According to a survey by CDC researchers, nine percent of consumers reported eating prepackaged frozen vegetables raw and 40 percent reported not following cooking instructions, underlining the importance of preventive controls and processing steps to reduce pathogen contamination during production.
Based on a recent analysis, WaterMagage4You is a free, online tool developed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to help industry predict and mitigate microbial contamination risks in process water for fresh, fresh-cut, and frozen produce. EFSA also published recommendations for fit-for-purpose process water management.
A recent report from the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) summarizes the development of formal risk assessment models for Listeria monocytogenes in leafy greens, cantaloupe, frozen vegetables, and ready-to-eat (RTE) seafood.
In Canada, the presence of Salmonella in raw, frozen and breaded chicken products, as well as human salmonellosis cases, decreased significantly after a specific requirement for these products was implemented in 2019, according to a recent study.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has completed its root cause investigation of the summer 2024 listeriosisoutbreak linked to plant-based Silk and Great Value milks. The agency was unable to confirm the primary source of the contamination, but found that the production facility was not compliant with testing requirements.
Morrisons grocery stores have become the first UK retailer to raise its freezer temperatures to -15 °C for the sake of sustainability, a commitment made in line with the Move to -15 °C Coalition.
Action to curb the overall carbon footprint of the food and agriculture sector must be done with care in the frozen category, as the quality of frozen foods reaching the consumer depends on a collaborative effort among all links in the supply chain.
The Move to -15 °C—an industry effort to lower frozen food storage and transportation temperature standards—is gaining steam. The group says a 3 °C reduction would significantly increase environmental sustainability without compromising food safety.
SÜDPACK has enhanced its flexible food packaging films for thermoforming applications, such as for fishery products. The new Multifol Extreme combines maximum functionality and lightweight efficiency.
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