The range of Merck's rapid tests of the lateral flow type has now been completed. With Singlepath Listeria you can exclude the presence of listeria within 20 minutes after enrichment. For you this can mean a head start of two days in bringing your products to market without making concessions as regards safety standards.

Freeze drying is an excellent method for preserving material that are unstable in the presence of water. It is particularly suitable for products which are sensitive to heat, subject to oxidation or just sensitive.

Understanding how prions move through the food chain is an important step in tackling the neurogenerative disorders with which they are linked. Two new pieces of research, one in Germany, the other in England, have shed light on how prions spread and how they can be disabled.

Invasion of foods and feed by moulds under certain storage or environmental conditions (such as high moisture and/or specific temperatures) can lead to the development of highly toxic components or mycotoxins. There are many different types of mycotoxins, the most common and dangerous of which are aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2).

Elaine Fraser examines the reasons behind environmental monitoring of both surfaces and air and the possible effects on food.

The association between modern molecular biology and farming seems an unlikely one. But, as Stephen Leese explains how each can benefit from each other.

Although phytochemicals are not classified as nutrients, defined as substances necessary for sustaining life, they have been identified as containing properties for helping in disease prevention. Eric Russell reports.

For hundreds of years, Americans have used pecans in many foods, but use of the pecan has quickly spread throughout the world. Sue Taylor reports.

A growing body of scientific publications based on epidemiological data, cell culture and animal investigations and clinical studies, indicate the importance of lycopene to human health and well being. Joost Overeem reports.

The regulation of novel foods and novel food ingredients in the EU is driven by the degree of substantial equivalence of the novel food to those traditionally used in the European market. Recent examples of novel foods include Argan oil (Almond Kernel oil) and phytosterol esters (Flora pro.active). Here, Andrew Burgess and Stephen Ruckmanis review the factors influencing the equivalence of a food and describe the impact these can have.

An innovative casein hydrolysate has displayed some promising stress-relieving benefits.

According to the Leatherhead Food Research Association, stress is one of the top three health concerns in Europe.

Against several opinions that gelatine has no nutritional value, it is known today and proved by several scientific and clinical studies that collagenous protein is an important nutrient especially for the health of bones and joints. Annelore Schott reports.

Cereal grains, including oats, are valued primarily as a source of carbohydrates to provide calories for energy needs. In addition to total dietary fibre, in recent years, oats have been recognised as an important source of soluble fibre. Dr Markku Mikola and Uura-Liina Pöyhönen report.

Ordinary tea and good tea are miles apart. This is particularly true of fruit teas, which are difficult to compare with any other flavour and nuance if their aroma is well preserved. Fruit teas are also one of the most sensitive foodstuffs in terms of aroma.

David Green discusses the reasons behind why farmers are keen to adopt biotech soybean crops.

Powdered milk must contain many vitamins and minerals in order to correctly supplement an infant's nutrition. Iron is one such important nutrient and its concentration should be carefully controlled. A quick, reliable, and, above all, robust technique is required in order to be able to constantly monitor iron and other important minerals.

CO2 extracts represent the natural flavour profile of the herb and spice raw material almost perfectly, since the gentle process technology avoids hydrolysis, oxidation and isomerisation of sensitive components. For example, the ginger essential oil produced by supercritical CO2 extraction has an authentic fresh flavour in comparison to steam distilled essential oil, which gives a more terpenic impression.

Cognis Nutrition & Health has announced it is to market its natural sterol esters under the brandname Vegapure.

A brand can be defined as a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer. Brands offer the consumer something more than just the tangible product. They make people feel secure, accepted, and in a better state of mind than before they purchased the product. Eric Russell reports.

Douglas McNeill examines the optimum solution for the use of paper and paperboard packaging for fatty products.