In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Mr. Tom Black, representing Codex Alimentarius and the Australian Government, and Dr. Gabor Molnar, representing UNIDO, about international food safety standards and trends in an increasingly digitalized and AI-driven world, as well as the work efforts of their organizations.
A German outbreak of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O45:H2 infections has caused 183 confirmed cases of illness (351 including probable and possible cases), 48 cases of HUS, and three deaths (two confirmed one probable). Contaminated meat or sausage products are the likely vehicle of illness, but plant-based foods have not yet been ruled out.
The FAO UK Reference Center for AMR has partnered with the Philippines to strengthen national laboratory capacity and harmonize antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods, involving representatives across the food and agriculture sectors.
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.
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 2024 European foodborne illness outbreak caused by a rare Salmonella serotype, linked to leafy greens grown near a buffalo farm, exposed gaps in biosecurity, surveillance, and data transparency across the agri-food system.
The Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT’s) Food Science Academic Knowledge Base 2025 covers application and enrollment trends, areas of growing and declining interest, and key influences among food science students globally.
On October 14, as part of the FAO Science and Innovation Forum, FAO will hold a webinar on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing food safety management. Registration for online participation in the event is now open.
The 14th annual Operation OPSON, led by Europol to crack-down on counterfeit and substandard food and beverages circulating the EU, resulted in the seizure of 11.6 million kilograms of food and 1.4 million liters of beverages.