Testing & Analysis

RSS

The establishment of a comprehensive surveillance program that harnesses the benefits of whole genome sequencing (WGS) requires a coordinated approach involving multiple stakeholders at multiple levels within the framework of One Health. EFSA is actively collaborating with the network of EU experts to foster cooperation and promote equitable data-sharing practices, and is also committed to ensuring a more balanced contribution from all European countries and providing effective support and resources when necessary.

In this Food Safety Insights column, we continue to explore processors' near-term priorities for food safety programs, as well as the regulations and issues they are watching that will have the most impact on their programs in the future. Food safety culture, microbiological control (including environmental monitoring), and sanitation and hygiene are three of processors' indicated top priorities for the near term.

Non-cultivable foodborne pathogens, such as enteric viruses and protozoan parasites like Cyclospora, present unique challenges in our food system due to significant limitations in sampling and detection. This article covers the methodological drawbacks of current methods related to interpretation of results and public health risk, while offering alternative food safety management principles to address the prevalence of these pathogens in food.

After reviewing its sampling and testing programs, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will implement changes to its sampling programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The agency also explained its sampling and testing priorities.

Hygiena® recently inaugurated a new branch in Sydney, Australia to serve the food and beverage industry in Australia, New Zealand, and the broader Southeast Asian region.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new exploratory sampling program for antibiotic residues in cattle that are claimed to be raised without antibiotics. 

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.

A team of scientists is developing a rapid sensor-based decision-making system to assess and mitigate Salmonella contamination across the entire poultry supply chain, with an emphasis on improving health equity by leveraging data to help disproportionately affected communities make informed food safety decisions. 

This article discusses the consumer and regulatory drivers of the current focus on heavy metals in foods for babies and young children, and also explores the congressional investigation and FDA's subsequent Closer to Zero effort. It also discusses the latest developments and what moves can be expected next from FDA.