Notice Board
September 2010
03 September
The latest issue of the Food Can Make You Ill Newsletter is now
online:
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the newsletter
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02 September
New article added to the site: Cinnamon Allergy.
August 2010
26 August
New research update added: Lentil and chickpea anaphylaxis after exercise.
25 August
Food Contaminants
Contaminants are substances that have not been intentionally added to food. These substances may be present in food as a result of the various stages of its production, packaging, transport or holding. They also might result from environmental contamination. Since contamination generally has a negative impact on the quality of food and may imply a risk to human health, the EU has taken measures to minimise contaminants in foodstuffs.
Find out more by clicking the link above.
14 August
New Research Update added to the site:
Adverse Reactions to Octopus
11 August
In the News:
NHS gets child food allergies guide
In a bid to help GPs spot the signs and symptoms, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) issued its first guidelines on food allergies in children.
More on the same story from the BBC site:
Doubts raised over child food allergy rise
Consumers advised not to eat hijiki seaweed
The Food Standards Agency is reminding people of its advice not to eat a type of seaweed called hijiki because it contains high levels of inorganic arsenic. Inorganic arsenic is known to increase people’s risk of getting cancer.
4 August
In the news:
Westernized diet causes allergy in kids
Following a westernized diet alters the microbial flora in the gut, placing the children at an increased risk of allergies, chronic stomach upsets and even obesity.
Also: Junk food starts allergies: Western high-fat diets are blamed for surge in illnesses
The abstract for this research can be found on pubmed.
2 August
The August issue of the Food Can Make You Ill
Newsletter is now online.
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the August Issue
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July 2010
29 July
New article added to the site:
23 July
New research updates to the site:
21 July
Gum rosin not safe as food additive, says EFSA
A stabilising and emulsifying ingredient derived from gum rosin has received a negative safety opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Hidden Food Additive "Inulin" May Cause Stomach Ache
Inulin is a fiber that occurs naturally in wheat and fruits and vegetables, like bananas, onions, and garlic. Most people can break it down, turning it into energy for the body, but for other individuals it causes stomach aches and bloating.
18 July
Food Dye Ban Implemented Or Considered By Some Health Authorities After Cancer And Hyperactivity Link Found
After new scientific evidence revealed a possible link between food dyes and childhood cancer and hyperactivity, Australian food authorities are reported to be considering banning food colorings from breakfast cereals and confectionary items. The research was carried out by CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest), USA.
17 July
The July issue of the Food Standards Agency newsletter is now online
(please note that this is a pdf file):
FSA E-NEWS
In the News:
"Gluten-free" foods may be contaminated: study
People with celiac disease and others who avoid gluten should beware that foods that are supposed to be naturally gluten-free are often contaminated, warns a new study.
8 July
EU health food claims law begins to bite
Health foods would be nothing without the claims they make on the packaging.
But some claims might soon vanish, due to a European regulation which demands that health food companies come up with the scientific evidence to back their labelling.
Teenager allergic to nuts lands in hospital after kissing boyfriend who
had eaten tainted cereal
An innocent kiss landed a schoolgirl in hospital after her boyfriend forgot to tell her he'd eaten a cereal with hazelnuts that morning.
UN food safety meeting sets melamine limit
Melamine contamination in milk products was blamed for sickening nearly 300,000 babies and the deaths of at least six infants in China in 2008. Melamine is an industrial chemical used in making plastics, fertilizers and even concrete, but can also fool tests checking the protein content of dairy products.
Update on US GM
Rice
The FSA has written to enforcement authorities, and others, to tell them that the emergency measures controlling the import of rice products from the US, which have been in place since 2006, have been revoked by the European Commission.
This means long grain rice from the US can be imported without a certificate declaring it to be free of the presence of the genetically modified rice, LLRICE601.
2 July
The July issue of the Food Can Make You Ill
Newsletter is now online.
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the July Issue
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1 July
New Article added to the site:
June 2010
27 June
New Research Update added to the site:
18 June
New article added to the site:
11 June
New research update added to the site:
2 June
In the News:
Agency reminds parents of advice on feeding honey to babies
The Food Standards Agency is reminding parents not to feed honey to babies who are under a year old. This follows a confirmed case of the rare but serious illness, infant botulism.
Children, pregnant women should avoid energy shots
A scientific literature review undertaken by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority has found that energy shots and energy drinks which contain high levels of caffeine are not suitable for children, young adolescents, pregnant women and people sensitive to caffeine.
Farm kids at lower allergy risk, even in their 70s
Dr. Jonas Eriksson of the University of Gothenburg and colleagues found that people who spent the first five years of their lives on a farm were about 20 percent less likely to have itchy, runny eyes and noses due to allergies, from age 16 up through to age 75.