FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS

Improved allergen test reports

We're all about improving our service and presenting your results in an easy-to-understand format.
 

We are now reporting results as milligrams (mg) of total protein from the allergenic food per kilogram (kg) of the food product analysed. This means that it is no longer necessary to do any calculations to convert the ‘allergen’ result into a usable ‘allergen protein’ result.

Why this change? Recommendations from highly esteemed bodies, such as the ad hoc Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Food Allergens, suggest that the above reporting units will make result interpretation and comparison with allergen reference dose and action level easier.

All this to further advocate risk-based PAL – meaning that PAL should only be used if allergen cross-contact cannot be eliminated, despite all efforts to reduce, eliminate and control it (very much in line with current South African labelling regulations).

Should you have any questions or require clarification regarding your updated test reports, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team.

1.4 tons of beef wiener recalled

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reported that Perdue Premium Meat Company, Inc. had to recall approximately 1.4 tons of cooked beef wiener products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens.

The recall was triggered after a customer discovered that they may have received smoked sausages, which contain milk, packaged in the beef wieners' primary packaging material, which does not indicate the presence of milk.

Here are some practical tips to assist you:

1. Ensure you receive and use the correct printed packaging material.
2. During the start-up of the production line, verify that the correct version of the packaging material has been issued and loaded onto the packing equipment.
3. Avoid leaving printed packaging material on the production lines or in the packing equipment, to minimise the risk of contamination or incorrect usage.

To help you establish and implement effective allergen controls, browse our testing and consulting catalogues and send your products for the appropriate testing.

Fish fraud sparks food safety incident

Authorities are investigating fish fraud after a case of histamine poisoning affected several individuals.

The suspects in this case are accused of various food fraud activities, including:

• Adulteration with harmful substances such as nitrites and nitrates to enhance appearance
• Concealing unfavourable test results and falsifying certificates
• Misrepresenting frozen salmon as fresh and selling expired fish products

This case arises following a dozen reports of elevated histamine or high ascorbic acid levels in tuna on the EU Commission's RASFF portal this year.

Food fraud remains a growing concern, and this incident serves as a reminder of how compromised authenticity undermines all food safety efforts.
 

Fish and seafood products are notorious for being highly susceptible to fraud.
FACTS offers Fish Species Identification.

Nutritional analysis:
Red flags to look out for

Interpretation of the results of nutritional analysis might seem straightforward, but this is not always the case. There are a few red flags that should always be considered.

These include incorrect or incomplete data, whether density was tested in products that declare their nutritional information in millilitres, incorrect calculations used, consideration of the presence of sugar alcohols, organic acids and alcohol, and interpreting results from other countries for a South African label (and vice versa).

The complexities surrounding nutritional information are challenging, and can end up being costly if you don’t apply the principles correctly.

Rather than simply reporting data, we help our clients understand the relevance of their test results.

Join our Nutritional Information Masterclass on 18 October 2023 to learn all you need to know!

Upcoming training

Planned for you

In-house training

Designed to suit your needs