Industry News
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The ability to track and trace ingredients is likely to be a major focus for food manufacturers as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is rolled out – but the most important consideration for companies is brand reputation, according to a FSMA specialist at ADT Security Services.
Consumption of food fried in olive or sunflower oil is not linked to heart disease or premature death, according to new research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Retailers need to work with manufacturers and regulators to track the impact of systems such as traffic light labelling on consumer purchasing behaviour of food and drink products, stresses a Brussels-based consumer information group as it releases a new report.
Color-coded labeling and rearranging products in-store could lead consumers to make healthier choices, according to a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers. The study saw red, yellow and green labels attached to foods and resulted in a dramatic drop in sales for those marked with red labels, along with an increase in green-labelled items.
The discovery of a ‘nourishing gene’ that controls how nutrients are distributed in plants and crops could offer hope for improved crop yield and increased food production, say researchers.
The gene is involved in the movement of nutrients from plant to seed, so could we perhaps see an even more nutritious olive into the future – Ed?
The flavonoid luteolin could inhibit signalling pathways important to the growth of colon cancer cells, according to new research. Luteolin is one of the most common flavones in fruit and vegetables, and is found in both olives and olive leaves.
It’s not long now until the next edition of Olivegrower & Processor hits letterboxes across Australia and New Zealand. Another jam-packed edition, the January-February magazine has all the latest industry news and lots of really useful, practical information. And the message we’re getting is that increasingly, that’s just what our industry needs right now – more sharing of knowledge and information. That’s the aim of the Olivegrower/Friday Olive Extracts team, so if you’ve got any handy hints, good advice or suggestions to share – or any questions you’d like answered – drop editor Gerri Nelligan a line at [email protected].
Expressions of interest are being called for an olive oil processing course being run by the AOA. An initial course held in March 2010 was enthusiastically attended by a full quota of growers, so further courses are being planned for this year. The Olive Centre’s Amanda Bailey said courses will be run in multiple locations according to the demand, so interested growers need to register as soon as possible in order to finalise the course schedule. The comprehensive course is ideal for those looking to refine their skills in the olive oil production process. To register, email [email protected].
Pest and diseases specialist Dr Vera Sergeeva is well-known in our industry, both for her research and regular communications with growers across Australia regarding samples and identification queries. She’s got a new email address, so anyone wanting to contact Dr Vera should now do so at: [email protected].
A Diploma of Agriculture in Organics is being offered by Advance TAFE. The Diploma can be undertaken as a part-time course at the Farmtec campus, Sale, eastern Victoria, or off-campus via flexible delivery. The teacher is Alan Broughton and there are four intakes per year. For more information contact Advance TAFE on ph: (03) 5142 2541.