A national survey of 3,511 people has found that Americans would be willing to pay a dollar per person each year – a total of $305 million – to achieve a ten percent reduction in the risk of buying, for example, hamburger tainted with E. coli bacteria. The researchers acted on the assumption that government regulators could better assess the value of improving food safety if they took into account the fact that consumers generally want to avoid sickness, even if it costs a little more. The USDA uses a “cost-of-illness approach to value reductions in morbidity,” the researchers note. But that understates the benefits of improved food safety measures by ignoring hidden costs such as pain, suffering and worry. The survey used a hypothetical food-choice scheme to measure consumer willingness to pay for food safety improvements.

A randomized two-year clinical trial involving 403 healthy postmenopausal women has found that a daily 80-120 mg supplement of soy hypocotyl isoflavones does not present a health risk, and may actually protect against cancer. The trial was designed to test the impact of soy isoflavone supplementation on osteoporosis, but researchers were also trying to determine if long-term supplementation led to adverse health outcomes. Only two women in the soy supplement groups  experienced serious health problems: one case of breast cancer and one case of endometrial cancer. This “was less than the expected population rate for these cancers,” the researchers said. The supplement used in the study was the patented soy germ isoflavone product SoyLife from Frutarom.

A decision by the USDA to allow American farmers to plant genetically modified alfalfa seeds is a “looming nightmare” for Canadian alfalfa farmers, according to New Democrat agriculture critic Alex Atamanenko, who has asked Canada’s prime minister to seek a reversal of the U.S. policy. The Monsanto alfalfa seed is engineered to resist the weed killer Roundup. According to Atamanenko, “Any GE (genetically engineered) alfalfa grown in the U.S. will inevitably lead to contamination of alfalfa in Canada.” A bill to protect Canadian farmers from market losses due to GM contamination will be voted on soon, following a final reading in the House of Commons. Atamanenko said alfalfa is important to conventional farming and also organic farming, where it is used as a soil-building component in crop rotation.

Certain strains of the food-borne bacterium Listeria monocytogenes are able to invade the heart and lead to serious and difficult-to-treat heart infections in vulnerable populations, according to U.S. researchers. Listeria is often found in soft cheeses and chilled ready-to-eat products. Infections from listeria are usually mild in healthy individuals, but can cause serious illness in the elderly and other susceptible people. More than a third of listeria-related heart infections are fatal. Researchers found that mice infected with the cardiac isolate had 10 times as much bacteria in their hearts. But in the spleen and liver the levels of bacteria were equal in both groups of mice. The researchers concluded that cardiac-associated strains display modified proteins on their surface that enable the bacteria to easily enter cardiac cells, targeting and infecting the heart.

Steroid compounds banned by the federal government have crept back into muscle-building dietary supplements and are available online at such retail outlets as Amazon.com, according to press reports. Two representatives of the nonprofit Anti-Doping Research Group of Los Angeles, Calif., tested four muscle-building supplements they  purchased and found illegal steroids in three of them. Amazon has since removed several of the products, manufactured by Competitive Edge Labs, from the site. According to Don Caitlin, CEO of Anti-Doping Research Group, the purchase and testing effort was not meant to target Amazon, but to show the wide availability of  adulterated products. "Our interest is in protecting the unsuspecting consumer from being able to buy these products, take them without knowing what they really are, and put themselves in the hospital," Caitlin said.

At a House of Representatives members forum on genetically-engineered (GE)  alfalfa, the U.S. Organic Trade Association (OTA) expressed strong support for a recent USDA proposal to consider the economic consequences of unrestricted deregulation of Monsanto’s Round-Up Ready (RR) alfalfa, including the impact on organic agriculture and products in the United States. The OTA said it believes the department has the authority to oversee GE crop commercialization and protect organic farmers. The member forum was organized to question USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on whether the USDA has the authority to consider conditional deregulation of RR Alfalfa. The OTA advocated a “meaningful co-existence” between organic and conventional farmers that would protect seed purity for organic farmers’ use, compensate organic farmers for contamination losses and require USDA oversight of GE crop commercialization.

Many U.S. states are reporting only a small fraction of the outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, while states like Oregon and Minnesota with good detection and reporting systems report many more outbreaks, according to a nationwide “report card” from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The report used 10-year data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and CSPI’s database to assign a letter grade for each state. Oregon and Minnesota were used as benchmarks. Five other states had equally high reporting rates and also received an “A”: Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Washington, and Wyoming. “F” grades were given to Arizona, Arkansas, and 12 other states. A “troubling”  trend: the percentage of solved outbreaks with an identified food and pathogen declined from 1998 through 2007.

