Contamination Control

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According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s (PIRG’s) Food for Thought 2025 report, hospitalizations and deaths linked to foodborne illnesses doubled in 2024. Illnesses also increased, 98 percent of which were attributed to just 13 outbreaks. The number of USDA and FDA recalls decreased by 5 percent.

A partisan House bill sponsored by U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (R-KS) and Steve Womack (R-AK) aims to block USDA from using federal funds to implement its proposed regulatory framework for Salmonella in raw poultry products, the goal of which is to reduce foodborne salmonellosis cases.

Researchers from Wageningen University and Research have characterized the toxicological effects and allergenic potential of emerging alternative protein sources in a recent review.

Publicity concerning PFAS in food packaging has led to litigation alleging contamination in foods, claiming that manufacturers falsely marketed products by failing to disclose the presence of PFAS. Such claims will likely increase due to EPA's requirement for manufacturers and importers to submit reports on their use of PFAS by January 2026.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Natalie Rainer and Dr. Peter Coneski, food regulatory experts at K&L Gates LLP, about the policy and legal issues surrounding food packaging chemicals of concern and targeted food additives, and the implications for industry.

This article discusses how to prevent allergen cross-contamination in a foodservice environment, with expert guidance on methods and best practices from food safety experts and business leaders from the retail foodservice sector. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has compiled a report on the exposure of humans and food-producing animals to endocrine-disrupting chemicals—such as PFAS, BPA, and phthalates, among others—between 2004 and 2024.

FAO has put out a call for experts and data to inform an upcoming series of FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) sessions, with the goal of generating updated advice about microbiological risk assessment for parasites in food.

As a result of Nevada state tracing and investigation following positive silo testing results under USDA’s National Milk Testing Strategy, USDA laboratories have confirmed through whole genome sequencing the first detection of a second genotype of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) in dairy cattle.

The EU has adopted a new regulation requiring Member States to conduct whole genome sequencing (WGS) on the isolates of five important pathogens during the investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks, and sets data-sharing parameters.