The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced its preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods, are not “generally recognized as safe” for use in food. The FDA’s preliminary determination is based on available scientific evidence and the findings of expert scientific panels.
The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) today began accepting nominations for its 2014 Association Awards. IAFP also encourages people to submit applications for the IAFP Travel Award for State or Local Health or State Agricultural Department Employees (U.S. only) and for the IAFP Travel Award for a Food Safety Professional in a Country with a Developing Economy. Students may apply for a Student Travel Scholarship.
The United States on Nov. 1 issued new import rules for cattle and beef that will comply with international standards for the prevention of mad cow disease, saying the step could ultimately boost U.S. beef exports. The European Union said the U.S. move would bring a welcome re-opening of a market closed to its beef since January 1998.
The Knox County Health Department and the East Tennessee Regional Office have issued an alert, advising people not to consume raw milk or dairy products from McBee Dairy Farm in Mascot due to possible E. coli infection.
Food traceability is a growing concern for both businesses and consumers who want to know exactly where their food is coming from, but the path of the global food supply is a winding one and the increasing complexity of the world's food system can make it difficult to trace products back to their source.
The Association of Food & Drug Officials (AFDO) announces the implementation of a newly developed “Food Protection Program Portal” that is available to all food safety regulatory officials.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed rules on Friday that would govern the production of pet food and farm animal feed for the first time. The regulation would help prevent food-borne illness in both animals and people.
The recent outbreak of food-borne illnesses from Salmonella Heidelberg linked to three California Foster Farms chicken processing facilities has created a rash of misinformation from some media and activists, creating misperception by the public. The fact that so many were sickened, and an increased number hospitalized, speaks to the virulence of the strains found in the outbreak, not to antibiotic resistance.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed a draft risk profile on pathogens and filth in spices. This science-based document describes the current state of knowledge related to spice contamination, describes mitigation and control mechanisms currently available, and identifies critical knowledge gaps. The risk profile was initiated in response to recent outbreaks of human illness caused by the consumption of Salmonella-contaminated spices in the United States.
The National Potato Council recently released its Commodity-Specific Food Safety Guidelines for the Production, Harvest, Storage, and Packing of Potatoes and will host a media briefing about the document on Friday, Nov. 8, in a 30-minute webinar from 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. ET.
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