The recently released findings of a five-year study on consumer meal preparation practices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has highlighted the importance of National Food Safety Education Month.
New research from the Florida State University College of Medicine suggests that the artificial sweetener aspartame may have negative cognitive effects, finding spatial learning and memory deficits among the offspring of male mice that consumed low doses of the chemical.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has developed an innovative method for beef muscle samples that uses modern chemistry instrumentation for quantifying chemical residues.
A team of researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan have developed a foodborne bacteria detection and quantification tool that can produce results in as little as one hour. The researchers hope to see their technology used to confirm the microbial safety of food products before they leave the production facility.
Many people are unaware of the threat that foodborne illnesses pose in their own homes, with gaps seen between best practice and actual behavior. However, we can reduce risks in our home kitchens by providing people with solid science, education, and communication about home food safety.
Spoilage bacteria Pseudomonas are able to survive thermal processing methods commonly used in meat production and can grow in refrigerated, vacuum-sealed packaging with little to no oxygen, according to a recent study.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbial Risk Assessment (JEMRA) report on commodity specific prevention and control measures for microbial hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act (EFSIA) was recently reintroduced to U.S. Congress. If passed, the bill would allow U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigators to enter concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and conduct microbial sampling to trace foodborne illness outbreaks.
California Assembly Bill 418, also called the California Food Safety Act, which aims to prohibit four food additives from being used or sold in the state due to associated health risks, recently passed the state Senate and is waiting to be signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.
To inform the European Commission’s decision on whether to establish maximum levels for mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) in certain foods, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently published an update of its risk assessment on dietary exposure to the chemicals.