Uncured Duck Sausages

The new line of "gourmet" D'Artagnan Hot Dogs is available in the USA in an Uncured Duck version from D'Artagnan, Inc. They are sold in a 4-count, 12 oz. vacuum-sealed wrapper.

Promotional literature for the line reads, "Fully cooked - No nitrates, nitrites, preservatives or animal by-products - No growth hormones or antibiotics - No artificial ingredients - No casings - Shelf life: 21 days." The Ducks are said to be raised on a small family farm with an all vegetarian feed of corn, soybean and wheat; to never be given any antibiotics or hormones and to be richly flavored, juicy and plump.

10 Food Safety Tips for having a BBQ

1. Defrost any frozen foods thoroughly before you cook them, or at least check that they are cooked right through before serving.

2. Don’t place or prepare raw meat next to cooked or partially cooked meat or other ready-to-eat foods.

3. Use a meat thermometer to check meat is cooked. If you don’t have one, cook minced meat burgers and sausages thoroughly (right through to the centre) and cook poultry until the juices run clear.

4. Turn the food regularly so it cooks evenly.

5. If you’re expecting lots of guests, consider cooking the food in a conventional oven first then finishing it off on the barbecue.

6. Before you serve it, ensure the centre of the meat is piping hot – don’t assume that if it’s charred on the outside it will be cooked thoroughly on the inside.

7. Keep raw and cooked meat and poultry separate on the grill.

8. Don’t use the same plate to transport raw and cooked foods.

9. It’s OK to leave cooked meat for a short time on a corner of the barbecue or covered on a plate for late arrivals; just ensure it’s protected from flies.

10. Handle food with tongs or other equipment, and use separate equipment to handle raw and cooked meats.

Nissui O-sakana Sausage

This new fish sausage contains enough calcium to make a nutritional supplement claim on the package. One sausage contains calcium to the equivalent of 300ml milk. The sausages are packed in a film and sealed with a new type of clip called Eco clip instead of the traditional steel clip. The packaging material is environmentally friendly and easy to open. This product does not contain eggs. There are no preservatives and curing agent.

Food Safety Tips: Handling Leftovers

Holiday meals often result in some tasty leftovers, which can make for easy catering the following day, but again because of the higher summer temperatures, take some extra care:

• refrigerate or freeze any leftovers within two hours of their preparation

• cool leftover food in a shallow tray (to help it cool quickly and evenly) then store in a covered container in your fridge

• don’t reheat leftovers more than once

• eat leftovers within two days

• when in doubt – throw it out.

Marina Azul Kids

Launced in Mexico, the Trozos de Atun Aleta Amarilla is a new flavored tuna product that is marketed under the Marina Azul Kids label and is offered in Pizza and Catsup flavors.

It is claimed to be a natural source of omega 3, to contain no artificial preservatives, and to not require refrigeration.

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Food Safety Tips for having a BBQ

When asking friends around for a barbecue, you don’t want the FBI (foodborne illness) to crash the party. Cooking outdoors in warm spring and summer temperatures provides the ideal situation for pathogens to multiply and cause foodborne illness. Outdoor chefs need to take special care when preparing, cooking and storing food for a barbecue.

Before firing up the barbie, make sure all cooking paraphernalia and the surfaces food will be put on are spotlessly cleaned with soap and hot water and then thoroughly dried. Have one set of utensils for raw meat and poultry, and another set for cooked foods. Using just one set almost guarantees that you’ll transfer pathogens from raw meat to cooked foods.

Make sure meat, poultry and other perishable foods are stored cold until they are ready for cooking. Once cooked, it is important to put food on a clean plate – not the one the raw meat was stored on.

It is recommended that chicken, meat patties and sausages are precooked before going on the barbecue to ensure they are thoroughly cooked by the time they turn brown and crisp. Cooking on a barbecue is not as accurate or consistent as using a kitchen cooker, so when cooking outdoors you should use a meat thermometer. If you don’t have one – and you should – keep an eye on the meat to ensure the juices run clear and it is steaming hot right though (although this is still no guarantee of safety).

Summer and picnics go hand in hand. Following a few simple guidelines will make your outdoor meal a pleasurable experience. Transporting your food in cooled chilly bags or bins and keeping it cold until it’s time to eat will slow the growth of pathogens. Also keep food covered as much as possible to keep unwanted insects and bugs out.

Organic Healthy Wake Up Drink

Yves Rocher launched Boisson Bio Reveil Sante (Organic Healthy Wake Up Drink) in three varieties in France.

This product is said to contain all 5 recommended daily portions of fruit and vegetables in a single drink, and is claimed to be organic.

The line includes:

• Forme et Tonus (Form & Tone), which contains Barbados cherry, kiwi pulp, mango, sea buckthorn, and lentils;
• Comfort Digest, made of fennel seeds, aniseed, coriander seeds, blueberry, and blackberry
• Equilibre Cholesterol (Cholesterol Balance), which contains pomegranate, artichoke, coconut, pomace and apple.

Are you putting yourself / guests at risk?

