Selvarani Elahi's Posts (347)

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This paper reviews recently published Chinese research to highlight the recent advances of isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) as a regulatory and verification tool for Chinese food products.  It covers more than 100 IRMS research papers that use up to 5 light stable isotopes (3C/12C, 2H/1H, 15N/14N, 18O/16O, 34S/32S) as authenticity markers, combined with chemometric models. 

The range of food products include organic foods, honey, beverages, tea, animal products, fruits, oils, cereals, spices and condiments that are frequently unique to a specific region of China.

The authors conclude that - compared to other food authenticity and traceability techniques - IRMS has been successfully used to characterize, classify and identify many Chinese food products, reducing fraud and food safety problems and improving consumer trust and confidence.  

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10800233884?profile=RESIZE_710xA volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis method has been developed to distinguish human remains from animal species in forensic cases and to identify the species of remains after disaster accidents. 

Seven animal species, plus human, were investigated.  Some VOCs had high species specificity, demonstrating that all tested muscle tissue samples could be distinguished based on different VOCs.  HS-GC-IMS proved to be a rapid, high-throughput, high-sensitivity and specific species identification method.  The authors propose that the technique could also be applied to food authenticity testing to verify meat species.

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Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash

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EC JRC Food Fraud Report July 2022

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JRC has published its monthly summary on articles covering food fraud and adulteration. In this July issue, there are articles on frauds involving:

  • alcoholic beverages
  • seafood
  • milk
  • fruits and vegetables
  • cereals
  • soybean
  • meat
  • live animals
  • herbs and spices
  • olive oil
  • tea
  • ice creams
  • non-alcoholic beverages
  • sugar
  • honey
  • wine
  • seeds.

Read the full summary at: July 2022 JRC Food Fraud Summary

 

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Short Survey for the UK Government Chemist

10796476695?profile=RESIZE_400xThe Government Chemist plays a crucial role in the UK’s food and feed system in both its statutory and advisory capacities.

The data we get is vital for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to demonstrate the social, economic and industrial impact of the Government Chemist.

So if you have used the services of the Government Chemist (anything from Referee Analysis (food safety, food authenticity,advice etc.), Advice, Training materials, Publications, Events, Attendance at meetings etc.), please complete a short (10 mins max) impact evaluation survey: https://tinyurl.com/4737nv42

Thank you to all those people who have already completed the survey and thanks in advance to anyone that will complete the survey now. We really appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback.

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An e-seminar covering issues surrounding the use of CBD in food supplements and difficulties likely to be encountered in their analytical testing has been published.

It aims to help manufacturers, suppliers and laboratories understand the issues surrounding the use of cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD, in food supplements and the difficulties likely to be encountered in testing food supplements containing CBD. The manufacture and supply of food supplements are strictly controlled under food laws, it is therefore important to understand what CBD is and how it is regulated in food products. This presentation focuses on CBD, its chemistry in relation to food supplements and regulatory legislation, as well as considering the analytical aspects of measuring CBD in food supplements.

The e-seminar is intended for individuals working in official control laboratories, the food industry and those involved with the UK official control system.

The production of this e-seminar was co-funded by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Defra, the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, BEIS via the Government Chemist, under the Joint Knowledge Transfer Framework for Food Standards and Food Safety Analysis.

This e-seminar has also been added to the Food Authenticity Network's Training Section, where 12 other authenticity related e-seminars are available.

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An article published in the I online newspaper reports on the ongoing risk of herbs and spices adulteration.  

Investigators and analysts have told i that the $20bn (£17bn) global herbs and spices industry is being increasingly targeted by organised crime gangs and fraudsters determined to use disruptions to global supply chains, caused by factors from Brexit to Covid-19 to the war in Ukraine, to cash in with fake, adulterated or contaminated products.

This article reviews recent surveillance findings, common adulterants, detection methods and includes comments from the National Food Crime Unit and the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit.

Read full article

 

Photo by Andrea Leon on Unsplash

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Here, a biomarker-free detection assay was developed using an optical nanosensor array to aid in the food safety of citrus juices.

Researchers have coupled machine learning capability of their computational process named algorithmically guided optical nanosensor selector (AGONS) with the fluorescence data collected using their nanosensor array, in a biomarker-free detection assay, to construct a predictive model for citrus juice authenticity. 

Over 707 measurements of pure and adulterated citrus juices were collected for prediction. Overall, the approach achieved above 90% accuracy on three data sets in discriminating three pure citrus fruit juices, artificially sweetened tangerine juice with various concentrations of corn syrup, and juice-to-juice dilution of orange juice using apple juice. 

