in the days after purchase, even as tell-tale
signs of
spoilage appear. In some cases, antioxidant levels actually rise. Read more
12 October 2007: Red wine is
known to have multiple health benefits. Researchers at the University
of
Missouri-Columbia have found that red wine may also protect humans from
common
food-borne diseases. Read
more
12 October 2007: A diet rich in
antioxidant vitamins and minerals does not seem to prevent the
degenerative eye
disease known as age related macular degeneration, finds a study
published on
the British Medical Journal website. Read
more
8 October
2007: Bottlegourds have been used around the world for
food,
bottles, bowls, spoons, musical instruments and even bird houses. Now a
"genetic" genie in the versatile bottlegourd may be used to reduce
virus infestation in watermelons. Read
more
8 October
2007: Tea drinkers beware. Too much of the wrong kind can
add
significantly to the amount of fluoride you consume, with the tea in
just four
cups supplying up to one-third of the maximum safe daily amount. Read
more
8 October
2007: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissions research
to
investigate specific issues covering the whole range of its activities. Read
more
5 October 2007: Pregnant and breast-feeding women should eat at least
12 ounces (340 grams) of fish and other seafood a week because the
benefits for infant brain development outweigh any worries about
mercury contamination. Read
more
5 October 2007: New
data from a large ethnically
diverse group of men provides no evidence that eating a lot of fats and
meat
substantially affects a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. Read
more
4
October 2007: Eating
flavonol-rich foods like apples may help reduce the risk of pancreatic
cancer, says a team of international researchers. Read more
4 October 2007: Italian food producers,
consumers and conservation groups
hope to get three million signatures in a petition drive to ban
genetically
modified food, a move they hope will renew Europe's
rejection of biotech crops. Read
more
3
October 2007: A
strong skeleton is less likely to be penetrated by metastasizing cancer
cells, so a fortified glass of milk might be the way to block cancer's
spread, according to researchers at the ANZAC Research Institute in Concord,
Australia. Read
more
3 October 2007: Many studies have suggested
that moderate red wine
consumption is beneficial to cardiovascular health. But what if you’d
like to
skip the alcohol? Read
more
1 October 2007: Eating fruits
and vegetables was not strongly associated with decreased colon cancer
risk,
according to a study published online in the September 25 Journal of
the
National Cancer Institute. Read
more
27 September 2007: Public health
advocates are lobbying for limits on the availability of sports drinks
such as
Gatorade and Powerade in high school vending machines. Read more
24 September 2007: EU-New Zealand
co-operation project - fellowships available. FOOD-FRENZ is a
co-ordinated collaboration project between
the EU and New Zealand
whose main objectives are to strengthen relationships between the
consumers,
knowledge providers and industry in the two regions, and to develop
best
practice for the delivery and production of safe, sustainable,
traceable and high quality food
in the EU and New Zealand.
Read
more
20 September 2007: Children
may eat fewer calories
throughout the day if their first meal of the day is "low-GI," new
research suggests. Read
more
19 September 2007: Building
consumer trust, food safety and quality, developing new products and
promoting sustainable production are some of the targets for research
set out by stakeholders from the EU food and drinks industry, united in
the Food for Life European Technology Platform. Read
more
19 September 2007: Cooperation
between the EU and Russia
in agro-bio-food research has become tighter in recent years, and is
set to become even stronger in the near future, according to Commission
officials. Read
more
19 September 2007: Enjoying
the eating process without
focus on dietary restrictions may be key to managing weight and staying
healthy, according to researchers who have unveiled a new and effective
model
for managing eating. Read
more
18 September 2007: A joint
Canadian-American research
team have, for the first time, demonstrated that mercury concentrations
in fish
respond directly to changes in atmospheric deposition of the chemical. Read more
17
September: A DRAMATIC shift in diet sometime during the
evolution of
modern humans has left its imprint on our genome. The discovery could
provide
some of the strongest evidence to date in support of a controversial
hypothesis
that purports to explain why humans, alone among all the apes, suddenly
evolved
such big brains. Read
more
14 September 2007: EU ministers and
national experts are due to approve a genetically modified (GMO) sugar
beet
variety this month despite a long running dispute over the use of
biotechnology. Read
more
12 September 2007: Soft drink consumption has
