Joe Whitworth

Joe Whitworth is a food and beverage trade journalist. Prior to reporting for Food Safety News, he worked for William Reed Business Media since 2012 as Editor of Food Quality News before becoming food safety editor for Food Navigator. Whitworth has moderated sessions at Food Ingredients Europe in 2015 and The Ingredients Show in 2018. Before joining William Reed, he worked on newspapers run by Fairfax Media in Australia. Whitworth graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).

Firm/Organization: Marler Clark LLP, PS

Blogs: Food Safety News

Latest Articles

Food Safety News

Tropane alkaloids caused Ugandan food aid outbreaks

By Joe Whitworth

November 1, 2019

Food Poisoning word cloud hand sphere concept

International investigations have found two outbreaks of illness in Uganda were likely caused by food aid contaminated with tropane alkaloids. Five people died and about 300 fell sick after eating Super Cereal distributed in Karamoja in March and April. An August outbreak of sickness in Palabek refugee settlement in the north of the country affected 33 people. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is to destroy global stocks of the blended food product. Distribution…

Food Safety News

Almost 50 ill in Australian Salmonella outbreak

By Joe Whitworth

October 31, 2019

core powerfoods salmonella aus recall — Recalled frozen meals

The number of people ill in a Salmonella outbreak linked to a brand of frozen microwave meals in Australia has jumped to 46. Public health investigations have found that sick people in New South Wales (NSW), Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) reported consuming the products. Fifteen Salmonella Weltevreden infections have been recorded in NSW, 12 in Queensland, 11 in South Australia, six in Western Australia and two in ACT.…

Food Safety News

Australia reports record high number of recalls

By Joe Whitworth

October 29, 2019

A record-high level of food incidents and recalls have been recorded in Australia, according to the annual report of Food Standards Australia New Zealand. The food safety team at Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) coordinated 106 incidents and recalls from July 2018 to June 2019, which was the highest number of recalls in a 12 month period. This compares to 81 recalls in the same period from 2017 to 2018 and 61 from…

Food Safety News

Belgian Listeria infections linked to Dutch outbreak

By Joe Whitworth

October 26, 2019

Two people in Belgium have been infected with the same type of Listeria behind an outbreak in the Netherlands with European agencies investigating illnesses in other countries. Belgian media cited a report from Sciensano, the Belgian Institute for Health, and agency officials confirmed to Food Safety News that the details were correct while directing us to the Agency for Health and Care (Zorg en gezondheid). The two people that fell sick in Belgium last year…

Food Safety News

Consumer group finds decline in EU food safety controls, funding

By Joe Whitworth

October 24, 2019

There is a declining trend in food controls and the resources allocated to them across Europe, according to a consumer group. The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) analyzed reports submitted by 12 member states on official control activities to identify trends from the information submitted over several years. The organization is urging governments to increase resources for controls and called on the EU Commission to ensure that member states’ reporting is complete, easy to access, and comparable…

Food Safety News

Food crime is out there and we need to deal with it, says head of SFCIU

By Joe Whitworth

October 23, 2019

The boss of the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit has spoken of the need for industry input to tackle problems and urged patience for those eager to hear results of operations. Ron McNaughton, head of the SFCIU at Food Standards Scotland, said food crime is any fraudulent activity that can impact the safety and authenticity of food. “It has taken us a bit of time to build the unit up to what it is…

Food Safety News

15 sick in Salmonella outbreak linked to frozen microwave meals

By Joe Whitworth

October 22, 2019

A brand of frozen microwave meals has been linked to a Salmonella outbreak in Australia. Core Ingredients has recalled a range of frozen pre-prepared meals after at least 10 New South Wales (NSW) residents fell ill with Salmonella infections after consuming the products. Those sick live across NSW, in greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle, Northern NSW and the Murrumbidgee. Three South Australians have also developed Salmonella infections after eating the meals sold nationally from August…

Food Safety News

Chance of negative food standards impact from Brexit rises

By Joe Whitworth

October 19, 2019

The likelihood of a negative impact on food standards from Brexit has increased, according to a report from Public Health Wales. The document looks at evidence since January about the possible real-life effects Brexit could have on people’s health and well-being in Wales. The United Kingdom held a referendum on June 2016 and voted to leave the European Union, a move that became known as Brexit. It found the odds of some negative impacts, such…

Food Safety News

Spanish Listeria outbreak declared over after 200 affected

By Joe Whitworth

October 19, 2019

Spain’s largest ever Listeria outbreak is over according to authorities with no new infections reported in the last 20 days. La Consejería de Salud y Familias ended the listeriosis alert, which was started in mid-August, after confirming the risk of new infections was minimal and implicated products were not still being distributed. The incubation period of listeriosis, which can be up to seventy days, is about to expire. The agency will maintain usual surveillance for…

Food Safety News

E. coli infections linked to Isle of Wight

By Joe Whitworth

October 18, 2019

Public Health England is investigating a number of E. coli O157 infections linked to the Isle of Wight. Public Health England (PHE) is working with environmental health officers from the Isle of Wight Council to find the source of the outbreak. Four children who visited the island off the south coast of England in early October have been infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157. Up to 10 other people may be affected by…

Joe Whitworth

Tropane alkaloids caused Ugandan food aid outbreaks

Almost 50 ill in Australian Salmonella outbreak

Australia reports record high number of recalls

Belgian Listeria infections linked to Dutch outbreak

Consumer group finds decline in EU food safety controls, funding

Food crime is out there and we need to deal with it, says head of SFCIU

15 sick in Salmonella outbreak linked to frozen microwave meals

Chance of negative food standards impact from Brexit rises

Spanish Listeria outbreak declared over after 200 affected

E. coli infections linked to Isle of Wight

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