ifst - News - FoodAuthenticity2024-03-19T07:54:03Zhttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/blog/feed/tag/ifstFighting food frauds on the frontlinehttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/blog/fighting-food-frauds-on-the-frontline2023-12-11T17:25:59.000Z2023-12-11T17:25:59.000ZSelvarani Elahihttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/members/SelvaraniElahi869<div><p><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12322855490,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="257" height="192" alt="12322855490?profile=RESIZE_180x180" />Our Secretary, John Points, has written an article for a special edition of the Institute of Food Science and Technology's Journal of Food Science and Technology focussed on 'food safety and authenticity', in which he emphasises the pervasive impact of food fraud, spanning from brand risks to safety risks, advocating rigorous risk assessment, vigilance, and the use of tools like analytical testing to effectively detect and mitigate fraudulent activities in the food industry.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://ifst.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fsat.3704_12.x" target="_blank">article is open access</a>.</p></div>New IFST President Electhttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/blog/new-ifst-president-elect2022-06-13T18:51:02.000Z2022-06-13T18:51:02.000ZSelvarani Elahihttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/members/SelvaraniElahi869<div><p><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10566719876,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="257" alt="10566719876?profile=RESIZE_400x" /><span dir="ltr">We are delighted that the Chair of the Food Authenticity Network's Advisory Board, Sterling Crew, has been elected as the </span><span dir="ltr">new President-Elect of the Institute of Food Science and Tecnology (IFST). </span></p>
<p><span dir="ltr">Sterling’s </span><span dir="ltr">election was formally noted during </span><span dir="ltr">IFST’s Annual General Meeting on </span><span dir="ltr">31 March 2022. </span><span dir="ltr">Of his appointment, Sterling </span><span dir="ltr">said: </span><span dir="ltr">‘It is a great pleasure and </span><span dir="ltr">privilege to be elected to be the next </span><span dir="ltr">President of the Institute of Food </span><span dir="ltr">Science and Technology, especially as </span><span dir="ltr">the selection was by my professional </span><span dir="ltr">peers. The IFST is a fantastic </span><span dir="ltr">organisation with a marvellous </span><span dir="ltr">membership at its very heart. I </span><span dir="ltr">pledge to play my part in adding </span><span dir="ltr">further value to membership and </span><span dir="ltr">promoting the organisation’s worthy </span><span dir="ltr">charitable aims. This is an exciting </span><span dir="ltr">time for IFST as we approach our </span><span dir="ltr">60th Diamond Jubilee and with </span><span dir="ltr">chartership potentially on the </span><span dir="ltr">horizon. Food science and </span><span dir="ltr">technology has a major </span><span dir="ltr">part to play in our </span><span dir="ltr">country’s future </span><span dir="ltr">in these very </span><span dir="ltr">challenging times. </span><span dir="ltr">The food sector </span><span dir="ltr">has responded by </span><span dir="ltr">developing innovative </span><span dir="ltr">solutions and creative </span><span dir="ltr">products. The role our </span><span dir="ltr">members play has never </span><span dir="ltr">been more important.’</span></p>
<p><span dir="ltr">Read the full edition of <a href="https://ifst.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fsat.3602_3.x" target="_blank">IFST News</a>.</span></p></div>IFST Guide: Reducing Vulnerability in Your Food Business by Addressing Pinch Points in Supply Chainshttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/blog/ifst-guide-reducing-vulnerability-in-your-food-business-by-addres2022-05-30T13:11:16.000Z2022-05-30T13:11:16.000ZSelvarani Elahihttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/members/SelvaraniElahi869<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10525141686,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10525141686,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="305" alt="10525141686?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></a></p>
<p>May 2022</p>
<p>Disruptions in the food supply chain are no doubt the ‘new normal’, whether that is labour shortages, wholesale energy prices, shortages of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), more friction with border documentation and checks, or supply chain restrictions related to Covid-19 and EU Exit. The conflict in the Ukraine has caused even greater concerns over food supply restrictions over the short to medium term.</p>
<p>Pressures on labour availability means that the practical, managerial and leadership skillsets, required across the food sector, vary from business to business being readily available in some sectors to being niche and in short supply in others. The economic, environmental and social challenges we have seen in the last two years are causing businesses to reconsider their reliance on people for tasks and decision-making and to turn to automation on manufacturing lines, and artificial intelligence and machine learning, to reduce their vulnerability to labour issues. These supply chain disruption issues singularly, or in combination, create multiple challenges that businesses need to address by embedding mitigation strategies in their business planning. This means that business approaches to risk identification, assessment and management need to be reviewed and revised as the world becomes a more uncertain place to do business. </p>
<p>As a result, business continuity planning has never been more important for all food businesses, from multinational corporations operating across the world, to micro food businesses developing food products and meeting the needs of local customers. Every food business has its unique continuity challenges, whether associated with particular food ingredients, packaging or materials, used in their processes, location, relationships with its supply chain or final market or consumer trends. </p>
<p>Horizon scanning is a systematic approach to considering evidence of particular trends, and then actual and potential scenarios, in order to determine whether an organisation is adequately prepared for established and emerging threats, has appropriate risk identification, assessment and management procedures in place and if suitable controls are implemented, can readily adopt adequate measures for threat elimination, mitigation or control. Pinch point mapping and analysis is one form of horizon scanning to determine business and supply chain vulnerability and measures to reduce such vulnerability. </p>