increased in both the USA
and the UK
over the years and this has often been blamed for a rise in childhood
body mass index (BMI). However, many of the review methodologies
investigating the alleged links have been flawed. Read more
12 September 2007: University
of Minnesota researchers
have discovered that a common amino acid, available as a health food
supplement, may help curb pathological gamblers’ addiction. Read more
12 September 2007: An intensive international
effort to improve the nutritional value of cassava -- a staple food for
millions of poverty stricken people in sub-Sahara Africa
and other areas -- has led to development of a New form of cassava that
may be easier to digest than other varieties. Read
more
12 September 2007: An international team of
scientists has produced a new type of rice that grows better and uses
water more efficiently than other rice crops. Read more
12 September 2007: Giving children a diet rich in
fish and "fruity vegetables" can reduce asthma and allergies, according
to a seven-year study of 460 Spanish children. Read
more
12 September 2007: World-first equipment, made
exclusively for UQ scientists,
will determine how to produce food which is better for us, but still
tastes
good. Read more
11 September 2007:Parents whose children
show signs of hyperactivity may find that cutting certain artificial
food
colourings from their diet may lead to an improvement in their
behaviour. Read
more
7 September 2007: An EU project has found
new uses for the 95% of every sunflower discarded after the production
of oil.
With pressure on the industry mounting due to increased production of
palm and
soybean oil outside of Europe, these new applications could offer an alternative
source of income.
Read more
7
September 2007: The
soy isoflavone genistin--at concentrations present in soy infant
formula-- may reduce a baby’s susceptibility to rotavirus infections by
as much as 74 percent, according to a University
of Illinois study published
in September’s Journal of Nutrition. Read more
7 September 2007: Higher crop prices resulting
from the global biofuel boom
could be a boon to the world's rural poor, according to a new book from
the
Worldwatch Institute, a nonprofit research and advocacy group. That
conclusion
challenges the notion that biofuels harm the poor by raising food
prices, known
as the "food versus fuel" problem. Read
more
6 September 2007 : If
you eat the right grains for breakfast, such as whole-grain barley or
rye, the regulation of your blood sugar is facilitated after breakfast,
lunch, and dinner. Read
more
6 September 2007 : It's not cast-iron proof that
high-fructose corn syrup causes diabetes, but new evidence suggests we
should think twice about using it to sweeten soft drinks. Read
more
6 September 2007 : An international
conference on the applications of polyphenols, looking at the
state-of-the-art
and future trends, will take place in St Julian's, Malta, on
15 and 16 November. Read
more
28 August 2007: If you could
see a piece of celery that’s
been magnified 10,000 times, you’d know what the scientists fighting
foodborne
pathogens are up against, said University
of Illinois microbiologist
Hans
Blaschek. Read more
27 August 2007: Scientists in France
and Italy
have
deciphered the complete genetic code for the plant producing wine
grapes,
according to a study published Sunday. Read more
22 August 2007:
Bitter taste can ruin a cup of coffee. Now, chemists in Germany
and the United States
say they have identified the chemicals that appear to be largely
responsible
for java's bitterness, a finding that could one day lead to a better
tasting
brew. Their study, one of the most detailed chemical analyses of coffee
bitterness
to date, was presented today at the 234th
national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Read
more
22 August 2007:
Scientists from France
and Portugal
have suggested that caffeine may help protect against cognitive decline
in
older women. Read more
21 August 2007:
A new guide to
microbiological food safety aims
to help food processors eliminate the pathogens in fruit and vegetables
that
cause food-borne diseases such as E-coli, salmonella and cholera. Read more
21 August 2007: A
compound found in broccoli and related vegetables may have more
health-boosting
tricks up its sleeves, according to a new study led by researchers at
the University of California,
Berkeley.
Read more
17 August 2007:
Researchers have found that New Caledonian crowswhich are known to make
complex
food-getting tools in the wildcan also spontaneously use one tool on
another to
get a snack. Read more
16 August 2007:
Scientists have identified that a hormone is responsible for people's
fondness
for food, findings that could lead to a better understanding of
overeating. Read more
16 August 2007:
Symrise is investing in understanding the flavour and nutrition needs
of
consumers in Asia with the 'dramatic' expansion
of its
regional Sensory and Consumer
Science Center
in Singapore.