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Photo by ABHISHEK HAJARE on Unsplash

 
Abstract Image
 
 
 
 
 

 

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Telemeres are genetic book-ends that cap the ends of coding sequences within chromosomes.  Their length is chipped away every time DNA replicates.  Telemeric length is an indicator of an animals age but can also be suggestive of stress or environmental conditions. 

An interesting review article has been published that examines telomeric length as potential verification for fish authenticity descriptions such as organic vs conventional rearing or wild-caught vs aquaculture.

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Photo by Florencia Viadana on Unsplash

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10772001280?profile=RESIZE_710xEuropol investigation involving law enforcement authorities from 31 countries (Operation Silver Axe VII) found widespread evidence of counterfeit pesticides on sale in the EU. 

A number of modus operandi were discovered:

  1. The import of almost finalised products in containers resembling well-known brands. Once imported, they need only to be labelled before going on the black market.
  2. The import of illegal ingredients for the production of pesticides. To lower the chances of detection, the chemicals are only used at the final production stage at the locations where the packaging is also being counterfeited. 
  3. The misuse of the parallel trading system, which eases the approval procedures of pesticides sold within the EU. As part of this system, a plant protection product that is authorised in one Member State (Member State of origin) may, subject to granting a parallel trade permit, be introduced, placed on the market or used in another Member State. Some criminals abuse this system by introducing illegally produced plant protection products to a Member State, fraudulently claiming that they have already been approved in a different Member State and thereby removing the need for further approvals.

Counterfeit and substandard formulations not only risk environmental damage and pesticide resistance but can also lead to unexpected chemical residues in food. This is an example of where food fraud impacts food safety.

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A4I is a programme that gives UK businesses of any size access to cutting-edge R&D expertise and facilities to help solve problems that they have been unable to tackle using standard technologies and techniques. It might be around product reliability, cost or product lifetime.

The National Measurement Laboratory (NML) at LGC is a founding partner of the A4I Programme and is the UK’s designated institute for chemical and bio-measurement, supporting the work of the Government Chemist.

Through A4I, we provide companies with access to our state-of-the-art measurement and analytical capabilities, helping them address problems and challenges in innovative ways, boosting their competitiveness and productivity. Other partners include, National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing TechnologiesHenry Royce InstituteNational Gear Metrology LabNational Institute for Biological Standards and ControlNewton Gateway to Mathematics

Through improved chemical and bio-measurements we support manufacture and trade, protect consumers, enhance skills, and improve quality of life. 

Read our A4I cases studies to find out how the NML helped companies with their measurement challenges in other sectors such as environmental monitoring or food.

Air Quality Research – AQR optimises clean water treatment technology

Puraffinity - tackling global water scarcity with game-changing innovation.

Coconut Collaborative Ltd - Rapid and robust screening approaches to support food quality control.

APPLICATIONS FOR ROUND 8, STAGE 1 ARE NOW OPEN UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2022

For more information about the Programme and how to apply, please visit the  A4I website

Do you have a question for the NML? email us here

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10761257652?profile=RESIZE_584xResearch published by the Food Standards Agency indicates that the top three food-related concerns amongst consumers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are food waste, the amount of sugar in food, and animal welfare, with over half of respondents reporting that they are concerned about each of these issues.

Food and You 2, the FSA’s flagship consumer survey, also shows that two in five of us say we’ve eaten less processed food in the past year, and are trying to cut down on food waste.

The survey is an official statistic and measures self-reported knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to food safety and other food issues amongst adults in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland twice a year.

This latest survey was conducted between October 2021 and January 2022 and provides rich and high quality data on what people think, feel and do when it comes to food.

Key findings 

Confidence in food safety, authenticity and the food supply chain  

  • Most respondents (92%) reported that they were confident that the food they buy is safe to eat and more than 8 in 10 (86%) respondents were confident that the information on food labels is accurate 
  • Around three quarters of respondents (76%) reported that they had confidence in the food supply chain 
  • Respondents were more likely to report confidence in farmers (88%) and shops and supermarkets (85%) than in takeaways (61%), and food delivery services (45%) 

Concerns about food  

  • Most respondents (86%) had no concerns about the food they eat 
  • When prompted, the most common concerns amongst all respondents were food waste (63%), the amount of sugar in food (59%) and animal welfare (56%)

Food security  

  • Across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, 82% of respondents were classified as food secure (70% high, 12% marginal) and 18% of respondents were classified as food insecure (10% low, 7% very low) 

