The categories of food for which food safety concerns are examined include beverages; dairy and eggs; ingredients; meat and poultry; natural and organic; fresh produce; ready-to-eat (RTE); refrigerated and frozen; seafood and shellfish; plant-based; and alternative proteins.
Alternative proteins encompass lab-cultivated, cell-based meat, dairy, and seafood, as well as novel methods of producing proteins (e.g., upcycling carbon dioxide).
Meat and poultry safety focuses on the slaughter and processing hygiene of cattle, pork, ruminants, and other mammals used as food, as well as chicken, turkey, duck, and other avian species.
Natural and organic products contain no artificial ingredients or added colors, and are minimally processed or processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product.
The ready-to-eat (RTE) category includes foods that are assembled from ingredients into fully prepared meals that do not require cooking, chilling, or other preparation prior to consumption.
Refrigerated foods are temperature control dependent and remain fresh between 35 °F and 38°F (1.7 °C and 3.3 °C) for a specified length of time. Frozen foods are prepared or processed fresh and then frozen for future consumption.
Seafood includes all commercially captured or farmed freshwater and saltwater fish, molluscan shellfish, and crustaceans. Seafood and shellfish food safety is characterized by a special set of HACCP rules.
In a May 16 webinar, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official revealed some findings from the agency’s ongoing testing of beef products for viable Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus.
A study has identified significant deficiencies in existing quantitative risk assessment models for Listeria monocytogenes on produce, such as failure to consider important contamination factors in primary production, among other gaps.
Ancera has released a new suite of comprehensive monitoring tools to provide poultry industry-allied companies with real-time, third-party evidence demonstrating their product efficacy against microbial hazards.
The Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association (PTNPA) Operations and Technical Food Safety Forum will be held June 25–26, 2024; preceded by the PTNPA D.C. Fly-In on May 20–22, 2024.
As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) continued efforts to more systematically and transparently review and regulate food additives, the agency has reassessed and revoked the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) determination for tara flour. The ingredient is not authorized for use in food.
To investigate the potential impact of more widespread adoption of food irradiation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed a decade (2009–2020) of national foodborne illness outbreak data for four significant foodborne pathogens, and found 155 outbreaks linked to irradiation-eligible foods that had not been irradiated.
The European Commission has updated its internal guidance document on the implementation of its regulations on the hygiene of food of animal origin, to clarify how cultivated meat, insects, and other foods for which no detailed requirements are established should be regulated in accordance with the provision’s requirements.
A recent study found high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among Escherichia coli on raw chicken meat sold at retail in the UK, as well as in chicken-based raw dog food samples—with almost half of samples resistant to critically important antibiotics.
A recent study comparing the presence of chemical contaminants in conventionally and hydroponically grown produce found pesticide residues and toxic heavy metals in a larger number of conventional samples than in hydroponic samples. Phthalate levels were consistent between conventional and hydroponic samples.
On May 20, 2024 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold an informational webinar about the recently published Agricultural Water Final Rule.