Feb 18, 2019 | Sunscreens
FGC believes a mandatory standard for sunscreens would be a good idea as long as it was overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees the Cosmetics Standard. It would a regulatory disaster for either Medsafe or the Ministry of Health to regulate...
Aug 29, 2018 | Folic acid
The NZ Food and Grocery Council and the NZ Baking Industry Trust commissioned a report into folic acid fortification to get an update on the science. This report was conducted by Professor A. David Smith, of the Department of Pharmacology at Oxford University, and...
Jul 26, 2018 | Acrylamide, Issues
There has been ongoing debate about the dangers of acrylamide in food and beverage. Food Standards Australia New Zealand has developed an infographic on acrylamide for the food industry, together with updated web content that draws heavily on the content of the...
Jul 26, 2018 | Flushable wipes, Issues
The issue of wet wipes clogging sewerage systems has been a growing issue in recent years as this grocery category has become more popular. The Food & Grocery Council has been working on the issue since 2015 when it became aware of concerns that wet wipes, along...
Jul 26, 2018 | Issues, Sugar tax
A British Medical Journal discussion on pro’s and con’s of a sugar tax provides a balanced discussion, but it’s clear that such taxes would have to be enormous to have an effect. The discussion, “Could a sugar tax help obesity?”, featured Adjunct Professor Sirpa...
Jul 26, 2018 | Issues, Sugar tax
FGC commissioned world-renowned philosopher and author Julian Baggini to give his unique perspective on current discussions in the food industry. In this article, he discusses a topic that is regularly raised – should healthier food automatically be cheaper. Coke or...
Jul 26, 2018 | Issues, Palm oil
Palm oil is used in many food and grocery products because of its versatility. There has been an ongoing campaign by groups within New Zealand and overseas to restrict its use because of deforestation in sensitive habitats in the world’s biggest producing countries...
Jul 26, 2018 | Issues, Milk Permeate
To make sure consumers receive milk that is of a consistent quality and taste, some fresh-milk companies standardise the protein levels. And they do this by using permeate in some milk types. So what is permeate? It is the name given to the milk-sugar (lactose) and...