A material that could keep food fresher and make food packaging more environmentally friendly might come from a food itself. A European project is leveraging the qualities of chitin and chitosan from shrimp shells to conserve food wrapped in plastic. Then, after its use, the packaging biodegrades, reports a news release from Nofima, a food [...]
Polymer Film Changes Color to Signal Different Packaging Conditions
November 1, 2012 By 1 Comment
A polymer developed by researchers at Rice University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will change color inside of a package, indicating that the conditions inside have changed and the food is spoiled. The scientists made a metamaterial, comprising several layers, out of the polymers that, when exposed to certain ions in the environment, change [...]
Food Safety Law Slow to Implement While More Get Sick
October 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
President Obama signed into law two years ago an act that was designed to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) more power to hold food suppliers responsible for food-bourne illnesses. Yet most of the Food Safety Modernization Act has not been implemented. The law’s regulatory framework is languishing in the White House’s Office of [...]
Food to Be Tested for Chemicals, Drugs, Growth Promoters
July 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment
For years, regulatory agencies have focused on testing for bacterial contamination in the food supply. Now, the attention is turning to drug and chemical contamination. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced a new testing system that aims to protect the public from exposure to harmful levels of chemical [...]