While everyone should take care to handle food safely, some people need to take more care. If you have low immunity, your immune system is weaker than usual and you are at higher risk of getting infections, including those carried by food. If you do get ill from what you eat, your illness may also be more serious.

Or you might have a food allergy, and consuming certain foods could have severe or even life-threatening consequences.

While there is no such thing as foods that are guaranteed to be safe for everyone, there is plenty of information to guide those more at risk to identify high-risk foods and select safer options.

Many things can make a person more vulnerable to foodborne illnesses. Having advanced cancer or undergoing chemotherapy, for example, can suppress the immune system. Low stomach-acid levels, whether caused by a stomach operation or medication, also place someone at higher risk of getting a foodborne illness as stomach acid normally provides a defence by killing many pathogens. Pregnant women, premature babies and sick children are part of the at-risk group too. If in doubt, your doctor will be able to help assess whether you have low immunity.

At-risk people are advised not to eat some foods, such as foods containing raw eggs or uncooked fish, but plenty of others can be safely enjoyed as long as extra caution is exercised when preparing and consuming them. Yoghurt for example should be eaten within two days of opening, so buying single-serve pots may be better than large containers. Eating stuffing from a chicken or turkey is not advisable if it is cooked in the bird, but can be eaten when cooked in a separate dish and eaten hot.

If you have food allergies and are invited out to dinner, let your hosts know what you need to avoid. If you’re cooking for someone with an allergy, take special care as even minute traces can cause severe reactions in some people.

Socal Cleanse Organic Detox Tea

The new Socal Cleanse collection is available in the USA from Socal Cleanse. Said to contain the purest ingredients with no harmful chemicals, Organic Detox Tea is sold in a 3 oz. (85g - loose leaf herbal tea) tin that is said to be biodegradable. Organic Detox Tea is offered in Hibiscus and Peppermint flavors.

Literature for the Hibiscus variety states, "Our proprietary blend of herbs gently cleanses your body while providing essential antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals - a perfect blend of nutrients. We handcraft each and every tea batch with an exclusive line of organic botanicals and herbs. Eco-friendly - Our label is completely tree-free, water-free and is printed with non-toxic water-based inks. Recycle or reuse our versatile and sleek tin. Our teas are caffeine free so even the most sensitive of systems can still benefit. Rich in vitamins including A, B1, B2, B3 and E - Rich in minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, iodine, and zinc - USDA organic - Certified CCOF organic - Cruelty free and vegan."

Food Safety Tips: Washing your hands

How often did your parents ask you to wash your hands before eating? It’s one of the oldest and best ways to prevent a foodborne illness, but one that we tend to take for granted – and also forget. Giving your hands a good scrub is an important measure to prevent spreading pathogens to food.

Always wash your hands before handling food. It’s equally vital to wash them after touching raw meat and poultry, going to the toilet, blowing your nose or sneezing into your hand while preparing food, changing nappies, handling pets and doing gardening.

To make sure your hands are really clean, you should wash them thoroughly using soap and warm water and then dry them on a clean, dry towel or paper towel. Making sure hands are dry is critical. Recent research shows washed hands that have not been dried can be more of a risk for transferring pathogens to food than hands not washed at all. If you want to be particularly careful, especially after handling raw meat for example, use a paper towel to turn off the tap. This is because you could have transferred bacteria to the tap when you turned it on with your unwashed hands.

LaLoo's Bambinis Goat Milk Ice Cream Sandwiches

New LaLoo's Bambinis Ice Cream Sandwiches are available in the USA in an 8-count box containing individually wrapped Ice Cream Sandwiches from La Loo's Goat's Milk Ice Cream Co. La Loo's (pronounced Lay-Looz) frozen novelties are "all made from naturally low-fat, low-cal, and low-lactose goats' milk.

These sandwiches feature the company's best-selling Vanilla Snowflake ice cream paired with all natural, dark chocolate cookies." They are said to have only 85 calories, and to provide the added health benefit of goat's milk, "which has more protein, calcium and ease of digestibility than dairy or soy." The chemical structure of goat's milk is also claimed to be naturally low in fat and calories with more vitamins, calcium and minerals than cow's milk, and to be a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids. "Laloo's is humane certified, GMO free, all natural and delicious."

Food Safety Tips: Keeping Foods Cool

Sometimes your fridge will let you know it is struggling to keep cool. If the motor is running a lot of the time or if perishables such as milk and meat go off quicker than they should, the fridge temperature setting might need tweaking, or the door seals replacing.

Many fridge control dials will only have settings of low and high, or a series of numbers rather than the actual temperature. It might mean trial and error getting the right setting.

Fridge thermometers are available from some hardware and kitchen or homeware stores. Alternatively, you can place an ordinary thermometer in a glass of water in your fridge overnight and take a reading when you first open the door the next morning.

Temperatures may vary throughout the fridge. The door is usually the warmest place and the top shelf is often warmer than the others, although this may vary depending on your model. To get an overall idea of the operating temperature, a reading should be taken in the middle of the fridge. Read the fridge manual for more information and tips on how best to use your particular model.

