Archive for May, 2009
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
The Retail Industry Working Group of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has been working for the last three years to prepare an industry plan for crisis management. The Group includes major retailers, manufacturers and governments, and has a broad view of the potential impacts a natural disaster or crisis will have on the food industry.
“The Australian food distribution plan is unprecedented in the world and represents a concerted effort by Australia’s retailers and manufacturers to ensure the maintenance of essential foods and household items,” according to Kate Carnell, Chief Executive of the AFGC.
The industry plan includes:
- The implementation of operational plans on how to safely keep supermarkets open and how to continue to ensure customer and staff safety;
- A food distribution plan to coordinate, with the food and grocery industry, in case of any future shortage in supply to ensure a “fair and orderly distribution” of essential food and grocery items across Australia.
The Group has worked out what essential products would be needed, and how long they would be needed, as well as where they can be sourced from in the quickest timeframe. A specific software package has been developed as part of this process, to assist the AFGC and the industry in the event of a disaster or crisis.
AFGC has committed to continuing to massage the plans to ensure they provide the best available response to, and management of a crisis / disaster. The planning and responses will always be done in conjunction with the relevant government agencies.
For more information go to www.afgc.org.au
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
The current Swine Flu scare has highlighted the need for all of us to have a plan for managing a crisis when it occurs. This includes food businesses and means that each must have documented procedures for handling events such as;
- Recalls
- Tampering
- Returns
- Fire
- Evacuation
- Hold ups
- Bomb threats
- Loss of key staff
- Computer system failure
All manufacturers, wholesalers, importers and distributors must have a Recall Program that meets the requirements of the Food Standards Code. There is a new edition of the Protocol for Food Product Recalls available on www.foodstandards.gov.au
All food businesses should have a Return Procedure or similar, which details how materials are to be isolated / quarantined, returned / replaced / refunded and what is to be done if a Tampering is suspected.
Therefore, if the Food Safety Supervisor is not on site, staff will still know what to do and all actions will be consistent and recorded as needed.
Fire training of all staff, including the use of extinguishers, is a mandatory workplace health and safety requirement and records of this training must be kept. This training should be shown on some sort of Annual Calendar / Diary to ensure it is not missed. At least one practice evacuation should be done every year as well, with a record kept to show it occurred.
Retail businesses should have a procedure for the steps to take in the event of a Hold up, with relevant staff trained so that if it does happen they will be more able to handle the situation. Bomb threats are a potential crisis for all food businesses and there should be a method for how to talk on the phone, and the steps needed after the call.
Most businesses are now operating with all records held by their computer systems. Therefore, it is an essential risk management requirement to have back ups and steps in place if the computers fail.
The heart and soul of all businesses are the staff. All businesses need to have plans in place to ensure that if key staff are not present (ie; holidays, resignations, sickness), the business is able to continue with little or no change.
Having documented procedures for everything in the business is one recognised method for doing this. The systems need to be set up so they will continue to function effectively with, or without the person.
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Steviol glycosides are a group of very strong sweeteners extracted from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. They have been found to be around 250 times sweeter than sugar.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved the use of this sweetener (stevia) for use as an ingredient in food and beverages in both Australia and New Zealand.
It is expected that in time, this material will eventually replace many of the existing chemical sweeteners in use in the food industry, particularly those used in “diet” drinks, as it will be cheaper, more intense, natural, and less will be needed to achieve the same sweetness level.
The original application to FSANZ and following submissions were placed by CQUniversity’s Centre for Plant and Water Science on behalf of all consumers, users and potential growers. It took 10 years of research, and four years of submissions for the approval to be given. As stevia is not a new invention, no company holds a patent on it or it’s use.
Professor David Midmore of CQUniversity states that the “approval process confirmed the complete safety of stevia, it has passed every conceivable test for safety. CQUniversity believes that it will make an important contribution in low calorie drinks.
For example, one litre of sugar sweetened soft drink contains at least 1700kJ of energy, whereas when sweetened with stevia the energy content will be as low as 7kJ.”
