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Posts tagged ‘Food (Safety) Standards’

Sep 12

blueberries

Changes to the MRLS for Blueberries and Raspberries - FSANZ

The Australian Food and Grocery Council has submitted an application to request consideration of maximum residue limits (MRLs) for agricultural chemicals concerned with individually quick frozen (IQF) blueberries and raspberries imported from Chile.

The request is made to address a need for sourcing competitively priced ingredients in a convenient format for consumers wishing to incorporate blueberries and raspberries into their diets.

The chemicals for which the MRLs are requested are Azoxystrobin (blueberry); Fenhexamid (blueberry); Fludioxonil (blueberry) and Bifenthrin (raspberry).

These chemicals are already permitted to be used in Australia for other commodities.

Read the executive summary here.

Read about the submission in more detail.

Aug 6

Center for Produce Safety Research Findings Now Online

New resources translating current research from the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) into practical applications for individual food safety programs are now online and openly available to all industry members. These tools distill the 16 CPS-funded research programs discussed at the 2013 Center for Produce Safety Produce Research Symposium held June 25-26 and the 2013 Fresh Connections: Food Safety Highlights event that followed June 27, both at the Wegmans Conference Center in Rochester, N.Y.

“Translating science-based research on produce safety into real-world application for industry members’ own food safety programs is what the CPS, its annual symposium and these online tools are all about,” said Dr. Bob Whitaker, Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Chief Science & Technology Officer. “By making this information widely available in everyday language, we are able to more effectively leverage data to improve food safety programs and close gaps in industry’s food safety efforts.”

Online tools available at PMA.com include:

  • 2013 CPS Symposium: 10 Lessons Learned – an insider’s guide on the symposium’s key findings authored by Dr. Whitaker and PMA Vice President of Food Safety & Technology Dr. Jim Gorny.
  • 2013 Fresh Connections: Food Safety Highlights presentations – eight recorded PowerPoint presentations led by Drs. Whitaker and Gorny. In addition to outlining the basics behind current CPS data, these presentations also look at some of the research’s implications relative to the Food Safety Modernization Act and current pending proposed rules.

Many of the key lessons noted in the guide and presentations will also be the subject of a series of podcasts PMA will be adding to its resource library over the next few months. The podcasts will feature Drs. Whitaker and Gorny along with PMA Director Food Safety & Technology Johnna Hepner and will be available through www.pma.com. The full technical reports for the 16 research programs presented during the 2013 CPS Produce Research Symposium can be found on the CPS website at [email protected]

Jul 29

Irrigation water

10 Lessons Learned at the 2013 CPS Symposium

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) held its fourth annual research symposium in Rochester, NY at the Wegmans Conference Center on June 25-26, 2013. The symposium featured sixteen CPS-funded research programs and discussions on what the research means. While the full technical reports for these research programs can be found on the CPS website, PMA’s Dr. Bob Whitaker, chief science and technology officer, and Dr. Jim Gorny, vice president food safety and technology, translated the research to identify ten key lessons learned from the symposium.

Click here to download the 10 lessons learned.

Jul 24

CPS Research Symposium 2013 Bill Marler Presentation

2013 CPS Research Symposium resources now available

A number of resources from the 4th annual Center for Produce Safety Research Symposium have now been made available via the CPS website:

  • Symposium presentations including one by Bill Marler – “The Evolving Legal and Financial Realities of Produce Food Safety: What it means for you”- CPS website. See the full list of Resources
  • Final reports, CPS funded research – CPS website; Awards list . Reports are noted on right hand side of the page.
  • CPS 2013 Research Posters – CPS website; Poster Sessions

Stay tuned for the key learnings from the event.

Jun 19

047

‘What it takes to instill a food safety culture in your business’ new presentation

Food Safety in our industry is a consumer-right, requiring a collaborative effort from all sectors of the industry. Dr Douglas Powell, Professor of food safety at Kansas State University was at PMA Fresh Connections 2013 Conference last week to challenge businesses not to rely on regulation, but to rely on their staff to deliver safe food.

