Labeling Practices Research Articles

Mechanically tenderized meat


 Background: In 2012, mechanically tenderized meat raised public health concern when an E.Coli 0157:H7 outbreak was linked to the tenderization process. It was discovered that the machinery pushed the E.Coli from the surface of contaminated meat products such as steaks and roasts, into the interior, where it was able to survive the cooking process. Concerns were raised by Lorraine McIntyre and the BCCDC about this issue, and their desire to improve their knowledge base in order to adequately assess the risk. Methods: Data was gathered via a survey conducted electronically and by telephone. Questions were asked to determine the proportion of retail establishments that use their own tenderizing equipment. Questions also asked about other industry practices such as current sanitization and labeling practices. Results: The results of this study were that 24% of surveyed establishments mechanically tenderize their meat products. Of these establishments, 33% have a label that states the meat has been tenderized mechanically and 17% provide cooking instructions on this label. An association was found between mechanically tenderizing meat and establishment type, which suggests that grocery stores are more likely to mechanically tenderize than other establishments, such as restaurants. On the other hand, no association was found between operator experience and their level of knowledge regarding the risks of mechanical tenderization. Conclusions: Overall, this study has demonstrated the likelihood is high that consumers purchase and consume beef that has been mechanically tenderized at the retail level. The results from this study can be used to aid public health officials in quantifying the risk of mechanical tenderization at a retail level and aid in the development and implementation of new legislation such as mandatory labeling of all mechanically tenderized meat.

Legislation — Impact and Trends in Nutrition Labeling: A Global Overview

The need for accurate nutrition labeling on food products has never been greater. Obesity has assumed near-epidemic levels in both industrialized and emerging nations in recent years, and governments and consumer groups around the world are looking for ways to improve the nutritional choices for their citizenry while simultaneously balancing their freedom of choice through the use of nutrition labeling. Despite increasingly aggressive efforts by government and industry organizations to raise consumer awareness, though, many consumers either do not consult nutrition labels or they are not in a position to interpret the information on these labels accurately. To gain some fresh insights into nutrition labeling practices worldwide, this paper provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed, scholarly, and government literature to describe regulations enacted to date, evolving and future trends, and the likely impact of food product labels. In this regard, the paper highlights similarities and discrepancies that exist, identifies gaps, and gives directions for the future.

Fat content and composition in retail samples of Australian beef mince.

Nutrient composition data, representative of the retail supply, is required to support labelling and dietetic practice. Because beef mince represents approximately 30% of all beef dishes prepared in Australian households, a national survey of the different types of mince available for purchase in representative retail outlets was conducted. Sixty-one samples of beef mince from 24 retail outlets in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia were collected in 2010 and analysed for moisture, protein, total fat and fatty acid profile. A variety of 18 different descriptors were used at point of sale with “Premium” (n = 15) and “Regular” (n = 8) the most commonly used terms. The analysed fat content of “Premium” samples varied from 2.2 g/100 g to 8.0 g/100 g. Forty-eight percent (n = 29) of the samples were categorised as low fat (<5 g/100 g; mean 4.1 g/100 g), 21% as medium fat (5–10 g/100 g; mean 8.9 g/100 g) and 31% as high fat (>10 g/100 g; mean 10.4 g/100 g). There was no significant difference between the types of mince available for purchase in low versus high socio-economic suburbs (Chi-square, p > 0.05). In conclusion, the fat content of the majority of retail beef mince in Australia is <10 g/100 g and a variety of descriptors are used at point of sale, all of which do not necessarily reflect analysed fat content.

