Food Safety

Global Food Safety: Exploring Key Elements for an International Regulatory Strategy

by Ching-Fu Lin

51(3) Virginia Journal of International Law 637-96 (2011).

Despite legal discourse on the facilitation of food trade, the role of international law in regulating food safety has... more Despite legal discourse on the facilitation of food trade, the role of international law in regulating food safety has not been satisfactorily addressed. This is particularly troubling when the organizations that are currently responsible for policing food safety - such as the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission - leave considerable regulatory gaps in this area. Recent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses display the need for reform. This Article will analyze the nature of the global food safety crisis against the background of economic globalization and the growing threat of foodborne diseases. In addition, it will examine the regulatory problems facing national authorities, including the United States, the European Union, and China, and international organizations, including the three mentioned above. Considering the shortfalls of the current system, this Article endeavors to identify key elements that will improve the international governance strategy for food safety.

Harmonisation of food categorisation systems for dietary exposure assessments among European children

by Eric Verger

M. De Neve, I. Sioen, P.E. Boon, C. Arganini, J. Moschandreas, J. Ruprich, L. Lafay, P. Amiano, D. Arcella, M. Azpiri, L. Busk, T. Christensen, L. D’addezio, S. Fabiansson, A. Hilbig, T. Hirvonen, M. Kersting, S. Koulouridaki, K.-H. Liukkonen, M. Oltarzewski, S. Papoutsou, I. Rehurkova, L. Ribas-Barba, L. Serra-Majem, M. Tornaritis, E. Trolle, J.D. Van Klaveren, E. Verger,
A. Walkiewicz, A. Westerlund, S. De Henauw and I. Huybrechts

Within the European project called EXPOCHI (Individual Food Consumption Data and Exposure Assessment Studies for... more Within the European project called EXPOCHI (Individual Food Consumption Data and Exposure Assessment Studies for Children), 14 different European individual food consumption databases of children were used to conduct harmonised dietary exposure assessments for lead, chromium, selenium and food colours. For this, two food categorisation systems were developed to classify the food consumption data in such a way that these could be linked to occurrence data of the considered compounds. One system served for the exposure calculations of lead, chromium and selenium. The second system was developed for the exposure assessment of food colours. The food categories defined for the lead, chromium and selenium exposure calculations were used as a basis for the food colour categorisation, with adaptations to optimise the linkage with the food colour occurrence data. With this work, an initial impetus was given to make user-friendly food categorisation systems for contaminants and food colours applicable on a pan-European level. However, a set of difficulties were encountered in creating a common food categorisation system for 14 individual food consumption databases that differ in the type and number of foods coded and in level of detail provided about the consumed foods. The work done and the problems encountered in this project can be of interest for future projects in which food consumption data will be collected on a pan-European level and used for common exposure assessments.

Investigation of Shelf Life of Potency and Activity of the Lactobacilli Produced Bacteriocins Through Their Exposure to Various Physicochemical Stress Factors

by Myrto-Panagiota Zacharof

published in Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins
2012, DOI: 10.1007/s12602-012-9102-2 by Springer

Three Lactobacilli strains, Lactobacillus casei NCIMB 11970, Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8014, Lactobacillus lactis... more Three Lactobacilli strains, Lactobacillus casei NCIMB 11970, Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8014, Lactobacillus lactis NCIMB 8586 have been used for the production of bacteriocins. Though, their production phase, their biochemical nature, their mode of activity even their genetic structure have been widely investigated, there are hardly any studies investigating their potency and activity in depth of time, in other words their shelf life under several physicochemical conditions that may occur during their production in large scale. As such, the effect of several factors influencing the activity and the potency of bacteriocins when produced in large scale was examined as due to bacteriocins peptide nature degradation or denaturation might occur, under extreme physicochemical conditions. During scale-up process, differences between the output data may occur, such as concerning biomass, metabolic by-products and limiting substrate concentrations. These may affect negatively the activity and the potency of the bacteriocins. For investigating these effects and minimizing them, numerous studies were conducted, which were related to the exact phase of the production of these substances, the effect of dilution and temperature changes. These studies could be used in order to minimize the scaling-up effect when decided to produce these peptides in large scale.

Comparative study of antibacterial activity of garlic and cinnamon at different temperature and its application on preservation of fish

by Nandita Dasgupta

Radiaoctivity in Cigarette

by Prof.Dr. İbrahim USLU

Turkish Journal of nuclear Sciences Volume 25 no:2 pp 1998
ibrahim Uslu, E. Tanker, M.L. Aksu

Cigarette is known to be hazardous to health due to nicotine and tar it contains. This is indicated on cigarette... more Cigarette is known to be hazardous to health due to nicotine and tar it contains. This is indicated on cigarette packets by health warnings. However there is less known hazard of smoking due to intake of radioactive compounds by inhalation. This study dwells upon the radioactive hazard of smoking.

