Contamination Control

RSS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a letter to the Government of Minnesota requiring the state to address dangerous levels of nitrate contamination in its drinking water.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a three-part guide describing how whole genome sequencing (WGS) can be used as a tool to strengthen foodborne illness surveillance and response.

A federal appeals court has overturned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2021 ban on all uses of the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos in food crops.

The Swedish Food Agency's sampling of pesticide residues in food during 2021 has shown that, similarly to previous years, the majority of foods tested did not contain pesticides that exceeded EU maximum residue limits (MRLs), although rice was the biggest offender.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a factsheet on the 2022 Food Code definition and requirements for “in-shell product,” which is a sub-category of molluscan shellfish that requires special parameters for safe handling.

The European Food Safety Authority Panel on Biological Hazards (EFSA BIOHAZ) recently produced a report on the microbiological hazards associated with water used in postharvest handling and processing of fresh and frozen fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

A recent study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has provided strong evidence linking the ingestion of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are present in food packaging and pervasive in drinking water, to thyroid cancer.

A recent study led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated factors that could contribute to cross-contamination of food in restaurants, and observed more frequent contamination actions in establishments lacking food safety certification, food safety training, and handwashing policies.

Due to concerns about harms to human health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed to revoke the regulation that authorizes the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food. The agency also announced its intent to review three other possibly toxic, FDA-regulated food additives that were recently banned in the state of California, and announced that a decision about red dye 3 is forthcoming.

A recent study has demonstrated the efficacy of antimicrobial blue light technology for the inactivation of both dried cells and biofilms of Listeria monocytogenes on surfaces found in food processing environments.