Harmony in Haydn and Mozart by David Damschroder (review)

Reviewed by: Harmony in Haydn and Mozart by David Damschroder Steven D. Mathews Harmony in Haydn and Mozart. By David Damschroder. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. [xii, 298 p. ISBN 9781107025349. $103.] Music examples, select bibliography, indexes. David Damschroder’s third installment in what has amounted to a trilogy of interconnected monographs, Harmony in Haydn and Mozart (hereafter, Haydn and Mozart), is an inspiring work of music theory and analysis that casts yet another new light on select compositions by two late-eighteenth-century masters. Based on the historical insights from his Thinking About Harmony (Cam bridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008), Damschroder then developed his own method of harmonic analysis that incorporates the theories of Heinrich Schenker into an analytical forum on the music of a specific composer in Harmony in Schubert (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010; hereafter, Schubert). Haydn and Mozart adds to Schubert in Damschroder’s goal to help us “understand the logic through which the composer has set down a composition’s pitches” (p. ix). In addition, Damschroder distinguishes between Schubert and Haydn and Mozart in that the latter is more focused on demonstrating connections between harmony and form. The larger organization of Haydn and Mozart is in two parts, which, in this sense, parallels the structure of Schubert. The first and longest part, “Methodological Orientation” (chapters 1–4) familiarizes readers—or those “serious listeners and performers who seek to develop fresh ways of thinking about this music, and thereby deepening their capacity to bring it to life in performance” (p. vii)—with his own combination of German Stufentheorie and Schenkerian analysis. The final and shortest part, “Master pieces” (chapters 5–10) compares Damschroder’s analysis of five complete instrumental movements and one opera scene to previously-published readings of these works by the following respected music theorists: James Webster (chapter 5); Robert O. Gjerdingen (chapter 6); V. Kofi Agawu and Michael Spitzer (chapter 7); Carl Schachter (chapter 8); Leonard Meyer (chapter 9); and James Hepokoski, Warren Darcy, and Lauri Suurpää (chapter 10). Damschroder also includes a lengthy bibliography and multiple indexes of in-text references to important concepts and to the analyzed works of Haydn and Mozart. As with any new approach or systematic analytical endeavor, though, a decent amount of patience is required, and Damschroder is the first to admit it: “Though ultimately an analytical fluency will develop, in the initial stages one needs to proceed slowly and methodically in working through the substance of a composition” (p. ix). He assists the reader immensely by providing a detailed section in the preface (as he did in Schubert) that points out some of his innovative typographical conventions and frequently-used abbreviations. By far, however, the biggest challenge for contemporary students and teachers familiar with traditional Schenkerian (i.e., linear) and Roman numeral (i.e., functional) analysis is Damschroder’s preference for labeling harmonic sonorities in a manner that subverts traditional figured bass symbols and the designation of triadic and seventh-chord inversions. In other words, he prefers to label chords in root position regardless of the actual inversion of the chord, while also simplifying [End Page 698] the number of available Roman numerals to those involved in a basic harmonic progression (e.g., in major keys: I, IV, V, and occasionally II). As he discusses in chapter 1, Damschroder’s concept of harmonic “assertion” cautions against the quite standard textbook practice of labeling all sonorities in a passage with a Roman numeral (p. 8). Rather, we must ask whether a certain chord embellishes another chord that asserts itself as a harmony based entirely on contextual realities, which coincide with his wonderfully illustrated Schenkerian graphs. For example, Damschroder uses a IV 5–6 label to show that the subdominant is prolonged (i.e., embellished) by the supertonic (II), which arrives on a more foreground level during the “6-phase” of IV, on its way to the dominant (V) for contextual and voice leading reasons (p. 4). He thus demonstrates a dual hierarchy of linear analysis and harmony, where the former serves to embellish the latter through prolongational or sequential motion. The idea of multiple hierarchies is at the core of Damschroder’s thesis and how he understands...

Drug labeling in the practice of obstetric anesthesia

This commentary outlines the current drug labeling practices that potentially compromise the clinical care of pregnant women and their children. We highlight the need for drug manufacturers and lawmakers to change the status quo and consider practices and regulations that will provide much-needed guidance to clinicians on the safe administration of drugs to certain populations such as pregnant and nursing women. Current practices have de facto contributed to a situation in which evidence is inadequate for individual physicians and patients to weigh the risks and benefits of drug administration and make informed decisions for drug use during pregnancy and lactation.