New media for food safety

by Amy Hubbell

Powell, Douglas A., Hubbell, Amy L., Chapman, Benjamin and Jacob, Casey, J. (2009) New media for food safety. Food Technology Magazine, 63 1: 38-43.

PERSPECTIVES ON INTEGRATED APPROACH TO FOOD SAFETY

by Pwaveno Bamaiyi

Published in Continental Journal of Animal and Veterinary Research

Food is universal to man as well as animals which also provide a bulk of the food needed by man. The current... more Food is universal to man as well as animals which also provide a bulk of the food needed by man. The current population of the world stands at about 7 billion. With this increasing population is also the increasing need to provide not just food but also healthy food for the consumption of man. In this paper we examine the integrated approach to food safety in order to meet the need for healthy food by man and in a healthy manner to all the occupants of the planet whether plants or animals. This is even more important considering new trends in outbreaks of food-borne diseases around the world such as the recent outbreak caused by Escherichia coli 0104:H4 in Europe and the United States which is said to be the worst outbreak in history.
Key words: Integrated, food, safety, E.coli, outbreak, population

Biofuels Cannot Replace World Petroleum Supply

by Hans Zandvliet

Table of Contents
1.1 Introduction .................................................................... 1
... more Table of Contents
1.1 Introduction .................................................................... 1
1.1.1 Needs and Challenges of Biofuels ............................ 1
1.1.2 Methodology of Calculations .................................... 1
1.2 The World Depends on Oil .............................................. 2
1.3 Calculation of Biofuel Land-Use
to Replace World Petroleum Supply ..................................... 3
1.3.1 Unit-Symbols and Prefixes ...................................... 3
1.3.2 World Petroleum Supply in Terms of Energy Content . 4
1.3.3 Gross Biofuel Yields ............................................... 4
1.3.4 Net Biofuel Yields ................................................... 5
1.3.5 Net Bio-Energy Yields ............................................. 5
1.3.6 Theoretical Land-Use of Fuel Crops .......................... 6
1.3.7 FAO Land-Use Data ................................................ 6
1.3.8 Comparison of FAO’s Land-Use Data
with Theoretical Biofuel Land-Use...................................... 7
1.4 Conclusions ................................................................... 8
1.4.1 Land-Use of Biofuels to Replace Crude Oil ................ 8
1.4.2 Oil Price Drives Biofuel Price, Drives Food Price ........ 8
1.4.3 Food Commodity Speculation Famishes the Poorest . 9
1.4.4 The Writing on the Wall ........................................... 9
Annex: “Price Volatility in Food and Agricultural Markets:
Policy Responses” ............................................................... 9

Cool and Safe: Multiplicity in Safe Innovation at Unilever

by Bart Penders

Penders, B. (2011). Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society 31 (6): 472-481

This article presents the making of a safe innovation: the application of ice structuring protein (ISP) in edible... more This article presents the making of a safe innovation: the application of ice structuring protein (ISP) in edible ices. It argues that safety is not the absence of risk but is an active accomplishment; innovations are not made safe afterward but safe innovations are made. Furthermore, there are multiple safeties to be accomplished in the innovation process. These are financial, public, scientific, and regulatory safety. The negotiations between these safeties determine the material and labeling characteristics of what ISP has become. Not just laboratory researchers but experts from various parts of Unilever, the corporation that produces ISP, participate in accomplishing safety. The safeties they make, interact, overlap, are occasionally in conflict with one another, and continuously connect to outside actors.

A Glimpse at the Democratic Legitimacy of Private Standards -- Assessing the Public Accountability of GLOBALG.A.P.

by Nicolas Hachez

Published in 14:3 Journal of International Economic Law 677-710 (2011)
Co-authored with Jan Wouters

This article seeks to shed light on a notion that is often considered essential in conferring global regulatory... more This article seeks to shed light on a notion that is often considered essential in conferring global regulatory authority, but is rarely defined in contemporary scholarship on global governance: the notion of legitimacy. The authors centre their analysis on the value of democracy as one of the seminal determinants of the legitimacy of regulatory actors and the norms they adopt. They further focus on the democratic legitimacy of norms adopted by global private actors. A specific breed of such ‘private standards’ is studied, namely those addressing food safety. More in particular, the leading standard scheme for good agricultural practices—GLOBALG.A.P.—is taken as a case study. The authors view democratic legitimacy in global governance as a function of the ‘public accountability’ of the relevant regulatory actors, which comprises a prospective and a retrospective dimension. Public accountability is analyzed as this link which unites, in a democratic fashion, a regulatory actor and its public, i.e. the ensemble of the people who are affected by its regulatory activities. GLOBALG.A.P.’s standard-setting is assessed in light of this analytical framework. The authors find that, while the accountability of GLOBALG.A.P. as a regulatory actor in the field of food safety is satisfactory in respect of its internal members, additional efforts need to be made to ensure stronger (democratic) accountability vis-à-vis its other—external—stakeholders, particularly those located in developing countries.

