With the massive increase in “healthy” snacks out there, you would be forgiven for thinking that when we snack we are doing it with healthy food.

Well the latest research from Roy Morgan Research shows that the Potato Chip remains as the undisputed king of the snacks. They have been top of the pile for five years.

The research shows that 8.2 million of us Aussies eat potato chips weekly. This is an increase of one percent on last year.

Of course there are now a huge number of varieties from the generic brand basic chip all the way up to the gourmet amazing flavours.

The results of this research showing that 62 percent of those 8.2 million also drink some form of soft drink in the same week will be frightening, especially to those who have recently been calling for a tax on soft drinks. This call has been made as a response to the increasing obesity rate in this country. This research tends to indicate that such a call may be a good idea.

It is not just chips which seem to encourage soft drink consumption but the other salty snacks as well, according to this research.

The General Manager of Consumer Products at Roy Morgan Research, Andrew Price, said; “The news that potato crisps are still Australia’s favourite snack, eaten by more than 8 million people in an average seven days, can be seen as somewhat concerning from a health perspective – especially when sugary soft drinks are also part of the dietary equation.”

Interestingly, whilst snack manufacturers have tried to address the health issues, these products have not proven popular.

Andrew Price said; “In fact, our findings show that people who snack on crisps, corn chips and the like are less likely than the average Aussie to agree with health statements such as ‘I always think of the number of calories in the food I’m eating’, ‘A low-fat diet is a way of life for me’ and ‘I restrict how much I eat of fattening foods’. Not surprisingly, given this relaxed attitude to health issues, it’s young men and women under 25 who tend to be the most avid consumers of these salty snacks. Consumption only really drops off among the over-50s, an age when one’s health inevitably becomes more of a preoccupation.”

So how does a company try to do the right thing whilst competing with the public’s demand for a product which is contrary to that? There is only one way, by paying close attention to it’s market and the trends occurring.

So, just how many audits do food businesses have to have.

Well that all depends upon what they make, where they are and who their customers are, as well as what their plans are for the future.

For some businesses, it can feel like there are audits happening all the time, with auditors from here there and everywhere wandering around and disturbing things.

HACCP audits, Quality Management audits, safety audits, Environmental audits and the list goes on and on!!!!!!

Is there a solution?

Well yes, the FSSC22000-Q certification will mean that a business can have a combined food safety and quality management audit in one. It will significantly reduce the amount of external audits that food businesses may need to have.

Less hassles, less distraction / disturbance, less money – sounds like a win win in a major way.

This new certification was firstly published in February of this year and apparently is already attracting a lot of attention, as food companies recognise the advantages of one audit instead of two.

The Foundation for Food Safety Certification is the issuing body for FSSC22000-Q and now one significant Conformity Assessment Body has been accredited to audit against it.

So for those food businesses out there that are entering the wonderful world of food safety / HACCP programs and / or quality management, keep in mind that there is now an alternative to having to have audits for each of them.

The following Recall Notice is included here with permission from Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Lupins 

Pisconeri Wholesalers Pty Ltd has recalled Lupins from IGAs and wholesalers in  WA and SA due to the presence of alkaloids (a biotoxin) that exceeds the limit set in the Code. Food products containing high levels of alkaloids may cause illness if consumed. Consumers should not eat this product and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Date notified to FSANZ –10/11/2015

Food type –Pulses and special crops

Product name –Lupins

Package description and size –500g, 1kg

Date marking  –All use by dates up to and including 08.11.16

Country of origin  –Australia

Reason for recall –The presence of alkaloids (a biotoxin) that exceeds the limit set in the Code

Distribution –IGAs and wholesalers in  WA and SA

Consumer advice

Food products containing high levels of alkaloids may cause illness if consumed. Consumers should not eat this product and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Contact – Pisconeri Wholesalers Pty Ltd      0412 678 875            www.pisconeri.com.au

The Name and Shame Register is a tool used by the New South Wales government to let the public know about food safety breaches in that state.

The New South Wales Food Authority maintains the website and adds businesses to the list when there are breaches, but also removes others once the breaches have been addressed.

It is updated weekly and this week there were 21 businesses added and 24 removed, so this week there is a slight reduction in the total number – which is a good thing, considering that it’s Food Safety Week.

