Chemical Testing & Analysis

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The Environmental Working Group’s 2026 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce highlights PFAS pesticides for the first time. Although EWG recently updated its methodology, scientists argue it still does not consider key exposure science and risk assessment principles, therefore misleading consumers about the health risks of conventionally grown produce.

The researchers positioned the machine learning model as a low-cost complement to traditional testing workflows, helping dairy processors enhance food safety while targeting laboratory resources.

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses expert perspectives on the Healthy Florida First food contaminant testing program, including information gaps about the testing and risk assessment methodology and why this missing information matters.

Mounting evidence about the health effects, persistence, and bioaccumulation of PFAS has led to public and regulatory scrutiny that brings important implications for food and beverage producers. Begin integrating "forever chemicals" into your risk governance frameworks now to protect your business in the long-term.

The extended agreement between FDA’s Human Foods Program and Simulations Plus allows scientists to continue research involving computational models to support chemical safety assessments for food and food-contact substances.

Like the Healthy Florida First initiative’s previous reports on toxic heavy metals in candy and infant formula, details that would help contextualize the findings have not been disclosed, such as the sampling and testing methodology or relevant safety thresholds

The first reports from the MAHA-aligned Healthy Florida First initiatives raised concern about toxic heavy metals in infant formula and candy, but toxicologists say a lack of transparency around the methodology and risk assessment makes the findings difficult for experts to interpret and raises questions about the relevance to consumer health.

German Federal researchers have developed a rapid, onsite detection system for PFAS in water samples. Its cost-effectiveness and ease-of-use make it a potentially scalable solution for authorities and industry to monitor and remediate “forever chemical” contamination.

Monitoring impurities in foods is an important tool for protecting vulnerable populations. However, as consumers encounter more reports of detectable impurities in everyday foods, concern is likely to grow unless these findings are clearly communicated in the context of potential health risk. 

A letter sent to FDA urges the agency to immediately withdraw its approval of Carbadox, a carcinogenic swine feed additive. FDA’s proposal to withdraw Carbadox approvals has been pending for two years, during which time there has not been an approved method for detecting Carbadox residue in pork.