Articles - Food Control

A comparative analysis of Chinese and EU regulatory frameworks on honey   In recent years, debates over the authenticity of honey have repeatedly surfaced in European public discourse. Chinese honey has frequently been labelled as “fake honey” or “adulterated honey”. Following the introduction of the new isotopic method [...]

Exploring the role of insects in valorising organic waste for resilient food production, from current challenges and global initiatives to farming innovations and humane considerations.   Reshaping the food system for a sustainable future   Ensuring access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food is one of the greatest challenges of our t [...]

Voices from the field: Two perspectives on Europe's evolving plant-based landscape.   Introduction The plant-based food market in Europe is flourishing, as a result of a significant shift in consumer preferences and dietary habits. According to the ProVeg International (2023) survey, over 51% of European meat-eaters reported reducing their ann [...]

A narrative review of available evidence, current evidence gaps, and next steps.   Our food system places a huge strain on the planet, and plant-based meat alternatives have emerged as one of several ways to reduce this burden. Typically made from legumes (e.g. soy) or fungi (e.g. mycoprotein), they aim to recreate the taste and texture of ani [...]

How policy logic and institutional design shape the future of plant-based protein products in two major markets.   This article offers a structured comparison of regulatory frameworks governing plant-based protein foods in China and the European Union (EU), two of the world’s most influential markets. It explores key compliance dimension [...]

From October 21 to 23, 2024, the FoodRevolution 2024 conference took place at the Paganini Congressi center in Parma, Italy. This inaugural event, themed "Conference on sustainable, safe, and healthy new foods,” united experts from academia and industry to discuss the future of food through a comprehensive lens based on the OneHealth approach [...]

How to apply and adjust processes to achieve levels of acrylamide as low as reasonably achievable below the benchmark level.       Cooking is an ancient practice that improves organoleptic properties of foods, nutrient bioavailability, and microbiological safety. Nowadays cooking practices like baking, frying, and roasting are indisp [...]

Why doing Precautionary Allergen Labelling right matters.   Let’s take a short walk through history. Back in 1985, the Codex Alimentarius published its ground-breaking labelling standard (FAO/WHO 1985) for the labelling of pre-packaged foods. It was meant to be a better, more harmonized way to inform consumers about the composition of th [...]

Meaningful reporting best practice linking customer, method developer, laboratory, and risk assessor to generate confidence and trust in allergen analysis.         Increased momentum on the risk assessment and risk management of food allergens suggests we may be on the cusp of real progress that will help consumers, food busines [...]

Are regulatory limits a good compromise between public health and economic interests?     The EU undoubtedly has the strictest mycotoxin regulations in the world. The complex and supposedly well-structured system that enforces these regulations and guarantees the highest level of safety for EU citizens actually has some weak points and ev [...]

A survey to investigate topics including the technologies used, the number of analyses conducted, and the test kits’ certifications.     Rapid testing for grain Aflatoxin and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination of grain depends on several factors, primary among them weather conditions in the pre-harvest period. In Europe, aflatoxin i [...]

This article provides the non-specialized reader with an overview of the major techniques employed by food testing laboratories for the analysis of mycotoxins, including a brief description of the complex analytical tools required.         Introduction   Most consumers think the word natural is synonymous with safe, healthy [...]

How tech developments have made possible the detection of large numbers of targets in a single run. What we are still missing for quantitative detection by multi-class methods. The introduction of ion mobility in high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The need for shared databases.   The (r)evolution of analytical methods over the last two [...]

How the EU regulatory context for food contact materials and articles (FCMs) may change on the way to a toxin-free environment.     The European Green Deal, Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, and Farm to Fork Strategy set the stage The European Union’s October 2020 Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) paves the path towar [...]

A key initiative to disseminate information and a platform to test food, train food business operators, and spread awareness to all stakeholders in the food supply chain.   Introduction   The World Food Safety Day theme of “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow” highlights the importance of producing and consuming safe food f [...]