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In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Kris de Smet, D.V.M., Head of the Food Hygiene Team under the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety at the European Commission. Dr. de Smet discusses his work with the European Commission and Codex Alimentarius in areas such as Salmonella mitigation, foodborne illness outbreak preparedness and management, and food safety culture improvement and measurement.

A survey of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) found on retail foods sold in the UK has shown the overall prevalence of Salmonella to be low, although there is great genetic diversity among the Salmonella that was present, which may hinder outbreak investigations and source attribution in the case of foodborne illness outbreaks. 

A recent literature review has provided an overview of the impacts of climate change on significant foodborne pathogens, parasites, and toxins; specifically, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Vibrio, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and marine biotoxins.

The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Escherichia coli found on retail beef and pork meat samples in the UK is relatively low, according to surveillance conducted by the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Food Standards Scotland is encouraging food and beverage businesses to sign up for the new Food Crime Risk Profiling Tool, an online tool designed to help increase defense against food fraud.

A recent report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and three other global organizations has laid out priority research areas for mitigating the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at the interface between the agrifood, healthcare, and environmental sectors.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recently published a summary of a joint investigation of a multi-country foodborne illness outbreak of Salmonella Seftenberg that was possibly linked to cherry-like tomatoes.

In Canada, nearly 100 percent of food samples tested for the presence of microbial contaminants between April 2018 and March 2022 were deemed “satisfactory,” according to a recently published interim report from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) are requesting data on the levels of T-2 and HT-2 mycotoxins present in food.

To highlight the economic burden of the emergence and transmission of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) foodborne pathogens, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently released a publication on the topic that also suggests actions and policies countries can consider.