Eating out and takeaways 

  • Around half of respondents had eaten food in a restaurant (53%), from a café, coffee shop or sandwich shop (either to eat in or to take out) (52%) or ordered a takeaway directly from a takeaway shop or restaurant (50%) in the previous 4 weeks 
  • Over a third of respondents had eaten food from a fast-food outlet (either to eat in or take out) (38%) or ordered a takeaway from an online food delivery company (for example, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats) (35%) in the previous 4 weeks  
  • Most respondents (89%) had heard of the FHRS and around 4 in 10 (41%) respondents reported checking the food hygiene rating of a business in the previous 12 months  

Food allergies, intolerances and other hypersensitivities  

  • Just over 1 in 10 (12%) respondents reported that they had a food intolerance, 4% reported having a food allergy, and 1% reported having coeliac disease 
  • Of the respondents who reported having a food allergy, the most common foods reported as causing a reaction were peanuts (26%) and fruit (24%) 
  • Of the respondents who reported having a food intolerance, the most common foods reported as causing a reaction were cow’s milk and products made with cow’s milk (41%) and cereals containing gluten (19%) 

Eating at home 

  • Over two thirds (69%) of respondents identified the use-by date as the information which shows that food is no longer safe to eat 
  • Around two-thirds (67%) of respondents reported that they always check use-by dates before they cook or prepare food 
  • Over half of respondents (56%) reported that they never wash raw chicken, whilst 40% of respondents wash raw chicken at least occasionally 

Food shopping: sustainability and environmental impact  

  • Half (50%) of respondents thought that eating less processed food and 47% thought that minimising food waste contributed most to someone having a sustainable diet  
  • Most (59%) respondents thought that buying locally produced food or food that is in season contributed most to someone making sustainable food shopping choices  

Sustainable diets, meat alternatives and genetic technologies  

  • The most common changes respondents reported making in the previous 12 months were eating less processed food (40%) and starting to minimise food waste (40%)
  • Around a third (32%) of respondents reported that they currently eat meat alternatives, 21% of respondents reported that they used to eat meat alternatives but no longer do and 39% of respondents reported that they had never eaten meat alternatives 
  • Respondents reported greater awareness and knowledge of genetically modified (GM) food (9% had never heard of GM food) than gene-edited or genome-edited food (GE) (42% had never heard of GE food) 

Awareness, trust and confidence in the FSA 

  • Around three quarters (77%) of respondents who had at least some knowledge of the FSA reported that they trusted the FSA to make sure ‘food is safe and what it says it is’ 

Read full report.

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10758018274?profile=RESIZE_400xUKAS with Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) would like to invite laboratories to express an interest to join a pilot programme to become accredited by UKAS to perform non-targeted food /feed authenticity testing against the conformity assessment requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and UKAS document Lab 13 for expressing opinions and interpretations.

This programme presents an excellent opportunity for laboratories to demonstrate their testing capabilities together with opinions and interpretations under ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation, in the ever evolving authenticity testing food market place.

Successful applicants will be accredited to undertake non-targeted authenticity testing using specific techniques/methodologies and as part of this pilot, are expected to include an opinion on the authenticity of the food product on the accredited test report.

The number of laboratories participating the pilot programme is limited. Official laboratories undertaking this pilot study will be supported in funding and funding will be considered for other eligible laboratories. On-going accreditation costs would be the responsibility of the laboratory.

UKAS is currently gauging the potential level of interest in this area so would also like to hear from technical experts that may wish to support UKAS as a stakeholder to provide expertise and support to the development of accreditation criteria and process.

To express an interest, organisations will need to respond by email to developmentenquiries@ukas.com by 30 Sept 2022

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10604752891?profile=RESIZE_710xThis report describes the key changes in food standards from 2019 to 2021, a period when the UK’s food system was affected by our departure from the EU and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Food standards, of course, mean different things to different people. For the purposes of this report, The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland looked at standards in two ways:
1. Food and feed safety (including allergen management) – that is, ensuring the product is safe to consume, or, in the case of feed, safe for introduction into the food chain. A number of factors are taken into account when proposing safety standards, including advice from the FSA and FSS risk assessors and wider experts as well as other aspects such as the principles that may determine consumer
acceptability of risk. 
2. Other standards that support consumers and provide assurance – this includes provenance and authenticity, production standards (for example, animal welfare and sustainability), composition and nutritional content, labelling and advertising of food, and other information that enables consumers to make informed choices based on the values that are important to them.

