Advances in information technology, rapid advances in diagnostic sensitivity, and shifting regulatory requirements are changing the nature of food safety, while macroeconomic trends like globalization, competitive consolidation, and maturation of the industry are altering the structure of the markets. These trends are colliding with shorter-term disruptions like the economic recovery from COVID-19, inflation, and the war in Ukraine, making the near-term future difficult to see.
The Food Standards Agency of the UK (FSA) is making changes to its work plan for 2022–2023 due to unforeseen demands, but will continue critical activities to ensure the safety of the UK food supply, despite the decision to slow or stop some areas of work.
Posting health department restaurant inspection scores at restaurants and using letter grades for restaurant inspection results are linked with fewer foodborne illness outbreaks, found a study partly funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a four-hour webinar to give stakeholders an in-depth overview of the newly issued final rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods (Food Traceability Final Rule).
New EU legislation restricts the amount of green tea extract containing (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) that can be present in food and sets labeling requirements, for food safety reasons. EGCG is a catechin, which are flavinols that may lead to liver damage.
To strengthen federal food safety regulation, the Reagan-Udall Foundation has published its independent review of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Human Foods Program, focusing on organizational culture, structure, resources, and authorities. The evaluation will be used to “inform a new vision for the FDA Human Foods Program.”
Domestic mutual reliance, part of FDA's New Era for Smarter Food Safety initiative, is a key component of the Integrated Food Safety System. It enables FDA and states with comparable regulatory systems to rely on each other for a safer national food supply. Three additional states have recently formalized domestic mutual reliance partnerships with FDA to advance collaborative activities to help ensure continued access to safe foods.
The European Food Safety Authority’s European Scientific Network on Microbiological Risk Assessment recently convened for its 22nd meeting to discuss various national efforts related to microbial food safety hazards such as prevalent foodborne pathogens, mycotoxins, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and other risks.
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting in Microbial Risk Assessment (JERMA) convened in response to a Codex Alimentarius Committee request to develop microbiological risk assessment models for Listeria monocytogenes, and to provide recommendations to inform possible future revisions to Codex guidelines on hygienic controls for L. monocytogenes.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently launched a project to strengthen food safety in 12 countries across Eastern and Southern Africa, beginning with a workshop in Comoros.