The new Food Law Codes of Practice include several changes that allow local authorities to make better use of their resources through a modernized, risk-based, flexible approach.
Following the formation of a food industry-backed lobbyist group with the goal of stopping state-level food additives restrictions, 84 consumer protection and public health organizations have signed a letter urging Congress to oppose such efforts.
ECDC has provided an update on a multi-year, multi-national outbreak of Salmonella Strathcona linked to tomatoes from Sicily, Italy, which has grown to 437 confirmed cases in 17 European countries, plus the UK, the U.S., and Canada.
Although this severe Escherichia coli strain is already prevalent in countries with less robust food safety and sanitation systems, as climate change becomes more extreme and cuts are made to food safety monitoring and infrastructures, it is becoming a growing threat to developed countries as well, researchers warn.
Americans for Ingredient Transparency (AFIT) is campaigning for federal action to “correct a maze of state-by-state-laws” that restrict or prohibit the use of colorants, additives, and ingredients in foods. AFIT is backed by many of the largest food industry associations and companies, some of which have made voluntary commitments to phase out food dyes or other additives.
The Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Food Safety Laboratory has developed the Salmonella Serovar Wiki—a web resource for global food safety professionals to rapidly access information about a given Salmonella serovar.
The French National Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) has proposed an expanded monitoring scheme for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) based on a first-of-its-kind inventory of PFAS contamination and toxicity, comprising more than 247 “forever chemicals.”
The FAO-led Regional Food Safety Research and Innovation Network (RFSRIN) was officially launched this October to improve food safety across the Near East and North Africa. Recent efforts by RFSRIN include a report mapping the region’s food safety challenges and opportunities.
A review published by EFSA concludes that, while there is clear evidence of microplastic release from food contact materials (FCMs), the actual quantities are likely lower than many studies suggest, and current evidence does not support reliable exposure estimates. Nanoplastics data remain insufficient.
This episode of Food Safety Five discusses a UK proposed ban on Bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials, as well as two studies with global relevance: a successful clinical trial for a novel Salmonella vaccine and research demonstrating how nanoplastics enter the edible parts of crops.
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