Scientists from the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG) have produced rice with high enough iron levels to meet daily recommended requirements for iron intake. The ACPFG claims the fortified rice provides an inexpensive and sustainable solution to the micronutrient malnutrition problems that currently plague people in developing countries. Scientists based at the Universities of Adelaide, Melbourne and South Australia, and Flinders University, genetically modified rice to increase... ...Read more »

An international panel of 30 World Health Organisation (WHO) experts has found there is no scientific evidence indicating that Bisphenol A (BPA) should be banned from food products as a public health measure.The leading WHO experts concluded on November 10 that BPA was mostly “eliminated” and doesn’t accumulate in the body. The WHO panel, who met in Canada, also said that introducing public health measures – such as a ban on BPA – would be “premature”. These... ...Read more »

The introduction of prescription requirements for access to infant formula may reduce infant nutrition levels in Australia, the Infant Nutrition Council (INC) warned today.INC’s CEO Jan Carey said: “All mothers should be supported to provide the best nutrition for their infants. There’s no question that breast milk is best and improving breastfeeding rates is an important aspect in maximising Australia’s infant health and wellbeing. “However, when an infant is not breastfed,... ...Read more »

The World Health Organization (WHO) is looking into the prospect of a global ban on duty-free alcohol – a move that has taken many by surprise. A strategy paper released earlier this month by the WHO indicated such a move was firmly on their agenda. It said governments should consider “taxing sales of alcoholic beverages to, and/or the importation of such beverages by, international travellers on the same basis as if such travellers had purchased such beverages in the domestic market... ...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 »

New legal controls, including cross-border laws, are needed to halt all marketing of junk food and soft drinks to children up to 16 years, according to new proposals from the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO). The only promotions permitted to target children should be for foods which meet strict criteria for a healthy diet, says IASO’s policy arm, the International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF). An IOTF working group is calling for legal steps as part of an international... ...Read more »