Contamination Control

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With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all industries that need to maintain microbiologically safe environments have shown a renewed interest in antimicrobial coatings and their application.

This article gives a comparison of food safety/quality needs with employee safety during production, using the chemical application of peracetic acid to control environmental biological contamination as the example. It also examines how to better encourage collaboration between food safety and employee safety, using the hierarchy of controls as the guide.

Class 1 recalls are defined as situations where there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a food product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans. Residues of most of the so-called "Big 8" (and soon-to-be "Big 9," with the recent addition of sesame seeds) allergenic foods are considered as a basis for Class 1 recalls. While food allergen recalls are unwelcome, potentially valuable lessons can be learned from these unfortunate events. Good manufacturing practices (GMPs) have evolved from corrective actions taken to prevent allergen recalls.

This column will expand on the findings of the FDA study of the economic evaluation of the GenomeTrakr whole genome sequencing (WGS) program, adding data on the use of sequencing and how it will continue to change food safety practices and markets. It will also discuss what FDA is doing with GenomeTrackr to uncover previously unseen outbreaks and how this is keeping pressure on processors to expand environmental monitoring and controls.

This article addresses the sources, risk, and management of marine biotoxins found in molluscan shellfish and methods to identify contaminated shellfish meat before marketing. The authors also present an update to the online learning module developed to provide current National Shellfish Sanitation Program marine biotoxin management requirements for molluscan shellfish intended for interstate commerce.

Japan is asking food manufacturers to provide proof of food safety credentials in order for them to use licensing exemptions.

The key to preventing foodborne illness outbreaks associated with S. aureus, which is impervious to the cooking killstep, lies in the education of food handlers.

Berries sold in Norway tested positive for several parasites between 2019 and 2020, suggesting that better contamination control is needed.

In the first part of this survey (“Foodborne Parasites: An Insidious Threat to Food Safety and Public Health”), we looked in depth at common pathogenic parasites behind foodborne illness outbreaks and assessed the extensive geography of their origin and prevalence. In this concluding part, we look in detail at industry and regulators’ approaches to preventive control and eradication in response to this expansive threat to the global food supply system and its consumers.
 

When determining the shelf life of meat products, it is important to consider how the growth of both spoilage organisms and pathogenic bacteria can be prevented, while at the same time keeping a keen eye on the sensory quality of the product.