The public is encouraged to check out the website – http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/penalty-notices/default.aspx?template=results&searchname=Added+this+week&inthelast=7#.VkGSZHmhfIU – before going out to find out if the place they are off to is on the Register.

The NSW government are using the idea of public knowledge to address food safety breaches, rather than only placing fines on the businesses. It seems to be effective, because what business wants their dirty laundry made known to everyone!!!!!!

The following is a media release from the Food Safety Information for Australian Food Safety Week and is included here with permission.

Eggs not milk the food safety risk – survey finds many Australians not identifying food poisoning risks correctly

A national survey carried out by OmniPoll for Australian Food Safety Week found that 71% of those surveyed blamed pasteurized milk for food poisoning when, in fact, it is the least likely to make you ill, even if it smells or tastes nasty, as pasteurisation kills harmful bacteria.
 
Food Safety Information Council Chair, Rachelle Williams, said that the research showed that many Australians couldn’t correctly identify foods that are often linked to food poisoning outbreaks if not handled or cooked correctly.
 
The survey found that most people correctly recognised that chicken (95%), minced meat (90%) and seafood (96%) were food poisoning risks if not handled properly.
 
‘What is of concern is that fewer people (83%) identified raw egg dishes as a problem and 12% even considered raw egg dishes unlikely to be a risk.
 
‘The national body OzFoodNet, which investigates food poisoning, has determined that poultry is the primary source of Campylobacter infections in Australia and the increase in Salmonella outbreaks in recent years is linked to raw or minimally cooked egg dishes such as hand made aioli and mayonnaise.  These types of food need to be handled and prepared with extra care to avoid causing food poisoning.
 
‘Many people (38%) didn’t recognise that cooked rice is a food poisoning risk because, once it is cooked and begins to cool, bacteria can form a toxin which isn’t destroyed by further cooking. 40% of people surveyed didn’t recognise bean or seed sprouts such as alfalfa as a risk, which they can be as they are usually eaten raw and have previously been linked to outbreaks in Australia and overseas.
 
‘This year’s Australian Food Safety Week is about busting myths and we are encouraging everyone to take part in the 90 or more events being held around the country during the week and also to take time with their family, friends and colleagues to do our online food safety mythbusting quiz 
 
‘The Food Safety Information Council is now a health promotion charity and we urgently need funding to continue the important educational work we’ve done since 1997 so we ask people to take the time to donate to us using the donation button on our website,’ Ms Williams concluded.
 
In addition to the myth about ‘off’ milk being to blame here are 6 other common food poisoning myths that can be busted:

1. If I get food poisoning it is most likely the      last meal I ate. Everyone      blames their food poisoning on the last meal they ate but some forms of      food poisoning can take days or even weeks to eventuate.
2. You can tell if chicken or minced meat dishes      are cooked safely by tasting or if the juices run clear. A thermometer is the only way to know your      food is cooked correctly to an internal 75°C.
3. Food poisoning is mild and just a bit of      gastro. While      vomiting and diarrhea are the most common symptoms, food poisoning in      extreme forms can cause reactive arthritis, kidney or nerve damage and      hepatitis. Each year food poisoning results in 31,920 hospitalisations, 86      deaths and 1 million visits to doctors.
4. If you are a vegetarian, your risk of food      poisoning is low. Food      poisoning outbreaks have been caused by fruit and vegetable food items      such as rockmelon, frozen berries, semi-dried tomatoes, orange juice,      salad items and cooked rice.
5. Home made mayonnaises and aoili’s are better      than the commercial ones.  They might taste better but did you know they are a major      cause of food poisoning outbreaks in Australia?  If you wish to make      your own mayonnaise and aoli, prepare small amounts and use immediately.       Adding enough vinegar can also stop any Salmonella that may be      present from growing – it does affect the taste, but it makes the product      safe.  A touch of sugar can reduce the sourness.
6. If you’ve defrosted frozen meat or chicken it      can’t be safely refrozen. From a safety point of view it is fine to refreeze defrosted meat      or chicken or any frozen food as long as it was defrosted in a fridge      running at 5°C or below. You may have lost some quality in defrosting then      refreezing as the cells break down a little and the food can become      slightly watery. Another option is to cook the defrosted food and then      divide into small portions and refreeze once it has stopped steaming.

