Articles Tagged with ''microplastics''

The top ten food safety research projects that excited Food Safety Magazine’s audience the most in 2025 covered Listeria monocytogenes (especially related to biofilms), microplastics, Escherichia coli, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), avian influenza in dairy, microbial threats in irrigation water, and food allergens.

To close significant knowledge gaps and inform measures to protect consumers, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been requested by Parliament to deliver a scientific opinion on the potential health risks posed by microplastics in food, water, and air.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is not flawless; no packaging material is. However, its long safety record, rigorous regulatory oversight, and strong sustainability profile make it a material worth defending.

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses hoses as reservoirs for biofilms in food processing facilities, the presence of Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter on retail beef and chicken, a new Salmonella serovar database, and microplastics release from food contact materials.

A review published by EFSA concludes that, while there is clear evidence of microplastic release from food contact materials (FCMs), the actual quantities are likely lower than many studies suggest, and current evidence does not support reliable exposure estimates. Nanoplastics data remain insufficient.

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses a UK proposed ban on Bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials, as well as two studies with global relevance: a successful clinical trial for a novel Salmonella vaccine and research demonstrating how nanoplastics enter the edible parts of crops.

The enhanced StellarScope AM/PA unites micron-scale morphological imaging with Raman spectroscopy, driven by intelligent software control, to allow food industry users to detect, measure, classify, and chemically identify microscopic particles in their products.

Research from the University of Plymouth has demonstrated the ability of nanoplastics to infiltrate the edible radish root, which raises questions about the food safety and public health implications of dietary exposure to plastics. 

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Part 2 of this article series discusses the application of several problem-solving analytical tools to the PFAS crisis, as well as the impacts of PFAS on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.

Study’s results suggest that charged nanoplastics can influence the growth, viability, virulence, physiological stress response, and biofilm lifestyle of the pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7.