Russian and Israeli scientists have developed and successfully lab-tested an antibacterial "killer paper" coated with silver nanoparticles that could be used as food packaging material. The paper helps preserve foods by fighting the bacteria that cause spoilage. Silver is currently used as a bacteria fighter in some medicinal ointments, on kitchen and bathroom surfaces, and even odor-resistant socks. Silver nanoparticles – each 1/50,000 the width of a human hair – are being tested as germ-fighting coatings for plastics, fabrics, and metals because they have a longer-lasting effect than larger silver particles. The silver nanoparticles-coated paper showed potent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus, two causes of bacterial food poisoning, killing all of the bacteria in just three hours.

The U.K. agency charged with evaluating novel foods for marketing may soon approve a national register of  nanofoods. The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) food nanotechnology discussion group, created by an ad hoc House of Lords committee, comprises representatives from FSA, academia, industry, other government departments and consumer groups. Its goal is to help FSA implement recommendations from a House of Lords nanotechnologies report. On the agenda of the first meeting on January 13 were current findings of food industry nanotechnology research, and a suggestion to set up a U.K. register of nanofoods. FSA stressed that it will not assess the safety of nanotechnology in the food chain. But it is obliged to assess the food safety implications of a company’s application to market nanotechnology food.

British scientists have developed genetically modified chickens that are incapable of transmitting avian influenza virus to other chickens in a flock, an advance that could stop the spread of bird flu outbreaks. It would also reduce the risk of bird flu epidemics becoming new flu epidemics among humans. To produce the transgenic chickens, the scientists introduced a new gene that manufactures a "decoy" molecule that mimics a key control element of the flu virus, thus tricking the replication mechanism of the virus into recognizing the decoy instead of the viral genome. This process interrupts the replication cycle of the virus. The transgenic chickens who were infected with avian flu became sick, but did not transmit the infection to chickens kept in the same pen, researchers noted.

Scientists have found that adding soluble plant fibers to a diet may enhance the immune system response in healthy individuals. Fibers from plants such as fungi, lichens and algae can positively impact key cellular functions, including changes in protein glycosylation. Glycosylation is an enzyme-directed process where a glycan (a type of polysaccharide, or carbohydrate chain) attaches to a protein, fat or other organic molecule. Glycans play various roles, including proper protein folding and cell-cell adhesion, which is used by immune system cells to help keep the body healthy. According to this study, supplementing the diet of healthy individuals with plant polysaccharides increased the subjects’ levels of fully-processed glycans, resulting in a potential boost in their immune responses.

The Czech Republic has called on the European Commission to enact legislation requiring food labeling to include country-of-origin information, claiming the dioxin-in-food scandal in Germany highlights the need for such disclosure in order to ensure food safety. The scandal, which stems from the discovery in December 2010 of dioxin in poultry, eggs, and pork from Germany forced German authorities to cull thousands of livestock. Some countries have temporarily banned the importation of eggs and poultry from Germany until they get assurance that food supplies from the country are free of dioxin, which is a cancer-causing agent.

Antioxidants like vitamins C and E have an unexpected negative side effect, according to Israeli researchers: they may cause fertility problems in females. Antioxidant supplements are widely available over the counter and are added to food, drink, and face cream, despite the fact that little is known about how they act in the body. Antioxidants eliminate cell-damaging molecules called reactive oxygen species produced naturally in the body and in large amounts at times of stress. But when researchers applied antioxidants to the ovaries of female mice, ovulation levels dropped dramatically: very few eggs were released from the ovaries to reach the site of fertilization, compared to those in untreated ovaries. The reason for the phenomenon? Ovulation relies on the “harmful” substances destroyed by antioxidants: reactive oxygen species.

Viet Nam’s Ho Chi Minh City is awaiting government approval for creation of a chain of organic food stores under a new food management test project that places all stages of organic food production under the control of one agency. Included in the project will be organic meat, fish and vegetables produced according to the Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices standards created by the newly-enacted Food Hygiene and Safety Law. All phases of production, including breeding, feed, slaughter, use of water, pesticides, veterinary medicines, and delivery will be controlled by the Department of Health’s Food Hygiene and Safety Division. Currently, production and marketing of organic foods are monitored by several agencies. Since 2006, organic agriculture in Viet Nam has grown 20 percent a year, a pace that is expected to continue.

