News @ CCFRA
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Adolescents’ food choices 
A better understanding of adolescent food choice is being gained through a major EU project - HELENA* - involving 26 partners from 10 countries. The findings will help companies develop and promote products that can contribute to a healthy lifestyle amongst European 13-16 year olds. Qualitative research through 44 focus groups with 304 adolescents across five countries has explored eating habits, influences on food choice, favourite foods and lifestyle factors. In all countries, taste was the most important factor influencing choice, followed by parents. Habit was more important in Belgium and Spain, whereas in Sweden, meal choices are influenced more by school. Adolescents in all countries identified similar barriers to eating healthily, citing taste, effort, price and lack of immediate concern about unhealthy eating habits. This research has been used to develop a quantitative ‘food choices and preferences questionnaire’, to gather information from adolescents in 10 countries. This will explore in greater detail aspects such as snacking behaviour, preference for and barriers to healthy eating, and factors that influence food choice. Contact: Chantal Gilbert Campden Day 2007 A record number of Members registered for our Open Day on 6th June. Our staff hosted over 460 visitors for our premier showcase event that demonstrates the full range of our facilities and our research and service activities. The science of food regulation "I don’t suppose there is a gathering anywhere else in the world that, collectively, is more knowledgeable and passionate about the value of science when it comes to what we eat." Dame Deirdre Hutton CBE. 
Dame Deirdre Hutton, Chair of the Food Standards Agency, delivered the 29th Campden lecture, addressing the ‘The science of food regulation’. Dame Deirdre took as her theme the importance of evidence-based decisions in establishing trust in the FSA and transparency in its operations. A declared enthusiast for good regulation, Dame Deirdre set out challenges for both the Agency and industry. For the Agency, these lie in reducing the administrative burden of regulation, and the continued pursuit of food safety in the global supply chain and of its strategy for the nation’s diet and health. The latter, she explained, centres around encouraging industry to produce the right products, informing the public generally of health messages, and giving people the information to aid choice. For industry, Dame Deirdre identified the challenge of sharing information with the Agency - to help identify where burdensome regulation can be simplified and find ways of making it easier to tackle issues of food safety and consumer health. She also urged industry to share more information with their customers "to let people see and hear more about where their food comes from, and what happens to it on the way from the farm to the kitchen". Analytical microbiology The Heinz Travelling Scholarship presented to Chris Baylis (left) by Chris Lowe, Technical Strategic Planning Manager for Quality (Europe), H.J. Heinz Co.Ltd (right) 
Dr. Chris Baylis, Manager of Microbiological Methods Research Group, was awarded this prize for his outstanding work in the area of microbiological method development. Widely recognised as an expert in the field, Chris’s specialism includes the study of members of the Enterobacteriaceae and particularly pathogenic E. coli and Salmonella in foods, and he has worked on major contracts with the FSA and the Health Protection Agency. His work covers method development, method validation, and reviews to assist policy formulation as well as participation in international networks. He has worked closely with leading microbiological kit manufacturers, helping them with validation and approval of their test methods. His group has ‘expert status’ with validation schemes of the AOAC-RI, MicroVal and AFNOR. Under his leadership CCFRA has also witnessed expansion of its microbial identification and typing services, with significant investment in the use of DNA based methods. Contact: Chris Baylis Trace contaminants Andrea Keyte (left), Martin Osborne (centre) and Julia Butler (right) were awarded the Marks & Spencer Millennium Team prize for their work in the development of services for the detection of trace contaminants in food, including mycotoxins, illegal dyes and pesticide residues. The services they offer and the compounds they analyse are of great importance and significance from the viewpoint of legislation and safety assurance. In their submission, the group noted that the contaminants for which they analyse, if present, are typically at parts per billion - the equivalent of looking for a few seconds in 20 years. Their work covers a wide variety of food types from crisps, chocolate and coffee to wheat, flour and fresh fruit and vegetables. Most of the work they carry out is accredited by UKAS (the United Kingdom Accreditation Service) and uses powerful analytical techniques such as gas and liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. An important aspect of their work is the application of the methods to further compounds and reductions in analysis time. 
Marks & Spencer Millennium Team Prize, presented by David Gregory (second left), Technical Director – Food Division, Marks & Spencer plc Contacts: View exhibits on the web If you were unable to attend Campden Day or if you attended and would like a second look at the displays, many of the posters can now be viewed via our website, from where a copy of the published lecture can also be downloaded. Visit www.campden.co.uk/cday/2007.htm Panel website Participation in one or more of our 14 Technical Advisory Panels can benefit members in many ways - from networking with peers and keeping up with topical issues to steering research and enjoying early access to results. The panel section of our website has recently been revised and expanded, providing extensive background information on the system and how it can help you get the most from membership. One feature is the inclusion of a Frequently Asked Questions page, to explain many aspects of panel life. This information can also be requested by automated e-mail response - simply e-mail auto@campden.co.uk with the subject line: send Panel FAQs There is also guidance on how the work of panels feeds into the member-funded research activities, as well as agendas and minutes for panel meetings. Please visit: Contact: Leighton Jones CCFRA and BRI The board of BRI and Executive Committee of CCFRA have agreed to enter into discussions on merging the activities of the two organisations. This brings an exceptional opportunity to optimise the complementary skills, facilities and state of the art equipment, and to maximise the technical and commercial synergies between the organisations. Contacts: Hygiene managers’ qualification CCFRA has worked with Holchem Laboratories Ltd and Food Training Partnership to provide the only nationally accredited course dealing specifically with the management of hygiene in the food processing and manufacturing sector. The qualification, which recognises for the first time the professional status of these key operatives, is the equivalent of an NVQ Level Three. It is awarded through the Open College Network, which is specifically targeted at adult learners actively employed within their chosen sector.
The course involves three two-day workshops and assessment though submission of a portfolio of evidence consisting of a series of ‘work-books’ and work-based assignments. It is specifically aimed at those involved in managing or assessing hygiene operations and activities. Contact: John Holah Microbiological risk assessment A new edition of ‘Industrial microbiological risk assessment: a practical guide’ (CCFRA Guideline 28) has recently been published. It includes background information, practical guidance and three illustrative case studies, and is priced at £60 (members) and £90 (non-members). Contact: Carol Newman Welcome to New members CCFRA is delighted to welcome the following new members who joined in May 2007:
Contact: Bertrand Emond Please notify the Membership Department of any name or address changes with respect to our mailing list. |