 
Media contact: Lydia Buchtmann, Food Safety Information Council
Tel 0407 626 688 info@foodsafety.asn.au
www.foodsafety.asn.au 

Many of us in Australia have started seeing signs in the restaurants we go to showing the number of food safety stars they have received. These are called star ratings and are given by local councils based on compliance with specific food safety requirements. Five stars is the highest and obviously what all food businesses want to be, and be seen as.

Many people would have heard and seen the New South Wales Food Authority’s Name and Shame Register, which shows the businesses that have had non compliances to the Food Standards Code and NSW Food Act and the penalty they have had to pay. The Register details the actual non compliance and the name and address of the business, so it is very obvious that the specific business has had food safety issues.

So what have both of these to do with each other, they are both about letting the public know more information about where they are eating.

Another such source is starting on line. YELP is an online resource for information about restaurants and the quality of the food, service and ambience.

YELP has just started putting out pop up alerts in San Francisco about bad mhaelth inspectyor grades on restaurants.

If a business ranks in the bottom 5 percent in the food safety scores, a notice automatically appears when a user looks at that restaurant.

So what will that do to the restaurant?

YELP is working with an Assistant Professor at Harvard Business School (Michael Luca)to determine what effect the new notices have. They are hoping that the potential of the notice appearing will actively encourage restaurants to improve food safety compliance.

Be aware, this could be coming to a similar application in Australia.

Diabetes is a disease which impacts nearly everyone, it is increasing in western society. We all know someone who has one of the two types and is taking insulin, other medication and controlling their diet.

Doing work with aged care centres I have seen changes in the diabetic diet over time. At one stage it was all about reducing sugar intake, so there were lots of low sugar foods and drinks. Now it has become obvious that diabetes is not just about sugar intake, it is about the whole diet. Diabetics are now eating whatever anyone else is eating, but making sure that the total balance is suitable for their disease.

We all know it is mostly caused by insulin either missing or not working properly, but until now, why that was so, was not clear.

So a finding by Monash University scientists has finally answered this question and the research has been published in the latest edition of the Cell Metabolism journal.

A specific protein called FetuinB is only found in those people who have Diabetes or are pre-diabetes.

This protein was found to stop insulin working properly and was found during research into non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is found in around 60 percent of obese adults.

So there is a clear link between NAFLD and Type 2 diabetes and this protein is involved.

Professor Matthew Watt, leading researcher at Monash University, said; “By developing a drug that could block this protein, it may be possible to prevent the development of diabetes in patients with fatty liver.”

For the first time we may be on the doorstep of a method to actually prevent diabetes.

So the World Health Organisation has just announced that processed meats are carcinogenic.

So a Bacon Sandwich can kill you!!!!

So can crossing a road and being hit by a car or bus. Or tripping over a banana skin!!!!!!!!!

Some of the ingredients in processed meats, like bacon and ham, have been scientifically proven to be carcinogenic and this has been known for some time, but it is only now that it has been made official.

However, before everyone runs around and decides that they will never again have Bacon and Eggs for breakfast or a ham sandwich or BLT, we need to put the brakes on and look at the situation carefully.

The media have been reporting all sorts of things about how bad processed meats are, and there will be people who immediately decide to sustain because of that reporting. This included significant reduction in red meat consumption will improve health.

Dark chocolate has been scientifically proven to be good for you.

However this doesn’t mean that we should all rush out and eat a block of it everyday. If someone eats a lot of carrots, their skin will go a yellow colour, and we all know that carrots are good for you

See, it is all about how much of each food we eat, as to whether it is good for us or not or is actually bad for our health.

I personally don’t eat any meat, but I do remember that bacon sandwiches tasted pretty good, which is why they are very popular.

Everything in moderation is the key to a healthy diet, and also to eating processed meats.

The Mintel food and drink trends for 2016 have just been released. Mintel is a global market research company and has predicted 11 trends for the next year.

1. Vegetarian is now mainstream

Jenny Ziegler, Mintel’s Global Food and Drink Analyst, said; “Veggie burgers and non-dairy milks have escaped the realm of substitutes primarily for people with dietary concerns and followers of vegetarian diets. Instead, the growing ranks of novel protein sources and potential replacements appeal to the everyday consumer, foreshadowing a profoundly changed marketplace in which what was formerly ‘alternative’ could take over the mainstream.”