Dioxin contamination found in thousands of eggs in Germany has halted production at over 1,000 meat and poultry farms. The original contamination happened when oils for biofuels was used for animal feed. A European Commission spokesperson said that food exports from Germany were unaffected and there was no need for a ban. Prosecutors have named Harles und Jentzsch, a company in northern Germany that produces animal feed, in preliminary proceedings. Research has shown dioxins affect pregnant women and lead to higher cancer rates.

Researchers at the University of Strathclyde are developing a new form of plastic packaging that will tell consumers about a product’s freshness, through color changes in the plastic, and help reduce the 8.3 million tons of food the U.K. throws away each year. The aim is to develop intelligent plastic packaging, removing the need for the expensive freshness labels currently in use. The Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme provided £325,000 in funding as part of its support for new ideas to launch small companies.

Food safety practices within an organization can be a significant risk factor in causing, or preventing, foodborne illness, according to a new U.S. study. Kansas State University professor Doug Powell says the way businesses and organizations operate above and beyond minimal food safety regulations and inspections – their “food safety culture” – is often overlooked. For the study, Powell and colleagues analyzed three food safety breakdowns: an E. coli outbreak in Wales in 2005, a listeria outbreak in Canada in 2008, and a salmonella outbreak in the U.S. in 2009 linked to peanut paste that killed nine and sickened 691. Key lessons derived? Food producers, restaurants and others should know the risks associated with their products, how to manage them, and most important, how to communicate with and compel staff to employ good practices.

The U.S. State Department has been actively lobbying European countries to support genetically modified (GM) crops, according to diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks. For example, in 2007 the U.S. Embassy in Paris called on State to create a “retaliation list” of  EU member states that oppose GM crops. France has taken steps to ban a GM maize strain produced by Monsanto, temporarily halting marketing and cultivation of the MON 810 strain within its borders. The crop is authorized in all EU countries. "Country team Paris recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU," U.S. Ambassador Craig Stapleton wrote on December 14, 2007. Other countries targeted for pressure included Spain and the Vatican, according to the WikiLeaks disclosures.

Seventy percent of Chinese worry about food safety and think government should improve management and surveillance to protect people, says a survey by Insight China magazine and Tsinghua Media Survey Lab. Consumers are concerned about incidents like the 2008 baby formula contamination, which killed six children and made over 300,000 ill. They worry most about the health impact of puffed and fried foods popular with children, but they are also concerned about many other types of produce, processed and instant food. Other perceived threats include excessive pesticide residue and abuse of food additives. The central government is trying to improve food safety by investing in quality inspection centers and proper food hygiene, and by ensuring accurate public information.

High levels of dietary sodium are associated with hypertension, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. In 2008, Britons consumed an average of about 8.6 g of sodium a day, much more than the 1–2 g a day required for good health. Now a British study that analyzed food-purchasing data for more than 21,000 British households and more than 44,000 food products has found that much of the sodium consumed in the U.K. – apart from table salt, which accounts for 23 percent – comes from five processed-food categories: bacon, bread, milk, cheese, and savory sauces (totaling 37 percent). “Accordingly,” the researchers concluded, “the targeting of sodium content reductions in these categories … could lead to large potential gains in public health.”

Claiming Australian consumers prefer organic foods, supermarket company Coles said it will stop selling beef that contains hormone growth promotants (HGPs). Industry observers, however, claim that HGPs, which are additives regularly used by farmers to enhance cattle’s muscle growth, are safe and effective in expanding production of beef. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s livestock industry chief Alan Bell said that banning HGP beef will cause beef prices to go up. Australian Cattle Council chief David Inall said that the marketing campaign for hormones-free beef scares customers from eating beef with HGPs, which have been approved for use in Australia in 1979, but were prohibited in the Europe Union in 1988.

Reacting to complaints that goods being sold in the country as organic were not organic at all, Egypt’s Minister of Trade and Industry announced tighter regulatory control over organic and biodynamic goods. Organic products in Egypt often cost twice as much as conventional goods, because they purportedly contain no chemical additives and have not been genetically modified. However, until now there has been no certification process, consumers could not file a complaint with the government and companies were not required to be accountable. Under the new decree, manufacturers will need to be accredited by auditors registered with the Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOSQ), organic companies will have to register and be certified, and EOSQ may inspect facilities and shut them down if they do not meet organic standards.

