SAFE Announcements and Events:
- Cooking up a storm: Where now for food safety in Europe?
The SAFE consortium will introduce its strategic Vision Document on Food Safety,"Keeping Food Safety on the Agenda"
on 4 JUNE 2013 at 10.00 at Hotel Leopold in Brussels.
There is no fee to attend, but you must complete a Registration Form before 25 May.
- SAFE consortium 2013 Annual General Meeting
The 2013 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the SAFE consortium will take place on Tuesday 4 June from 14h30 - 17h30 in Brussels Belgium.
It will be preceded by "Cooking up a storm: Where now for Food Safety in Europe?", the presentation of the SAFE consortium Vision Document on Food Safety.
Representatives from all SAFE member institutes are invited.
- SAFE Executive Board Meetings 2013
The next EB meeting will be the SAFE consortium Annual General Meeting on TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2013 at 14h30 CET at Hotel Leopold in Brussels (BE). All SAFE members are invited.The 15 May 2013 EB meeting was electronic.
The 29 April 2013 EB meeting was electronic.
The 11 April 2013 EB meeting was electronic.
The 25 March 2013 EB meeting was electronic.
The 19 February 2013 EB meeting was electronic.
The 17 January 2013 EB meeting was held in Copenhagen Denmark.
Log in as a SAFE member to download minutes from the EB meetings. Once logged in, the minutes become available as an article in Past Events.
- SAFE Member Event: ISM-MycoRed International Conference
This is the concluding conference in an international cycle lasting 4 years as part of the MycoRed project. MycoRed is coordinated by SAFE member DAA, ISPA.
Apulia Italy from 27 to 31 May 2013
Park Hotel S. Michele, Martina Franca
Final Registration: 15 April 2013
- SAFE Member Event: First International Course in Dry Cured Meat Products
Dry curing of meats is a method that has been used for millenia. Are you a professional working with meats? This course will provide a comprehensive overview, including a significant amount of practical work, regarding all aspects related to manufacture of fermented sausages and dry-cured ham.10 - 14 June 2013 at IRTA Center in Monells (Girona) Spain.
Link here for more information, including the registration form, program and local hotels.
This course is organised by SAFE consortium member IRTA.
SAFE Food Safety News - April 2012
Welcome to our unscientific collection of food safety stories on the internet this month. Please read more. This month we have links to articles on
- Uptake of coccidiostats in vegetables: ESFA report
- EFSA to evaluate low dose BPA ‘hypothesis’
- UK research firm developing ‘invisible’ coating for meat
- Research database reveals ingredients most prone to food fraud
- EFSA and EU Member States work together to tackle Schmallenberg virus
- New EU project gets to grips with globetrotting germs
Uptake of coccidiostats in vegetables: ESFA report 2 May 2012, ELIKA
This project aimed to obtain experimental data related to the uptake of coccidiostatsauthorised in the European Union particularly in vegetables grown on poultry manure-amended soils. An animal trial (poultry) and a plant trial (carrot, lettuce, potato, tomato andcourgette) were performed.
More information:
EFSA Report: Coccidiostats in Vegetables
EFSA to evaluate low dose BPA ‘hypothesis’ 25 April 2012, FoodQualityNews.com
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has begun work on a new BPA risk assessment focussing on the low dose effects of the packaging chemical.
EFSA’s Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CE F) has been tasked with evaluating the relevance low dose BPA related effects observed in rodents and the relevance to human health.
The current European Union (EU) BPA Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) is 0.05mg/kg. EFSA has updated its scientific advice on BPA several times since and reconfirmed the TDI.
In addition to the assessment, EFSA has set a date for a meeting of international experts to debate recent scientific evidence of low dose BPA effects and the challenges this poses for risk assessment.
For the first time, EFSA has taken low dose BPA effects into account.
UK research firm developing ‘invisible’ coating for meat 24 April 2012, FoodQualityNews.com
A UK research firm is in the early stages of creating an “invisible” film coating for meat to extend shelf life with the aim of eliminating primary packaging.
Pepceuticals edible meat coating will contain antimicrobial peptide properties as part of a European project targeting an extension in product shelf life and a reduction in petroleum-based packaging.
Research database reveals ingredients most prone to food fraud 6 April 2012, FoodQualityNews.com
The first ever public database compiling reports on global food fraud and economically motivated adulteration has highlighted olive oil, milk and honey as just a few of the most vulnerable targets. The report also claims that past issues of adulteration could have been prevented if such data had been available earlier.
EFSA and EU Member States work together to tackle Schmallenberg virus 2 April 2012, EFSA
Today, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its second report on the Schmallenberg virus (SBV). The virus, that to date has been identified in eight EU Member States, can affect domestic and wild ruminants, leading in some cases to severe birth defects. Although uncertainties and gaps in data remain, today’s report importantly shows that when based on worst case scenario assumptions, the number of infected ruminants is low compared to the total number of these animals in each Member State.
New EU project gets to grips with globetrotting germs 19 March 2012, Cordis News
As Germany was struck by a devastating Escherichia coli (E. coli) crisis in June 2011, the dangers of transferring life-threatening disease-causing germs in food from one country to another once again hit the headlines. Despite the alarm however, until now very few studies have been carried out into the actual danger posed by germs that enter the EU along with food. STEP is a new EU-funded project that hopes to tackle pesky pathogens like E. coli head on.
Interesting Notes
Do you work for a SAFE consortium member institute?
Register as an Individual Member of the SAFE consortium and access Member's Only pages plus receive SAFE announcements directly by email !
Registration is simple. Send an email to the SAFE Scientific Secretary, katherine.flynn@safeconsortium.org, from your institution email address and include your three Food Safety interests.
