A series of health scares in the US and internationally have prompted major food companies to re-examine their manufacturing processes in a bid to improve standards. Nestlé and Kellogg are among the multinational companies looking at their options in the US, according to the Financial Times, with both set to put an end to contract manufacturing and bring all production in-house. The news comes in the wake of a salmonella outbreak in the US that killed eight people, while a recent scare over contaminated peanuts saw thousands of products withdrawn from shelves. Major companies have also tightened up controls over imported ingredients and products from China, following the melamine milk contamination scandal that resulted in a number of deaths and thousands falling ill. The news comes with US legislators currently weighing up the creation of a dedicated food safety body along the lines of the European Food Safety Authority, which would work independently of the existing Food & Drug Administration.