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In this year-end episode of Food Safety Matters, we round up the top stories of 2025, covering U.S. federal food safety policy changes under the Trump Administration, MAHA- and state-led moves against food additives of concern and ultra-processed foods, infant formula safety, science on Listeria and biofilms, ongoing monitoring of avian flu, and AI food safety applications.

FDA has published its annual Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program report for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 2023), summarizing findings from FDA testing of human and animal foods for pesticides.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) convened its eighth annual Stakeholder Forum on November 24 in Brussels, Belgium, where more than 100 agri-food stakeholders and regulators explored how risk assessment can be accelerated without compromising food safety.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making progress on its planned endeavor to take a closer look at substances added to or otherwise found in food and food contact materials. 

FDA shared results of sampling and testing for PFAS conducted under the Total Diet Study in 2024. “Forever chemicals” were detected in 39 of 542 samples, with the highest concentrations in samples of shrimp, clams, catfish, and tilapia.

On December 18, career food scientist and microbiologist Mindy Brashears, Ph.D. was confirmed by the Senate in a 53–42 vote for a second term as the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety, a role in which she will oversee USDA-FSIS.

The proposed EU Food and Feed Safety Simplification Package targets "overlapping and disproportionate rules" that burden agri-food businesses and national authorities, covering plant protection, feed additives, official controls, and animal health. The package's pesticide deregulation measures have garnered criticism from environmental protection groups.

According to a report by the Swedish Food Agency, food fraud costs Swedish society an estimated $13.6 billion SEK (approximately $1.5 billion USD) annually. The agency is preparing upcoming government directives to implement measures to address the growing problem of food fraud.

From food additive bans and obligatory food packaging changes to consumer right-to-know laws and labeling requirements, keeping abreast of the flurry of legislative and policy activity that is impacting the food industry may seem like an impossible task. This article discusses what you need to know and how best to prepare for upcoming food safety changes.

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses scientific recommendations around ultra-processed food (UPF) definitions and policy, a study demonstrating the antimicrobial efficacy of common sanitizers in potato wash water, and a review outlining the food safety risks of edible flowers. Also discussed are regulatory and standards developments in the U.S., EU, and at the international level.