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Dr. Harpreet Kochhar previously served in the position in 2023–2024.

A survey of food safety and quality professionals in the dairy industry found that digital transformation is inconsistent and weighted toward larger companies. Current uses of digital tools and barriers to adoption were identified.

Introduced by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, AB 2244 would establish the “California Certified” seal for non-ultra-processed foods (non-UPFs) that can be displayed on the label of qualified food products, similar to the "USDA Organic" seal.

The delays give the agency time to respond to comments made on the final orders approving beetroot red and spirulina extract for use as color additives in human foods. However, FDA stands by its determinations that the colorants are safe for their intended uses.

A JEMRA meeting was convened to help inform discussions about potential updates to Codex Alimentarius guidance, reflecting how scientific advances could strengthen microbiological risk assessments for food safety.

The Poultry Industry Food Safety Council (PIFSCo) will take an all-of-industry approach to identifying research priorities, sharing practical solutions, and promoting continuous food safety improvement.

Considering advice previously offered by NACMPI, stakeholder feedback will help inform whether FSIS moves forward with proposed changes to the current establishment size categorization scheme under the HACCP Final Rule to better reflect current industry conditions and improve regulatory effectiveness.

Expected to take effect by the end of 2027 after stakeholder consultations, the regulation, modeled after the EU’s Single-Use Plastics directive, would prohibit items like plastic cutlery, plates, and straws. Future phases would enforce further requirements for other articles.

The Environmental Working Group’s 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce highlights PFAS pesticides for the first time. Although EWG recently updated its methodology, scientists argue it still does not consider key exposure science and risk assessment principles, therefore misleading consumers about the health risks of conventionally grown produce.

Researchers developed a quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) framework that evaluates the public health, environmental, and economic trade-offs of microbiological sampling plans. They suggested microbiological sampling may be most useful when risk-based or as a verification tool.