School Contexts and “Acting White”

AbstractWe examine whether the “acting white” labeling practice and subsequent peer isolation exist (or do not exist) within Somali immigrant adolescents, one of the most underresearched black immigrant student groups, and what school contexts are associated with their presence (or absence). Using a case study, we found that high-achieving Somali immigrant students in an urban Afrocentric charter school in the United States were not isolated from their peers. Rather, they tended to have a relatively large-sized social network and also seemed to enjoy relative popularity in their peer networks. Additionally, they tended to be gregarious with other high-achievers. Importantly, certain school contexts facilitated the nonexistence of an “acting white” labeling practice and a peer isolation culture in the school. Specifically, the “acting white” phenomenon may not be applicable to a small and racially/ethnically homogenous school where an academically-oriented and college-bound culture is shared by students.

Labeling and Knowing: A Reconciliation of Implicit Theory and Explicit Theory Among Students with Exceptionalities

ABSTRACTUsing a realist grounded theory method, this study resulted in a theoretical model and 4 propositions. As displayed in the LINK model, the labeling practice is situated in and endorsed by a social context that carries explicit theory about and educational policies regarding the labels. Taking a developmental perspective, the labeling practice often results in some short-lived emotional responses and triggers an implicit theory–generating process that results in gradually formatted self-knowledge. This self-knowledge is what positive adjusting academic and social behaviors are contingent on. In this regard, the labeling practice reconciles a constructed reality (explicit theory) and a lived reality (implicit theory). It is imperative to note that implicit theory regarding an individual's educational label(s) is an ever-changing entity. In addition, a positive development of implicit theory may create a feedback that further reinforces the support system for others and/or contributes to the aggregate field knowledge.

CONSUMERS PERCEPTION OF LITHUANIAN ECO-LABEL

In the recent decade, individuals have become more environmentally concerned, while companies realized that consumers’ needs and desires are changing. This, in turn, has created new environmentally oriented practices, like ecological labeling, to satisfy consumer demands. Though eco-labels were created with a purpose to ease consumers to make their buying choices, a certain degree of confusion has emerged among the customers concerning the precise meaning of eco-labels. In Lithuania “Ekologinis žemės ūkis” (“Ecological Farming”) eco-label has been issued in 2009. However, it is still new to consumers in addition to generally low level of ecological labeling practice awareness. With regard to the issue of consumer confusion and the distrust of eco-certification, the purpose of the research was to investigate perceptions of Lithuanian consumers of eco-labels and in particular Lithuanian ecological label “Ekologinis žemės ūkis.” Although, the findings revealed that introduction of eco-label “Ekologinis žemės ūkis” was positively perceived, suggesting that it might make more people to consider their health and environment more seriously, the study participants recognized both positive and negative aspects of the label. However, consumers reported not feeling totally “safe” while choosing eco-labeled products and distrust producers and ecological labels because of their claims. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.em.18.4.4990

Dedication and Labelling Practices in Seventeenth-Century Instrumental Music: the Case of Marco Uccellini

Marco Uccellini (1610–80) published seven instrumental collections, four in the 1630s–40s and three in the 1660s. About one third of the works, 92 to be exact, carry titles or labels of various kinds. After preliminary information on the composer and his instrumental works (section 1), the author considers his dedication practices as an exercise in morphology and typology (section 2). He then turn to opus 4 (1645). Beyond having Uccellini's first examples of solo sonatas, six in all, the opus warrants attention for the inscriptions, in the six, to various women, e.g. a triumphant Victoria, a satisfied Luciminia and a shining Laura; Uccellini may have drawn some of them from literary and historical sources (section 3). Assuming that the information gleaned from the titles to Uccellini's works can serve as a measuring rod for those in others' works, the author summarizes the questions that apply methodologically to the study of dedications in the seventeenth-century instrumental literature at large (section 4).