Professor Midmore also said that” we see stevia becoming a significant tool/ingredient for community use in the fight against obesity and the associated metabolic syndrome and diabetes (typeII)”.
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
The Organic Federation of Australia (OFA) has received more than 900 comments on the draft of the new Australian Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Products.
A high number of submissions / comments for a draft standard was previously considered to be 60, so the huge interest in this Standard has the Chair of the OFA, Andre Leu, commenting that “this unprecedented level of support shows that the Australian organic sector wants to ensure that the standard meets the needs of our complex industry as well as the expectations of our consumers”.
The submissions came from consumers, certifiers and all industry sectors, including; processors, producers, and retailers. They represent the views across all those involved in organic or biodynamic foods.
The Standard will give the organic industry and consumers a consistent and uniform national benchmark for organic products, including; production, marketing and definitions. It will provide government bodies, including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), with definitions and procedures that can then be enforced.
The Organic Federation of Australia is considered to be the peak body for the organic food industry and is leading the development of this invaluable Standard.
For more information go to www.ofa.org.au
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
The following is the latest information from the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council meeting held on Friday, 1 May 2009 in Sydney. It is supplied with permission from Food Standards Australia New Zealand. For more information go to www.foodstandards.gov.au.
Comprehensive Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy
The meeting agreed to the Terms of Reference for an independent, comprehensive review of food labelling law and policy. The review panel is yet to be confirmed but will comprise prominent individuals who collectively possess knowledge and expertise in the fields of public policy/economics, public health, law, consumer behaviour and business. The review is to be chaired by an independent public policy expert who will be selected by the Ministerial Council once funding for the review has been secured.
Front of Pack Labelling
The Ministerial Council noted that progress has been made and that the stakeholder consultation on the development of a Policy Guideline for front of pack labelling (FOPL) is complete. The consultation confirmed that there are currently divergent views in relation to FOPL. The draft Policy Guideline is to be provided to the October 2009 Ministerial Council meeting.
Health warnings on packaged alcohol
The Ministerial Council considered a report on alcohol warning labels and the evidence of their effectiveness on risky alcohol consumption. The report was developed in response to the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) announcement to curb alcohol misuse and binge drinking among young people. Today the Ministerial Council has agreed to provide this report to the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy to allow a single and coordinated response to COAG as a part of its broad and comprehensive approach to reducing binge drinking.
Trans fatty acids in the Australian and New Zealand food supply
The Ministerial Council received a progress report on dietary modelling activities in relation to trans fatty acid intakes in the Australian and New Zealand food supplies, a review of recent scientific literature regarding the link between dietary intake of trans fatty acids and adverse health outcomes and a report on the progress of voluntary initiatives by industry to reduce trans fatty acids in the food supply. It is anticipated that the final report on trans fatty acid intakes will be presented to the Ministerial Council at its next meeting in October 2009.
Negotiations to amend the joint Food Standards Treaty
The Ministerial Council was informed that negotiations between Australia and New Zealand to amend the ‘Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of NewZealand Concerning a Joint Food Standards System’ have commenced and are progressing well.
FSANZ Proposal P290 – Food Safety Programs for Catering Operations
The Ministerial Council agreed in-principle to review its policy guideline Food Safety Management in Australia–Food Safety Programs in relation to the food service sector (excluding existing requirements applying to food service to vulnerable populations) pending further advice to be provided to its next meeting.
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
Standard registration, for this year’s Australian Packaging Awards are open until 19 June, with early bird discounts available to 22 May. Samples of the registered packaging must be received by no later than 10 July.
The awards will be presented at the Presentation Dinner in October. At previous ceremonies the awards have featured packaging from within the food and beverage industry. The following is a summary of the available categories:
AMCOR INNOVATION AWARD - outstanding achievement in packaging innovation.
CARTER HOLT HARVEY BEVERAGE AWARD - is for all liquid beverages (alcoholic and non alcoholic).
COLORPAK EXPORT AWARD - for an Australian company using Australian packaging specifically designed and developed for an export market.
