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State agriculture officials gathered on September 13–16 in Portland, Maine for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture’s (NASDA’s) 2026 Annual Meeting, which brought together state commissioners, directors, and secretaries of agriculture.

The “Future of Food Regulation” program now moves into a detailed design phase. Areas targeted for reform include food business registration, inspections and regulation of large food businesses, enforcement powers and guidance, and Food Hygiene Rating Scheme requirements.

The program, which was explored after the Boar’s Head outbreak of 2024 spurred the agency to reevaluate its inspection and Listeria monitoring protocols, was piloted in FY 2026 and will be expanded to FSIS districts nationwide.

FDA’s CORE+EP team conducts outbreak surveillance, investigation, mitigation, and post-response initiatives for products regulated by the Human Foods Program, including the analysis of outbreak data for food safety decision-making and sharing outbreak findings with food safety stakeholders. 

The newly announced Stand-Up funding program is the latest in a series of Trump Administration actions, including a Presidential Executive Order and the Ranchers First initiative, to expand regional processing capacity and cut “red tape” at the federal inspection level.

Derek Sandison, Director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture Director, was elected to be NASDA’s 2026–2027 President.

Penn State Extension will offer a series of in-person and virtual training sessions for Pennsylvania fruit and vegetable growers on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR), Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and the co-management of natural resources and food safety.

Based on a nationwide study of retail food store delis, FDA identified employee handwashing and proper cold and hot holding temperatures as areas requiring greater control, and identified Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) as the strongest predictor of food safety compliance.

The amendments to European food hygiene regulations would provide food business operators with greater flexibility in the storage of fresh meat from domestic ungulates (i.e., cattle, sheep, pigs) before freezing, based on a recent EFSA scientific opinion.

Developing an effective HACCP program requires more than following the seven principles. Management commitment, document control, prerequisite programs, training, and other foundational elements are essential to building and maintaining a robust HACCP system.