‘Ru’ versus ‘Li’: The Divergence between the Generalist and the Specialist in the Northern Song

‘Ru’ versus ‘Li’:The Divergence between the Generalist and the Specialist in the Northern Song Ya Zuo The idea that officials can be divided into two kinds, one valued for their cultural virtuosity, the other confined to quotidian tasks, is not a Northern Song invention. Since the Han dynasty (206 bce–220 ce) at the latest, this idea had already formed in response to the institutionalization of Confucianism. The state’s official endorsement set off a series of changes: the canonization of the so-called Confucian classics, the rise of ru 儒 (roughly translated as “Confucian scholars” during this time)1 as a new political force, and the growth of their self-awareness, one that drove them to seek not only political perpetuation but also representation of their ideology in government. These scholars staged a contrast between themselves and li 吏 (conventionally translated as “administrators”): another kind of bureaucrat cultivated in the previous Qin dynasty (221−206 bce). The image of a li was of someone intellectually obedient, empirically knowledgeable, and efficient in day-to-day administration.2 [End Page 85] Calling someone a ru or a li was essentially a labeling practice. In the ages subsequent to the Han, people picked up the practice for reasons specific to various historical contexts.3 The dichotomy of ru and li in the Northern Song is one among many other variants. Although novelty was not its remarkable feature, it had grown into a massive discursive phenomenon in the Song. Literati from all over the empire used this dichotomy in their writings, and the range of genres ran from personal musings to public memorials. The examples cited in the next section exemplify a vast body of writing. The most immediate goal of this study is to seek a translation of this dichotomy which more accurately captures its historical propositions in the Northern Song. The new translation I propose is “the generalist” versus “the specialist.” My choice of terms has a distant echo in Max Weber and his early judgments on the nature of the officialdom.4 But a generalization of institutional reality is not my concern. This article is a study of ideas and remains firmly grounded in historical voices. The Problem and Terminology My selection of examples focuses on the early to mid-Northern Song, especially the first half of the eleventh century. It was an age of reforms and revolutionary ideas. The newly founded dynasty had enforced civil service examinations, a meritocratic mechanism to recruit talented men who would serve in the government in place of the bygone aristocracy. Eager to envisage more effective forms of government, these examination-generated literati [End Page 86] propounded myriad reform ideas and implemented a number of them. The key figures in this study, such as Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修 (1007−1072) and Li Gou 李覯 (1009−1059), were among the major advocates of the Qingli 慶曆 Reform (1043−45) initiated by Fan Zhongyan 范仲淹 (989−1052). This movement, though short-lived, gave birth to an enduring legacy of reform.5 Other featured figures, such as Sima Guang 司馬光 (1019−1086) and Wang Anshi 王安石 (1021−1086), perpetuated this legacy. Literati in the Northern Song had a reputation for enthusiastically instilling cultural visions into political solutions.6 None of the aforementioned historical figures shared a strong consensus with one another in their specific political philosophies; some of them even engaged in long-term mutual antagonism. Yet the dichotomy between ru and li, as I will show in the following sections, connected them in ways that transcended the notorious factional rivalries. In 1066, the third year of the Zhiping 治平 reign (1064−1067), Ouyang Xiu submitted two memorials in a row to suggest amendments to the current recruitment policy of the Imperial Libraries.7 A main problem, in his view, was that the recruiting authority “prioritizes competence and neglects ru learning” (先材能而後儒學), and “values undertakings of li and discounts literary composition.” (貴吏事而賤文章).8 By juxtaposing the two contrasts Ouyang staged a distinction, one that differentiated officials primarily identified with ru learning and literary talent from those competent in li type of tasks. Deeply concerned, Ouyang elaborated his definitions of the two types. [End Page 87] He called the first group “ministers of ru learning” (ruxue zhi chen 儒學之臣), and...

