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USDA-FSIS has named Robert Bane as the new Deputy Administrator of Field Operations, who will serve alongside Deputy Administrator Dr. Denise Eblen in the Office of the Administrator. FSIS also announced several other appointments in different offices.

A U.S. appeals court has ruled that USDA must amend the Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard to close the loophole that exempts certain “ultra-processed” foods (UPFs) from displaying label disclosures for genetically modified (GM) ingredients. Additionally, the court ruled that QR code-only disclosures are unlawful without explicit on-label statements.

A report published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) assessed FDA’s completion of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and identified several areas requiring more work, such as FSMA 204 implementation, certain Produce Safety Rule and Preventive Controls guidances, and required assessments.

A paper from the year 2000 suggesting the safety of glyphosate (the active ingredient in herbicide Roundup), which has been cited for decades in regulatory decisions and pesticide approvals, has been retracted after litigation revealed undisclosed conflicts of interest undermining the study’s integrity.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 were unveiled on January 7 alongside a new, inverted food pyramid that elevates the importance of protein and dairy, and an “eat real food” messaging campaign that denounces “highly processed food.”

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.

A Harvard Law report analyzes how federal preemption may impact the emerging patchwork of U.S. state bills on food chemical safety, categorizing the types of common legislation seen in 2025 and discussing possible legal and constitutional challenges.

A court has ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed against House Bill 2354, which was passed in March 2025 and would prohibit foods containing several food additives and dyes from sale in the state. The injunction does not apply to the bill’s provision banning seven food dyes from school meals.

A first-of-its-kind French study has demonstrated that food additives are consumed as mixtures by children and adults, underscoring the importance of considering combined exposures in food safety evaluations.

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses a food safety issue that was covered in some of our most-read scientific articles of 2025: microplastics release from food contact materials and contamination of food.