<p><strong>Read IFST's guide to</strong> <a href="https://www.ifst.org/pinch-points" target="_blank">Pinch Point Mapping and Analysis</a></p></div>IFST Horizon Scanning Report 2021https://www.foodauthenticity.global/blog/ifst-horizon-scanning-report-20212021-08-12T13:03:03.000Z2021-08-12T13:03:03.000ZSelvarani Elahihttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/members/SelvaraniElahi869<div><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9412425291?profile=RESIZE_710x" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9412425291?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="218" height="307" alt="9412425291?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><span style="font-size:12pt;">Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) has published its Horizon Scanning Report 2021, which includes essential insights from its members, for the future of the food sector. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Drawing on the combined expertise of our professional membership, IFST has gathered insights for the future, enabling readers to envisage <strong>how the food sector will likely be impacted in the next three years</strong> by the main factors identified in the report. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="https://youtu.be/17DkyIXDg6I?t=2165"><strong>Click here</strong></a> to watch a recording of Chris Gilbert-Wood's (Chair of the IFST Scientific committee) update on the Horizon Scanning Survey outputs from our Spring Conference (SC21).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">This report includes graphs and charts representing data collected from our members' survey,<strong> <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2i2we2ce4ehbpm5/AADB-fcptL4tfv6TbSKI6dIea?dl=0">click here</a></strong> for a larger view of the data. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Download the report <a href="https://www.ifst.org/resources-policy/horizon-scanning-report" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p></div>IFST's Information Statement on Food Authenticity Testing - Parts 1 and 2https://www.foodauthenticity.global/blog/ifst-s-information-statement-on-food-authenticity-testing-parts-12019-03-04T15:38:07.000Z2019-03-04T15:38:07.000ZSelvarani Elahihttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/members/SelvaraniElahi869<div><p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}1259072382,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}1259072382,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="400" /></a>IFST has re-written its “Food authenticity testing” Information Statement and split it into two parts:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">• <strong><a href="https://www.ifst.org/resources/information-statements/food-authenticity-testing-part-1-role-analysis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food authenticity testing part 1</a></strong>: <strong>The role of analysis</strong>, which now covers the role of analytical testing within the context of an overall supply chain assurance strategy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Analytical testing is a valuable tool in the armoury to assure food authenticity but cannot be used to identify every type of food fraud.  It is only one part of an overall strategy to mitigate fraud risk.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Many modern tests are based upon comparing a pattern of measured values in the test sample with patterns from a database of authentic samples. Interpretation is highly dependent on the robustness of the database, and whether it includes all possible authentic variables and sample types. This information may not be released by the laboratory.  Interpretation of results is rarely clear-cut, and analytical results are often used to inform and target further investigation (such as unannounced audits or mass-balance checks) rather than for making a compliance decision.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This paper describes where testing can and cannot be used, and highlights generic issues relating to interpreting food authenticity testing results.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">• <strong><a href="https://www.ifst.org/resources/information-statements/food-authenticity-testing-part-2-analytical-techniques" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food authenticity testing part 2</a></strong>: <strong>Analytical techniques</strong>, which gives describes specific analytical techniques, their applications, strengths and weaknesses.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This paper describes the principles, different configurations, applications, strengths and limitations of some of the more common analytical techniques used in food authenticity testing:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">• Mass spectrometry</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">• Stable isotope mass spectrometry</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">• DNA analysis</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">• Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">• Spectroscopy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Generic strengths and limitations of food authenticity test methods, particularly those relating to methods comparing against reference databases of authentic samples, are discussed in “Food authenticity testing: The role of analysis”. It also describes the difference between targeted and untargeted analysis.</span></p>
</div>UPDATED IFST INFORMATION STATEMENT ON ORGANIC FOODhttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/blog/updated-ifst-information-statement-on-organic-food2018-08-22T09:47:02.000Z2018-08-22T09:47:02.000ZSelvarani Elahihttps://www.foodauthenticity.global/members/SelvaraniElahi869<div><p>With many reports of increasing levels of fraud in the organic food sector including from <a href="https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/stores/supply-chain/watch-out-for-organic-fraud/564741.article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Grocer in March 2018</a>, the IFST statement on organic food is a useful guide that looks at current EU rules related to organic food, explores how this type of food should be labelled and advises on where to begin if a food business seeks to move into organic food production.<br />
<br />
 <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74127021?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-right" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/74127021?profile=original" width="400" /></a>It covers the following areas:</p>
<ul>
<li>What is organic food</li>
<li>Labelling of organic food</li>
<li>What EU Regulation applies to organic food?</li>
<li>Where next</li>
<li>References</li>
</ul>
<p>Read the full statement <a href="https://www.ifst.org/resources-information-statements/organic-food-1?utm_source=ALL+Members+List+01.03.18&utm_campaign=b0080ea332-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_01_09_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e7c4040970-b0080ea332-109284033" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
</div>