Four infants in three states have been hospitalized with botulism after consuming Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula. California public health officials have detected Clostridium botulinum in an open can of Nara Organics formula collected from the home of an outbreak patient.
This episode of Food Safety Five covers a novel detection method for Clostridium botulinum and a potential new processing approach to mitigate contamination, as well as growing discussion around how C. botulinum should be handled in infant formula manufacturing, spurred by recent botulism outbreaks.
A new European Commission report identified inconsistencies in how EU Member States conduct official controls for histamine (scombrotoxin) in fishery products, highlighting gaps in inspection procedures, staff training, and harmonization of testing methods.
According to the researchers, treating PFAS as a single class of contaminants may overlook important differences in how individual compounds move through water systems and respond to remediation. Treatment strategies should be designed based on molecular structure, especially chain length.
The Danish Annual Report on Zoonoses summarizes trends in foodborne disease, zoonotic pathogens, and surveillance activities across humans, animals, food, and the environment.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has published its first national risk ranking of microbiological foodborne hazards, which is intended to support risk-based food safety management by helping prioritize prevention, surveillance, and control efforts.
Although the overall global burden has decreased, persistent and increasing burdens from specific foodborne parasites and in certain regions warrant continued public health attention.
Effective July 1, the amended Regulation (EU) 2073/2005 on the microbiological criteria for foods expands the requirements for food business operators regarding Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.
At least 106 people have been infected by the outbreak strain in 13 European countries. Young people are disproportionately affected. Some sickened children reported eating the noodles and seasoning dry, without adding boiling water as instructed on the package.
The Center for Produce Safety (CPS)-funded study also found that some produce items may naturally inhibit Listeria monocytogenes growth and that peracetic acid may sometimes promote Listeria growth during storage.