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FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS

World bee day was celebrated on the 20th of May. The purpose of this international day is to raise awareness of the importance of bees and beekeeping. In celebrating the bee, we have collated our easy to read and useful honey-related articles we have written along the way on our honey journey.

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HONEY FRAUD

Honey fraud can take on many forms, but is most often associated with mislabelling and adulteration.

HONEY VARIATIONS

What causes flavour, colour and consistency differences in honey?
Does authentic honey crystallize?

TYPES OF HONEY PRODUCTS

Raw honey, creamed honey, vegan honey-imitation products and flavoured honey products – how are these honey products defined under R. 835, and how should they be labelled?

TESTING FOR HONEY FRAUD

How can one test for the different types of honey fraud? What parameters are valuable indicators of honey fraud and which methods are most appropriate for their measurement?

FACTS is passionate about South Africa’s honey industry and testing for honey fraud. We strive to stay on top of honey-fraud trends and come up with testing solutions that best support our clients’ needs, for more information please contact us.

Where regulations fit in the NPD process

When we pose the question ‘Where in the NPD process should you start considering regulations?’ to the attendees at our regulatory workshops, the majority of responses indicate that it should be during the product formulation stage. We would argue that this is too late. The sooner you start considering regulations, the more time and potential frustration you can save yourself in the long run. We also recommend not considering the regulations at only one specific step, but rather practising continuous regulatory engagement throughout.

Our team of food scientists and dieticians use and apply our regulatory knowledge and our nutrition expertise to assist you in New Product Development. View our regulatory and nutrition services or contact us.

Vegan labelling requirements, limitations and considerations

With the current shift towards vegan diets, there has been notable consumer (and consequently, food industry) attentiveness towards vegan-related food products. This has exposed potential gaps in the regulations, and in turn, in the industry’s understanding of what is required for this type of product – especially when it comes to processing and labelling.

Our diverse team of regulatory experts will help you with applying the South African food regulations to ensure that your food labels comply. View our vegan product integrity services or contact us.

Codex Expert panel recommendations on food allergen labelling

Food allergies are widely acknowledged and recognised as a public health priority, hence the need for an internationally coherent allergen labelling and control framework has been highlighted time and again. This includes creating a framework for reliable and risk-based Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL). Global harmonisation of food allergen labelling and control will expand consumer protection and reduce trade barriers.The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) plays a pivotal role in establishing standard approaches to food safety, including allergen labelling and control. It has been decades since Codex’s global guidance on food allergen labelling was published (1999).

Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) is a formal and systematic risk analysis approach to quantify risks; an allergen QRA guides an organisation’s decision regarding whether or not PAL is necessary. View our allergen management services or contact us.

Facilitated Analysis

If our testing catalogue does not include the test you require, we will find another laboratory that can perform that specific test from our network of reputable labs. In addition, we will manage the process of having your sample tested by the laboratory on your behalf. Our facilitated testing services allows an uncomplicated, holistic testing experience from start to finish.

Interpretation of results will be done in accordance with local and/or international regulations – or your own internal standards or specifications, if required. Whether you need one, the other, or both for more information please contact us.

Upcoming training

Planned for you

MASTERCLASS:
Food Labelling claims

What and when you can claim on your food product

22 JUNE 2022

(Approximately 4 hours)

MASTERCLASS:
Wheat vs Gluten

What is the difference between wheat and gluten?

26 July 2022

(Approximately 2,5 hours)

VISIT OUR RESOURCE CENTRE

Explore our resource centre and download resources that can be easily printed and displayed in your office or factory.

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