A Comprehensive Strategy to Overhaul FDA Authority for Misleading Food Labels

The modern food environment is considered a primary driver of obesity and other nutrition-related chronic diseases. A significant contribution to this environment is the proliferation of claims on food packaging that provides a misleading picture of a product's healthfulness. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the agency responsible for food labels but it lacks the regulatory authority and adequate resources to address the majority of questionable labeling practices. The FDA's current system of enforcement is thus essentially based on voluntary compliance and consumer- and manufacturer-initiated litigation has not successfully filled the regulatory gap. This manuscript reviews the current state of food labeling claims and the FDA's inadequate authority over misbranded food products. It analyzes competing views on regulatory compliance strategies and argues that a regulatory overhaul consistent with the best science and the First Amendment is necessary. With increased resources and authority, the FDA can meet current public health challenges and adequately ensure that labels are clear and consumers are properly informed and protected.

Reactions, Regulation and Risk: protecting consumers with food allergies and intolerances

With the prevalence of food allergies rising in many countries including the UK and statistics showing a situation where one in five meals claiming to be 'peanut free' actually contain peanut, new regulations need to be put in place to protect consumers. Hazel Gowland of Allergy Action explores the new food regulations on the horizon and explains the challenges these new rules will face.In February 2013, Cumbria Trading Standards officers prosecuted a supplier of catering ingredients which had sold peanut labelled as almond to takeaway businesses. The offence was to have 'falsely described' two chicken masala meals as peanut free, when they contained peanut.1 Ground almond (which is the traditional ingredient used in this kind of dish) is typically two to three times more expensive than ground peanut or peanut flour. In addition, whilst many people allergic to tree nuts such as almond are also allergic to peanuts, the two are not the same. Peanuts are a legume - botanically and in food law,2 they must not be confused with nuts such as almonds.3 Unfortunately, some food handlers may also be misled by the fact that 'groundnut' is a synonym of peanut.ReactionsThe Anaphylaxis Campaign, the UK charity supporting those at risk from severe allergies,4 collects data on which foods its members are avoiding. Peanut is by far the most commonly avoided food. There is also evidence that it causes more severe reactions in some people. Unexpected peanut in curries and other takeaway meals has caused a number of fatal and near-miss reactions in the past.5 Coroners' investigations have led to analysis of retained meals and ingredients taken from catering suppliers and takeaways.6 In the sampling survey undertaken by Cumbrian Trading Standards and other local authorities, one meal in five sold as 'peanut free' actually contained peanut.7 This reflects results from previous sampling projects in Lancashire in 2004, Northern Ireland and elsewhere.Food allergen avoidanceThe prevalence of food allergy is reported to be rising in many countries including the UK, with approximately 3-4% of adults and 6-8% of children affected.8 In addition, according to Coeliac UK, at least one person in 100 has coeliac disease and needs to avoid gluten. Since 2002 in England, there has been a steady increase in the number of people requiring hospital treatment for anaphylactic shock due to an adverse food reaction,9 and about eight to ten people die from food allergies every year in the UK.5Most cases involve the consumption of food containing the allergen ingredient, usually unrecognised by the food supplier and/or the consumer. Common examples include milk powder in sauces, sorbets and mixes, nuts in bakery items and oils, and peanut butter/ground peanut in takeaway meals. The provision of accurate information about allergen ingredients is an essential food safety control for growing numbers of high risk consumers.RegulationExisting food law has been used to prosecute food businesses following an allergic reaction, or in cases where labelling, description or food safety practices failed to comply with the law and may have put food allergic, intolerant or coeliac consumers at risk. Selling food not of the substance demanded by the purchaser has been used in some cases,10 as has Falsely describing or presenting food.11 Other legislation used includes General Food Law 178/2002 EC12 and Health and Safety Law.13 Some consumers have even taken civil action against the food business operator, being awarded compensation and costs, and in some cases settling out of court. Sample UK cases were presented by Hazel Gowland and Michael Walker, an analytical chemist, at the 2011 Food Allergy Meeting of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology.14New food law on the horizonFrom December 2014, all food business operators in the EU will have to provide ingredients about key food allergens to customers on request. …

