Campylobacter and Salmonella infections reported in the EU in 2022 remained below pre-pandemic (2018–2019) levels, according to the latest EU One Health zoonoses report, but the number of reported foodborne illness outbreaks increased by 44 percent in comparison to 2021.
The European Commission is poised to make the controversial decision to renew ten-year approval of the use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto-Bayer’s Roundup product line, which has come under fire in recent years for its association with cancer.
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (EC’s DG SANTE) recently published a report on the effectiveness of EU Member States’ strategic approaches for fighting food fraud, which informed a guidance document that supports Member State efforts in this area.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a joint statement with the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Environment Agency (EEA), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to express their commitment to supporting the One Health agenda.
Europol has drawn attention to an increasing trend of food fraudsters relabeling expired goods after operation OPSON Europe—a Europol-INTERPOL joint operation targeting fake and substandard food and beverages—found relabeled expired products at an “unprecedented scale.” Overall, €30 million euros worth of illicit foods weighing 8,000 tons were seized between December 2022 and April 2023.
Although the use of glyphosate on crops poses a food safety risk and its use should be curbed, completely banning the substance too early may lead to farmers using chemical alternatives that are just as harmful to human and environmental health, according to experts from Wageniningen University and Research (WUR).
Wageningen University Food Safety Research recently launched a four-year project with the goal of developing an early warning system to detect the presence of mycotoxins in European cereal grains.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently published a report detailing the activities of its Advisory Group on Data during 2022. The aim of the EFSA Advisory Group on Data is to demonstrate the ways in which digitalization of food systems can improve food safety in Europe.
The use of Methyloxolane, a plant-based solvent, has been authorized in Europe for the production of food ingredients as a substitute for hexane, which is derived from petroleum. The Minafin Group’s EcoXtract® brand supplies Methyloxolane solvent for the extraction of oils, vegetable proteins, and natural ingredients.
