A recent study found the majority of vegan meat and dairy alternatives available in England to be of satisfactory microbiological quality. Tofu from one producer had a Listeria problem.
Researchers are pointing to the food safety and public health threat of microplastics in wastewater, which can serve as a vehicle for pathogenic biofilm communities and antibiotics, introducing these hazards to the environment and crops, and even contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Between 2017 and 2019, Canadian public health laboratories transitioned to whole genome sequencing (WGS) for foodborne illness outbreak surveillance. A recent study shows the positive impact of this transition of national outbreak detection and response for important foodborne pathogens.
A recent study of salmon sold at Seattle, Washington grocery stores and sushi restaurants found 18 percent of samples to be mislabeled overall, with one-third of “wild-caught” salmon sold at sushi establishments being mislabeled.
An ongoing study funded by the Center for Produce Safety aims to fill knowledge gaps about the microbial food safety risks posed by wax roller brushes used on fruit and vegetables, as well as identify best cleaning and sanitation practices.
New artificial nose technology developed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) could make it possible to reliably detect and identify spoiled and damaged food through smell.
In a recent research project, the fortification of rice grains with zinc oxide and magnesium oxide nanoparticles was shown to be effective in inhibiting Escherichia coli growth. The researchers believe that similar nanofortification techniques could be applicable across agriculture to enhance microbial food safety.
