Green Monkey Ltd has recalled throughout Australia all five varieties of its Green Monkey Organic Baby Food from Woolworths, Safeway and Thomas Dux Supermarkets due to the presence of small plastic pieces. Green Monkey Ltd, which is a New Zealand-based company, said the contamination is the result of a packaging fault. It has recalled the all flavours of its organic baby food, which is sold in a tear-top 100g pouch. The products in question all have Best Before dates up to and including 22/05/2013. A... ...Read more »

According to a report from Australian food law specialists FoodLegal, Australian beverage and food companies will need to watch closely what emerges from a recent American lawsuit. Foodlegal has reported that parents of a 13-year-old girl from Maryland, USA, have filed a lawsuit against Nestle USA, manufacturer of ‘Deer Park’ and ‘Poland Spring’ bottled waters with added fluoride, and also against Gerber Products Company, which manufactures baby food and infant formula products containing... ...Read more »

The war between manufacturers of infant formula and activist group Greenpeace has taken another step, with industry lobby group the Infant Nutrition Council stating that they are not capable of producing formula without any genetically modified content, and that such a demand is “unrealistic and unworkable” – despite the fact that their products are not accordingly labelled. The statement was made by the Council, which represents a number of baby food manufacturers, including Heinz,... ...Read more »

Australian baby food manufacturer Rafferty’s Garden has announced it has appointed Michael Tinker as managing director. The appointment comes a month after the management buy out of the company led by private-equity firm Anacacia Capital. The premium baby food manufacturer said it achieved record growth in 2010 and is now the fastest growing and second largest baby food business in Australia. Founder Adrian Pike said: “I am delighted to welcome Anacacia Capital and Saleslink as shareholders... ...Read more »

US food giant Heinz is to market and distribute its infant feeding ranges directly to the market, following the termination of an agreement with its sales and marketing agency Ceuta Healthcare. Heinz said yesterday that it ended the agreement with the agency after a strategic review of its infant feeing operation. The move, Heinz said, will create “significant benefits” for both new and existing customers, and comes into effect on the 1 August. “Contacting our customers directly about our infant... ...Read more »

Baby food group Mead Johnson is to pull a chocolate drink for toddlers amid concerns the product was inappropriate amid the debate over child obesity. The company said it would discontinue its Enfagrow Premium chocolate beverage after “misunderstanding and mischaracterisation” of its use. “Like all our Enfagrow Premium products, the recently introduced chocolate-flavored version has a superior nutritional profile to many other beverages typically consumed by toddlers – including... ...Read more »

US baby food group Mead Johnson said today that “strong contributions” from emerging markets boosted its first-quarter profits.The company booked net earnings of US$127.5m for the three months to the end of March – compared to $106.6m a year earlier. Profits climbed due to lower financing costs and higher sales. Net sales rose 10% to $763.5m from a mix of price increases, a benefit from foreign exchange and improved volumes. CEO Stephen Golsby said Mead Johnson’s China business... ...Read more »

The US is to review the use of two synthetic additives in organic baby food and infant formula after a fresh look at the nutrients allowed in organic processed food. The National Organic Program, which oversees the marketing and labelling of organic food in the US, said new information had brought to light that it had erred in 2006 when it had allowed the use of ARA and DHA in infant formula. After talks with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Organic Program said it had been... ...Read more »

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which develops international food standards, has adopted more than 30 new international standards, codes of practice and guidelines to improve worldwide food safety following a week-long meeting.A brief overview of some of the new standards adopted by the Commission* can be seen below: Reduction of Acrylamide in foods The Commission approved measures for reducing the formation of acrylamide in foods. The Code of Practice will provide national and local authorities,... ...Read more »

A probiotic, or “good bacteria”, isolated by Fonterra, has been found to be effective in reducing the occurrence of eczema in young children by almost 50 per cent.A two-year trial of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain HN001, or DR20, conducted by the University of Otago’s Wellington School of Medicine and Auckland University also showed that by the age of two, infants who had been given DR20, but who contracted eczema, had less severe symptoms than children who had not taken... ...Read more »