From risk assessment to in-context trajectory evaluation - GMOs and their social implications

by Vincenzo Pavone

co-authored with JOanna Goven, University of Canterbury (NZ), and Riccardo Guarino, University of Palermo

Background

Over the past 20 years, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have raised enormous expectations,... more Background

Over the past 20 years, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have raised enormous expectations, passionate political controversies and an ongoing debate on how these technologies should be assessed. Current risk assessment procedures generally assess GMOs in terms of their potential risk of negatively affecting human health and the environment. Can this risk-benefit approach deliver a robust assessment of GMOs? In this paper, we question the validity of current risk assessment from both a social and an ecological perspective, and we elaborate an alternative approach, namely in-context trajectory evaluation. This paper combines frame analysis, context analysis and ecosocial analysis to three different case studies.
Results

Applying frame analysis to Syngenta's recent campaign 'Bring plant potential to life', we first de-construct the technosocial imaginaries driving GMOs innovation, showing how the latter endorses the technological fix of socioeconomic problems whilst reinforcing the neoliberal sociopolitical paradigm. Applying context analysis to biopharming in New Zealand, we then explore local practices and knowledge, showing that particularities of context typically omitted from risk assessment processes play a key role in determining both the risks and the potential benefits of a technology. Finally, drawing from the Italian case, we outline through ecosocial analysis how the lack of long-term studies, further aggravated by current methodological deficiencies, prevent risk assessment from considering not only how GMOs affect the environmental context but also, and most importantly, the way people live in, and interact with, this context.
Conclusion

Incorporating frame analysis, context analysis and ecosocial analysis, in the form of in-context trajectory evaluation, into the assessment of GMOs can improve the social compatibility, political accountability and ecological sustainability of its outcomes.

Towards improved food diagnostics using micro-and nanofluidics

by Bert Verbruggen

A Model Approach to Developing Food Safety Emergency Response Standard Operating Procedures

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Loera, Julie W., "A Model Approach to Developing Food Safety Emergency Response Standard Operating Procedures" (2003). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 48.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/48

THIS PAPER WON THE 2003 PI ALPHA ALPHA NATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST PAPER BY A MASTERS STUDENT among students in public affairs and administration (National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration).

State food safety programs are responsible for ensuring the safety of the food supply in their jurisdictions.... more State food safety programs are responsible for ensuring the safety of the food supply in their jurisdictions. Disasters can have profound effects on the safety of food. Currently, there is no information available for food programs to assist them in the development of emergency response procedures. The majority of the literature focuses on the development of overall state response structures and does not delve into the specifics for response at the program level. This research attempts to meld the broad literature on emergency response and the current practices of state food safety programs into a model document for state programs to use as a tool to update existing or develop new procedures.

The methods employed in this exploratory research are document analysis of current state food safety documents and interviews with state food safety personnel. The research was based on seven ideal type categories (All Hazard, Definitions of Disaster, Authority, Roles and Responsibilities, Communication and Coordination, Resources, and Familiarity) that were gleaned from the literature on emergency response management and used as a point of departure for further inquiry.

he findings of this research, while preliminary, were positive in nature. Due to the exploratory nature of the study, definitive results are not possible. The document created here is therefore not finished, but provides a starting point for further explorations and development.

Disciplining microbes in the implementation of US Federal Organic Standards

by Mrill Ingram

Public Perceptions of Everyday Food Hazards: A Psychometric Study

by Chris Fife-Schaw

Fife-Schaw, C.R. & Rowe, G. (1996). Public perceptions of everyday food hazards: A psychometric study. Risk Analysis: An International Journal, 16(4), 487-500.

In this paper, we discuss the conduct and results of a study aimed at eliciting public perceptions of food-related... more In this paper, we discuss the conduct and results of a study aimed at eliciting public perceptions of food-related hazards. This study employs the psychometric approach of Paul Slovic and colleagues and aims to extend the recent work of Sparks and Shepherd(1) on defining the primary dimensions of food-related risk perceptions. The study surveyed a nationally representative sample of the general public (respondents = 293; adjusted response rate = 30.1%). Respondents provided ratings on subsets of 22 potential food hazards (e.g., food irradiation and presence of listeria) on a total of 19 risk characteristics (e.g., “perceived severity of risk” and “adequacy of governmental regulations”). In spite of the use of a number of new characteristics and food hazards, Principal Components Analysis revealed a broadly similar factor structure to that obtained by Sparks and Shepherd,(1) suggesting the generalizability of the key dimensions (concerning the severity and awareness of hazards). Interestingly, the positioning in the factor space of potential hazards about which little was generally known (e.g., campylobacter) as being serious and in need of regulation, may suggest a possible “starting position” in the perception of new hazards that have not previously been the subject of risk communications.

