The UN Food and Agriculture organisation (FAO) have recently published a new format Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene (GPFH) document. This document outlines the general principles that should be understood and followed by food business operators at all stages of the food chain and that provide a basis for competent authorities to oversee food safety and suitability.

This edition contains a new annex which introduces tools to determine the critical control points in a hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) system.

It can be downloaded in pdf format here

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have launched a new system for businesses to make applications for Regulated Products.

The new, more efficient system will help businesses follow the correct procedure when it comes to securing the necessary authorisation to sell regulated food and feed products. It is designed to make it easier for applicants to understand what information is required to submit a good-quality, complete application for their product and will be particularly helpful for new businesses and those that don’t traditionally recognise themselves as food or feed businesses, like start-ups.

Applicants will be provided with a checklist of what is required, will be allowed more time for the application and supporting material to be uploaded and completed, and will be able to see the progress of their application. Applicants will also receive regular updates, which they can respond to. Additionally, the system will support renewals but will not affect applications already in progress on the previous system.

More information on how to apply for a regulated product authorisation can be found here

The Food Standards Agency of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) have published the results of a decade long study, which revealed that last year Australia had their lowest rate of ‘undeclared allergen’ related product recalls in 8 years, at just 29 cases.

The volume of food recalled represents a very small proportion of the large amount of food products available in the Australian market. Most recalls are precautionary and initiated by food businesses to ensure that potentially unsafe food is removed from distribution and sale. Only a small amount of recalls are linked to a suspected or confirmed illness/injury.

Over time broader regulatory oversight, improved self-monitoring by food businesses and greater consumer vigilance have helped to strengthen problem detection. Continued advancements in food technology, analytical testing and traceability are also expected to influence the number of food recalls.

Strategies implemented by FSANZ to reduce recalls include a focus on tighter regulations, and new initiatives such as a consumer information portal which provides best practice food allergen resources to different sectors of the community.

You can read the report in full here

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have recently carried out a review of international literature and guidance relating to cleaning methods to remove food allergens from surfaces. This study serves to support the FSA’s work on Precautionary Allergen Labelling (PAL).

Evidence gathered from previous food industry consultations showed that there is uncertainty around the effectiveness of allergen cleaning which is a barrier to effective use of PAL. This means it is difficult for people with food allergies to determine which foods they should avoid.

The study identified many factors that affected cleaning including what the foodstuff was, the surface material and its properties, the accessibility of equipment, cleaning time and temperature and the cleaning chemical properties.

Overall, the studies showed that the selection of a cleaning methodology should be determined on a case-by-case basis because it is not possible to state that one cleaning methodology will effectively clean in all scenarios due to many variables.

You can read the study in more detail here

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have launched a consultation to help determine the long-term safety of food contact materials which contain bamboo and similar plant-based materials such rice husks, wheat straw and hemp.

UK businesses are being told that they should not be selling such products until they have been fully assessed and authorised, and any products currently on the market should be withdrawn.

The FSA’s advice does not apply to items made solely from bamboo or plant-based materials, only those products which use a combination of plastic and plant filler.

An initial assessment of the risks presented by food contact plastics with added bamboo has been carried out by the Committee on Toxicity (COT), the independent group of scientists which provides advice to the FSA and other government departments and agencies on matters concerning the toxicity of chemicals.

The COT determined that, in some cases, the presence of bamboo and similar plant-based matter in plastic materials could result in the migration of the plastic components, such as formaldehyde or melamine, into food or drink above their legal limit. Whilst it is very unlikely that the initial use of these products would result in an immediate health risk, the long-term impacts from regular use of such items remains uncertain due to a lack of evidence.

Retailers are being asked to take care to check that any bamboo or similar-plant products remaining on sale do not contain any plastic components and to ensure that they meet the applicable national regulations.

Consumers are also being advised, as a precautionary measure, that they should not use such products until a full study into the potential risks can be completed. This is expected to be concluded after the call for evidence closes and is dependent on businesses providing the FSA with the necessary evidence on the safety of these products.

It may be difficult to tell whether a product is made from a bamboo-composite material once it has been removed from its packaging, but products will have a smooth surface and have the feel of plastic. Some products may have a recognisable logo which will help with checking whether it is an implicated article.

Commonly identified products made using plastic containing bamboo and similar materials include reusable drinking cups; tableware and cutlery; lunchboxes; and chopping boards. Additional products include plates, bowls, and cups including some specifically marketed as crockery sets to infants and children.

Extra caution should be taken to avoid using the utensils or containers to eat and drink hot and acidic foods and drinks, or to place them in the microwave, as this may make it more likely that elevated amounts of harmful chemicals will be released.

If in doubt, the FSA advises not to use the product until the full risk assessment has been completed.

The consultation closes on 12 December 2023 and can be found here.