Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 18.2.2008

Three hundreds of foodstuffs have already data on content of energy and nutrients

Czech consumers can in purchase of foods and beverages choose from the first 300 products which are marked with detailed information on content of energy and nutrients in one portion and its share in recommended daily amount. A new marking was introduced in the Czech Republic by 17 domestic and international producers. This year the supply of food with this information should be enlarged. The Food Chamber informed ČTK on it. According to producers and businessmen Czech consumers are particular about their health and obligatory information introduced on packages of foods are not sufficient for them.

Harmful substances penetrate into foods in PVC packages

Do you like crunchy crust of chicken? If you buy cooled of frozen poultry packaged in PVC plastic films, you consume together with food also dangerous chemical substances. Above all, toxic phthalates. “Use of PVC packages can lead to contamination of food”, a university professor Alžběta Jarošová warns. She has been devoting herself to a research of influence of PVC packages on foods for a long time. In measuring she founded out that the most amount of harmful substances embed just in the skin of poultry which after being well-done many gourmets love so much. However, the danger has more forms.

EU will probably support producers of pork; prices would raise

European Union's Ministers of agriculture which have a meeting today in Brussels will probably support further help for pig meat producers. On the proposal from Germany the Union should again consider a support of so called private stocking which will enable breeders to frozen pig meat at first and than again to bring it on the market. However, the support should concern also an export of frozen pig halves. It would draw surpluses from European market which would logically lead to a growth of prices.

American producer withdrew a record amount of meat from sale

A reason was a disobedience to veterinary regulations adopted because of BSE. A meat producer Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing from California withdrew about 70 million kilograms of packaged meat from American market and announced the biggest action of this kind till this time in the USA. Risks of infection from meat obtained in a way out of regulation are minimal. The firm withdrew all beef meat produced from the 1st of February 2006 from the market. However, most of the meat has already been consumed, a ministry pointed out. Thanks to the withdrawal from market it would be easier to find out meat stored in cooling plants.