Key Findings
The evidence set out in this report suggests that overall food safety standards have largely been maintained during 2021. However, this is a cautious conclusion. The pandemic disrupted regular inspections, sampling and audits across the food system, reducing the amount of data we can draw upon in assessing business compliance against food law requirements. It also changed patterns of consumer behaviour. While food safety standards have largely been maintained, both organisations recognise there are significant risks ahead.

The report highlights two particular areas of concern:

  1. Firstly there has been a fall in the level of local authority inspections of food businesses. The situation is in the process of being repaired – in particular in food hygiene inspections of cafés and restaurants – but progress is being constrained by resource and the availability of qualified professionals.
  2. The second is in relation to the import of food from the EU. To enhance levels of assurance on higher-risk EU food like meat, dairy and eggs, and food and feed that has come to the UK via the EU, it is essential that improved controls are put in place to the timescale that the UK Government has set out (by the end of 2023). The longer the UK operates without assurance from the exporting country that products meet the UK’s high food and feed safety standards, the less confident we can be that we can effectively identify potential safety incidents. It is vital that the UK has the ability to prevent entry of unsafe food and identify and respond to changing risks. Although we have considered these challenges carefully and put other arrangements within our control in place, they are not, in our view, sufficient. We are therefore committed to working with government departments to ensure that the introduction of these improved import controls provides high levels of protection for UK consumers.

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10585238691?profile=RESIZE_710xTo better understand our current position and capability within this exciting new space, a cross-sector workshop was held in February to
identify opportunities and challenges to establishing a competitive UK industry over the short, medium and long term. The workshop was taken forward by UKRI’s Transforming Food Production (TFP) programme and the Growing Kent & Medway Strength in Places Strategic Priorities Fund.                                                                               
A series of roadmaps have been developed as an output from the workshop which identify key priorities for the sector towards 2030. The TFP programme is already supporting a number of projects developing novel technologies and innovations to establish new industries across this sector, from insect and algal proteins, to advanced fermentations for single-cell proteins, and lab-cultured meat.

This report provides an initial blueprint for how the sector can come together and work collaboratively for mutual benefit, helping to unlock the global market opportunities that are emerging across the alternative protein sector.

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10571571277?profile=RESIZE_400xFood Standards Scotland (FSS) is currently in the process of finalising an online risk profiling tool and guidance to support industry in preventing food crime. FSS is looking for businesses to be involved in the review stage of this initiative to ensure it supports industry and achieves its purpose.

Please see an invitation from Ron McNaughton, Head of the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit:

Food Crime Risk Profiling Tool (foodauthenticity.global)

Please contact foodcrime@fss.scot by 24th June if you would like to be part of the review.

 

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10571004701?profile=RESIZE_710xA haul of counterfeit chocolate bars has been seized in raids on American candy shops on Oxford Street.

The "Wonka Bars" were confiscated on Tuesday by trading standards staff, who took merchandise worth about £100,000, according to Westminster Council.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) warned: "If you have bought these knock-off bars, do not eat them."

The council has been targeting US-themed sweet shops amid claims nearly £8m of business rates are owed.

It says it has netted about £475,000 of counterfeit and illegal goods in the past six months.

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New IFST President Elect

10566719876?profile=RESIZE_400xWe are delighted that the Chair of the Food Authenticity Network's Advisory Board, Sterling Crew, has been elected as the new President-Elect of the Institute of Food Science and Tecnology (IFST).

Sterling’s election was formally noted during IFST’s Annual General Meeting on 31 March 2022. Of his appointment, Sterling said: ‘It is a great pleasure and privilege to be elected to be the next President of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, especially as the selection was by my professional peers. The IFST is a fantastic organisation with a marvellous membership at its very heart. I pledge to play my part in adding further value to membership and promoting the organisation’s worthy charitable aims. This is an exciting time for IFST as we approach our 60th Diamond Jubilee and with chartership potentially on the horizon. Food science and technology has a major part to play in our country’s future in these very challenging times. The food sector has responded by developing innovative solutions and creative products. The role our members play has never been more important.’

Read the full edition of IFST News.

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10566574865?profile=RESIZE_400xDefendants are accused of participation in supply of horsemeat unfit for human consumption across Europe

18 people, including two veterinarians, are appearing in court in Marseille on Monday accused of involvement in a vast illegal trafficking network across Europe that allegedly supplied horsemeat unfit for human consumption to wholesalers and butchers.

The defendants, from France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, are thought to have bought and sold thousands of retired draft horses and racehorses, and even ponies, that were exported to Belgium where they were allegedly given fake identification and tracking documents before being sent back to abattoirs in the south of France.

They have been charged with fraud as part of an organised gang, or supplying false and deceptive goods liable to be a danger for human health, and face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Eight of the accused have been in custody since 2015 after European police smashed the continent-wide network.

