This article covers U.S. regulatory oversight in establishing pesticide residue tolerances, testing for residues in domestic goods and imports, and the importance of science-based standards for global trade and food safety.
A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization raises a concern with the limited existing data on seaweed food safety, and recommends several actions to close knowledge gaps and increase the safety of seaweed consumption.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for a chance to withdraw the agency’s own decision to approve the fungicide difenoconazole for use on crops, agreeing with a lawsuit that states the agency needs to acquire more data on the fungicide’s toxicity.
A recent study has found pervasive, low levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and phthalates in U.S. cannabidiol products. The study also demonstrated substantial inaccuracies of product label claims for CBD potency.
Recent studies have found that microplastics and nanoplastics move upward through the food chain and land in the human gut, and have also demonstrated the ability of the particles to encourage biofilm formation, harbor pathogens, and affect microbial growth in ways that may affect human health.
The IFT FIRST event offered several key takeaways impacting food safety, from topics and issues surrounding supply chain disruption and innovation to data standards and contaminants.
The European Commission has recently published revisions to its regulation on the use of ethylene oxide in food additives, setting stricter limits for the substance.
FDA is seeking scientific data and information on the current food contact uses of fluorinated polyethylene. Fluorination of polyethylene may result in the formation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested seafood samples for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and found harmful levels of perfluorooctanoic acid in canned clams from China.