A proposed approach to monitor private‐sector policies and practices related to food environments, obesity and non‐communicable disease prevention

Private-sector organizations play a critical role in shaping the food environments of individuals and populations. However, there is currently very limited independent monitoring of private-sector actions related to food environments. This paper reviews previous efforts to monitor the private sector in this area, and outlines a proposed approach to monitor private-sector policies and practices related to food environments, and their influence on obesity and non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention. A step-wise approach to data collection is recommended, in which the first ('minimal') step is the collation of publicly available food and nutrition-related policies of selected private-sector organizations. The second ('expanded') step assesses the nutritional composition of each organization's products, their promotions to children, their labelling practices, and the accessibility, availability and affordability of their products. The third ('optimal') step includes data on other commercial activities that may influence food environments, such as political lobbying and corporate philanthropy. The proposed approach will be further developed and piloted in countries of varying size and income levels. There is potential for this approach to enable national and international benchmarking of private-sector policies and practices, and to inform efforts to hold the private sector to account for their role in obesity and NCD prevention.

School labelling as technology of governance: Problematizing ascribed labels to school spaces

Central to contemporary educational reform in the United States are the procedures and techniques that hold schools accountable to the public and render them more visible. Labelling public school performance by ascribing identifiers which deem spaces of education either a success or a failure at educating its students is one way of identifying schools for consumers of education. This yields powerful representations of school quality; what is a “good” school and what is a “bad” school. These labels are problematic given the implications of labelling practices on identities, places, and the public's perception of school spaces. This article focuses upon the technique of labelling, and explores its implications through a critical analysis of the meaning and consequences of the politics of labelling with respect to contemporary education reform. I draw on insights from social theorists and consider primary findings from a survey of inner city public school teachers. These teachers provide views from the inside, a counter‐narrative of the labels ascribed to the schools in which they teach. The teacher perceptions of the label's impact on attitudes and behaviours highlight the need to contest and demystify hegemonic labels of contemporary reform.

Impact of heat processing on the detection of the major shellfish allergen tropomyosin in crustaceans and molluscs using specific monoclonal antibodies

The major heat-stable shellfish allergen, tropomyosin, demonstrates immunological cross-reactivity, making specific differentiation of crustaceans and molluscs for food labelling very difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of allergen-specific monoclonal antibodies in differential detection of shellfish-derived tropomyosin in 11 crustacean and 7 mollusc species, and to study the impact of heating on its detection. Cross-reactive tropomyosin was detected in all crustacean species, with partial detection in molluscs: mussels, scallops and snails but none in oyster, octopus and squid. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that heating of shellfish has a profound effect on tropomyosin detection. This was evident by the enhanced recognition of multiple tropomyosin variants in the analysed shellfish species. Specific monoclonal antibodies, targetting the N-terminal region of tropomyosin, must therefore be developed to differentiate tropomyosins in crustaceans and molluscs. This can help in correct food labelling practices and thus protection of consumers.

“My dad is samurai”: Positioning of race and ethnicity surrounding a transnational Colombian Japanese high school student

From sociocultural, interactional and critical perspectives, this study investigates the practices and ideologies of racial and ethnic identities and relationships surrounding Jun, a Colombian Japanese high school student, within a transnational Japanese student community at Pearl High School (pseudonym) in California. In particular, the analysis focuses on how Jun's racial and ethnic positioning is interpreted and represented by others and himself through examining their labeling and categorization practices. I utilized the analysis of two-year ethnography, in-depth discourse analysis of narratives and conversations and mental map analysis. The study shows how Jun and other participants interactionally negotiated their racial and ethnic identities and relationships by strategically positioning each other in an attempt to survive in the environment where they were marginalized. The study illuminates the dynamics and politics of inter-/intraracial and ethnic relations and identities as well as the circulation of a persisting Whiteness ideology in a global context.

