NEW DELHI: Juicy pre-cut melon slices and sumptuous packed seafood available at super markets across the world have come under the scanner for contamination with deadly pathogens.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, jointly run by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which sets international food safety and quality standards to promote safer and more nutritious food for consumers worldwide has said that an emerging public health issue relates to the increased popularity of pre-cut melon slices.
According to it, exposed pulp of the fruit can become a breeding ground for bacteria that has been linked to life-threatening salmonella and listeria outbreaks.
The UN food standards body, which has just finished agreeing on new regulations in its annual meeting in Rome, has recommended that pre-cut melons should be wrapped or packaged and refrigerated as soon as possible and distributed at temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius or less. Cooling and cold storage was recommended soon after harvest, while knife blades used for cutting or peeling should be disinfected on a regular basis.
The new regulations also include the maximum level of melamine in liquid milk formula for babies. Melamine can be lethal at high concentrations and has been used illegally to increase apparent protein content in food products including infant formula and milk powder. Milk tainted with melamine has caused both death and ailments in infants.
Two years ago, the Codex Commission adopted a maximum melamine level of 1 mg/kg for powdered infant formula, and of 2.5 mg/kg for other foods and animal feed.
Now, the Commission has set a maximum limit of 0.15 mg/kg for melamine in liquid infant milk.
Melamine is used to make dishware and kitchenware, among other industrial applications. "The new limit will help governments protect consumers by determining if detected levels of melamine result from unavoidable melamine contamination that does not cause health problems or from deliberate adulteration," WHO said.
The global food safety body has also warned against Aflatoxins — a group of mycotoxins produced by molds are toxic and are known to be carcinogenic. They can be found in a variety of products such as dried fruits, nuts, spices and cereals at high levels if the produce is not stored properly.
The Commission has agreed to a safe maximum limit of 10 mg/kg for dried figs, together with details on how test sampling should be conducted.
Codex, whose meeting from 2-7 July was attended by 600 delegates representing 184 countries including India, also recommended that food manufacturers across the world label nutritional content on their products to ensure that consumers are better informed. The recommendation is in sync with WHO's strategy on diet, physical activity and health, and is a major step forward in promoting healthy eating worldwide.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, jointly run by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which sets international food safety and quality standards to promote safer and more nutritious food for consumers worldwide has said that an emerging public health issue relates to the increased popularity of pre-cut melon slices.
According to it, exposed pulp of the fruit can become a breeding ground for bacteria that has been linked to life-threatening salmonella and listeria outbreaks.
The UN food standards body, which has just finished agreeing on new regulations in its annual meeting in Rome, has recommended that pre-cut melons should be wrapped or packaged and refrigerated as soon as possible and distributed at temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius or less. Cooling and cold storage was recommended soon after harvest, while knife blades used for cutting or peeling should be disinfected on a regular basis.
The new regulations also include the maximum level of melamine in liquid milk formula for babies. Melamine can be lethal at high concentrations and has been used illegally to increase apparent protein content in food products including infant formula and milk powder. Milk tainted with melamine has caused both death and ailments in infants.
Two years ago, the Codex Commission adopted a maximum melamine level of 1 mg/kg for powdered infant formula, and of 2.5 mg/kg for other foods and animal feed.
Now, the Commission has set a maximum limit of 0.15 mg/kg for melamine in liquid infant milk.
Melamine is used to make dishware and kitchenware, among other industrial applications. "The new limit will help governments protect consumers by determining if detected levels of melamine result from unavoidable melamine contamination that does not cause health problems or from deliberate adulteration," WHO said.
The global food safety body has also warned against Aflatoxins — a group of mycotoxins produced by molds are toxic and are known to be carcinogenic. They can be found in a variety of products such as dried fruits, nuts, spices and cereals at high levels if the produce is not stored properly.
The Commission has agreed to a safe maximum limit of 10 mg/kg for dried figs, together with details on how test sampling should be conducted.
Codex, whose meeting from 2-7 July was attended by 600 delegates representing 184 countries including India, also recommended that food manufacturers across the world label nutritional content on their products to ensure that consumers are better informed. The recommendation is in sync with WHO's strategy on diet, physical activity and health, and is a major step forward in promoting healthy eating worldwide.
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