During fondue or raclette evenings, meat is served in a different way – namely, raw at first. To ensure that this festive meal does not become a feast for foodborne pathogens, there are a few things to keep in mind when preparing the pieces of meat. "Raw meat, especially poultry, should be kept separate from foods that are eaten without further heating, such as salad," explains Professor Andreas Hensel, President of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). “This is an important measure to prevent the transmission of possible pathogens such as Campylobacter bacteria and to avoid food infections, some of which can be serious.” Other basic rules of good kitchen hygiene include carefully cleaning hands, kitchen utensils or preparation surfaces that have come into contact with raw animal food products before preparing other components of the meal. Meat should also always be cooked thoroughly to kill any pathogens. To do this, the core of the food must reach a temperature of 70 °C for at least two minutes.

Sugar damages teeth, causes weight gain and promotes diabetes – these are just three of the widely discussed criticisms of the sweet ingredient found in many treats and drinks. Some people with a sweet tooth therefore resort to low-sugar or sugar-free alternatives, which usually contain non-sugar sweeteners. However, some of these are also associated with health risks. Before they are authorised, all sweeteners – just like all other food additives – are tested at the European level to ensure they are safe for human health," says Professor Andreas Hensel, President of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Authorised sweeteners are regularly subject to new assessments in order to take current scientific findings into account. The new BfR2GO science magazine takes a closer look at sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose.

A team of researchers from Australia and China have discovered that offshore windfarms can improve underwater ecosystems and diversify aquatic life. 

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