If you missed Doug’s presentation, it is now available for download below in three abridged segments:

Speaking to www.freshfruitportal.com following his presentation, Doug said:

“Having lived here [Australia] for over two years, I don’t see that public culture of food safety. There were 140 people sick in Canberra, because they were using raw eggs in mayo and yet there was no media coverage about it.”

“The thing I hear most in food safety, whether it’s produce or anything else is – ‘We’ve always done it this way and I’ve never made anyone sick’. What it probably means is that you don’t have the surveillance systems to pick it up.”

“This is a reality – there will be outbreaks, like with rockmelon and peanuts in Australia and you as an industry have a chance to come together and get proactive, or wait until the next outbreak.”

Doug’s blog, ‘Barfblog’ is a handy source of current food safety information. You can check it out at www.barfblog.com

Mar 21

tomatoes

Irradiation of Tomatoes and Capsicums Approved by FSANZ.

Tomatoes and capsicums have recently been added to the list of produce permitted to receive irradiation as a phytosanitary measure by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

This change comes following application by DAFF Queensland, in association with the New Zealand Fresh Produce Importers Association (NZFPIA), who requested the variation be made to Standard 1.5.3.

In the past, chemicals such as dimethoate and/or fenthion have primarily been used as the phytosanitary measures however these chemicals have been restricted for this purpose and other options need to be considered. Permitting irradiation of tomatoes and capsicums will allow the increase of domestic and international trade due to the rigorous requirements in place for quarantine purposes against fruit fly.

FSANZ has reviewed the application and the scientific evidence on the safety of irradiated tomatoes and capsicums as well as the effect irradiation has on their nutritional composition. The approval has been submitted to the Council Of Australian Governments (COAG) and awaits their decision.

For more information about this approval, go to the FSANZ website.

Download the FSANZ Approval Report – Application A1069, Irradiation of Tomatoes and Capsicums.

Mar 20

Ministry for Primary Industries, NZ, releases study on Residues on Fresh Produce

Last month, the Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand, released the findings from the annual Food Residue Surveillance Program which targeted locally-produced and imported crops prone to exceeding the maximum residue limit (MRL) set for agricultural chemicals.

The study looked at chemical residues in fresh, unwashed produce and results indicated that most growers are using pesticides responsibly in the recommended manner with only a few exceptions. This year’s focus was on asparagus, eggplant, feijoas, hops, lemons, olive oil, persimmons, pumpkins, spring onion, sweet corn, tamarillos and walnuts.

Produce is sampled over the 12 month period so as to allow for seasonal variation in the food. The results are reported on after each quarter of testing. This differs from previous studies where sampling produce occurred twice over a short period of time.

Read the full article.

Find out more about the Food Residue Surveillance Program at the Ministry for Primary Industries | Manatu Ahu Matua, New Zealand.

Feb 20

FPS A&NZ to feature at Freshcare Workshop in Sydney.

Freshcare workshop logoFPS A&NZ will be delivering two food safety sessions to stakeholders working in the fresh produce safety and assurance sector at the Freshcare Biennial Stakeholder Workshop coming up in April!

A presentation titled “Food Safety Research in Action” will deliver information from the Center for Produce Safety, US, by A/Prof Robyn McConchie (University of Sydney). This will be followed by facilitated session to further determine food safety research priorities for the Australian fresh produce industry, titled “Filling the Knowledge Gaps: What are the Australian Food Safety Research Priorities?” facilitated by Ms Emma Walters, (Emma Walters and Associates).

The Freshcare workshop provides the opportunity for a diverse group of stakeholders such as trainers, auditors, regional industry and government representatives and customer representatives to come together to exchange knowledge, professional development and networking, thus maintaining a strong and consistent knowledge base in all regions.

