Contamination Control

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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently published two reports—one on control measures for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in meat and dairy products, and another reviewing Listeria monocytogenes attribution, characterization, and monitoring in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.

The European Commission recently updated its regulation on maximum levels for ochratoxin A, a type of mycotoxin, in foods.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has proposed a regulatory framework that would change food safety in the poultry industry, including new flock testing requirements, enhancing process control and verification, and implementing enforceable final product standards.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has explained the science behind its draft opinion on the public health risk of nitrosamines in food, which was recently opened to public consultation.

A recent study has confirmed human fecal indicators on 50 percent of food-safe, single-use, new and unused gloves, as well as foodborne pathogens and other microbes.

As part of the Closer to Zero Action Plan, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct an independent study to assess young children’s exposure to mercury from consuming seafood.

As the focus on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) intensifies, multiple states and some U.S. federal agencies are implementing or considering implementation of restrictions or bans on the products use in food contact articles. This article focuses on the restrictions and bans in the U.S. that impact the use of PFAS in food packaging, and includes a discussion of the challenges manufacturers face due to inconsistent science and policy decision related to the use of these chemicals in food packaging.

This article covers U.S. regulatory oversight in establishing pesticide residue tolerances, testing for residues in domestic goods and imports, and the importance of science-based standards for global trade and food safety.

A continuous improvement approach may be useful for poultry operations aiming to reduce the presence of Salmonella in their flocks, in light of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s initiative that includes increased quantitative microbial monitoring of incoming flocks to processing plants.