To inform biosecurity and containment measures, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding its testing and monitoring efforts for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in milk.

Setting a new a new precedent for preharvest food safety interventions, the first-ever registration of an antimicrobial treatment for foodborne pathogens in preharvest agricultural water has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a new final Compliance Policy Guide on scombrotoxin (histamine) adulteration in fish and fishery products, and has lowered the acceptable levels for histamine in fish. 

In an October 31 webinar, Jim Jones, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, provided insight into the work of the Human Foods Program and how budgetary constraints are affecting its work.

XENON’s new stainless steel washdown lamp housing is powered by Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) -based PUREPULSE technology, providing an eco-friendly and effective sanitization solution for food packaging processes.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially named Taylor Farms onions served at McDonald’s as the source of the recent Escherichia coli outbreak, and has reported 90 illnesses, 27 hospitalizations, two cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, and one fatality.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has answered objections to a 2022 final rule revoking food contact uses of most phthalates, as well as objections to another petition urging FDA to revoke authorizations for all phthalate uses. The agency stands by its original decisions on both petitions, but reminds that phthalates are undergoing a safety reassessment by FDA.

In an effort to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, researchers at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) are developing a tool to help farmers choose the most effective and sustainable crop protection approaches for their unique operations.

Testing has shown no sign of Escherichia coli contamination in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder beef patties, and traceback and epidemiological data have ruled out beef as the cause of the ongoing E. coli outbreak. Quarter Pounders have returned to the menu at affected McDonald’s locations—without slivered onions.

Amid the ongoing E. coli outbreak, Taylor Farms has been confirmed as the onion supplier to the affected McDonald’s locations. As a result, national restaurant chains are proactively pulling onions from their menus. FDA is still investigating whether onions are the vehicle of illness.