A foodborne listeriosis outbreak in Ireland has sickened nine people and resulted in one death. Preliminary investigation results suggest the likely cause are ready-to-heat meals produced by Ballymaguire Foods, sold under a variety of brand names at major retailers. Recalls have been initiated in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
FDA and CDC have closed their investigation into a Listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat products produced by Fresh and Ready Foods of San Fernando, California, announcing that one of the ten people who fell ill has died.
In the third case involving the illegal sale of “smokie” meat in the UK within the last year alone, the UK Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit (FSA’s NFCU) has secured a confiscation order of more than £30,000 for the placing of unsafe food on the market.
A study of Salmonella isolated from retail poultry meat has demonstrated a concerning presence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes with the ability to transfer between bacteria.
Using a newly developed quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) model, researchers have identified interventions along the U.S. romaine lettuce supply chain that would most effectively reduce E. coli contamination. The QMRA is publicly available for use.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved Arla Foods Ingredients’ application for the use of its milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) as a nutritive ingredient in infant formula products.
The Ensuring Safe and Toxic-Free Foods Act of 2025 would set stricter requirements for manufactures to decide a food ingredient is “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS). It also sets an annual quota of GRAS notices for FDA to review, and lays the groundwork for a systematic chemical reassessment process.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently completed an assessment of estragole—a naturally occurring genotoxin and carcinogen—in fennel seed preparations, concluding that consumption of fennel seed preparations may be toxic to infants, children, and fetuses. EFSA is seeking public comment.
At the July 15 grand opening event for the new USDA-FSIS Midwestern Food Safety Laboratory in Missouri, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins teased the agency’s new food safety policy plan aimed at reducing foodborne illness.
FDA has shared concern about the growing number of edible products containing kratom available for sale online and at retailers like gas stations and smoke shops across the U.S. It has issued warning letters to seven companies for illegally marketing gummies, drinks, and tablets containing the kratom-derived concentrate 7-OH, a “novel, potent opioid.”
RSS
