Food supply chain safety

Electronic Sensor Technology signs deal with USDA
Company’s zNose chemical sensors to be deployed to fish ponds to detect algae overgrowth; deal the latest in a string of successs for the California company; recent deals also made with Saudi Arabia and China
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Health officials link E. coli sickness to packaged spinach
New methods are needed to test and contain the deadly bacteria; we review two new technologies
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Canada strikes back against new U.S. agro-terror fees
Agriculture minister meets with U.S. officials to express displeasure with program, claims Canadian inspection system sufficient
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California's Central Valley shores up counter-agroterror programs
Butte County sets an example for others with tight controls on cropdusters, fertilizer and pesticide storage
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Sheetz food poisoning fiasco inspires software reponse
Alto-Shaam and E-Control Systems offer food preparation monitoring system; data from cookers and freezers useful for employee oversight, defending against lawsuits
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Worried about crop smuggling, USDA imposes new fees on Canadian fliers, transport
Rise of tropical fruit smuggling worries USDA; $5 fee to be imposed on airline travellers; $5.25 for trucks, $7.50 for every railway car, and $488 on each maritime vessel
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Georgia congressmen press House about agroterrorism
State a leader in biodefense; first state to create a “national curriculum” on agrosecurity
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Escape of genetically modified grass and rice upsets industry
Lax regulatory enforcement cited as major problem; USDA often unware of testing programs and location
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Scientists: Copper is safer than stainless steel in food processing
According to several scientists the use of copper in food processing may help prevent cross contamination of E.coli
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EU to support extended use of RFID in food and drink sector
EU supports research into RFID technology to make it more economical to track food and beverage from field to store shelves and tables
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Suspected mad cow disease investigated in Alberta
Authorities in Alberta, Canada, are worried that they have a cow with mad cow disease on their hands; investigations continue
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France launches food safety Web site
The French agriculture ministry launches a Web site to allow consumers of French food to keep abreast of food safety news
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Cadbury is “unreliable” when it comes to food safety
According to the U.K. Food Standards Agency, Cadbury is “unreliable” when it comes to food safety
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Concerns about food safety discussed at annual IFT expo
At the annual Institute of Food Technology meeting in Orlando, experts discuss food safety issues that are becoming more problematic, particularly the lack of food processing demand by consumers, and the danger this may pose
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Ryder offer RydeSmart trucks
One way to secure the safety of ship-borne freight containers is to lock them with tamper-proof locks, monitor the inside of the container for any changes and disruptions, and use GPS to track them all the way from port of origin to port of destination; Ryder now brings the same idea to monitoring the company’s fleet of 160,000 vehicles; these measures will go some way toward improving the safety of food supplies carried on these trucks from field to store
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