State and local health departments in Washington are investigating five cases of foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes in Western Washington, three of which have resulted in death. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has indicated a common source of infection.
To highlight the economic burden of the emergence and transmission of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) foodborne pathogens, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently released a publication on the topic that also suggests actions and policies countries can consider.
Traditional dairy processors have begun to develop various milk alternatives alongside their standard product lines to adapt to shifting consumer demand. To effectively analyze and test traditional product lines while overcoming the difficulties of testing novel plant-based milk, they must have access to adaptable instruments and accommodate specific food safety concerns.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently updated its list of qualified presumption of safety (QPS) -recommended microbiological agents intentionally added to food or feed. QPS is a regularly updated generic pre-valuation of the safety of microorganisms based on an assessment of published data for each agent.
A recent UK-based report from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) warns that the lack of a legal definition for vegan food is potentially putting people with allergies at risk, as well as causing confusion for consumers and businesses.
A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign concluded that, when sampling powdered infant formula for Cronobacter contamination, sampling with stratification may be more powerful than random sampling, and that taking more samples, even if smaller, increases the ability to detect contamination.
In support of FDA's Closer to Zero initiative, researchers have conducted a risk assessment that estimates the U.S. population’s dietary exposure to cadmium. The study found children aged 6–24 months and 24–60 months to be the populations most highly exposed to cadmium, with concerning levels of exposure when compared to guidelines set by regulatory agencies.
The U.S. and Canada are melting pots of cultures, and one of the most evident expressions of this diversity can be found in the variety of ethnic foods available in markets. While the influx of these foods has brought new and exciting flavors to North American palates, it has also brought the risk of new microbial hazards.
The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has published the summary of its findings on the food safety aspartame and 15 other flavorings, which was discussed at the 96th meeting of JECFA that took place in Geneva, Switzerland from June 27–July 6, 2023.
However, FDA and industry groups disagree with WHO's determination.
July 14, 2023
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared popular artificial sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans," although the acceptable daily intake of 40 milligrams mg/kg of body weight remains unchanged. Additionally, FDA and industry groups disagree with WHO's determination.
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