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Most recent news stories

• Consumers reminded to wash veg

  Friday 30 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is reminding consumers to follow good hygiene practices when storing and preparing vegetables, following two recent E.coli outbreaks.

• Seafood sampling wastage cut at Dounreay

  Thursday 29 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency in Scotland today announced that changes have been made to the rules governing seafood sampling around Dounreay nuclear site that helps monitor radioactivity. The changes will reduce wastage while continuing to protect the public’s health and the environment.

• Heera Milk Powder recalled

  Thursday 29 September 2011

  P & B Foods Ltd is recalling Heera Milk Powder because it has been packaged in unapproved premises. The Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.

• Pesticides committee looks for new members

  Wednesday 28 September 2011

  The Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) is looking for five new members, including one who will represent the Food Standards Agency. The ACP provides independent scientific advice on the safe use of pesticides.

• Asda recalls Coronation Coleslaw

  Monday 26 September 2011

  Asda is recalling its Chosen by You Coronation Coleslaw, with a 'use by' date of 29 September 2011, due to incorrect packaging. A number of containers have the wrong lid, listing it as Potato and Bacon Salad. This means the allergy warning information is incorrect, and the product is a potential health risk for people who are sensitive to sulphites.

• Research leads to fewer tests on animals

  Thursday 22 September 2011

  A recently developed method for testing shellfish for toxins, which can cause serious illness in humans, is being adopted more widely for use on oysters and scallops thanks to Agency research carried out by CEFAS.

• Co-op recalls Free From Pure Oat Muesli

  Thursday 22 September 2011

  The Co-op is recalling a certain date code of its Free From Pure Oat Muesli. A number of packets may contain gluten, which is not declared on the pack. If you are allergic or intolerant to wheat or gluten you are advised not to eat this product.

• Four more councils launch the FHRS

  Thursday 22 September 2011

  East Lindsey District Council, Mole Valley District Council, and Hambleton District Council and Richmondshire District Council Environmental Health Shared Services have rolled out the FSA’s Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. In total, more than 165 local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are now publishing more than 120,000 ratings at food.gov.uk/ratings.

• Morrisons recalls fruit yogurt

  Thursday 22 September 2011

  Morrisons is recalling one date code of its Value Low Fat Fruit Yogurt, because it might contain small pieces of metal. The Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.

• Delicious Alchemy recalls gluten-free oats and muesli

  Thursday 22 September 2011

  Delicious Alchemy is recalling certain date codes of its Gluten Free Rolled Oats and Original Gluten Free Purely Oaty Fruity Nut Muesli. A number of packets may contain gluten, which is not declared on the pack. If you are allergic or intolerant to wheat or gluten you are advised not to eat this product. The Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.

• Asda recalls Free From oat muesli and porridge oats

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

  Asda is recalling certain date codes of its Chosen by You Oat Muesli and Chosen by You Porridge Oats. A number of packets may contain gluten, which is not declared on the pack. If you are allergic or intolerant to wheat or gluten you are advised not to eat this product.

• Positive response to Scottish healthy eating resource

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

  The eatwell week, a new healthy eating resource commissioned by the Food Standards Agency in Scotland, has received positive responses during initial testing by consumers and health professionals. It illustrates what a healthy balanced diet looks like during the course of a week.

• Packaging error on Walkers salt and vinegar crisps

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

  A packaging error means that bags of Walkers salt and vinegar crisps (25g) within Walkers multipacks have been labelled incorrectly as containing milk lactose and dried milk. This is inconsistent with the outer packaging of the multipacks, which correctly does not include milk in the ingredients list.

• Latest FSA e-News available online

  Wednesday 21 September 2011

  The September issue of FSA e-News, which is now available online, contains news of the Agency’s food safety activities throughout the UK.

• Tesco recalls Free From muesli and porridge

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

  Tesco is recalling certain date codes of its Free From Pure Oat Fruit Muesli and Free From Pure Porridge Oats. The product may contain low levels of gluten, which is not declared on the pack. If you are allergic or sensitive to wheat or gluten you are advised not to eat this product.

• Agency advises ministers on EU feed ban proposals

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

  The FSA has written to Government ministers setting out its advice not to support European Commission proposals that the European Union should relax a ban on using pig and poultry processed animal proteins (PAP) in feed.

• Sainsbury's recalls some Freefrom Pure Oats

  Tuesday 20 September 2011

  Sainsbury's has recalled some batches of its own-brand Freefrom Pure Oats, as its testing has found low levels of gluten (wheat) in some packets. This is a potential health risk for individuals who are allergic or intolerant to wheat or gluten, as the labelling doesn't list this as an ingredient. The Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.

• FSA takes the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme message to Stormont

  Monday 19 September 2011

  Tim Smith, Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency, is today addressing members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Northern Ireland council representatives and other key stakeholders on the roll out of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

• Tower Bakery recalls savoury products in Scotland

  Friday 16 September 2011

  Tower Bakery is recalling nine varieties of savoury product from Scotmid and Co-operative Stores because the products have been labelled with incorrect date codes. The Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.

