How next-gen sequencing tech is advancing food safety testing technologies

Website Link (Article By Natasha Spencer) As the food industry champions full transparency and shifts to finding preventive measures against foodborne outbreaks, genomics testing provider Clear Labs is developing surveillance and diagnostics to progress accuracy and efficiency in today’s food safety testing tech. Today’s food industry focuses on transparency and a better understanding of foodborne

Japanese knotweed may lower cancer risk of processed meat, find researchers

Website Link (Article by Flora Southey) Replacing carcinogenic compound nitrite in processed meat with an extract taken from Japanese knotweed could reduce cancer risk, according to an EU co-funded research project. Whether eating red meat, and in particular processed meat, is associated with cancer risk is a hotly debated topic. Some argue that meat and

How Indoor Farming Reduces Food Waste

Website Link (Article by Ashlen Wilder) When The Spoon last wrote about Crop One in 2018, the company had just announced that they were building the largest indoor hydroponic farm in the world. The farm, based in Dubai, is set to be 300,000 square feet, three stories high, and capable of producing up to 6,000 pounds of food a

Advanced applications of chemo-responsive dyes based odor imaging technology for fast sensing food quality and safety: A review

Website Link (Article by Kang et. al. 2021) Abstract Public attention to foodquality and safety has been increased significantly. Therefore, appropriate analytical tools are needed to analyze and sense the food quality and safety. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important indicators for the quality and safety of food products. Odor imaging technology based on chemo-responsive

Natural antimicrobials and antioxidants added to polylactic acid packaging films. Part I: Polymer processing techniques

Website Link (Journal by Velásquez et. al.) ABSTRACT Currently, reducing packaging plastic waste and food losses are concerning topics in the food packaging industry. As an alternative for these challenges, antimicrobial and antioxidant materials have been developed by incorporating active agents (AAs) into biodegradable polymers to extend the food shelf life. In this context, developing

Industry insights from NIZO: Making pathogen and spoiler control an integral part of dairy and plant-based product development

All too often, controlling pathogenic and spoilage microbes in a new or reformulated food product comes at the end of the development process. René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager and member of the FoodNavigator expert advisory panel hears from Marjon Wells-Bennik, NIZO’s Principal Scientist Food Safety, to discuss how a more holistic approach from

Utilizing AI software for next generation of inspection, starting with baking

Mekitec Group has cemented its place among the world’s leading food quality control vendors with the acquisition of Grupo Bimbo’s subsidiary, Kanan Smart Solution, in a share transaction. The deal cements an already established partnership between Grupo Bimbo and Mekitec. The Mexican bakery giant has been using Mekitec’s X-ray systems – powered by Kanan’s software

Water Activity (aw) And Food Safety

Water activity (aw) is one of the few important parameters that dictate the shelf life stability of food—a food safety concern. But before we get to that, let’s define first what water activity is. More often, students think water activity and moisture content are the same thing. Well, they are not. Moisture content refers to

Address food safety gaps to improve trust in plant-based meat

The plant-based meat and dairy market is booming globally. But, as consumer concern over safety increases, experts from Kerry Taste and Nutrition stress that there is a need to develop food safety strategies that build consumer trust in the sector. Plant-based sales are witnessing rapid growth around the world. According to one report, from Facts

Allergen testing with a smartphone: ‘The self-test makes chemical analysis accessible to everyone’

A self-test has been developed in the Netherlands to help consumers check whether there are traces of allergens peanut or hazelnut in a product. The number of food allergy cases are on the rise. In the UK, for example, food allergies affect 6-8% of children, the most common being eggs, milk and peanuts. Food allergy