Contamination Control

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WHO assessed the overall public health risk as “moderate,” citing the vulnerability of infants, uncertainty around the extent of contamination, and gaps in surveillance and traceability.

The free resource outlines practical ways to identify risks, select the right inspection technologies, and build a proactive foreign material contamination prevention strategy, focusing on five key areas of food safety management.

No U.S. Salmonella outbreaks linked to Mexican papayas have been identified since 2020 thanks to collaborative efforts between regulators and industry in both countries. The case study could serve as a framework for improving food safety in other commodities and global supply chains.

The products have been recalled, but have a long shelf life. FDA previously reported working with the manufacturers to determine the root cause of contamination, but has not shared an update at the time of the investigation’s close.

A national study led by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) found concerning increases in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among poultry-associated Campylobacter isolates. Source attribution modeling predicted that chicken meat is by far the most dominant source of human campylobacteriosis cases.

Recent contamination incidents involving moringa products draw attention to supply chain vulnerabilities that affect many botanical ingredients used in the global natural health industry. These events offer an opportunity to examine where problems can emerge and how companies can better protect consumer safety.

The low-cost approach enables simultaneous detection of multiple foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in a shorter timeframe than traditional detection methods, without requiring advanced technical training. 

This episode covers new research on food allergen risks in processing environments, including studies on allergen recovery from environmental swabs, cross-contamination in shared frying oil, and dispersal of allergenic food powders. Also discussed is an EU proposal to harmonize precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) requirements.

In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, Kye Luker, Chief Product Officer at FlexXray, discusses the significant challenge of foreign material contamination, and how food processors can improve detection and inspection with advanced technologies and third-party partnerships. 

A total of seven patients—four of whom are three years of age or younger—have been sickened in three states. Epidemiologic evidence indicates that RAW FARM-brand unpasteurized cheddar cheese products are the likely vehicle of illness, but product testing is ongoing.