The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today posted an Investigation Update on the multistate outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg infections linked to Foster Farms brand chicken that was initially reported in early October. To date, 416 individuals have been affected, from 23 states and Puerto Rico.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced that new Directives are available on Verifying Compliance with Requirements for Written Recall Procedures; Ante-Mortem, Postmortem Inspection of Equines and Documentation of Inspection Tasks; and Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used In the Production of Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products.
The European Commission on Dec. 18 adopted three draft laws on animal cloning and on novel food "to provide legal certainty in this field." The proposals seek to prohibit the use of the cloning technique in the European Union (EU) for farm animals, importing of animal clones, and marketing of food from animal clones.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced that on Friday, Jan. 10, from 2 to 3 p.m. (EST), they will present a webinar on progress toward attributing foodborne illnesses to food sources. The webinar is open to the public at no charge.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) today published a scientific opinion paper, written by the agency's Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ), which reviews various molecular typing methods for the four major foodborne pathogens (Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria and Campylobacter) and evaluates the effectiveness of those methods.
Charm Sciences announced Dec. 16 that its ROSA (Rapid One Step Assay) WET (Water Extraction Technology) XR Aflatoxin Quantitative test has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) for the detection, in a single five-minute assay, of 0–100 ppb aflatoxin in feed and grain.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Dec.17 extended the period for submission of comments, scientific data and other information related to its draft document titled, “Draft Risk Profile on Pathogens and Filth in Spices.” The new deadline is March 3, 2014.
A new agreement between Marshfield Food Safety, LLC, and PathoGenetix, Inc., provides for independent testing of the RESOLUTION Microbial Genotyping System for use in pathogen confirmation and identification for food industry applications.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided to extend the comment period by 60 days, to March 8, 2014, on its preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils, the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods, are not “generally recognized as safe” for use in food.
InstantLabs, a Baltimore-based molecular diagnostic device company, is launching a food safety blog on its website, www.instantlabs.com/blog. The blog will focus on issues related to food safety, micro and molecular biology, lab technique and other topics.
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