AVA: No detection of cocaine in Red Bull Energy Drink

Following alerts on detection of traces of cocaine in Red Bull energy drink imported from Austria, AVA has taken samples of various types of Red Bull energy drinks imported from Thailand, Vietnam, Austria and Malaysia, and sold in Singapore for laboratory analysis.

Tests conducted at the Health Sciences Authority laboratories for Food Safety and Illicit Drugs & Analytical Toxicology did not detect any presence of cocaine in all samples tested.

The Royals (Premium Cakes) Pte Ltd is allowed to resume its factory operation from 5 June 2009.

AVA has completed its investigation on the contamination incident at the factory of The Royals (Premium Cakes) Pte Ltd . Apart from detection of chlorine in the contaminated products (chicken pie filling and sugar syrup), no other hazardous chemicals were detected by the laboratory tests. The contaminated ingredients had not been used as the factory staff had been quick in detecting the contamination and preventing the contaminated ingredients from being used in production of confectionary products.

The Royals (Premium Cakes) Pte Ltd has also destroyed all its existing stocks of the products, including opened packets/containers of ingredients, as well as semi-processed and finished products and has thoroughly cleaned up the factory during the closure.

The Royals (Premium Cakes) Pte Ltd is allowed to resume its factory operation from 5 June 2009

Maruha Magic Cut Fish Sausage Ca Tokuho

This new fish sausage has FOSHU, which is the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, approval to claim that it contains substantial calcium which maintains the bone health of young women and may prevent osteoporosis.

It contains 400mg calcium (more than half of daily requirement) per 75g sausage. It can be consumed without cooking, yet can also be used in various recipes. The package is easy to open; each sausage is wrapped in a special cling film that can be torn off from any part.

Food Safety Tips: Chill

Keeping your fridge warmer than it should be can be a chilling experience. Keeping it at the recommended temperature of 2–4°C is important as it helps prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying. Most pathogenic bacteria (those that cause foodborne illness) cannot grow at low refrigeration temperatures. A suitably chilly fridge allows perishable foods to be stored and eaten safely over two or three days.

Following a few simple guidelines will help ensure food stays safe in your fridge.

Cooling hot foods slightly before refrigerating them will help avoid raising the temperature of other stored foods. If you have a large amount of food, such as rice or a casserole, spread it out in a flat tray and it will cool quicker. When it has stopped steaming, you can put it into a sealed or covered container and into the fridge.

Avoid stuffing your fridge full as overloading prevents the cold air from circulating properly and can stop it from keeping all your food nice and cold. Always let foods marinate in the coolness of your fridge, not on your kitchen bench.

Keep your fridge clean – wipe up spills immediately, wash surfaces with hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly with a clean towel or paper towels. It’s a good idea to have a general stocktake and clean your fridge every week or two. Even though bacteria and fungi don’t like the cold, some will still grow, though slowly.

Think about keeping food cool before it gets to the fridge too. Keep a chilly bin or bag in the car for taking those perishables home from the shop, especially if it’s a hot day and the traffic’s slow.

• Ensure your fridge is between 2°C and 4°C.

• Keep all perishable foods in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

• When picnicking or carrying food keep it cool in a chilly bin with frozen drink bottles or chilly pads.

• Marinate food in the fridge, not on the bench.

Kirin Alcohol Free Beer

This new alcohol-free beer is claimed to be the world's first alcohol-free beer to achieve the alcohol content 0.00%.

It is produced using Kirin's unique technology. It has a rich yet sharp and refreshing beer flavor.

Food Safety Tips: Cover

Pathogens can float in the atmosphere, people can sneeze over food, children can play with food and flies land on it. To avoid pathogens getting into your food keep it covered until you eat it.

Ready-to-eat foods, such as salads, that are not covered or stored properly can be cross-contaminated by raw food. Before putting anything in your fridge, cover it first with cling film or foil, or put it into containers with tight-sealing lids. Never re-use foil or film to wrap other foods. Covering up your food is also essential when eating outside to keep unwanted insects and bugs out.

If you open a can of food and don’t use it all straight away, empty the food into a bowl, or other covered container, and put
it in the fridge. (Food left in an open can may develop a metallic taste but will still be safe to eat.)

It is particularly important that raw meat and poultry are kept covered and away from ready-to-eat food, fruit and vegetables (these should all be covered too whenever possible). As a general rule keep raw meat at the bottom of the fridge to ensure any leaking juices, which often contain live bacteria, do not drip on to and contaminate other foods. To avoid unnecessary cleaning up, keep meat in containers that will catch any juices. You could also put a few paper towels in the bottom to make disposing of the raw juices less messy.

Food should never be allowed to sit at room temperature for longer than two hours. The warmer the temperature, the shorter the time food will stay safe. Bacteria love the warmth, and can double in numbers in minutes. After a few hours, one bacterium could have multiplied into more than 100. Remember – if in doubt, throw it out.

• Always cover stored food – even in the fridge or cupboard.

• Keep raw meat and poultry covered in the bottom of the fridge and away from ready-to-eat food, fruit and vegetables to avoid dripping juices.

• When cooking outdoors, ensure that all food remains covered and cool until ready to cook or eat.