|
|
|
We're exhibiting at the upcoming SIAL PARIS, 19-23 October 2008
BOOTH # 038 - HALL 4 - FRUITS & LEGUMES PAVILION Visit us! |
If you wish to set an appointment please click here |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EU Aflatoxin MLs in Tree Nuts · Outcomes of the Expert Group Meeting on Contaminants
|
The EU Expert Committee on Agricultural Contaminants met on September 15th 2008 in Brussels to discuss the adaptation of the EU maximum levels (MLs) for aflatoxins to the new Codex Alimentarius levels and the future amendments to the “Guidance Document for Competent Authorities for the Control of Compliance with EU Legislation on Aflatoxins”.
Member States’ representatives agreed to align EU MLs for aflatoxins in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios to the new Codex MLs adopted at the 31st Session of the Codex Commission:
- 10 ppb aflatoxin total for these nuts intended for direct consumption.
- 15 ppb aflatoxin total for these nuts intended for further processing.
EU aflatoxin total MLs for tree nuts other than almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios, and EU aflatoxin total B1 MLs for all tree nuts will be discussed during the next working group meeting scheduled for October 13th, 2008. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
INC participated at the 6th International Fresenius Conference · Contaminants and Residues in Food
|
The
INC, represented by Mr. Pino Calcagni, Chairman of the Scientific and Government Affairs Committee, participated at the 6th International Fresenius Conference “Contaminants and Residues in Food”, held in Frankfurt, Germany, September 4-5, 2008, where 18 international experts reported on new scientific findings and regulatory developments.
Representatives from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Commission and several national authorities, as well as experts from research institutes, trade and industry discussed different ways to handle process contaminants (3-MCPD-esters, Acrylamide), mycotoxins (Analytics and sampling, T-2, HT-2, ergot alkaloids), PAHs, PFTs & Marine Biotoxins and residues in food (Risk assessment & risk benefit, veterinary drug residues).
Mr. Calcagni participated in the conference “Residues, risk assessment & risk benefit”, held on September 5th. Under the title “EU MRL-harmonization. Is the end in sight?” Mr. Calcagni gave a presentation on the current situation of the EU Maximum Residue Levels (MRL), Active Substances (AS) and the challenges for the fruit-and-vegetable sector.
MRL-regulation as of 1st September 2008
The EU MRL-harmonization is forecast to increase consumer confidence in food safety and further stimulate consumption of fruits and vegetables given their many valuable health benefits and their role in the fight against obesity and related disorders such as cardiovascular diseases. Besides a re-vamped web site and a fact-sheet, a new user-friendly online database has been released providing much transparency both to industry and consumers.
The main challenge for the sector would be the proposal for the future authorization of plant protection products so-called “cut-off criteria” which foresees to eliminate hazardous substances on the basis of their toxicological properties, which may result in a substance being banned even if it can be applied safety, and the consequences on produce quality and availability as well as the economic viability for certain commodities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
US Snacking Expected to Increase 14% by 2017
|
According to a recent report by the NPD Group, consumption of snacks in America has grown during the past few years and is expected to grow by 14% by 2017.
This market research company has found that consumption of snack-oriented convenience foods is growing among kids (ages 6 to 12) but decreasing among adults (18 to 34 and over 55) and kids ages 2 to 5. The report predicts that kids under 9 and adults ages 30 to 39 and 50 to 59 will be the largest group by 2017.
Regarding snacking habits, the study reveals that most snacking occurs in the evening at home, but “at home evening snacks” is declining while morning snacking has shown the strongest growth. Furthermore, snack foods are eaten between meals but are becoming increasingly popular as accompaniments or replacements in meal times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| New Scientific & Regulatory Issues on the INC web site
Scientific Studies
- Strate LL, Liu YL, Syngal S, Aldoori WH, Giovannucci EL. Nut, corn, and popcorn consumption and the incidence of diverticular disease. JAMA. 2008 Aug 27;300(8):907-14.
- Lang L. Consumption of Nuts, Corn, or Popcorn is Not Associated With an Increased Risk of Diverticulosis in Men. Gastroenterology. 2008 Sep 4.
- Gebauer SK, West SG, Kay CD, Alaupovic P, Bagshaw D, Kris-Etherton PM. Effects of pistachios on cardiovascular disease risk factors and potential mechanisms of action: a dose-response study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Sep;88(3):651-9.
- Gallaher CM, Gallaher DD. Dried plums (prunes) reduce atherosclerosis lesion area in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Br J Nutr. 2008 Sep 2:1-7.
- Sofi F, Cesari F, Abbate R, Gensini GF, Casini A. Adherence to Mediterranean diet and health status: meta-analysis. BMJ. 2008 Sep 11;337:a1344. doi: 10.1136/bmj.a1344.
- Giovannini M, Verduci E, Scaglioni S, Salvatici E, Bonza M, Riva E, Agostoni C. Breakfast: a good habit, not a repetitive custom. J Int Med Res. 2008 Jul-Aug;36(4):613-24.
- Rocha-González HI, Ambriz-Tututi M, Granados-Soto V. Resveratrol: a natural compound with pharmacological potential in neurodegenerative diseases. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2008 Fall;14(3):234-47.
- Aparecida de Assis S, Carlos Rebuglio Vellosa J, Lourenco Brunetti I, Maissar Khalil N, Maria da Silva Cerqueira Leite K, Baldo Geraldo Martins A, Maria Mascarenhas de Faria Oliveira O. Antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid and total phenol of exotic fruits occurring in Brazil. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2008 Sep 10:1-10.
