Microplastics and nanoplastics are pervasive in the food supply and may be affecting food safety and security on a global scale, according to a new study led by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency.
Additional control measures for Salmonella contamination by manufacturers of Not ready-to-eat (NRTE) breaded, stuffed chicken products—such as those proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—could reduce salmonellosis cases associated with such products, according to a recent study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
On May 15, 2023, the California State Assembly passed first-of-its-kind legislation that would prohibit the use of certain dangerous and toxic chemicals in processed foods and drinks. Assembly Bill (AB) 418 would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of any food product in California containing red dye 3, titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, or propyl paraben.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) for FDA staff on the agency’s enforcement of major food allergen labeling and cross-contact. In response to FDA’s statement about the inclusion of sesame in foods that did not previously contain the allergen, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) expressed its dissatisfaction.
A recent study aiming to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cases of foodborne enteric diseases in Canada found a considerable reduction in cases in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Researchers from the Singapore Food Agency’s National Center for Food Science and the National University of Singapore have developed a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach for the detection of viable Salmonella Enteritidis contamination in shell eggs, which would accelerate the traditional Salmonella testing process if integrated.
A recent study, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA’s NIFA), has estimated the economic burden of foodborne illnesses linked to flour and flour-based food products in the U.S. from 2001–2021 to be as high as $258 million. Salmonella and Escherichia coli were implicated pathogens.
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how foodborne pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus infects people after eating raw or undercooked shellfish. The findings could lead to new ways to treat illness caused by the enteric bacteria.