In a new report, FAO assessed mycotoxin contamination in food and feed across the region and highlighted disparities in national regulatory frameworks, laboratory capacities, and surveillance systems, as well as the increasing impact of climate change on contamination risks.
According to the review, microbiological and chemical food safety hazards in the country are exacerbated by inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure, limited regulatory oversight, and food insecurity.
The actions are part of FDA's Closer to Zero initiative, which aims to continually reduce dietary exposure to toxic heavy metals among babies and young children.
Supported by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS), Cornell researchers are developing a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model to evaluate how quality defects affect Listeria and E. coli growth on produce, helping identify effective interventions and improve processes.
Postbiotin-E8, derived from Lacticaseibacillus, demonstrated antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against several foodborne pathogens, as well as the ability to extend the freshness of pasteurized milk, suggesting its potential as a natural preservative and surface decontaminant.
Researchers tested two low-cost food safety intervention approaches in small- and medium-scale pig slaughterhouses. Despite improvements in hygiene practices, neither approach was associated with reduced carcass contamination, suggesting the need for sustained, multi-level interventions targeting infrastructure, operations, and worker hygiene.
CDC and USDA-FSIS researchers analyzed 50 salmonellosis outbreaks linked to pork and identified the most commonly implicated
products and serotypes, as well as the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among isolates.
This episode covers the final findings from the U.S. Cyclospora outbreak, new USDA efforts to address Listeria, the new FDA Food Code, research on high-pressure processing for raw chicken, and emerging food safety concerns associated with plastic pollution.
Genomic analysis also identified biofilm-forming ability in half of isolates, as well as clinically relevant virulence genes. The study, conducted in the Indian state of Meghalaya, represents the country’s first genomic characterization of C. jejuni from pig sources.
After further optimization and validation, the approach could possibly offer an alternative to conventional culture-based screening methods that typically require three to five days. The bacteriophage amplification strategy, which was tested against Salmonella on chicken meat, could be adapted to detect other viable foodborne bacteria.
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