NCI PACKAGING FRESH FOOD & TABLE READY AWARD - recognises the design and production of packaging specifically for fresh / ready to eat foods that require no further preparation other than heating or dressing - eg; salads, TV dinners, microwavable meals. Not for meals that must be cooked.
HUHTAMAKI BRAND DESIGN AWARD - recognizes the creation deliberately of brand value through it’s packaging - can be either a current or new brand.
HEIDELBERG LABELLING AWARD - recognizes excellence in the design and visual quality of the label - also includes the other packaging components as a complete product.
MWV FAMILY OF PACKAGES AWARD - special association between brand family - will require submission of at least two products to show common brand image.
VISCOUNT PLASTICS PACKAGING FOR INDUSTRY AWARD - for the demonstration of outstanding development in Industrial Packaging.
PCS BEST OF SHOW AWARD - selected from Gold winning entries in other categories. For the entry that shows the greatest overall achievement in it’s category.For more information about the Awards and entry forms go to www.pca.org/awards2009/apa/.
Thursday, May 7th, 2009
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is being used more and more within the food industry. It involves the use of specially developed packaging materials combined with a change in the internal atmosphere in the package to achieve prolonged shelf life of the product, whilst maintaining high quality.
Air is removed from the package and is replaced with another gas. This prevents the growth of any oxygen requiring food poisoning bacteria. It does, however, allow the growth of anaerobic bacteria (those that do not need oxygen to grow), for example; Clostridium botulinum. Therefore manufacturers of these products must do regular microbial testing to ensure that the product always contains bacterial levels less that those stated in Chapter One of the Food Standards Code (http://www.foodstandards.gov.au).
The type of gas used is dependent upon the actual product and can even be a combination of gases. MAP is ideally suited to raw red meat as the gas not only extends shelf life but can enhance the colour of the product as well. Cryovac meat products are now commonly available and are ideal for use in many food businesses.
The MAP product can be in bags, or in trays sealed with a film, depending upon the product and market. The type of packaging used in this system is critical, as it must provide strength and good sealing. There is a trend toward the use of thinner materials in the tray and film versions of MAP, which will potentially reduce costs, but must be done to still ensure material effectiveness.
Biodegradable materials are also of growing interest to MAP product manufacturers, to address their need to be more environmentally friendly in processing and packaging, although with this packaging method there is generally minimal packaging wastage.
There is increasing attention being paid by both customers and food businesses to the total appearance of the package - particularly for retail sale. This packaging type allows this readily, with many of the films containing high quality printing, giving a very attractive total product.
Typical MAP products include; meats, poultry, fish and seafood, pasta, ready to heat meals, pre-baked rolls, sliced cheese, salads, and sliced fruits. Although there is a definite cost increase in using MAP product due to the increased costs in processing and packaging, the advantage of extended shelf life and high quality are factors well worth considering in deciding whether to purchase these products.
It must be remembered that once a MAP product has been opened, it must be treated as any other perishable product, and therefore both stored and handled correctly.
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
A functional food is similar to conventional foods in appearance or taste, but has researched properties which, when consumed as part of a normal diet, have beneficial health effects.
Consumers are increasingly interested in having foods that not only satisfy nutritional needs but have disease prevention or health enhancing effects as well. Manufacturers are recognizing this trend and as a result, more and more functional foods can now be found in our supermarket shelves.
Obesity, blood sugar and digestive disorders, and heart related conditions are now common and consumers are looking for foods that can help provide protection or assist with these and other ailments. Therefore, many believe that this may not be a trend but in fact the future direction of foods, and that the reasons for this are thought to include; an increasing knowledge of diet affect on disease, aging population, health care costs, convenience, and contemporary lifestyle.
A balanced diet is the key to good health and functional foods should only be considered as a support to this. An advantage to functional foods is the potential reduction in healthcare costs to the community.
The Food Standards Code currently requires that if health related claims, like those on Functional Foods, are being made about a product, there must be proven research to support this claim. This requirement is currently under review and as a result may only allow specific types of claims as stated in the revised Code.
For more information about functional foods go to www.foodstandards.gov.au
