Contamination of food, beverages, and water includes physical, chemical, and microbiological concerns, as well as allergens (the Big 9, formerly the Big 8).
Chemical contamination of food, beverages, and water include chemicals used in the growing or production of food, such as pesticides or veterinary drugs, as well as chemicals present in sanitizers, cleaning solutions, coatings, and packaging.
Physical contamination of food and beverages encompasses foreign material that makes its way into product at some point during growing, harvesting, storage, manufacturing, processing, or distribution.
Microbiological contamination of food encompasses bacterial pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli (E.coli), Salmonella, Cronobacter, and many other pathogens that can contaminate food at any point during the supply chain, causing foodborne illness. This category also includes foodborne parasites.
Allergens in food include the Big 9 (formerly the Big 8): milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat (gluten), soybeans, and sesame as of January 2023. Big 9 food allergens and residues in food are grounds for a Class 1 recall.
In a recent virtual scientific symposium, a top FDA Human Foods Program official revealed that one in five samples collected in a national survey of retail milk has tested positive for HPAI H5N1 genetic material, but additional testing is required to determine whether intact HPAI H5N1 is present in retail milk and if it remains infectious. FDA maintains its position that the U.S. milk supply is safe.
A total of 313 food product recall announcements were issued in 2023 by FDA and USDA, which the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG) Education Fund analyzed in its Food for Thought 2024 report to identify recall trends.
USDA-FSIS has finalized its determination to declare Salmonella an adulterant in raw, breaded and stuffed chicken products at levels exceeding 1 colony forming unit per gram (CFU/g).
To address the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a federal order that requires testing of dairy cows for the virus, as well as mandatory reporting.
A Biosurveillance Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (BISR) system would address two mission-critical requirements for biosurveillance to detect and prevent outbreaks: rapid detection and predictive analysis.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recently published an analysis of national data regarding cases and outbreaks of non-typhoidal Salmonella from 2013–2022.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)—as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA Act, also known as the Superfund Act).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published testing results for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) in foods collected as part of its Total Diet Study (TDS), and has provided an update on the agency’s activities to better understand and address PFAS in the U.S. food supply, including an updated analytical method to measure the chemicals.
On Demand: From this webinar, attendees will learn how to implement a program to control allergens in food processing facilities and prevent allergen cross-contact.
On Demand: In this webinar, technical experts will explain what a system breach is, how to manage and reduce system breaches, and how to design breaches out of a system to help prevent pathogen contamination in dry and low-moisture environments.