With a primary focus on food safety, a foresight exercise conducted by FAO identified both opportunities and challenges related to innovations in the New Food Sources and Production Systems space.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a paper describing research and innovation needs to support regulatory science and advance risk assessment, including understanding the gut microbiome, improving aggregate chemical exposure science, ensuring allergenicity assessments for novel proteins are fit-for-purpose, and other areas.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recently published its first annual report summarizing infectious disease trends, which noted increases in the incidence of infections by important foodborne pathogens like Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, and norovirus.
A paper authored by experts associated with ILSI Europe asserts that global food safety would benefit from the harmonization of risk assessment protocols for food contact materials used by different regulatory bodies, and suggests a path forward for working toward harmonization.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has alerted the public that pathogens resistant to last-resort carbapenem antibiotics are increasingly being found in European food animals and food products.
FAO recently published a report on the food safety aspects of precision fermentation, covering nomenclature issues, the production process, and regulatory frameworks.
To improve upon the commonly used precautionary, hazards-based approach to allergen labeling, FAO and WHO have developed a scientific approach to food allergen labeling based on actual risk, such as the likelihood and severity of an allergic reaction occurring.
FAO has published a summary of an expert meeting on foodborne toxigenic clostridia (i.e., Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, and Clostridioides difficile), characterizing their relevant food safety aspects, describing control measures, and identifying knowledge gaps and research needs.
In a new study, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) evaluated the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to detect foodborne illness outbreaks by analyzing online restaurant reviews. Although several challenges were identified that must be overcome before AI can be used routinely in epidemiological investigations, UKHSA believes the approach shows promise.
Warming temperatures associated with climate change are increasing the risk of human exposure to fungi-produced mycotoxins from food, warned the European Environment Agency in a new briefing. Mycotoxins pose significant health risks to humans and are present in foods like grains and cereals.
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