Migrações paralelas em Peniche: economia política da produção e consumo de sardinha

by João Coimbra de Oliveira

Near infrared spectroscopic analysis of single malt Scotch whisky on an optofluidic chip

by Praveen Ashok

P. C. Ashok, B. B. Praveen, and K. Dholakia, Opt. Express 19, 22982-22992 (2011).
DOI:10.1364/OE.19.022982

Standardization and quality monitoring of alcoholic beverages is an important issue in the liquor production industry.... more Standardization and quality monitoring of alcoholic beverages is an important issue in the liquor production industry. Various spectroscopic techniques have proved useful for tackling this problem. An ideal sensing device for alcoholic beverages should be able to detect the quality of alcohol with a small amount of sample at a low acquisition time using a portable and easy to use device. We propose the use of near infra-red spectroscopy on an optofluidic chip for quality monitoring of single malt Scotch whisky. This is chip upon which we have previously realized waveguide confined Raman spectroscopy. Analysis on this alignment-free, portable chip may be performed in only 2 seconds with a sample volume of only 20 µl. Using a partial least square (PLS) calibration, we demonstrate that the alcohol content in the beverage may be predicted to within a 1% prediction error. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed for successful classification of whiskies based upon their age, type and cask. The prospect of implementing an optofluidic analogue of a conventional fiber based spectroscopic probe allows a rapid analysis of alcoholic beverages with dramatically reduced sample volumes.

Normative Influence on Handwashing in Childcare Centers: Testing the Theory of Normative Social Behavior

by Jenn Anderson

Authors: Lapinski, M., Anderson, J., Shugart, A., & Todd, E.

This paper is under review at the Journal of Applied Communication Research.

This paper was presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association (2011).

Childcare centers are a unique context for studying social and personal expectations about health behaviors. The... more Childcare centers are a unique context for studying social and personal expectations about health behaviors. The theory of normative social behavior (TNSB, Rimal & Real, 2005) provides a framework for testing the role of social and psychological influences on handwashing behaviors among childcare workers. A cross-sectional survey of childcare workers in 21 centers indicates that outcome expectations and group identity increase the strength of the relationship between descriptive norms and handwashing behavior. Injunctive norms also moderate the effect of descriptive norms on handwashing behavior such that when strong injunctive norms are reported, descriptive norms are positively related to handwashing, but when weak injunctive norms are reported, descriptive norms are negatively related to handwashing. The findings suggest that communication interventions in childcare centers can focus on strengthening injunctive norms in order to increase handwashing behaviors in childcare centers. The findings also suggest that the theory of normative social behavior can be used in organizational contexts.

Fraught cuisine: food scares and the modulation of anxieties

by Richard Milne

published in Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory 2011

This paper explores the circulation of contemporary anxieties related to food through an engagement with sociological... more This paper explores the circulation of contemporary anxieties related to food through an engagement with sociological and geographical work on affect. The paper draws on four case studies of ‘food scares’ in the UK and Sweden to consider the emergence, circulation and expression of food anxieties. It suggests that existing analyses of food anxiety neglect its affective dimensions, and that the circulation of concerns about food is an affective and embodied process as well as a cognitive one, taking place through encounters between heterogeneous bodies at a range of temporal and spatial scales. However, it argues that the movement of affect should not be considered as a linear ‘manipulation’ of mute subjects, but rather as a circulation of affective intensity that moves through heterogeneous milieux and is open to ‘modulation’. In contrast to manipulation, the modulation of affect is constituted through interactions and encounters, making its outcome unpredictable and uncertain.

A Focus Group study of Food Safety Practices in relation to Listeriosis among the over-60s

by Richard Milne

Forthcoming in Critical Public Health

In recent years, policy attention has moved from the safety of food at the point of sale to focus on the roles and... more In recent years, policy attention has moved from the safety of food at the point of sale to focus on the roles and responsibilities of the consumer in managing food risks. Although the redefinition of consumer roles and responsibilities has taken place across the board, responsibilities for risk management and avoidance are not equally distributed, as some consumers are significantly more ‘vulnerable’ than others to food-borne illnesses. Nevertheless, vulnerability to food poisoning does not immediately equate with being ‘at risk’.  Orienting itself primarily to the example of listeriosis in the over 60s this paper draws on the early findings of current qualitative research into older people’s attitudes to food and use of date labels to consider the relationship between vulnerability and food safety risk. It situates this work within a review of existing studies of food choice in later life to argue for its relevance to food safety policy. It suggests that this can best be developed by adopting an approach that draws on theories of social practice.