Most of the cases of foodborne illnesses are not “acts of God” but are the result of lapses in human behavior, according to a Kansas State University professor. Douglas Powell says that the last 10 years in the U.S. have seen the gradual development of a “food safety culture,” thanks to several highly-publicized food contamination outbreaks. It is the spread of this culture among farms, processors, retailers, restaurants and consumers at home – rather than legislation, policy and training – that will reduce the number of Americans sickened by foodborne pathogens, Powell says. Other trends noted by Powell: increased public exposure to food safety information; realization that fresh produce, not just meat, is a source of food contamination; and increased use of DNA technology and tools to better understand foodborne illnesses.

The 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose, California, sustained Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo’s right to sue pesticide services firm Western Farm Service. Based on Jacobs Farm president Larry Jacobs’ investigation, pesticides sprayed by Western Farm Service on a nearby farm evaporated and were transported by wind or fog to Jacobs Farm’s dill crops. The Court’s ruling on the case, which began four years ago when retailer Whole Foods rejected Jacobs Farm’s organic dill for testing positive for pesticides, means pesticide applicators can be legally liable even though no law or regulations were violated. Aside from reinforcing the case for organic farmers harmed by pesticides to seek legal redress, the Court’s decision also addresses the state law’s lack of specific provisions dealing with pesticides that move in vapor form after application.

After long delays and a lot of legislative wrangling, the U.S. Congress has passed and sent to the White House the first major food safety reform legislation in nearly eight decades. President Obama is expected to sign the measure this week. The bill was finally passed by the Senate and the House after problems related to funding were at least temporarily resolved. The bill gives the Food and Drug Administration authority to order recalls of tainted products and beef up the federal inspector force by 2,000. The update of the nation’s system for protecting consumers from spoiled foods was prompted by several recent contaminated food scares. Discovery of salmonella  prompted the recall of more than half a billion eggs.

Spain’s AZTI-Tecnalia technological center has shown that treating dairy products using high pressure technology deactivates molds and yeasts while preserving flavor and other important characteristics. Scientists, who worked with Spanish dairy companies, say the high pressure technology provides an alternative to traditional heat-based treatments for decontamination of dairy foods. Similar results have also been found with ready-to-eat fruit products. According to the researchers, dairy food samples processed with high pressure not only conserved quality for up to three months, they also tasted better than the traditional (heat treated) samples. The scientific team subjected the food to high pressure – up to 6,000 bars – that resulted in the inactivation of most pathogenic microorganisms, without modifying food properties or characteristics. The team is also experimenting with combinations of high pressure and temperature.

Antioxidants consumed from natural sources such as fruits and vegetables reduce by as much as 50 percent the risk of developing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men, according to new U.S. research. High-dose supplemental antioxidants, however, actually increase the risk of LUTS, researchers found, perhaps because of increased urinary acidity caused by the supplements. In a study of 1,466 men, the higher the natural intake of lycopene, beta-carotene and vitamin A (4,780 micrograms a day), the greater the reduction of LUTS risk – as much as 40 to 50 percent – compared to low average intake (775 micrograms a day). Regarding antioxidant supplements, the researchers concluded that “for some men, LUTS could be ameliorated by changing urine composition through modification of high-dose supplement use.”

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) praised the U.S. Congress for passing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which is designed to strengthen the agency’s food safety oversight, and for adding provisions that protect organic farmers and producers from meeting conditions that duplicate or are counter to the requirements of the Organic Food Production Act. The legislation, which originally made its way through the Senate with strong bipartisan support, will also protect consumers from food-borne diseases, according to OTA executive director and CEO Christine Bushway. Aside from retaining the language that OTA had wanted, the legislation also comes with technical assistance resources, and amends the traceability and record-keeping provisions of the bill.

The European Food Safety Authority has issued a preliminary safety assessment of chromium picolinate, saying that the compound is safe for use as an ingredient in foods marketed in European Union member states. Formal approval will probably come in 2011, according to food supplement ingredients producer, N.Y.-based Nutrition 21, Inc., which sells a chromium picolinate product known as Chromax. The EFSA safety review was prompted by the company’s application to market Chromax as a food ingredient in Europe. EFSA’s assessment concluded that chromium picolinate “has a large margin of safety supporting its use as a source of chromium up to the maximum level established by the World Health Organization (WHO),” according to the company.

