Highlights Recent Statistics on Alcohol Consumption in Canada Mandatory Common Names New Regulations for Allergens, Labeling, and More Recent statistics show that 21 million Canadians reported consuming alcoholic beverages at least once in the previous 30 days. With such a high number of consumers, it is imperative for manufacturers to comply with mandatory labeling requirements.   Alcoholic beverages are subject to labeling requirements under the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) and the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), as well as specific requirements under the Safe Foods for Canadians Ac ..read more

Highlights The New Normal for Food Labels Amended Regulations  Implementation Timeline What is the new norm for food labels? Are you aware of how much potassium is to be consumed when grabbing your first large cup of coffee in the morning? Are you able to identify all the sources of sugars in the strawberry jam and recognize how much sugar is to be consumed when spreading the jam onto your toast? Are you curious what colors are used to make fruity pops appear so bright vivid when passing them along to your kids on a hot summer day? Canadian consumers are now able to get this useful info ..read more

Highlights What are B Vitamins? Expanding Determination Capabilities New Method Sensitivity What are B Vitamins? The family of B vitamins is a set of eight diverse compounds that act primarily as coenzymes for a variety of metabolic functions involved in both the breakdown and synthesis of biochemicals in the human body. Although varying in their chemical nature, they do share the common property of being water-soluble. B vitamins often occur together in similar foods. The eight compounds classed as B vitamins are: Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine, Biotin, Folate ..read more

Highlights FDA Regulated Nutrients Determining Functionality and Bioavailability for Supplement Labeling Optimizing Supplement Formulation FDA Regulated Nutrients FDA defines dietary ingredients as vitamins, minerals, botanicals, amino acids, or dietary substances to supplement the diet (or concentrates, metabolites, constituents, or extracts of those substances). Dietary supplements, therefore, are products intended to be ingested by man and contain one or more dietary ingredients, the purpose of which is to supplement the diet. Intended use drives the formulation of a supplement by det ..read more

This week marks an exciting week for Mérieux NutriSciences. Our team is taking a moment to celebrate our new logo as well as reflect on its meaning. In our press release, we highlighted how our new logo represents our mission statement: Better Food. Better Health. Better World. In today’s food safety and quality industry landscape it’s never been more important to understand who we are as a company, what makes us unique, and how our many customers can benefit from what we offer. The foundation of our brand is that together we exist to help customers find practical and innovative solutions to ..read more

Manufacturers perform internal audits to identify potential improvement and growth areas and check for company and industry compliance in processes and products. However, many companies conduct internal audits without creating improved systems in cost-effective ways. Despite the universality of internal audits, many manufacturers are still making avoidable mistakes that can be costing them time, money, and morale.  Let’s explore the top 10 mistakes made by auditors and how they can be avoided: 10.) Informal Internal Audits One of the most common mistakes companies make is creating an audi ..read more

Highlights: Impact of Nutrition Label Reform on Coffee Proposed Caffeine Labeling Law Innovative Coffee Products Impact of Nutrition Label Reform on Coffee Coffee is a typical part of most American’s days. On average, 62% of American adults consume coffee every day. Coffee is sold to consumers in many forms including ground, whole bean, brewed and can be found on numerous aisles of the grocery store. Specific labeling requirements must be considered when reviewing individual coffee products.   Key labeling considerations for coffee include: Mandatory nutrients Reference amount cus ..read more

Highlights What Are Mycotoxins? Preventative Measures The Importance of Supplier Monitoring What Are Mycotoxins? Mycotoxins are chemicals produced in nature when molds grow on ingredients and foods. Many species of molds produce mycotoxins in different varieties of crops including: Corn Wheat  Barley  Oats  Rye  Triticale  Rice  Sorghum  Spices  Fruits  Nuts  Peas  Cocoa  Coffee and other commodities If a company uses these ingredients in their manufacturing process, then mycotoxins should be identified within the HACCP plan as ..read more

Highlights Cyclospora: A Food Safety Hazard FDA Takes Action Keys to Produce Safety Cyclospora: A Food Safety Hazard Cyclosporiasis is an illness caused by the coccidian parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which is transmitted through ingestion of fecally contaminated food or water. Since 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported more than 6,000 domestically-acquired cases of cyclosporiasis in the United States, including many foodborne illnesses. Foodborne illness outbreaks linked to Cyclospora cayetanensis have been attributed to a range of fresh produce veh ..read more

Highlights Alternative Proteins and Challenges Related to Allergenicity   Responding to Allergen Challenges   Alternative Proteins and Challenges Related to Allergenicity Plant-based Alternatives   In the last few years, plant-based meats have become commonplace in the food industry with a reported 27% increase in consumption. More recently, plant-based dairy and seafood products are being developed through the use of Textured Vegetable Proteins (TVP) to emulate the sensorial aspects of meat, dairy, and seafood. These products are often made with legume proteins that are ..read more