The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reevaluated the safety of artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium (also known as acesulfame K, or additive E 950) for the first time since 2000, raising the acceptable daily intake. However, EFSA recommended lowering the maximum limits for lead and mercury in E 950.
As of July 1, 2025, new EU maximum levels for nickel—a heavy metal known to contaminate food, which can have acute and chronic health effects—went into effect for a range of foods. Additional limits for nickel in cereal will go into effect in July 2026.
USDA-FSIS released a notice in late June that it plans to extend its H5N1 Influenza A Dairy Cow Testing Program until September 30. Meanwhile, the EU released a new guidance document on preparedness, prevention, and response for avian flu in animals and food.
To combat food fraud and reduce instances of scombroid poisoning due to histamine contamination, a new European Commission draft regulation would tighten regulations for freezing tuna onboard vessels.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has alerted the public that pathogens resistant to last-resort carbapenem antibiotics are increasingly being found in European food animals and food products.
Researchers from the University of Córdoba
in Spain have developed a model for predicting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in artisanal cheeses, which will be especially useful to producers that must demonstrate compliance with recently expanded EU regulations for controlling the pathogenin ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.
The European Commission published a FAQ document to clarify the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2025/179, which mandates whole genome sequencing (WGS) testing and data reporting for important foodborne pathogens when suspected to be associated with a foodborne illness outbreak.
The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has opened a call to all small- and medium-sized businesses in the novel foods sector that are interested in receiving the agency’s guidance on the application requirements for novel food authorization in the EU.
Between January 2023 and January 2025, a total of 509 illnesses were caused by the consumption of alfalfa sprouts across ten countries in Europe. The outbreak encompasses eight Salmonella serotypes, and the sprouts were traced back to seeds grown in a single geographical region in Italy.
A joint report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) shows that resistance to key antibiotics among important foodborne pathogens is persistently high in both humans and animals.
