Having launched an inspection of a number of the instant noodle products for sale on the Chinese market, the country’s food safety watchdog has indicated that none contained heavy metals beyond allowed levels.
Taiwan will introduce tighter checks for makers of olive and grape seed oils after some batches were found to be contaminated by the country’s top food safety watchdog.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture organisation has been mobilising support to the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, which tore through the country causing severe damage to the fisheries and agriculture sectors, as well as massive loss of life.
The Hong Kong government’s decision to scrap wine duty in 2008 has contributed to a 187% increase in the value of wine imports into Hong Kong since then.
The US Department of Agriculture will not allow the import of Chinese poultry into the country, having determined the country’s slaughter system not equivalent of its system and standards.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for submissions on a proposal that will permit production and sale of an increased range of raw milk products in Australia.
Around 80% of Taiwan's citizens are concerned about food safety problems in the wake of recent scandals, according to the results of a survey released this week.
China and New Zealand have agreed to strengthen cooperation in food safety and quality, three months after the Fonterra botulism scare negatively disrupted booming food links between the two countries.
Fonterra faces "serious global implications" unless it learns from the mistakes that led to the recent whey protein concentrate (WPC) botulism scare, the committee overseeing an independent investigation into the incident has claimed.
By Katherine Rich, CEO of the New Zealand Food & Grocery Council
A new theory that seems to be gaining momentum on the obesity front is food addiction. Apparently the world’s expanding waistline is as result of so many of us being addicted to food.
Mead Johnson Nutrition has revealed that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is probing “certain expenditures” relating to the promotion of infant formula products by its business in China.
Transgenic rice tests conducted by China’s Agricultural University have brought no abnormalities after 90 days of test according to researchers involved in the programme.
China’s food safety authorities have really been ramping up their charm offensive in the last month. Not only have bodies like the China Food and Drug Administration been seen a flurry of activity in introducing new regulations and policing their patch,...
In the wake of some Western countries like Britain capping sales of traditional medicine imports from China, the country is now ramping up efforts to standardise production in the segment.
A New Zealand researcher has further dispelled the notion that gout is a Western lifestyle disease brought about by diet and affluence by discovering that early Maori settlers also suffered from the condition.
Philosopher Julian Baggini has been commissioned by the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council to give his take on the serious issues affecting the industry. Here, he looks at how alcohol abuse can be tackled by using the brain more than legislative brawn.
An innovative new approach to sugarcane plantation weed management trialled in select Great Barrier Reef catchments have shown a dramatic 90% reduction in runoff of highly soluble herbicides into waterways.
People in at least one Australian state would welcome more government regulation on food matters for a better public health environment, a new survey has revealed.
In South Korea, more than 75 tonnes of US beef was passed off as coming from other countries over the first eight months of this year. It is said the illegal practice is to bypass restrictions that are meant to prevent the sale of meat containing a banned...
New Zealand’s prime minister, John Key, must be laughing on the inside following the friendly advice given to him earlier this week by the Chinese premier and broadcast by state media.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand has called for submissions from industry and the public an application to change the Food Standards Code for the countries to allow food derived from genetically modified lucerne.
Fonterra has denied it has “any legal liability” to Danone in relation to its recent whey protein concentrate (WPC) contamination scare, despite being in talks with the French dairy giant over the possible payment of compensation.
Scientists in New Zealand have for the first time discovered a genetic link between sugary drinks and the occurrence of the debilitating arthritic disease, gout, in men.
Warren Buffett famously once warned: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.”
By Katherine Rich, CEO of NZ Food & Grocery Council
“Thought leadership” is the new fashion for some corporates. It has been described by some as providing ideas that intrigue, challenge and inspire, but for others the phrase can sound more than a little bit Orwellian.
The non-Asian ingredient supply sector is fairly well represented here at Food Ingredients Asia-Thailand in Bangkok, but given current concerns about food supply chain security in the region, is probably still under-represented. Which is surprising…
Red Bull insists it watches the Chinese market closely to guard against fakes after authorities arrested 13 people in August and seized thousands of counterfeit energy drinks, as an analyst warns the issue is a serious problem in 'virtually every...
Russia has lifted the temporary import and distribution ban imposed on Fonterra dairy products following the New Zealand-based dairy cooperative's decision to recall three batches of whey protein concentrate (WPC) potentially contaminated with botulism-causing...
Australia’s peak body for beverage manufacturers has come out strongly against media claims that the country’s teenagers may be at risk with over consumption of caffeinated energy drinks.
New Zealand research organisation AgResearch has moved to distance itself from Fonterra's decision to recall three batches of whey protein concentrate (WPC), rubbishing claims that it "confirmed the presence" of Clostridium botulinum in...
On a day when its headquarters in Copenhagen announced a significant overhaul of a number of its core businesses, Chr Hansen’s vice-president of health and nutrition sales highlighted the regulatory difficulties companies face when doing business in Asia.
Australia’s Federal Department of Health has released a new discussion paper aimed at the regulation and availability of caffeinated energy drinks in Australia and New Zealand.
Fonterra, New Zealand and the Sri Lankan government have met to “discuss progress in resolving” the recent issues that led to the closure of all Fonterra Brands Lanka faculties last month.
Stora Enso has welcomed report findings by Finnish NGO Finnwatch and Swedish NGO Swedwatch on the responsibility practices of its Chennai Mill in India.
Danone is reviewing its “recourse and compensation options” in relation to the Fonterra whey protein concentrate (WPC) botulism alert that led it to pull potentially-affected infant formula products from shelves in eight countries.
The world’s biggest manufacturer of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) outside of China has defended the quality of the sector as contaminated products continue to raise red flags with regulators in the UK, Hong Kong, Denmark and elsewhere.
Danone-owned Nutricia has rubbished reports that it is considering legal action against Fonterra over the false whey protein concentrate (WPC) botulism alarm that led it to recall 67,000 units of Karicare infant formula in New Zealand.
The longstanding dairy relationship between China and New Zealand ought not to have worked so well, but it has, and will continue to, in spite of two substantial safety scares this year alone.
The news that there was no botulism risk from Fonterra’s batches of whey will come as a huge relief to the company and consumers around world, according to New Zealand Food & Grocery Council chief executive and FoodNavigator-Asia commentator Katherine...
New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries have confirmed the scare surrounding contaminated whey protein concentrate supplied by dairy giant Fonterra was a false alarm.
With two more warning letters sent by the US drug regulator to Indian companies for violation of acceptable manufacturing practices, America has brought to six the number of India-based drugmaking facilities against which it has taken action over the...
Alum-based baking ingredients are to blame for almost one-third of Chinese people consuming quantities of aluminium above the recommended maximum safe level in their diets, according to new research.
The UK has issued yet another contamination warning against Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) claiming to treat conditions like menstrual pain and hair loss – leaving the local industry exasperated at the seemingly endless litany of cases.