Lead Concentrations and Labeling of New Paint in Cameroon

In spite of the availability of substitutes for lead compounds used in paints, manufacturers continue to produce these paints for decorative and industrial applications. We report here on the concentration of lead in new paint sold in Cameroon and provide a summary of labeling practices on paints available in the country, based on a market survey. Investigators visited 76 retail and wholesale paint suppliers in Cameroon to collect information from paint product labels and to collect samples of paints to analyze for lead content. Only 8.5% of paints had labels identifying any of the ingredients, and none of the lead paints included any warning language. Based on a convenience sample (weighted to include multiple colors from the most common brands), 61 mostly enamel paints were purchased from retail outlets and analyzed for lead content (median: 2150 ppm; range: <21–500,000 ppm). Sixty-six percent of the new paint samples had concentrations exceeding the U.S. standard of 90 ppm total lead. All but one of the samples with lead concentrations greater than 90 ppm were also greater than 600 ppm. The largest manufacturer in the country—Seigneurie, a subsidiary of the U.S.-based company PPG—had significant lead concentrations in 9 out of 22 (41%) paints tested. There is an immediate need to adopt mandatory standards to limit the lead content of paint manufactured, imported, and sold in the country. To promote safer paint products we recommend the development of a third-party certification program for paints without added lead. These recommendations are consistent with the objectives of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint established under the auspices of the United Nations to address this problem on a global scale.

Precautionary allergen labelling following new labelling practice in Australia

We aimed to assess the prevalence and types of precautionary labelling statements for common food allergens on the packages of products for which these allergens were not listed as an ingredient and to investigate the uptake of the Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling, a new risk management tool developed in Australia to assist with declaring the possible presence of allergens in food products by manufacturers. We also aimed to examine changes in the prevalence of precautionary labelling for egg, peanuts and tree nuts over a 3-year period. All packaged processed goods in a large supermarket in Melbourne, Australia, were examined for precautionary labelling between May and July 2011. In total, 1355 products were investigated. Overall, 882 products (65%) had a precautionary statement for one or more allergens. The most common allergens listed on precautionary statements were tree nuts (36.2%) and peanuts (34.1%), followed by sesame (27.5%) and egg (22.6%). Of those that had precautionary statements, 'May contain traces of …' was the most common type of precautionary label used on 392 products (29.0%). This was followed by 'May be present' on 172 products (12.7%). The use of precautionary labelling for peanut, tree nuts and egg remained high. The uptake of the Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling 'May be present' statement was low in comparison with other precautionary statements, but there has been an increase since 2009.

The Appellate Body Report in US – Tuna II and Its Impact on Eco-Labelling and Standardization

The Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) released to the public its final Report on the dispute United States - Measures Concerning the Importation, Marketing and Sale of Tuna Products (hereinafter 'US - Tuna II') on 16 May 2012.The dispute was object of a growing interest because of its impact on the debate between trade and environment. Specifically, the case addressed substantial issues of scope for the application of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (hereinafter 'TBT Agreement'), like the proper legal characterization of state measures and the application of the Agreement to non product-related process and production methods (hereinafter 'npr-PPMs'). Furthermore, the ruling clarified other crucial provisions such as the requirements 'international standardizing organizations' have to comply with. This contribution will review the Appellate Body's findings that are the most relevant for the practice of environmental labelling and sustainability standardization, and it will assess the implications for WTO Member States' regulatory autonomy and the possibility of employing market-based instruments of regulation.

The Adaptation of an Ethnic Minority in Finland in the 1940s and 1950s: Orthodox displaced persons and the Lutheran indigenous population

This article examines the imposed adaptation of Orthodox Finns, who were evacuated from territories ceded to the Soviet Union during the Second World War in the areas where they were settled. It elucidates both the settlement measures taken by the Finnish authorities and the unofficial forms of control, such as labelling and other discriminatory practices, exercised by the local populations. By controlling the behaviour of the displaced persons, the original inhabitants were able to make the newcomers conform to the values, norms and habits of the Lutheran community at both local and national levels.