New Zealand dairy group Fonterra is facing criticism over lethal contaminated milk powder supplied through its Chinese joint venture, but says action was delayed as it had to go through the correct procedures in China.
Calls to ban the Southampton colours are reverberating around the world, as week campaigners in Australia called on FSANZ to phase out the additives implicated in hyperactivity like its UK counterpart.
The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will pay $55 million (€32.58m) to liquidated supplements manufacturer Pan Pharmaceuticals after inappropriately recalling the company’s entire 1600-product suite in 2003.
The European Commission has imposed anti-dumping tariffs of almost
40 per cent on monosodium glutamate (MSG) imported to the EU from
China, following an investigation into the effects of lower-priced
imports on EU industry.
Bakers in New Zealand will now by law have to fortify
bread products with iodine, as regulators in the country attempt to
boost consumption of the essential nutrient.
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has called for
further testing on two different proteins used in milk production,
just one month after claiming there was no danger in consuming
either of the products.
The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) will face a
court hearing in March 2008, after an anti-GM group claimed that it
has illegally approved the field testing of genetically modified
brassica.
New Zealand today launched a major initiative to boost its food and
beverage exports, including NZ$19m earmarked for new market
development and a roadmap for innovations.
China must continue to reform its food safety practices if it
is to maintain consumer confidence in its products, says a food
safety expert from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Safety bodies in Shanghai hope to hit back at growing international
concern over Chinese food safety practices with its new food
testing system, say media reports in the country.
A possible move by the Chinese government to repeal tax incentives
for foreign investors could prove a massive setback to the
country's food industry, warns an expert on Asian affairs.
New Zealand is proposing to update its dietary supplement
regulations to take into account new food-like delivery formats
that have emerged in the 20 years since they were drawn up.
China's increasingly savvy chocolate consumers will be better
equipped to choose higher quality chocolate if new regulations
entering into force next month are properly enforced.
China will remove the import duty on Indonesian cocoa from 1
January next year, a move likely to increase demand for the beans
from the world's third biggest producer.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has unveiled its new
'Science Strategy' 2006 to maintain safety standards in the food
supply for food processors.
The Shanghai Food and Drug Administration is to make recalls of
spoiled or potentially harmful food obligatory for food
manufacturers under the first law of its kind in China.
China's ministry of commerce has issued guidelines to the country's
farmers and farm produce exporters on how to meet tough new
standards in Japan, one of China's biggest export markets.
South Korea and the United States are set to begin talks on a free
trade agreement that promises to benefit food and drink sector
firms on both sides of the Pacific.
A Vegetarian Food Industry Association will be set up in China this
year to combat the use of animal material in vegetarian products,
according to the China Food Culture Research Organisation.
Australian prawn farmers have reacted angrily to the government's
proposed labelling reforms, which could provide the country's food
producers with increased competition from imports, Tom Armitage
reports.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has backed calls for a joint
feasibility study, which will look at ways of achieving the
European Commission's desire for closer trading links with the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations...
Thirty-two Chinese companies are to appeal against a ruling by the
US Department of Commerce which found them guilty of dumping large
quantities of shrimps onto the US market and imposed punitive
import duties.
China has announced a slew of initiatives to boost its agricultural
sector in the face of rising imports and domestic producers
struggling to meet demand, reports Anand Krishnamoorthy.
China, potentially one of the most promising markets for
genetically modified (GM) crops, is stalling the adoption of
transgenic plant cultivation as a cautious government ponders their
safety reports Anand Krishnamoorthy.
China is cracking down on government officials over alleged
misconduct that led to the deaths of at least 13 babies in China's
North-Eastern provinces following the illegal sale of fake milk
powder.
As retail regulations in China are set to undergo big changes, many
leading multinational retailers are queuing up in readiness to
capitalize on more liberal trading conditions. Simon Pitman
takes a closer look at the changes to find...
The All-China Federation of Trade Unions said that it will continue
to press foreign companies to unionise its operations in China. The
federation highlighted ongoing disputes with several foreign-owned
companies - including Wal-Mart...
Cambodia became the World Trade Organisation (WTO)'s 148th member
this month, a move that should help the poorest country in the A-P
region improve its food production sector, writes Anthony
Fletcher.
The EU, Vietnam's largest trading partner, is the first major
partner to conclude its bilateral deal with Vietnam, giving a boost
to Vietnam's accession to the WTO.
European Commission president Romano Prodi and commissioner Pascal
Lamy are attending this week's ASEM 5 Summit in Vietnam, which
represents a landmark in Asia-Europe relations.
Asian bird flu is back in the headlines again this week, after a
woman in Thailand died from the infection H5N1. Medical experts
believe that the death was caused by human contact, a fact that
could force a re-think over regulations...
The World Health Organisation met in Beijing this week to discuss
key threats to the safety of the world's food supply chain,
including a number of issues specific to the Asian Pacific region.
Analysts believe that the ban on Vietnamese rice exports is likely
to give Thailand an added edge, helping to increase demand and
prices, while extending its leading position on the world export
market.
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) says that it has come
across lead contamination in cornflour milled from imported corn
following routine food safety tests on a number of food products.
The organisation says that it has...
The EU has lifted a two year ban on honey, together with a number
of seafoods and products of animal origin. The move is expected to
give a particular boost to the country's position as the world
biggest honey producer.
Asian shrimp farmers have described a US ruling to increase tariffs
as 'regrettable' after increases of up to 112 per cent were slapped
on Chinese and Vietnamese producers' exports.
Foodborne diseases pose a serious threat to densely populated areas
of Asia and the Pacific - both to the health of the people living
there and to these regions' chances of exporting their products to
more developed markets in...
To counteract China's alleged abuse of patent protection the US
government is proposing legislation that would mean greater tariffs
on a variety of Chinese products including food and beverage items.
