In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we discuss the top food safety stories of 2024 and their implications, including high-profile foodborne illness outbreaks, the ongoing avian flu outbreak in poultry and dairy cattle, FDA’s Human Foods Program restructuring, rising concerns and evolving legislation around food additives and chemical contaminants, and other topics.
After a poisoning outbreak linked to “legal” mushroom-based edibles sold across the country, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has informed industry that the mushroom Amanita muscaria is not authorized for use as an ingredient in food.
Earthjustice sued FDA on behalf of consumer advocates that previously petitioned FDA to revoke food contact authorizations for 28 phthalates, and were denied. Although FDA since revoked authorizations for many of those phthalates and says the rest are under review, the plaintiffs hope their lawsuit will force a long-overdue safety reassessment.
On December 19, the European Commission officially adopted a sweeping ban on the use of Bisphenol A (BPA), as well as some other bisphenols considered harmful, in all food contact materials. Industry will be allowed an 18-month transition period.
The European Commission has updated its list of food imports from certain countries that are subjected to temporarily increased official controls due to contamination risk.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) targeted testing of clams found a range of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) present in all samples. Testing of domestic clams did not reveal a similar level of contamination.
Researchers have estimated a global economic cost of $1.5 trillion per year associated with three toxic chemicals commonly found in plastics and food contact materials—BPA, DEHP, and PBDEs—due to premature deaths, chronic diseases, and lower IQs.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has opened a public consultation on a draft scientific opinion about the public health risks associated with perchlorate in food. EFSA increased the tolerable daily intake for the chemical and concluded no health risk to the general population at current exposure levels.
The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association’s latest Antibiotic Stewardship report showed significant decreases in antibiotic use for broiler chickens and turkeys between 2013 and 2023, with the proportion of broiler chickens receiving antibiotics in hatcheries dropping from 90 percent to less than 1 percent.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has opened a public consultation on a draft assessment of the health risks associated with fluoride exposure from drinking water, diet, and other sources.
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