A European multi-country foodborne illness outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes, in which ready-to-eat (RTE) fish is the suspected cause, has resulted in two deaths.

The owner of the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar in Bordeaux, France has been charged with involuntary homicide after 15 people fell ill and one person died due to botulism caused by contaminated sardine preserves made by the establishment. 

This comprehensive whitepaper provides food safety managers an in-depth guide on developing an effective HACCP plan, a critical requirement in the food industry. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a factsheet on the 2022 Food Code definition and requirements for “in-shell product,” which is a sub-category of molluscan shellfish that requires special parameters for safe handling.

A recent Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Consultation on Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption has concluded that, while the nutritional and health value of eating fish is undeniable, more research is required about the toxic effects of exposure to methylmercury and dioxins from consuming fish. 

On November 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) will begin a one-year sampling program of domestic beef, pork, and Siluriformes fish (commonly referred to as catfish) to determine levels of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published updates to The Seafood List—FDA’s Guide to Determine Acceptable Seafood Names: Guidance for Industry.

On August 24, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed a Regulatory Partnership Arrangement (RPA) with Ecuador’s Vice Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries (VMAF) to strengthen the food safety of Ecuadorian shrimp intended for sale in the U.S. market.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a proposed rule to revise the standard of identity and the standard of fill of container for canned tuna. If finalized, the proposed rule would, among other things, revise the weighing methods used to determine the standard fill of container, allow the use of safe and suitable flavorings and spices as optional ingredients, and clarify that the use of a packing medium is optional.

Scientists from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), alongside collaborators from the U.S. and Norway, have finally discovered the algal source of ciguatoxin in Caribbean waters. The findings will make it possible to develop methods and standards to help food safety laboratories monitor and manage the risk of ciguatera poisoning.