Penn State University researchers have demonstrated the usefulness of wastewater monitoring for foodborne pathogen surveillance, after successfully isolating Salmonella from wastewater samples and linking them to clinical isolates from an existing foodborne illness outbreak.
Testing of all licensed dairy farms across the state of Massachusetts has produced 100 percent negative results for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1. Massachusetts is the first U.S. state to test all of its dairy herds for the virus.
Following a proof-of-concept trial with five major grocery chains, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is entertaining the idea of a new approach to national food hygiene regulation for large supermarket retailers, which would favor audit data monitoring over in-person inspections.
A recent study has demonstrated that current sampling and testing methods for Campylobacter may overlook epidemiologically-important strains. The researchers suggest using optimized culture methods and analyzing multiple isolates per sample.
A recent sampling assignment conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Pennsylvania and Michigan found milk in 6.2 percent of dark chocolate and chocolate-containing products labeled as “dairy-free,” although all positive samples were also labeled with an allergen advisory statement.
A recent study explored how the use of uniform, threshold-based precautionary allergen labeling could increase food safety for allergic consumers, as well as enhance the number of foods available to them on the market.
In an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, leading medical and food law experts have raised concerns about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) process for the introduction of ingredients to the food supply, and are calling on the agency to proactive steps to ensure the safety of new food substances.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is considering changes to maximum residue limits (MRLs) for certain agricultural and veterinary chemicals in foods. A call for comment on the proposal is open.
Following the deadly listeriosis outbreak tied to its product, Boar’s Head announced that it is indefinitely closing the facility and is discontinuing the liverwurst responsible, and has established a council of industry-leading experts to enhance the company’s food safety and quality programs.
In light of a recent investigation that found nearly half of honey imported to the EU is adulterated, UK researchers have demonstrated the promise of two innovative techniques—DNA barcoding and spatial offset Raman Spectroscopy—for detecting sugar adulterants in honey.
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