Read more
10 August 2007: Data from 10
studies conducted in Europe and Japan
suggest that people who drink coffee may be reducing their risk of
liver
cancer. Read
more
9 August 2007: Diet foods and drinks for children may inadvertently lead
to
overeating and obesity. Read
more
9 August 2007: A nutritious fish eaten in Kenya
could be used as a weapon against malaria. Read
more
8 August 2007: Extracts of
green tea and bamboo leaf could
reduce acrylamide formation in foods, suggests a new study from China. Read
more
7 August 2007: The European Group on
Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) has launched a public
consultation
on the ethical aspects of animal cloning for food supply. Read
more
7
August 2007: Nanotechnology is not science fiction -- and
New
Zealand farmers need to be gearing up to take advantages of the
opportunities
it will offer, agricultural economists say. Read more
6 August 2007: Animals that
have eaten genetically modified (GMO) feed show no residual traces in
their
eggs or meat, the EU's food safety agency said on Friday. Read
more
3 August 2007: Blue corn tortillas have more protein and less starch than
the more common version made with white corn.
Read more.
3 August 2007: The U.S. Center for Science in
the Public Interest says
both Burger King and Wendy's New York City
french fries contain unsafe levels of trans fats. Read more
2 August 2007: A proposed
federal regulation would make nutrition labels mandatory on all beer,
wine and
other alcohol sold in the United States. Read more
31 July 2007: There are no grounds to
amend the risk assessment currently in place in Europe on hormone
residues in
beef, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded,
following a
review of new scientific data. Read
more
27 July
2007: A new EU-funded project will
investigate the impact of the chemicals found in commercially-produced
baby food on the health of newborn babies. Read
more
27 July 2007: Scientists
have provided new evidence
that using more fish oil than vegetable oil in the diet decreases the
formation
of chemicals called prostanoids, which, when produced in excess,
increase
inflammation in various tissues and organs Read
more
26 July 2007: The European Commission's Joint
Research Centre has used its crop yield forecasting system to predict
that this year's cereal harvest in the EU will rise slightly compared
to 2006.
Read more
26 July 2007: Eating
more cruciferous vegetables
like broccoli and cauliflower is associated with a reduced risk of
aggressive
prostate cancer. Read
more
25 July 2007: The European
Nutrigenomics Organisation (NuGO) has published a set of bioethics
guidelines
designed to help scientists undertaking nutrigenomics research using
human
subjects. Read
more
24 July 2007: An agricultural
researcher at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University
has developed a simple process to make allergen-free peanuts. The new
process
-- believed to be a first for food science -- could provide relief to
millions
of peanut allergy sufferers, and be an enormous boon to the entire
peanut
industry. Read
more
23 July 2007: Measuring blood
levels of a chemical transporter for vitamin A may be useful in
estimating a
person's "intraabdominal fat," a type of fat inside the abdomen that
it not visible, but still adversely affects health, new research shows.
Read
more
23
July 2007: British and Irish consumers may have to eat
paler
breakfast sausages and burgers after the European Union banned the use
of a red
food coloring, Red 2G, in the European Union due to concern it could
cause
cancer. Read
more
20 July 2007: Botulism
poisoning from commercially canned foods has been virtually eliminated
in the United States,
making the new cases linked to hot
dog chili sauce all the more striking. Read more
20 July 2007: The U.S. Food
and Drug Administration announced the recall of 10-ounce cans of
possibly
contaminated hot dog chili sauce sold under various brand names. Read more
18 July 2007:
Mexico,
widely considered the birthplace of corn, is close to finalizing rules
governing experimental planting of genetically modified corn strains, a
senior biosecurity official said on Tuesday. Read
more
18 July 2007: Orange
juice,
despite its high caloric load of sugars, appears to be a healthy food
for
diabetics due to its mother lode of flavonoids, a study by
endocrinologists at
the University at Buffalo
has
shown. Read more
18 July 2007: Researchers
have isolated
bisdemethoxycurcumin, the active ingredient of curcuminoids -- a
natural
substance found in turmeric root -- that may help boost the immune
system in
clearing amyloid beta, a peptide that forms the plaques found in
Alzheimer's
disease. Read
more
17 July 2007: EU
farm ministers failed Monday to reach an agreement on allowing a new
genetically modified potato on the market, leaving the decision by
default to
the European Commission, a diplomat said. Read more
16
July 2007:
Sites in Kansas, Georgia,
Mississippi, Texas
and North Carolina are
being
considered as the possible site of a $500 million U.S. Homeland
Security
research lab. Read
more
16
July 2007:
Dr. Philippe De Wals of Université Laval's Department of
Social and
Preventive Medicine has published a study clearly indicating that the
addition
of folic acid to flours has led to a 46% drop in the incidence of
congenital
neural tube deformation (mainly anencephaly and spina bifida) in Canada.
