FAO’s new Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (RVDF) Tool is designed to help national authorities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) mitigate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by improving their monitoring and risk management of veterinary drug residues in food products.
During its 100th session held in June, the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) evaluated the safety of eight food additives and one processing aid, including rosemary extract, Gardenia Blue, and carob bean gum, and revised the specifications of seven other additives and processing aids.
The executive summary includes global risk characterizations for parasite-food commodity combinations for Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Giardia, Toxoplasma gondii, and other foodborne protozoan parasites.
Report looks at concerns surrounding labeling, adulteration, drug interactions, overdose and toxicity, and it also examines regulatory frameworks across various countries and regions.
With a primary focus on food safety, a foresight exercise conducted by FAO identified both opportunities and challenges related to innovations in the New Food Sources and Production Systems space.
FAO recently published a report on the food safety aspects of precision fermentation, covering nomenclature issues, the production process, and regulatory frameworks.
To improve upon the commonly used precautionary, hazards-based approach to allergen labeling, FAO and WHO have developed a scientific approach to food allergen labeling based on actual risk, such as the likelihood and severity of an allergic reaction occurring.
FAO has published a summary of an expert meeting on foodborne toxigenic clostridia (i.e., Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, and Clostridioides difficile), characterizing their relevant food safety aspects, describing control measures, and identifying knowledge gaps and research needs.
A recently published summary of an FAO technical meeting identified the challenges and needs related to applying gut microbiome data in future food chemical safety risk assessments.
