As in years past, USDA’s Pesticide Data Program reports that more than 99 percent of foods sampled in 2024 were compliant with EPA pesticide residue limits. Some persistent organic pollutants, like DDT, continue to show up in crops.
Addressing the need for efficient, inexpensive, and sustainable PFAS defluorination techniques, researchers from Ritsumeikan University, Japan have demonstrated the promise of near-UV light plus ligand-capped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals as a possible solution to PFAS recycling and remediation challenges.
In this year-end episode of Food Safety Matters, we round up the top stories of 2025, covering U.S. federal food safety policy changes under the Trump Administration, MAHA- and state-led moves against food additives of concern and ultra-processed foods, infant formula safety, science on Listeria and biofilms, ongoing monitoring of avian flu, and AI food safety applications.
FDA has published its annual Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program report for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 2023), summarizing findings from FDA testing of human and animal foods for pesticides.
FDA shared results of sampling and testing for PFAS conducted under the Total Diet Study in 2024. “Forever chemicals” were detected in 39 of 542 samples, with the highest concentrations in samples of shrimp, clams, catfish, and tilapia.
Two research projects are investigating several novel techniques for detecting hepatitis A virus that eliminate false positives produced by inactivated, non-infectious RNA fragments—an issue that limits the usefulness of existing methods for indicating actual food safety risk.
German Federal researchers have developed a rapid, onsite detection system for PFAS in water samples. Its cost-effectiveness and ease-of-use make it a potentially scalable solution for authorities and industry to monitor and remediate “forever chemical” contamination.
From food additive bans and obligatory food packaging changes to consumer right-to-know laws and labeling requirements, keeping abreast of the flurry of legislative and policy activity that is impacting the food industry may seem like an impossible task. This article discusses what you need to know and how best to prepare for upcoming food safety changes.
This episode of Food Safety Five discusses scientific recommendations around ultra-processed food (UPF) definitions and policy, a study demonstrating the antimicrobial efficacy of common sanitizers in potato wash water, and a review outlining the food safety risks of edible flowers. Also discussed are regulatory and standards developments in the U.S., EU, and at the international level.
Researchers with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station have demonstrated that the use of iron-fortified hemp biochar made from agricultural waste can significantly reduce the amount of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” taken up by food crops grown in contaminated soil.
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