More than 150 horse owners were victims of the alleged scam, of which around fifty have filed civil suits.

The national council of the order of veterinarians, the municipality of Alès and the National Interprofessional Association of Livestock and Meat (ANBV) have also brought civil action.

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Government food strategy published

10565937089?profile=RESIZE_710xThe UK government has today published its food strategy.

This food strategy sets out government ambitions and priorities to deliver the following objectives:

  1. a prosperous agri-food and seafood sector that ensures a secure food supply in an unpredictable world and contributes to the levelling up agenda through good quality jobs around the country.
  2. a sustainable, nature positive, affordable food system that provides choice and access to high quality products that support healthier and home-grown diets for all.
  3. trade that provides export opportunities and consumer choice through imports, without compromising our regulatory standards for food, whether produced domestically or imported.

To achieve these objectives government will seek to:

  • broadly maintain the current level of food we produce domestically, including sustainably boosting production in sectors where there are post-Brexit opportunities including horticulture and seafood.
  • ensure that by 2030, pay, employment and productivity, as well as completion of high-quality skills training will have risen in the agri-food industry in every area of the UK, to support our production and levelling up objectives.
  • halve childhood obesity by 2030, reducing the healthy life expectancy (HLE) gap between local areas where it is highest and lowest by 2030, adding 5 years to HLE by 2035 and reducing the proportion of the population living with diet-related illnesses; and to support this, increasing the proportion of healthier food sold.
  • reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the environmental impacts of the food system, in line with our net zero commitments and biodiversity targets and preparing for the risks from a changing climate.
  • contribute to our export strategy goal to reach £1 trillion of exports annually by 2030 and supporting more UK food and drink businesses, particularly small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), to take advantage of new market access and free trade agreements (FTAs) post-Brexit
  • maintain high standards for food consumed in the UK, wherever it is produced.

 

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10565846492?profile=RESIZE_584xThe FSA has shared its first science newsletter.

These quarterly newsletters will update you on FSA funding opportunities, latest research publications, areas of research interest, and will highlight FSA science job vacancies and peer reviewer opportunities.  

In this first issue, FSA highlight the recent launch of the new FSA 5-year strategy and the new Food Safety Research Network, and the publication of household food insecurity reports

Highlights

FSA 5-year Strategy Launch
We recently published our strategy for improving food over the next five years and recommitted to our mission of food you can trust.

The five-year strategy reflects the FSA’s greater responsibilities now that the UK is outside of the EU and takes into account growing public concern about health and climate change. Read our full FSA strategy 2022 to 2027: Food you can trust.

FSA research shows growing concern around the cost of food

Research published by the Food Standards Agency today shows the cost of food is a future major worry for three out of four of people in the UK.

FSA announces appointment of two fellowships to the PATH-SAFE programme
We're delighted to announce the appointment of two fellowships to the Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and the Environment programme (PATH-SAFE) team. Data Fellow Professor David Aanensen and Science Fellow Dr Ed Haynes will play a key role in driving forward our scientific innovation. You can read our blog post Making food safer with two PATH-SAFE fellowships.

Food Standards Agency takes next step to regulate CBD market
FSA takes next step to regulate CBD market
We have confirmed the list of CBD products that are now one step closer towards being authorised. The CBD Public List shows which products have a credible application for authorisation with the FSA.

Food Safety Network

We’re pleased to launch a new Food Safety Research Network, co-funding with UKRI-BBSRC. Hosted by The Quadram Institute, the network will help tackle the UK’s annual 2.4 million cases of foodborne illness by bringing together experts from government, industry and academic to address issues of food safety. 

FSA Scientific Advisory Committees welcome twelve new members

The Chair of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Professor Susan Jebb has announced the appointment of 12 new independent experts as members of the FSA’s Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs)

Speak Up For Allergies Campaign
We have launched the next phase of the Speak Up For Allergies campaign. The campaign encourages young people to support friends with allergies when eating in restaurants and the important role of front of house staff to provide allergen information effectively.

Improving School Food Standards
Following the publication of the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper, our Chair, Susan Jebb, welcomes plans for a pilot aimed at improving school food standards.

 

Recent Publications

We collaborate with a range of stakeholders on research projects to ensure our work is underpinned by the latest science and evidence. Our publications are available on our Research and Evidence pages

 

If you would like to receive this newsletter directly or in an alternative format, or if you would like to chat about any of the information provided within this newsletter, FSA would be happy to hear from you. Please get in touch by emailing Science.Communications@food.gov.uk.

 

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