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Portable handheld device testing a food sample for allergens and gluten using a single-use laboratory-style pouch

Pocket-sized food testing device brings lab-grade allergen detection to dining table

Innovation & Technology, News, World /

USA – A new handheld food testing device developed by startup Allergen Alert is bringing laboratory-based allergen and gluten detection into everyday dining environments.    Designed to fit in a pocket, the battery-powered device allows users to test meals on the spot for allergens or gluten using immunoassay technology traditionally

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FAO, WHO release new chemical risk ranking model for agrifood water safety

News, Science & Research, World /

GLOBAL – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization have released a new framework for identifying chemical hazards in water used across agrifood systems.   Global water supplies are facing mounting pressure. More than 70% of freshwater withdrawals are now used for agriculture,

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FAO Food Control System Assessment Tool

Ten African countries complete national food safety assessments with FAO support

Africa, News, Standards, Testing & Compliance /

AFRICA – Ten African Union member countries recently completed comprehensive assessments of their national food control systems, producing a report that identifies strengths, gaps, and strategic priorities.    The countries, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Mauritius, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, are also members of the Common Market for Eastern

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Africa Food Safety Operators Network

Africa launches digital food safety database to streamline trade, protect consumers

Africa, Food Safety Tech, Innovation & Technology, News /

AFRICA – The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), in partnership with the FS4Africa project co-funded by the European Union, has launched the Africa Food Safety Operators Network, a digital platform designed to consolidate food safety data across African markets.   Foodborne illnesses continue to affect millions across Africa each year.

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Rwanda's Salama Juice in supermarket shelves

Rwanda shuts down Salama Juice factory over food safety violations

Africa, News, Standards, Testing & Compliance /

RWANDA — Authorities in Rwanda have ordered Joyland Company Ltd, the producer of the popular Salama Juice brand, to suspend operations indefinitely after inspectors discovered alarming food safety violations, poor hygiene, and unsafe working conditions at its Nyarugenge-based factory.   The shutdown followed a five-day nationwide crackdown from October 13–17,

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Attendees at the 2025 ISO Annual Meeting in Kigali about the country’s adoption of machine learning and satellite technology in farming.

Rwanda adopts machine learning, satellite imagery to drive precision agriculture

Africa, Innovation & Technology, News /

RWANDA – Rwanda is advancing the use of machine learning and satellite imagery to monitor crops, improve resource efficiency, and enhance the profitability of farming, according to Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources.   Speaking during the 2025 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Annual Meeting held in

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Liberia launches Soils4Liberia, a nationwide effort to map soils and promote data-driven, climate-smart farming.

Liberia launches US$5M Soils4Liberia Project to build national soil database, support climate-smart farming

Africa, News, Sustainability /

LIBERIA – Liberia’s Ministry of Agriculture has launched the Soils4Liberia Project, a $4.3 million (US$5M) initiative to map and classify soils across all 15 counties, in a move designed to strengthen data-driven and climate-smart agriculture.   The project, funded by the European Union and implemented in partnership with the International

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A picture of Appert and his early wide-necked bottle for canning innovation

The Origins of Canning: Innovation Born from War and Hunger

Blog, Food Safety Tech, Innovation & Technology /

In the late 18th century, Europe was consumed by war and one of the greatest challenges armies faced wasn’t enemy fire, but food spoilage. Feeding thousands of soldiers on long campaigns was nearly impossible with traditional preservation methods like salting, smoking, or drying.   In 1795, the French government under

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KENAS & You: What You Need to Know About Accreditation in the Food Sector

Demystifying Accreditation with KENAS + Clarity Standards Laboratory

Africa, Q&A, Standards, Testing & Compliance /

Section 1: Accreditation Demystified (KENAS)   What’s the difference between accreditation and certification?   Certification shows that a product, system, or service meets a standard, e.g., a company certified to ISO 22000. Accreditation goes a step further: it confirms that the lab, inspection body, or certification body is competent to

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