On January 1, three new EU reference laboratories for foodborne and waterborne diseases became officially operational, bringing the total number to nine. These laboratories will help national public health laboratories improve testing, data quality, and outbreak preparedness related to food- and waterborne pathogens.
The UK-based Chilled Food Association (CFA) has produced an industry-led good practice guidance for manufacturers and retailers of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods that may support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes to support compliance with UK and EU regulations on the microbiological criteria for foods.
The European Commission has published a revised guidance document on monitoring and shelf-life studies for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods in compliance with recent amendments to Regulation (EU) 2073/2005 on the microbiological criteria for foods.
Some EU and UK food law changes in development could arrive sooner than expected, and others will take more time to go into effect. This article discusses food law changes to watch for in 2026.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) convened itseighth annual Stakeholder Forum on November 24 in Brussels, Belgium, where more than 100 agri-food stakeholders and regulators explored how risk assessment can be accelerated without compromising food safety.
In a new scientific opinion, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) spreading from U.S. dairy cattle to Europe is very low, but still stresses preparedness and heightened surveillance.
The proposed EU Food and Feed Safety Simplification Package targets "overlapping and disproportionate rules" that burden agri-food businesses and national authorities, covering plant protection, feed additives, official controls, and animal health. The package's pesticide deregulation measures have garnered criticism from environmental protection groups.
According to a report by the Swedish Food Agency, food fraud costs Swedish society an estimated $13.6 billion SEK (approximately $1.5 billion USD) annually. The agency is preparing upcoming government directives to implement measures to address the growing problem of food fraud.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published guidelines for reporting whole genome sequencing (WGS) data in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2025/179, which requires Member States to conduct WGS on the isolates of five important pathogens during the investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks and sets data-sharing parameters.
A study used machine learning to analyze WGS data for Salmonella isolates from ten European nations. The findings reveal that poultry and pigs remain the dominant sources of human salmonellosis. Notable cross-border transmission underscores the need for internationally harmonized control strategies.