The Food and Drug Administration gains a new tool with the passing of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. Aimed at reforming large industrial farms, the act provides the FDA authority to shut down producers that fail to meet science-based standards. This is a major change over older and poorly worded legislation that allowed companies to remain unaccountable even when facing large and reoccurring product recalls. The downside is that small farms, such as many organic farms, now fall under the same regulations for tracking produce as industrial farms if they sell to other businesses. Regulations of this type pose additional barriers to small farms attempting to expand. Corruption in the FDA is also a concern as the legislation essentially gives them control over who provides food to consumers.

Though there is a possibility that the USDA may get more proactive in restricting genetically modified farming, natural food retailers can play a key role in fighting “big ag” and preventing GM foods from entering the food supply. Consumers who patronize natural food stores are “the best demographic to lead the tipping point,” according to Jeffrey Smith, author of “Seeds of Deception”. Natural foods shoppers are intent on avoiding GM food, but are often not clear on the reasons why or and don't know how to go about it. That’s where retailers can step in and educate shoppers on the health dangers of GM foods, offer easy non-GM options and make viral “the message of the tipping point.” The whole idea is to “mobilize the trendsetting, health-conscious shoppers” to keep GM foods off the shelves.

The Organic Consumers Association has published its opinions on the leading trends in organic food and agriculture for the coming year. With consumer spending likely to be constrained for a while yet and the “new frugality” possibly here to stay, organic marketers have to communicate value and added benefits. Organic food also needs to tie in with broader environmental and sustainability trends. For example, the President's Cancer Panel reported in 2010 that babies were being born with up to 300 synthetic chemicals in their systems; other studies show that schoolchildren have 10-13 pesticides in their systems that almost disappear when switched to an organic diet. Additional issues to be addressed include demand for sustainable packaging, the leeching of cancer-causing chemicals from packaging, avoiding animal testing, and the effects of pesticides and GMO. Organic farming is growing, with more acreage being given over to it, younger people entering farming by focusing on organic agriculture, and urban agriculture based around organic food. These trends are supported by non-profit Slow Money, which has invested $3 million in sustainable food businesses.

A study by New Zealand researchers warns that functional foods are being produced with increasingly high levels of milk proteins that make them “hyperallergenic” and likely to cause severe reactions in people who are allergic to milk. Consumers, regulatory authorities and the food industry all share the responsibility of preventing “inadvertent exposure,” the researchers said. Food allergies affect about six percent of children and four percent of adults. Allergic reactions can range from mild abdominal discomfort to death from anaphylaxis. Functional food companies have begun to add allergenic proteins without adequately warning consumers. The researchers found, for example, that in comparison with cow’s milk, a product known as Wh2ole contains at least three times the concentration of β−lactoglobulin, one of the main allergens in cow’s milk.

A Canadian study has found that high levels of folic acid in pregnant women can reduce birth defects, but may also be associated with adverse medical conditions such as colorectal cancer in others. For the study, researchers examined survey data on red blood cell folate concentrations in 5,248 Canadians. They found that folate deficiency is virtually nonexistent in Canada, but 40 percent showed high folate concentrations. In addition, 22 percent of women of childbearing age were below the level necessary to guard against neural tube defects. Some physicians have recommended that folic acid levels in Canada’s food supply be doubled to make sure women of childbearing age get enough of the nutrient. But, the researchers concluded that “there appears to be little rationale for doubling folic acid levels in the Canadian food supply."

The largest pork producer in the U.S. – Smithfield Foods, Inc. – has joined genetically modified seed producer Monsanto in proclaiming itself a “sustainable” enterprise. New Hope 360 blogger Kelsey Blackwell says the term sustainable may soon join the ranks of other “meaningless eco claims” like “natural, green and earth smart.” Monsanto, which has been accused numerous times of environmentally unfriendly activities, including dumping toxic waste materials into rivers and landfills, recently unveiled a new motto: “The sustainable company.” It proclaims that “sustainable agriculture is at the core of Monsanto.” Smithfield recently hired a chief sustainability officer, yet the CEO said sustainability would be very difficult because of price demands of big customers like Walmart. Blackwell calls all of this “greenwashing,” a trend among firms well aware of growing consumer interest in environmentalism.

A West Australian organic farmer is considering suing to recover financial losses sustained when genetically modified canola seeds contaminated two thirds of his arable land. Australia has a zero-tolerance organic policy regarding GM foods. The farmer says his tests detected GM canola seeds had drifted 1.5 km within his boundaries, contaminating about 540 acres. The National Association of Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA) is investigating the problem, the farmer says. “Our livelihood is at stake as we are a certified organic farm and rely on the premium that comes with selling guaranteed GM-free organic food, in Australia and in overseas markets,” he adds. Despite governmental promises that GM technology can be segregated and contained, it is becoming apparent to many that it really can’t be.

