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The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Meeting on Microbial Risk Assessment (JEMRA) on the pre- and post-harvest control of Campylobacter in poultry meat was convened to review recent data and evidence, and to provide scientific advice on control measures for thermo-tolerant C. jejuni and C. coli in the broiler production chain.

The UK Food Standards Agency recently highlighted the Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and Environment (PATH-SAFE) program, which aims to develop a national surveillance network that uses whole genome sequencing (WGS) to improve the monitoring of foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a draft scientific opinion that updates the risk assessment of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) in food and is inviting stakeholders to provide their input on the draft. MOH comprise a wide range of chemical compounds obtained mainly from petroleum distillation and refining.

A pre-publication draft of a final rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revealed EPA’s intent to regulate several types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as contaminants, setting new maximum levels for six PFAS in drinking water.

Penn State University, Meru University of Science and Technology, and Meru County in Kenya have entered a partnership to advance food safety in Kenya through research.

Notre Dame researchers have found the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fluorinated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic containers, which may be used for food packaging as well as the packaging of pesticides and other consumer goods, and demonstrated the risk of human exposure to PFAS from foods that come into contact with HDPE packaging.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to allow the use of alpha-glucosidase—a permitted enzyme processing aid derived from a genetically modified (GM) source—for the brewing of beer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it is requesting $7.2 billion as part of the president’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget, $128.2 million of which the agency intends to invest in food safety and nutrition modernization, including food labeling and animal food safety oversight. The agency also announced a number of legislative proposals that enhance its regulatory authorities alongside the funding requests.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently highlighted recently completed and ongoing work for two separate projects, the first being an expert presentation on foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Nepal, and the second being an evaluation of the national food control system in Kenya.

The EU is making changes to the levels of arsenic allowed to be present in certain foods. The European Commission published Regulation (EU) 2023/465, amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006, which sets forth maximum levels of contaminants, such as arsenic, in certain foods.