The Chinese government has announced a new three-year strategy to further develop the local dairy industry, with emphasis on strengthening R&D as well as tighter governance to quell remaining food safety concerns and boost the sector’s reputation.
Singapore-based start-up ProfilePrint has cited growing interest in alternative proteins and specialty ingredients as potential areas to explore with its patented artificial intelligence food ingredient analysis technology.
A study commissioned by the New Zealand government has revealed that chicken remains the country’s top source of campylobacteriosis, which is in turn the most common foodborne illness in the country – despite national efforts to bring it under control...
Essential oils derived from plants have the potential to replace chemical preservatives in meat and meat products against bacterial contamination, according to latest findings.
More studies are emerging of food products as a potential carrier for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing COVID-19, according to new review of the research, but there is no evidence of it leading to transmissions.
F&B firms and governments in Asia will need to step up and provide more reassurance regarding food product safety and supply chain transparency to local consumers, as recent studies have revealed a vast lack of confidence in several parts of the region.
Commercialisation of smart and active packaging is failing to fulfil its potential in the food and beverage sector, largely limited by regulations, cost, safety and accuracy issues.
China is looking to virtual ‘spot checks’ on incoming food imports and tightened cold chain management guidelines in an attempt to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 in the country as winter arrives and increasing cases of virus have been found on frozen...
China is planning to revise safety standards governing multiple processed foods and nutritional ingredients in its latest initiative to battle food contamination and adulteration in the country.
In Africa, naturally fermented camel milk sold by farmers at local markets often contain disease-causing microorganisms. Now, researchers have isolated ‘new’ strains of lactic acid bacteria they say can make the milk safer.
Scientists have developed a novel active coating containing chitosan, tea and cinnamon extracts to improve the quality of fish fillets during refrigerated storage.
The New Zealand honey industry has refuted recent claims of its products being unsafe for consumption in the wake of reports that over 20% of retail packed honey contains glyphosate residues, saying that these findings have been ‘over-sensationalised’.
Chicken, pork and salmon samples contaminated with COVID-19 showed no decline in the virus level after 21 days in both refrigerated and frozen storage conditions.
Pakistani scientists have reiterated calls for better regulatory measures to control trans fatty acid (TFA) levels in local food and beverage products following findings that TFA was found to be very prevalent in the food supply, but rarely labelled correctly.
An Australian report by the New South Wales government has found both widespread Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria presence in raw chicken obtained from local processing plants and retail outlets, with the latter a potential new source of food safety...
A new study on antibiotic misuse in the Indian dairy sector has cast new doubt on the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) continued assertions that the country’s dairy is ‘safe for consumption’.
Chinese e-commerce firm Pinduoduo (PDD) and Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) are developing a cost-effective way of testing for contaminants such as pesticides in fresh produce – in an effort to boost consumer, retailer...
Regulatory inefficiencies in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have again entered the spotlight after recent government correspondence revealed ‘rampant’ occurrences of margarine masquerading as butter within the F&B industry.
Probiotics, omega-3 DHA/EPA, and supplements containing the garcinia cambogia extract are linked to the majority cases of unwanted side effects linked to nutraceutical use in South Korea, health officials have reported.
Human bacterial pathogens, plastic, kerosene, paint, talc and even milk powders were some of the contaminants found in oysters collected in Myanmar, a new study reveals.
An inspection and review conducted by South Korea’s authorities found that most of the supplements of questionable quality being sold only were from US brands.
India’s food counterfeit incidents have risen at an ‘alarming rate’ between 2018 and 2019, numbers which will have significantly negative impacts on the country’s ‘Make in India’ campaign if more stringent measures are not taken to control these.
Fish caught from the seas surrounding Turkey have been found to be contaminated with heavy metals above the recommended maximum limit, in particular, lead and cadmium.
The government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) has built of a new food safety and quality control centre with a Chinese partner, in the hope of providing a boost for the country’s economy and potentially graduating from its current ‘Less-Developed...
Radiation levels in Japan’s bottled water – which soared in popularity following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident – have been found to be in line with levels across the world.
Researchers in Australia have called for more stringent food allergen labelling regulations after recent data revealed that the lack of warning labels poses a bigger risk for consumers than cross-contamination during food processing.
Singapore harbours major ambitions in becoming more food self-sufficient with novel food technology as one of its key strategies, but a recent study has found that public attitudes towards such tech could seriously hinder the government’s plans.
A new light technology touted as a chemical-free ‘disruptor’ to the food preservation and disinfection has been created by a spin-off from the National University of Singapore (NUS).
China has revealed microbial contamination, excessive food additives and excessive drug residues to be the major food safety challenges that the country is facing, based on data from the government-administered 2019 National Food Safety Inspections.
India has repeatedly stressed that the country’s agricultural sector will emerge unscathed from and even achieve growth amidst the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, but injurious fearmongering and a severe locust threat seem to suggest otherwise.
Concerns that India faces a significant public health risk from counterfeiters making beverages featuring alcohol from hand sanitisers have been voiced by a trade association, which claims the problem is being aggravated by liquor shortages in the country.
AI solutions to track and trace raw materials and ingredients will likely gather pace in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, where supply chains were disrupted and many firms had to source supplies from alternative providers.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, food and beverage adulteration has continued unhindered in Pakistan with authorities having had to seize and discard thousands of units of dairy, fruits, spices and other items despite continuing food supply fears...
Hong Kong plant-based manufacturer OmniFoods has seen retail grocery sales increase 120% between April 2019 to January 2020 as it pursues a twin strategy of increasing its presence in the supermarket aisles and foodservice outlets.
India’s food safety regulatory body Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has insisted that the public need not be concerned about food safety in the country despite a lack of laboratory staff to do food safety testing due to COVID-19 lockdowns...
In a 20-year analysis of reported food fraud in the beef supply chain, researchers have found counterfeiting to be the most common type of fraud. “By better understanding the fraud which is taking place, we can target fraud prevention, detection, and...
The food industry is awash with uncertainty right now – but two factors are abundantly clear; consumer expectations around food safety and quality will be heightened.
Almost 10% of grain-based foods labelled as ‘gluten-free’ and over 35% of those that do not contain gluten by nature in India have been found to be contaminated with it, some up to 90 times more than permitted levels.
Researchers in Australia have developed a series of rapid, reliable and highly sensitive DNA tests, which can identify the five most common Salmonella subtypes in the country in a matter of minutes - with potential for use in for the food industry as...
Fresh produce experts in Australia and New Zealand have denounced the merits of directly disinfecting fruits and vegetables as has been advocated via a viral video and mainstream news, calling this a ‘dangerous’ food safety hazard.
Researchers from Asia, the Middle East, and the West are now trialling omega-3, honey, and even potato resistant starch, on top of vitamins and zinc, as they race to find products that could contribute to the fight against COVID-19 and its symptoms.
Researchers at universities across the world have not found any link between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and dementia based on results from the world’s first ethnic-Chinese specific study.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has reported a 50% rise of food contamination cases in Australia by microbes leading to product recalls in 2019, despite a lower overall food recall rate.
India’s Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) is aiming to put a stop to false claims for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 by setting up a task force to evaluate products and practices.
Thailand’s food supply preparations to battle the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak have focused heavily on local food productivity, covering both agricultural products and processed foods.