1. Natural is king

Consumers are already concerned about their food being “natural” and not “processed”, and this trend is not going to be stopping any time soon. The growth of the whole clean food movement reflects this increasing trend.

1. Is your business sustainable?

If food businesses are not being sustainable, and being seen to be, they will be losing sales as consumers place increasing importance on a product and it’s maker being “green”.

1. You are what you eat.

Functional ingredients like probiotics and collagen will increase in use as people eat for beauty or health.

5 Eating and Exercise

“The rising promotion of programmes that encourage consumers to get and stay active showcases a parallel need for food and drink that helps consumers get acquainted with sports nutrition. This creates an opportunity for communication and product ranges that progress alongside people’s activity levels and goals,” Ziegler said.

6 Speak the truth

Consumers and regulators are going to continue to want proof that what you say about your product is true – in other words they want verification.

7. Does your blood type really determine what you should eat?

Consumers are starting to believe en masse that their actual make up, determines what they should eat. So superfoods and ancient grains will continue to increase in popularity

8. Did you see the picture / story / recipe on Facebook?

“The rise of food-centric media has sparked new interest in cooking, not only for the sake of nourishment, but for the purposes of sharing one’s creations via social media.This finds people taking divergent paths: some hope to become well-rounded enough to compete on popular television programmes, while others privately cultivate specialties ranging from cupcakes to curries. Either way, people are cooking to share with friends and social media followers,” said Ziegler.

9. It is OK to eat alone.

With an increasing number of people living alone, the whole idea of eating alone is no longer thought of as unusual. So manufacturers are going to working on developing single size meals and promotion to accompany them.

10. Good fats are good for you and can be eaten

People are now more aware that there are good fats and bad ones and are becoming less concerned about buying and eating foods containing those fats that help with health.

11. Looks do matter – when it comes to food

“Flavour has long been the core of innovation, but more visual and share-focused societies call for innovation that is boldly coloured and artfully constructed. Finding inspiration in global foodservice offerings, brands can experiment with vibrant colours and novel shapes to make packaged products worthy of consumer praise and social media posts,” said Ziegler.

“These trends explore how consumers’ evolving priorities, opportunities from advancements in functional formulation and the almost inescapable reach of technology will affect food and drink in the coming year. Consumers are not the only influencers, as shifting economics, natural phenomena and social media are shaping what, how, where and with whom consumers are choosing to eat and drink.” said Ziegler.

“The trends will play out differently across the world based upon a variety of factors, including cultural norms, regional availability and societal needs. In some cases, established trends from one area are migrating to new regions, while a few emerging trends have the potential to disrupt the worldwide landscape,” Ziegler concluded.

Foodbank is Australia’s largest storehouse and distributor of food donations. These donations are given by multiple food businesses, many of which produce product specifically to give to Foodbank.

Foodbank provides welfare groups and councils with a central place in all states to help needy or underprivileged Australians.

Foodbank, these people and the groups which provide for them would not have the food without the support of food businesses, of all sizes. Recently in a ceremony in Canberra, Foodbank recognised the biggest supporters in the Foodbank Australia’s 2015 Awards.

Enzo Allara, Chairman of Foodbank Australia, said; “… that Foodbank always asks a lot of Australia’s food companies but “unfailingly they answer the call.” The job continues in working to realise our vision of an Australia without hunger but it is important to stop and reflect on what we’ve accomplished and acknowledge the outstanding individual contributions that make our work possible.”

This year’s Award recipients were;

• Kelloggs      – between 2013 and 2016, donated one billion cereal and snack serves
• SPC      Ardmona – for it’s commitment to no waste and a decade of support
• Havas      Worldwide and GroupM – Foodbank’s Food Fight campaign support
• BHP      Billiton – donated AUD$3.5million towards the building of the Foodbank      Perth Warehouse
• Cerebos      – made a significant financial contribution as well as making a dramatic      increase in product donations.

Gary Dawson, Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) CEO, said; “The strong commitment of food companies in providing practical, direct assistance to those in need is demonstrated in these great award winners.”