Besides vitamin D and calcium supplements – which an Institute of Medicine committee said were unnecessary and perhaps even dangerous – experts interviewed by Wallet Pop listed seven other products that should be avoided consumers. At the top of the list is the calorie-packed sweetener high fructose corn syrup, which has been blamed for the rise in obesity and diabetes. HFCS is being gradually replaced in food products by other types of sweeteners. Also on the list is bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used to make plastic bottles and line food cans. BPA can leak into baby formula, water, food and cosmetics and harm the brain. Other blacklisted substances include bovine growth hormones; genetically modified foods; parabens that prevent growth of mold, fungus and bacteria in cosmetics and food; trans fat; and anything “Made in China.”

After reviewing the results of 22 scientific studies, including 19 clinical trials, on the cardiovascular benefits of eating oat beta-glucan, the European Food Safety Authority has acknowledged that the non-digestible, non-starch polysaccharide does lower cholesterol. The EFSA said companies may therefore claim that products delivering at least three grams of oat beta-glucans a day, either naturally or as an added ingredient, may carry this statement: “Oat beta-glucan has been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol. Blood cholesterol lowering may reduce the risk of (coronary) heart disease.” The application to the EFSA was made by Swiss firm CreaNutrition AG, which manufactures OatWell oat bran for use in cereals and other foods.

A report from the Cornucopia Institute says that many soy-based food products – veggie burgers, fake meats, etc. –  labeled “natural” use soy protein isolate that is processed using the neurotoxic solvent hexane. Processing with hexane increases the protein content of foods targeting vegetarian consumers. An alternative mechanical method of processing is not only more expensive, it results in lower protein content. Companies that sell the hexane-processed foods argue that there are no residues of hexane in the soy protein isolate they use. The FDA does not require companies to measure hexane residues, however, so the Institute doubts the companies have any idea of the levels in their products. Natural health bars with "likely" hexane content include Clif Bar, Odwalla and Balance Bar; veggie burgers and meat substitutes include Boca, Gardenburger and Trader Joe's.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) outlined a new plan for improving public health in its recently released Healthy People 2020 report. One section of the report deals specifically with food safety, setting targets for the reduction in the incidence of illness related to pathogens, such as Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. According to the publication Meatingplace, aimed at the meat industry, it marks the first time the HHS has set targets for the reduction of illness cases related to specific food commodities:  beef, dairy, fruits and nuts, leafy vegetables, and poultry. The report’s food safety recommendations are based on FoodNet’s foodborne illness data for 2006-08.

Following the example of European Union and British government food regulators, the U.S. FDA has decided to take a closer look at claims that artificial food colors may be harmful to children after all. The agency has scheduled a hearing in March 2011 to examine evidence linking artificial food colors and hyperactivity in children. However, with food companies using 15 million pounds of synthetic food dyes each year in a wide range of products, the suggestion that they switch to natural dyes, or even place warning labels on foods, is giving the companies indigestion. Nevertheless, the British government and the European Union have provided a precedent for getting companies to eliminate possibly harmful dyes. While the U.S. version of McDonald’s Strawberry Sundaes contain Red 40, the British version uses strawberry extract.

The United Fresh and 22 other fruit and vegetable industry organizations have petitioned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) to hold a conference with Senate counterparts to iron out what the groups called “substantial differences” between Senate and House versions of food safety legislation. The Senate bill passed December 2, and the House bill passed in July 2009. According to United Fresh, the Senate version contains an amendment exempting certain food producers because of size or “regional proximity.” The exemption changes the underlying framework from science and technology to “political ideology." The signatories argued that exempting small farms from federal food safety standards “undermines the intent of credible federal food safety systems … based on risk and science, not arbitrary criteria.”

In 2008, the European Commission suggested new regulations designed to provide consumers with better nutritional information. These regulations have now reached the EU Parliament for review and approval. Interviews with consumer groups show disappointment that the political process has changed or neglected certain areas. Several major issues include having regulations for national label schemes, mandating a traffic light system for key nutritional information, nutritional presentation on packages, origin labels, and providing information on the use of nanomaterials. Nanomaterials are of special concern as little is known about the impact they have on consumer health. Consumer groups would like all nutritional information regulated but feel instead that the food industry will be given too much say in how to present the information. The EU Parliament is set to have a second reading in early 2011 followed by a possible ruling.