New Food Issue 4 2019

The food and beverage industry has seen some significant changes over the last few years, from the growing trend of CBD-infused products to the introduction of sustainable packaging, to an increased demand for ‘better-for-you’ produce, and the rise of industry 4.0.

That’s a lot of new to contend with.

The word ‘new’ could hold connotations of uncertainty for some, and admittedly, uncertainty is something we are experiencing across the globe. Whether it’s questions over food safety, political movements, or cybersecurity. But, as a newbie myself (to New Food at least), I say embrace the innovation and welcome the opportunity that change presents.

One notable development that caught my eye recently is a study Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) is undertaking. The researchers have taught an existing AI known as BERT to predict food product recalls from Amazon reviews with approximately 74 percent accuracy. Not bad; especially considering the time it currently takes for problems to be identified and verified – normally months and after a substantial number of people have been struck by illness.

Of course, food recalls aren’t new, nor do they seem to be going away. In fact, some research suggests the number of incidents are on the rise, and it is being driven primarily by allergy concerns. Consumers are also becoming increasingly anxious about exposure to chemicals such as glyphosate, lead and plasticisers, which have been associated with long-term chronic disease and reproductive harm. 

In this issue, we hear from Jaclyn Bowen (page 33), Executive Director of the Clean Label Project, which is aiming to bring transparency to product labelling. Bowen explores the rising concern of chemicals in food and the clean label movement. While Dr Sheryl Tittlemier examines the progression of food safety assurance, looking at the latest developments in mycotoxin analysis (page 40).

Finally, on the topic of ‘new’, please look out for our first-ever Guide to Testing supplement that accompanies this issue of New Food. This supplement provides first-class views and expertise from the world’s leading food and beverage testing labs and analytical instrumentation suppliers on the challenges the industry is facing and how best to address them.

Included in this edition: 

• LEADERS’ SERIES
  François Bourdichon, Chair of the Standing Committee on Microbiological Hygiene of the International Dairy Federation
• CLEAN LABEL – Controlling contaminants
  Jaclyn Bowen, Executive Director of the Clean Label Project
• FOOD FOR THOUGHT INTERVIEW
  Uwe Oppermann, Manager of the European food market at Shimadzu Europa
• FOOD SAFETY
  Chris Elliott, Moira Dean and Kelsey Robson explore the facts and consequences of parallel beef supply chains
• BAKERY
  Gordon Polson, Chief Executive of the Federation of Bakers, outlines how the association is addressing some of the industry’s most prevalent issues
• PROCESSING
  Peter Skou & Frans van den Berg explain how Process Analytical Technology (PAT) can be put to best use