The primary Indian food safety watchdog has said that it would soon introduce an online licensing system for food businesses in the country in order to streamline food safety issues.
Beneo is still waiting for an approval from the Indian authorities for the use of its prebiotic fibre, oligofructose, in infant milk powder products in the country.
A panel within India’s food safety regulator has recommended the approval of stevia as natural alternative to sugar for soft drink concentrates, chewing gums and other processed food products.
Three employees of a steamed bun production factory in Shanghai have received jail terms of up to nine years for producing and selling tainted steamed buns, Shanghai’s Higher People’s Court reported on Monday.
Consumer rights group Choice began its Campaign for Better Food Labelling last week by calling for a nationwide search to find food labels that carry dodgy nutrition claims.
Australia’s Premium Wine Brands and Treasury Wine Estates call on the government to reform the current value-based levies and abolish the wine equalisation tax (WET), as the country’s tax summit looms on the horizon.
Sales of energy drinks are booming, but a new report from Rexam also highlights growing concerns about high caffeine soft drink use amongst young people, especially in the developing world.
Australia’s controversial palm oil labelling bill may not be passed into law following new recommendations by a committee of the Australian House of Representatives.
A market for Indian honey in the North American market has prompted Intertek to launch a honey certification service for manufacturers and exporters in India.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has criticized India for its protective trade policy on food items, in an environment that is causing record food prices across the world.
Malaysia has introduced new regulation to govern the export of edible bird's nests from the country to China, where incidents of contamination were reported last month by quality regulators.
Some food manufacturers are misleading shoppers in terms of unclear labeling in relation to the inclusion of genetically modified (GM) ingredients in their products, according to a media report.
Poultry companies in Australia are being taken to court by the country's competition regulator over what it says is “misrepresentation” in labelling of their chicken meat products.
Food safety in China saw another big push with food inspectors combing down food units that are selling moon cakes, a food product that is in great demand during the mid-autumn festival.
A prominent consumer group in Australia has come out in support of traffic light labelling in Australia – but a food industry survey claims the current system is adequate and working.
A top level panel in India has slammed the food processing sector in India for the apparent wastage of food every year due to a lack of the necessary infrastructure in the country's food supply chain.
The palm oil labelling bill in Australia is entering its next phase, with the House of Representatives set to vote on whether it becomes law – and the current government saying it intends to oppose it.
A new regulation in India would mean that exporters of rice products to the US will have to get a new pest-free certification for them, an official at the government's food exports body said.
Like China, other Asian countries need a long-term regulatory mechanism to form a coordinated supervisory system if they are to enforce higher food safety levels, according to a white paper released last week.
The Philippines wants to be self-sufficient in rice and corn by 2013 and the 5.5% agricultural growth in the first half of 2011 could mark a positive start, according to the country’s agricultural secretary.
The passing of the new food safety act in India earlier this month has knelled a death bell for gutkha and tobacco-chewing products like pan masala and supari in the country after a long drawn out battle in courts.
The recall process in Australia has received an overhaul after the introduction of a new service that is aimed at making the process more efficient and transparent.
Food safety authorities are calling for public comment on changes that would allow raw milk (non-pasteurised) products to be processed and sold in Australia.
A new proposal in China plans to change the process of how food products are disposed when they are past their expiry date or do not meet food safety standards in the country.
Taiwan has told countries that had placed a ban on the import of its food products that it has managed to gain control of the DEHP food contamination problem from earlier this year.
Food manufacturers in India may have to gradually reduce the salt content in their packaged food products if a proposal from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is accepted as a standard.
Indian buffalo meat exporters have come under the scanner for possible foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) contamination in Philippines, local media has reported.
The National Association of Smallholders, Malaysia (NASH), which represents 240,000 Malaysian small farmers, has in an open letter strongly protested the Australian palm oil bill.
India's new food safety act will strengthen better the ability of regulators and the government to handle food contamination incidents, the head of one of India's top food research institutes has said.
Local industry and government must cooperate to develop policies and regulations to ensure safe and sustainable nutraceutical products, Simon Pettman, executive director of the International Alliance of Dietary Supplement Associations (IADSA) has said.
Malaysia's Department of Islamic Development has approved halal certification for the Islamic Foundation Bangladesh, a move that opens up the Malaysia market to halal food makers from Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka will now longer allow the import, transport, storage, packaging, distributing, and selling of food products in packaging that can cause health problems to the human body.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called for a compulsory ban on television junk food advertisements in Australia, saying industry self-regulation has failed.
An Australian bill requiring palm oil to be explicitly labelled has come in for harsh criticism from food industry representatives, after it was passed by the Senate last week.
Unscrupulous food processors, corrupt officials, incomplete regulations and ignorance of the laws are some of the ongoing defects in China’s food safety system, said a report by the country’s legislators this week.
The State Food and Drug Administration of China has banned eight food products made by four mainland firms after they were found to be contaminated by an industrial chemical.
Forest fragmentation driven by demand for palm oil is having a catastrophic effect the level of biodiversity, and may be endangering certain species, according to scientists from the Queen Mary University of London.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has updated its highly popular nutrient database to include new information about fatty acids, iodine, vitamin D and more.
Australia and New Zealand’s food standards body has approved an application for higher maximum permitted levels of steviol glycosides in ice cream and several beverage categories, which will enable a more acceptable taste profile in finished products.
Leading food manufacturers, academics and the US government will be working with a top level Chinese delegation over the next few weeks as part in an international effort to promote global food safety.