• Booths withdraws its Caesar Salad

  Thursday 15 September 2011

  Booths has withdrawn all date codes of its Caesar Salad due to incorrect allergen information on the packaging. The dressing contains fish from anchovy essence, which has not been mentioned on the label. This is a potential health risk for anyone who is allergic or sensitive to fish. The Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.

• Guidance launched on removing food colours

  Thursday 15 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency has today published guidance to help food businesses remove from their products certain food colours associated with possible hyperactivity in young children.

• Guidance to end confusing date labels

  Thursday 15 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency and Defra have today published new guidance to help the food industry decide whether their products require a 'use by' or 'best before' date.

• Wales video conference link to Veterinary Residues Committee open meeting – 12 October

  Wednesday 14 September 2011

  A video conference link to the Veterinary Residues Committee open meeting being held in London on Wednesday 12 October, will be available from the Agency office in Cardiff. If you would like to join this meeting by video conference, please contact Deb Morgan on 02920 678938.

• Leicester launches the FHRS

  Tuesday 13 September 2011

  Leicester City Council has rolled out the FSA’s Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. In total, 165 local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are now publishing more than 120,000 ratings at food.gov.uk/ratings.

• Chief Scientist's annual report published

  Tuesday 13 September 2011

  The Agency has today published a review of its science and research during the past year.

• Veterinary Products Committee seeks members

  Monday 12 September 2011

  The Veterinary Products Committee (VPC), which advises the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), is seeking eight new members to fill a range of positions.

• InBev recalls Stella Artois Cidre

  Friday 9 September 2011

  InBev has recalled three batch codes of Stella Artois Cidre in bottles. Due to yeast contamination, there is a risk of fermentation that may cause the bottles to burst unexpectedly. The Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.

• Warning on botulism outbreak in France

  Thursday 8 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency is warning people not to consume certain branded foods that have been linked to an outbreak of botulism in France. Botulism is a rare but serious illness that causes muscle weakness and breathing problems, and can be fatal.

• FSA Board meeting available online

  Thursday 8 September 2011

  Yesterday's Agency open Board meeting is now available as a video-on-demand and as a podcast. The agenda included the proposal to relax certain provisions of the current animal feed ban, the imports strategy and the extension of remedial action notices to all food establishments.

• Specialists needed for official controls

  Thursday 8 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency is inviting specialists to apply to carry out a range of specialist official control activities on its behalf.

• Board decision on publication of meat audit reports

  Wednesday 7 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency Board today agreed to routinely publish the audit reports of meat plants, as part of the Agency’s commitment to openness.

• Review of meat controls research published

  Tuesday 6 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency has today published the final reports from a programme of research into the modernisation of meat controls in the UK.

• Upset stomachs cost UK 11 million working days

  Tuesday 6 September 2011

  Nearly 17 million people suffer from stomach upsets in the UK every year, leading to about 11 million lost working days, new research published today by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has found.

• Barking and Dagenham Council launches the FHRS

  Tuesday 6 September 2011

  The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham has rolled out the FSA’s Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. In total, 165 local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are now publishing more than 120,000 ratings at food.gov.uk/ratings.

• Veterinary Residues Committee to hold open meeting

  Monday 5 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency will be hosting the first open meeting of the Veterinary Residues Committee (VRC) since it was reconstituted as a Defra expert committee, on Wednesday 12 October.

• Consumers surveyed oppose animal protein in feed

  Monday 5 September 2011

  A majority of people taking part in research commissioned by the Food Standards Agency were against European Union (EU) proposals to relax a ban on using processed animal protein (PAP) in livestock feed for chicken and pigs.

• Update on impact of meat charging proposals

  Monday 5 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency has published an updated assessment of the impact of its proposals to increase charges for official controls on meat. The Agency is proposing to increase the charges paid by industry for the work carried out by vets and meat inspectors in slaughterhouses, meat cutting plants and game handling establishments.

• Outbreak of salmonella in eggs now over

  Monday 5 September 2011

  An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning in the UK that was linked to eggs from a farm in Spain has been declared over.

• Call for a survey of allergen labelling

  Friday 2 September 2011

  The Food Standards Agency is inviting researchers to carry out a survey of allergen advisory labelling to provide a better understanding of whether the labelling relates to the actual level of allergen present in processed foods. It will also help the FSA gather information on the levels of allergens present as a result of cross-contamination.

• Marks & Spencer roast potatoes withdrawn

  Friday 2 September 2011

  Marks & Spencer has withdrawn two date codes of its roast potatoes, because they contain gluten, wheat and milk that is not mentioned on the label. Therefore, this is a potential health risk for individuals who are allergic or sensitive to wheat, gluten or milk.