Food & Beverage Reporter

Food & Beverage Reporter (FBR) is one of South Africa’s leading B2B magazines, with a track record of more than 25 years in the industry. With thought leadership and in-depth coverage of technical topics, news, and local and international developments across the foodbev and allied industries, the magazine caters for South Africa and neighbouring countries. FBR also carries a specialist Packaging& Processing Reporter section in each issue, exploring technology, ideas, and trends in these key segments of the food chain. In response to changing readership trends we offer a fully digitized publication, with both Apple and Android apps In March each year, FBR’s annual Supplier Directory is distributed both in print and online versions providing you with a handy guide to local suppliers and service providers on the continent.

From the editor

Food & Beverage Reporter

Insights from the 2022 Food Safety Summit

Debate Rages over Naming Conventions of Meat Analogue Products • On 22 June 2022 DALRRD released a communique addressed to Processors, Importers and Retailers of Meat Analogue, regarding the naming conventions used for plant-based meat alternatives (referred to as meat analogues) and warning of seizure of non-compliant products. This unexpected missive has rocked the industry, from producer to retailer alike

Industry Updates

Overview identifies difficulties in preventing food fraud • Barriers to tackling food fraud include the cost and capability of authenticity testing, a changing mode of operation, and a complex regulatory system, according to experts.

Pesticide residues in food • At the 3rd Annual Food Safety Summit, South Africa held earlier in June, Rupert Anelich shared an insightful presentation titled “Pesticide residues in food: Minimizing risk to consumers”. He discussed the function of pesticides in crop production as well as the presence of pesticide residues in foods as it relates to consumer concerns.

Microbial environmental monitoring according to international standards • There are numerous standards and guidelines that deal specifically with sampling techniques for surfaces inside food production facilities. Each one has a specific focus and each one should be considered as part of a hygiene monitoring programme.

Ensuring quality and safety across the food value chain • The demand for better quality food products, intense global competition, and stringent regulatory requirements, adds up to an increased need for quality control testing by food and beverage manufacturers. To address these challenges, Microsep supplies a wide range of high technology laboratory, analytical and scientific instrumentation to help characterise foods, identify contaminants and define functional properties with speed, efficiency and accuracy. Applications include food analysis, food QC, food safety testing and multi-residue pesticide analysis.

Consumer Trends: Ingredients with natural antioxidant qualities • Antioxidants help prolong the shelf-life of foods by reducing the deterioration caused by oxidation. However according to research done by CBI, the demand for natural food additives is growing7. These are perceived as being healthier and more beneficial, providing the advantages required for health and immune boosting.

Blueberry boom

Seafood Industry: Latest insights

Fishermen unite for World Ocean Week And head out to sea to fish for… plastic. • Over 100 fishermen headed out to sea off Cape Town recently to reel in some of the ocean’s greatest scourge – plastic. In recognition of World Ocean’s Week, 20 boats took part in Africa’s first Plastic Fishing Tournament, covering over 30-square kilometres of the Atlantic Ocean and retrieving 300kg of plastic debris within three hours.

MSC board of trustees approves the new fisheries standard

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