Read
more
13 July 2007: A switch to organic farming would not reduce the
world's food supply and could also increase food security in developing
countries, say the authors of a new study. Read
more
13 July 2007: A new study of
sweetened beverages shows that cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup
have similar effects on hunger, fullness, and food consumption at
lunch. Read
more
13 July 2007: The
U.S. Food Safety and Inspection
Service announced a permanent prohibition on the slaughter of cattle
that are
unable to stand or walk. Read
more
13 July 2007: U.S.
grocers and foodmakers would be required to put country-of-origin
labels on
cuts of red meat beginning September
30, 2008, under a bill approved by a House Appropriations
subcommittee on Thursday. Read
more
13 July 2007: U.S.
oversight of genetically modified crops, which critics charge is
insufficient,
may be overhauled following a series of proposed changes released on
Thursday
by the Agriculture Department. Read
more
11
July 2007: A new study of sweetened beverages shows that cane sugar
and high
fructose corn syrup have similar effects on hunger, fullness, and food
consumption at lunch. Read
more
11 July 2007: Claims
for the cancer-preventing potential of tomatoes and lycopene should be
sharply
limited, the US
Food and Drug Administration has concluded. There is no credible
evidence that
intake of lycopene, the pigment that gives tomatoes their bright red
color,
cuts the risk of any type of cancer. Read
more
11
July 2007: Post-menopausal Chinese women who eat a Western-style
diet heavy in
meat and sweets face a higher risk of breast cancer than their
counterparts who
stick to a typical Chinese diet loaded with vegetables and soy, a study
found. Read
more
11 July
2007: Thai researchers have urged people in Southeast Asia to
stop eating
raw freshwater fish because they risk becoming infected with a
parasitic worm
that may predispose them to developing liver cancer. Read
more
11
July 2007: National
recommendations for folic acid and other micronutrients
vary widely across Europe, leaving consumers and health professionals confused,
according to
a Europe-wide survey. Read
more
11
July 2007: Most
Americans fail to get the calcium and vitamin D they need, but this
shortfall
could be affecting more than their bones. It may, at least in part, be
one
reason behind the epidemic of type 2 diabetes, suggests new research
conducted
at Tufts University.
Read more.
10 July 2007: Teenagers who
do not get enough of
the nutrients commonly found in fruits and fish are more prone to
underperforming lungs, asthma, coughing and wheezing. Read
more
10 July 2007: Farmers in the
Balkans are failing to
weed out the cause of a kidney disease, according to a new study that
appears
to have resolved a decades-long mystery. Read
more
10 July 2007: Researchers
from the University of Granada
and Hospital Carlos III
in Madrid, verified that
maslinic
acid – found in wax from olive skin – inhibits serin-protease, the
enzyme used
by HIV to release itself from the infected cell into the extracellular
environment. Read
more
10 July 2007: Food colouring Red 2G (E 128), which
is added to some breakfast sausages and burger meat, may cause cancer,
the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said on Monday as it reviewed
food
additives used in the European Union. Read
more
5 July 2007: Confused about which
kinds of fish are safe to eat, Americans are skipping seafood all
together --
and missing out on health benefits, said federal scientists in Seattle.
To unmuddy
the water, they're calling for a nationwide program to investigate
seafood
contamination and educate the public. Read
more
