Microbiological Control

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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.

A recent study aiming to investigate the usefulness of publicly available whole genome sequencing (WGS) data for Salmonella surveillance has provided an overview of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among different serovars and defined the most common antibiotic resistance genes.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Darin Detwiler, LP.D., M.A.Ed., who is a food safety academic, advisor, advocate, and author with a 30-year history of working to control foodborne illness. Dr. Detwiler discusses the U.S. food safety system as portrayed in the 2023 Netflix documentary Poisoned, in which he is prominently featured. Additionally, Bob Ferguson discusses his latest Food Safety Insights column on food processors’ post-pandemic priorities and challenges.

A recent study carried out environmental monitoring programs (EMPs) for Listeria monocytogenes at three food production facilities in Japan with the aim of developing EMPs that are relevant to Japanese food businesses and to encourage more widespread adoption of EMPs.

The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) will hold a meeting on September 18–22, 2023 in Rome, Italy to discuss food attribution, analytical methods, and indicators of viruses in foods.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an open call for elicitors to help develop estimates of the global burden of foodborne disease by participating in a structured expert judgement study. 

Researchers recently discovered a new fungal strain in soil that shows potential for eliminating patulin, a harmful mycotoxin that contaminates fruits, by breaking it down into less toxic compounds.

Using whole genome sequencing (WGS), a recent study led by Michigan State University (MSU) has demonstrated widespread antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among foodborne Campylobacter jejuni in the state, and the ability to trace the origins of specific strains.

Following recalls of product potentially contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii and subsequent inspections, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters to three infant formula manufacturers for failing to adequately prevent the pathogenic adulteration of their formula products.