Today's food laboratories remain largely free of regulatory oversight. That is about to change with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) issuance of a final rule establishing a program for the testing of food, in certain circumstances, by accredited laboratories. Not only does this final rule provide specific quality standards and assurances to a segment of food testing, but it also opens the door for all laboratories to adhere to these essential elements.

This column will expand on the findings of the FDA study of the economic evaluation of the GenomeTrakr whole genome sequencing (WGS) program, adding data on the use of sequencing and how it will continue to change food safety practices and markets. It will also discuss what FDA is doing with GenomeTrackr to uncover previously unseen outbreaks and how this is keeping pressure on processors to expand environmental monitoring and controls.

While the food safety testing industry has evolved over several decades, the testing of regulated hemp and Cannabis products has existed for only a handful of years. Despite being legal in 36 states and four U.S. territories, marijuana is not legal at the federal level, which creates dramatic differences in regulatory requirements.

When determining the shelf life of meat products, it is important to consider how the growth of both spoilage organisms and pathogenic bacteria can be prevented, while at the same time keeping a keen eye on the sensory quality of the product.
 

Implementation of rapid whole-genome sequencing could help transform microbial risk surveillance across the food industry from a surveillance approach to a more preventive approach; one in which we can identify outbreak indicators to predict, and take steps to prevent, a problem before it even occurs.

Foreign bodies are a large risk to the food and drink industry with authorities recalling products due to foreign-body contamination. Learn how a strong food safety culture can help a company implement best practices in avoiding such events.