"standards" news and stories

Unfortunately for those who are gluten-intolerant, the standards for gluten-free foods aren't exactly standard, so it can be risky when buying many foods, especially processed foods, at the store. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in charge of regulating the nutritional information that gets put on food labels and they have drafted a proposal that would set a standard definition for the term "gluten free" and set standards for food producers to follow to meet it.

"Currently there is neither a regulatory definition of the term 'gluten free,' nor is there agreement among manufacturers or consumers as to what this term means," said the FDA. Their new rules state that "gluten free" foods must not have any type of wheat, rye or barley, including hybrid grains that use them. They allow for the use of such grains if the gluten is completely removed before processing, however. The terms that will be imposed on those who violate the new guidelines, assuming that they are accepted, has yet to be determined. The FDA will take comments on the proposal (PDF) for several weeks before revising it and making their final ruling.

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The Indian health ministry issued a warning about the quality of Indian street food this week following a survey that "found many sellers oblivious to the basics of food hygiene." Most, in fact, stated that they put their "profits before customer safety" - a risky decision for the average restaurateur, since many vendors count on repeat business to keep going. As unlikely as it may seem, their strategy does not seem to be working against them. Street food is popular for three reasons: it is cheap, it is convenient and it tastes good. That last reason is why the vendors stay in business because customers say that "you think of the taste and just forget everything else you know," returning to the same stands, despite become ill after eating the food.

The health ministry is planning to offer food hygiene training for those in the food service industry and may develop a licensing system that would require such courses to be undertaken by vendors in the future.

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The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking to increase the number of substances that could be used on cows that are to be deemed organic. CattleNetwork.com has a list of all eight substances, most of which are used to combat maladies common to feedlot cattle. The list includes bismuth subsalicylate, the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol, which would be used for stomach ulcer relief, as well as poloxalene, used to keep cattle from getting bloated. Both bloating and ulcers are often the result of a corn-heavy diet that grass-eating cows aren't used to. NewsTarget.com also reports on the proposed changes, but with a bit more of a slant than CattleNetwork.

In California, there is a small, but growing debate developing over rice cakes - not the dry, crispy cakes that are sold in packages in the grocery store, but traditional Vietnamese rice cakes that consist of sticky rice, filled with seasoned pork and wrapped in a banana leaf. The problem is that the restaurants and shops that sell them are being made to comply with state food safety regulations that go against the way that these buns are normally served. Ken Trieu, whose family has been making and selling the cakes in San Jose for two decades, says that the cakes should be at room temperature and can remain that way for two days. The health department says that the cakes can only remain out at room temperature for 2-4 hours, or need to be in a hot or cold (less than 41F or more than 135F) environment to prevent bacterial growth. Health analyses have shown that the cakes are "potentially hazardous'' at room temperature, as are several other similar rice and pork pairings.

At the moment, vendors are trying to get the cakes, and other traditional foods, re-tested for safety.

The real question is whether you, the consumer, think that foods that are served in a slightly less than traditional manner are losing something in terms of quality or flavor or if the tradeoff for safety is worth a compromise.

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Michelin-starred chef, Marcus Wareing of the Pétrus restaurant at the Berkeley hotel, in the UK, said that the standards in airline fare were higher than that of the average pub. While many pubs rely on canned soups and old sandwiches with little sign of improvement orver the years, the airlines are constantly trying to "up their game." Wareing takes a rather optimistic view of the recent discontinuation of food service on many airlines, however, seeming to imply that the reason they have done this is because they don't want to serve sub-standard food in an effort to cut costs.

Does anyone agree with this? Granted, some of the airlines do try to serve quality foods, but they know that people will eat just about anything on planes and readily take advantage of that fact. The quality of the food may be better from a freshness and food-safety standpoint, but that doesn't change the taste.

It sounds like Wareing needs to frequent some different pubs.

 

 

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