Contamination Control

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Spoilage microorganisms present an important and complex challenge for food manufacturers, affecting production processes, product quality, retailer relationships, consumer satisfaction, food loss and waste, and ultimately, the bottom line.

UKHSA said the relatively stable number of STEC notifications in 2025 marked a departure from the steady annual increases observed since 2021, when larger outbreaks contributed substantially to case counts.

Companies making products containing allergens should pay close attention: FDA's approach to allergen regulation is actively evolving.

A new hypothesis suggests Listeria monocytogenes persists by colonizing nutrient-rich voids left behind when Gram-negative bacterial biofilms disperse. If the theory is validated, the authors suggest shifting food safety strategies toward managing biofilm ecology and ecological succession, rather than focusing solely on pathogen detection.

Following the global infant formula recall linked to cereulide contamination, Elena Medo discusses vulnerabilities in infant formula supply chains, infant-specific food safety risks, surveillance gaps, donor milk safety, and the lessons regulators and manufacturers can take away from this unprecedented event.

The European Food Safety Authority published an updated scientific opinion on emerging and novel brominated flame retardants in food. Insufficient data prevented full risk assessments for most of the 27 chemicals evaluated.

The review also identifies six health effect categories for further evaluation as part of efforts to support the development of health-based values for the “forever chemicals.”

At least 1,947 people infected with Cyclospora who had exposure to Taco Bell have been reported in nine states. Michigan and Ohio are together reporting more than 10,000 cyclosporiasis cases. FDA is investigating three other outbreak clusters.

The growing collection includes scientific publications and guidances on detection and viability methods, agricultural water monitoring and treatment, mitigation strategies, and the biology and epidemiology of the parasite.

The findings from a pre-competitive, industry–academia research collaboration provide a scientific foundation for discussions on quality standards and risk management in the plant-based dairy-alternative beverage sector.