While the fatal poisoning of more than 100 people with sulfanilamide sweetened with diethylene glycol occurred nearly 85 years ago, the herculean mobilization of federal, state, and local inspectors to retrieve product and prevent more deaths is as vital a lesson today as it was then.

Many food companies have made commitments to increase the use of recycled plastics in their packaging within the next 10 years. As this demand increases, there is more interest in chemical recycling, but first, we must understand current reprocessing capabilities and possible safety issues with the use of chemical recycled plastics in food packaging.

It can be challenging to maintain good working relationships with federal regulators when things are going well, but how do you leverage your best efforts during an inspection/audit especially when there are issues? Let's address how handling the inspection itself can be your most important asset, along with a fundamental understanding of the science and regulations that are in play.

In our last column, we revisited some of the testing-related topics we have covered since the inception of Food Safety Insights. This article looks at a few of the other impactful subjects that have made an impact on our markets in these past 5 years.