The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Food Traceability Final Rule fulfilling Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Section 204.

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has released a report commissioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that evaluates food traceability trends based on 90 submissions from teams participating in FDA’s 2021 Low- or No-Cost Tech-Enabled Traceability Challenge. IFT determined that the knowledge, means, and technology have been developed to make end-to-end tech-enabled traceability a reality, but it will not be realized without collective action and continued innovation among the diverse food industry community.

Following the success of the last two years, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and its partners in EU Member States are launching the third edition of the #EUChooseSafeFood campaign on social media.

On May 15, 2023, the California State Assembly passed first-of-its-kind legislation that would prohibit the use of certain dangerous and toxic chemicals in processed foods and drinks. Assembly Bill (AB) 418 would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of any food product in California containing red dye 3, titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, or propyl paraben.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) for FDA staff on the agency’s enforcement of major food allergen labeling and cross-contact. In response to FDA’s statement about the inclusion of sesame in foods that did not previously contain the allergen, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) expressed its dissatisfaction.

The 2023 Food Safety Summit town hall session centered on a conversation with top food industry regulators and advisory groups about the key issues, updates, and initiatives happening within their organizations. 

Whether a small business or a large corporation, proper maintenance and routine inspections are crucial for ensuring smooth operations. Can the deployment of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) augment the efforts of food safety professionals by helping them perform inspections?

The European Commission has set new maximum levels (MLs) for certain contaminants in food. The new MLs are effective as of April 25, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has released a guidance document for manufacturing ready-to-eat (RTE), shelf-stable, fermented, salt-cured, and dried meat and poultry products that do not use cooking as the primary lethality step. FSIS is seeking comments and will host two webinars. 

The UK Food Standards Agency has endorsed a new route to qualification for those wanting to further their career in food standards and trading standards. The new apprenticeship will contribute to the pipeline of officers who can carry out official food safety controls.