This episode of Food Safety Five discusses research on Listeria biofilms, including sanitizer efficacy and evolutionary insights, and on a persisting Escherichia coli strain in leafy greens. It also covers regulatory developments in the UK, Canada, and the UAE, as well as a potential U.S. ultra-processed foods (UPFs) definition.
FDA recently released a warning letter dated September 5, 2025, issued to Fresh and Ready Foods LLC, a ready-to-eat (RTE) foods producer that was implicated in a multi-state, multi-year listeriosis outbreak.
Clostridium botulinum-contaminatedByHeart-brand formula has sickened at least 23 babies across 13 states. FDA inspection reports and warning letters have come to light showing a history of food safety and hygiene violations at the company’s production facilities.
A new analysis of U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data conducted by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) quantified the impact of federal workforce cuts on experts and inspectors within USDA-FSIS and USDA-APHIS.
A new study found high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among bacteria isolated from unpasteurized (raw) cow and sheep milk in Pakistan, with the potential to spread resistance genes to other bacteria through the food chain.
The outbreak of infant botulism linked to ByHeart infant formula has grown to 23 confirmed cases in 13 states. All infants have been hospitalized, with no deaths reported. The company has issued a recall of all formula products sold nationwide.
ByHeart Inc., the infant formula manufacturer implicated in an ongoing, multistate botulism outbreak, has a history of food safety and hygiene violations at its production facilities, as well as an inadequate root cause analysis in previous incident, per FDA inspection records and warning letters.
The 48th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC48) has adopted and revised various standards, including new maximum levels for lead in cinnamon and dried herbs, the first international standard for fresh dates, updated food additives provisions, and other standards.
The FY 2026 appropriations bill, approved by Senate to end the U.S. government shutdown, sets forth FDA’s Human Foods Program budget for FY 2026. It also prohibits the use of federal funds to enforce certain FSMA rules within designated timeframes or for specific commodities.
Researchers have developed a new, farm-to-fork quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model to evaluate the risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in fresh-cut cantaloupe.