Contamination Control

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New EU legislation restricts the amount of green tea extract containing (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) that can be present in food and sets labeling requirements, for food safety reasons. EGCG is a catechin, which are flavinols that may lead to liver damage.

SmartWash Solutions has announced its new EPIC Panel Sterilight, a patent-pending product designed to safely and automatically kill Listeria monocytogenes and other pathogens inside control panels, which is an often-overlooked source of cross-contamination in the food industry.

To understand and eventually reduce the risk of salmonellosis from poultry meat, it is necessary to understand the poultry production system, the introduction of the microorganism into the poultry ecosystem (as well as its gastrointestinal tract), the sources of Salmonella during production, subsequently, strategies to control or reduce the risk from this microorganism at both the pre-and post-harvest stages. Part 3 of this article will focus on post-harvest controls during processing to minimize the risk of Salmonella from poultry products.

Data from OzFoodNet has shown campylobacterosis and salmonellosis to be the most common foodborne illnesses reported in Australia in 2017.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service are using a bioplastic coating to naturally shield seeds from Aspergillus, a type of fungi that produces aflatoxin. Exposure to aflatoxins is a food safety issue due to the compound’s carcinogenic and other harmful effects.

The European Food Safety Authority’s European Scientific Network on Microbiological Risk Assessment recently convened for its 22nd meeting to discuss various national efforts related to microbial food safety hazards such as prevalent foodborne pathogens, mycotoxins, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and other risks.

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting in Microbial Risk Assessment (JERMA) convened in response to a Codex Alimentarius Committee request to develop microbiological risk assessment models for Listeria monocytogenes, and to provide recommendations to inform possible future revisions to Codex guidelines on hygienic controls for L. monocytogenes.

Researchers have built a new One Health-based risk model for possible human Campylobacter outbreaks that leverages data on weather patterns and the presence of Campylobacter on broiler farms.

With a draft guidance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling Requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Edition 5); Guidance for Industry.

After conducting new research on the survival of the COVID-19 virus on food and food packaging, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has determined that, while the likelihood of catching the virus from food varies by surface type, the risk is “very low” overall.