- Kulis M, Pons L, Burks AW In vivo and T Cell Cross-Reactivity between Walnut, Cashew and Peanut. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2008 Sep 19;148(2):109-117.
Regulatory Issues
|
|
|
|
Regulatory News
EU New Legislation on Organic Products
Commission Regulation 889/2008 of 5 September 2008 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production, labelling and control has been recently published in the EU Official Journal. Council Regulation 834/2007 will enter into force on January 1, 2009, replacing current Regulation 2092/91.
Among others, Commission Regulation 889/2008 lays down specific rules on production, packaging, transport and storage of organic food, beekeeping, labeling (EU Organic Logo) and control requirements.
The compulsory use of a new EU organic logo on pre-packaged organic products produced in the EU has been postponed to July 1, 2010, by a future Council Regulation amending Regulation 834/2007. Until then, the use of an EU Organic Logo shall be optional.
Regarding non pre-packaged organic food and organic products imported from third countries, the use of the EU-logo shall be optional.
According to Council Regulation 834/2007, where the EU-logo is used, an indication of the place where the agricultural raw materials of which the product is composed have been farmed, shall also appear in the same visual field as the logo and shall take one of the following forms, as appropriate:
- “EU Agriculture”, where the agricultural raw material has been farmed in the EU.
- “non-EU Agriculture”, where the agricultural raw material has been farmed in third countries.
- “EU/non-EU Agriculture”, where part of the agricultural raw materials has been farmed in the EU and a part of it has been farmed in a third country.
Under Commission Regulation 889/2008, the mandatory use of this indication has been postponed to July 1, 2010.
The new Regulation also requires that the mandatory reference to the control authority or control body appearing in the labelling shall be done though a code number as from July 1, 2010.
Related Documents:
EU New MRL Online Database
On September 1, 2008, new rules on harmonized Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for pesticides came into force (Commission Regulation EC 396/2005). A user-friendly database is now available to search for the MRL applicable to each product and pesticide.
This database contains the MRLs set in Commission Regulation 149/2008 and the amendments introduced by Commission Regulation 839/2008 published on August 30, 2008.
Related Documents:
http://ec.europa.eu |
|
|
|
RASFF Notifications
EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed · Weeks 33-38
ALERT NOTIFICATIONS
- Hazelnuts from Turkey (1).
- Peanut balls from India (1).
- Pistachio paste from Italy (1).
- Undeclared peanut in milk chocolate with whole hazelnuts from Germany (1).
Alert Notifications are released when a food or feed presenting a serious risk is on the market and when immediate action is required.
INFORMATION NOTIFICATIONS
- Dried pitted dates from the Czech Republic, with raw material from Iran (1).
- Dried pitted prunes from Slovenia, with raw material from Argentina (1).
- Hazelnut kernels from Germany, with raw material from Azerbaijan, dispatched from Georgia (1).
- Peanut balls from India (1).
- Pistachios from Iran (1), Turkey (1).
Information Notifications concern a food or feed for which a risk has been identified, but for which the other member states do not have to take immediate action, because the product has not yet reached their market.
BORDER REJECTIONS
- Almonds from USA (4).
- Biscuits filled with jam, topped with chopped pistachio nuts from Iran (1).
- Dried apricots from Iran (1).
- Dried figs from Turkey (4).
- Ground and broken nutmeg from India (1).
- Hazelnuts from Turkey (1).
- Peanut butter from Philippines (1).
- Peanut flour from Rwanda (1).
- Peanuts for bird feed (1).
- Peanuts from Argentina (1), Brazil (5), China (30), Ghana (2), India (3), Nicaragua (3), Nigeria (2), South Africa (1), Thailand (1) and USA (3).
- Pecans from USA (1).
- Pistachios from Iran (15), Turkey (2), USA (2).
- Rice crackers and peanut crackers from China (1).
Border Rejections concern food and feed consignments that have been tested and rejected at the external borders of the EU and the European Economic Area when a health risk was found. The notifications are transmitted to all EEA border posts in order to reinforce controls and to ensure that the rejected product does not re-enter the Community through another border post.
http://ec.europa.eu
|
|
|
Research Briefs
Nuts do not increase the risk of diverticulosis
According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, nut, corn, or popcorn consumption is not linked with diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding (pouches protruding off the colon). In fact, eating any of these foods may lower the risk of developing diverticular disease.
Researchers from University of Washington School of Medicine examined data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (Harvard School of Public Health), which started in 1986 with the aim to evaluate a series of hypotheses about men's health relating nutritional factors to the incidence of serious illnesses, such as cancer and vascular diseases.
The study included 47.228 men, aged 40 to 75 years, free of diverticulosis or related complications, who completed a food-frequency questionnaire. After 18 years of follow-up, there were 801 cases of diverticulitis and 383 incident cases of diverticular bleeding.
Researchers found inverse associations between nut and popcorn consumption and the risk of diverticulitis. Men with the highest intake of nuts (at least twice a week) had a 20% lower risk of diverticulitis compared with men with the lowest intake (less than once a month).
Antioxidants may prevent age-related blindness
According to a new Brigham Young University study, an antioxidant-rich diet may protect against macular degeneration, the most common cause of age-related blindness in developed countries.
Researchers at BYU and Cornell University found a destructive synergy that occurs between a compound called A2E and mitochondria. Experiments using visual cells from rats, cows and humans showed that antioxidants disrupted this link. The study concluded that eating plenty of antioxidant-rich food like blueberries, artichokes and pecans extend the lifetime of retinal cells.
The findings have been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, September issue. |
|
|
|
E-mail: inc@nutfruit.org