FSANZ calls for submissions on draft nutrition, health and related claims standard
Date: 17 Feb 2012Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today called for submissions on a draft nutrition, health and related claims Standard. FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Steve McCutcheon said the proposed new standard would regulate voluntary statements made by manufacturers on labels about the nutrition content of a food, or a relationship between a food and health. “There are two principal types of claims; nutrition content claims such as ‘low in fat’ or ‘source of ... more
HortNZ says changes must beef up Biosecurity
Date: 17 Feb 2012Horticulture New Zealand wants to see stronger biosecurity protection come out of yesterday’s announcement of an investigation into how border protection agencies can work together. “Our concern is that the focus of the review is on efficiency rather than effectiveness,” HortNZ president Andrew Fenton says “The focus on efficiency gains could actually increase our risk of pest and disease incursions, and we can’t let that happen.” ... more
MAF investigates Taranaki food retailers regarding fish supply
Date: 16 Feb 2012Restaurants and takeaways need to do their bit to shut down black-market fish trade and support both sustainable fisheries and food safety, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is warning. MAF compliance staff are executing authorities to enter (similar to warrants) at several private properties and retail outlets in Taranaki this week as part of Operation Deep 7. Local Fishery Officers became aware of breaches of the Fisheries Act when they undertook surveillance of some ... more
Fast food nutritional info slow to register - Australian study
Date: 15 Feb 2012On 1 February 2011, the New South Wales Government introduced legislation that requires standard food outlets to display nutritional information on menus at point of sale by 1 February 2012. Market research firm TNS Social Research has just published a new study for the NSW Food Authority & NSW Health in Australia, as part of the evaluation of the effectiveness of this project. "FAST CHOICES: An evaluation of energy purchased and consumer awareness" measures and ... more
Improvements needed in the Crown Entities Reform Bill - Distilled Spirits Association
Date: 15 Feb 2012The Government is being urged to tighten the spending powers of its new public health organisation, the Health Promotion Agency (HPA). The Crown Entities Reform Bill before Parliament will create the new super agency to take over the role of the Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC), the Health Sponsorship Council and various functions within the Ministry of Health. Distilled Spirits Association Chief Executive Thomas Chin says the creation of the HPA is a positive step that will ... more
Fonterra Milk For Schools scheme gets underway in Northland
Date: 14 Feb 2012A daily dose of dairy nutrition will be in the timetable for students at Northland’s Kaiwaka Primary School from next month as the school becomes one of the first to take part in Fonterra Milk for Schools. Principal Barbara Bronlund says children, staff and parents at the 80-student school can’t wait to get stuck into the first delivery of special Anchor 250ml packs. “I’m thrilled that our school will be able to work alongside Fonterra to make sure our ... more
Report sets record straight: New Zealand seafood rated as the ‘green protein’
Date: 14 Feb 2012New Zealand seafood is rated as the ‘green protein’ a report on the environmental cost of New Zealand food production has found. The Environmental Cost of New Zealand Food Production measures the environmental impacts of harvesting wild fisheries with results showing fewer impacts than the production of alternative forms of animal protein. Report author, Professor Ray Hilborn, says that when considering the environmental impacts of harvesting New Zealand seafood an obvious ... more
A very big Thank You
Date: 14 Feb 2012Horticulture New Zealand would like to pass on the heartfelt thanks of all New Zealand’s fruit and vegetable growers to the Christchurch biosecurity inspector who takes her work home. The report released last week by the Ministry of Agriculture into the incorrect importation of 7000 strawberry seed kits into this country last year, admits that only one woman on their staff noticed something was wrong. And this one inspector wasn’t even at work. She was out shopping ... more
Extra virginity in question - olive oil in the news
Date: 13 Feb 2012Olive Oil on Radio New Zealand's National programme Two interviews by Simon Morton, covering the subject of the authenticity and quality of olive oils were broadcast recently on Radio NZ's This Way Up. Morton's first interview was with Tom Mueller, American author of 'Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil'. According to New Yorker contributor Mueller, many of the bottles labeled "extra-virgin olive oil" on supermarket shelves have been ... more
FIG rejects Otago University’s food labelling study claims
Date: 10 Feb 2012“Simplicity is desirable but traffic light labelling is anything but.” So says Lindsay Mouat, Deputy Chairman of the Food Industry Group (FIG), in reply to a Otago University study being used to promote a front-of-pack ‘traffic light systems’ for salt content. “Such a move is only likely to increase costs without any significant health benefits,” he said. “Before academics pressure policy makers to impose additional costs on food manufacturers, and ... more