Other Freshcare workshop topics include:
• Freshcare Program Updates : Food Safety & Quality and Environmental

• Food Safety Regulation: The US Experience – The Food Safety Modernisation Act – Progress or Distraction

• Food Safety Regulation: The Australian Experience – Primary Production Standards – A Change of Focus

• QA Harmonisation – Dream or Reality

If you are interested in attending, or for further information on the Freshcare Workshop contact Freshcare directly - [email protected] or 1300 853 508.

Feb 4

Preventative Controls

Industry Leaders: Committed to Safe Food and Health of Consumers.

Australian fresh produce suppliers should continue the investment in preventative food safety measures on-farm and continue to reinforce the value of a food safety culture geared to producing safe food all year round.

Fresh produce industry leaders in Australia and New Zealand are working with growers and governments to address issues before they arise.

Michael Worthington, CEO of PMA A-NZ stated that in the last 5 years “globally there have been huge improvements in the approach to food safety”, he went on to say “the health and safety of consumers and our farming families are our greatest priority.”

Associate Professor Robyn McConchie, Head Plant and Food Science, at the University of Sydney said, “We are developing a research model where we will be building upon existing research and information from around the globe and conducting new research, focusing on filling the knowledge gaps in Australia and New Zealand to protect and enhance food quality and safety in fresh produce.”

This comes in response to a paper released by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) addressing the attribution of foodborne illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths due to food commodities in the United States between the years 1998 to 2008. It stated that fresh produce accounted for nearly half (46%) of foodborne illnesses in the U.S in that time. Australia has never had the outbreaks (and associated deaths) as seen in the US, so it would be unlikely that a similar study in Australia would reveal similar results.

The Australian fresh produce industry has already taken preventive action, by forming a partnership with the Center for Produce Safety, UC Davis, areas identified by the Australian industry at the Fresh Produce Safety Forum in November 2012 can now be addressed as part of the call for research proposals for 2013 released by CPS. Please find more information on the call for Research Proposals.

Jan 25

Tour12IMG_2263

Aus & NZ: the US Food Safety Modernization Act “State of Play”

The Australian and New Zealand fresh produce industries have been watching with interest the debate around the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s much-anticipated proposed rules on produce safety and preventive controls under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), to see what ― if any― impact this will have on exporters to the USA.

Here’s the state of play:

  1. So far only two rules, the Produce Safety Standards Rule, and the Preventive Controls for Human Foods Rule, have been released.
  2. The industry has until 16th May 2013 to review the proposed rules and provide comment.
  3. Two additional proposed rules are yet to be released for comment by the FDA, one covering Imports and the other covering Third-Party Audits
  4. As all four rules are likely to affect one another, it may still be some time before the full impact of the Rules on the Australian and New Zealand fresh produce industry is known.
  5. It is likely to be some months before it becomes clear whether existing compliance systems already in use, such as GlobalGAP and NZGAP, would remain acceptable under the new FSMA rules.

Speaking from the Center for Produce Safety at the University of California - Davis in the U.S, where he is currently attending critical meetings on food safety, Michael Worthington, CEO of PMA Australia-New Zealand, released the following statement:

“The general consensus is that the Produce Safety Standards Rule is unlikely to cause much comment and would be adopted with minor adjustments only.”

“The Preventive Controls for Human Foods Rule may require further review, particularly around validation and verification data.”

“We are hoping that existing compliance systems already in use, such as GlobalGAP and NZGAP, would remain acceptable under the new FSMA rules, as the last thing our industries need are more costly compliance systems and audits, however it is too early to confirm that this is the case and it will be some months before it all becomes clear.”

Stay up to date

  • With assistance from PMA Global and the Center for Produce Safety at UC Davis, AU-NZ specific resources will be made available to the Australian and New Zealand industry, via the Fresh Produce Safety - Australia and New Zealand website, so stay tuned!
  • PMA Global have developed a comprehensive FSMA resource to help the global produce industry better understand the law itself as well as the proposed FDA regulations.
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