Contamination Control

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The World Health Organization has designated antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as one of the top ten global challenges facing humanity. In this article, the emergence of AMR in major foodborne bacterial pathogens will be highlighted and its ramifications in relation to food safety will be discussed. 

New uses for existing technologies are being deployed in foodservice establishments to prevent persistent pathogens like Salmonella, and viral pathogens like norovirus and Hepatitis A, on surfaces where continuous sanitation and disinfection is needed. 

A bill has been reintroduced to U.S. Congress that would create an Office of Food Safety Reassessment within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regularly review the safety of chemicals used in food.

Food contaminated with polybrominated diphenyl ethers pose a health risk to all age groups, according to the draft conclusion of a recent scientific opinion by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). A public consultation on the opinion is available.

Wageningen University Food Safety Research recently launched a four-year project with the goal of developing an early warning system to detect the presence of mycotoxins in European cereal grains.

A recent study suggests that the safety assessment of pesticides in the EU has been undermined by the nondisclosure of certain toxicity data. 

A study led by North Carolina State University suggests that popular artificial sweetener sucralose may be genotoxic and cause adverse effects to the gut.

In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with two poultry science experts about what industry can do to reduce the presence of Salmonella in poultry products in light of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) recently proposed requirements that would consider Salmonella an adulterant in poultry.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA’s ARS) has launched the Salmonella Grand Challenge—a new, nationwide initiative that brings together a group of elite scientists from different specialties to fight salmonellosis. The scientists will integrate their research to learn more about Salmonella risks to meat and poultry products, which will then inform the development of monitoring tools for meat and poultry producers to prevent Salmonella contamination.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has released an updated Guideline for Controlling Salmonella in Swine Slaughter and Pork Processing Establishments.