The National Codex Strategic Plan 2026–2030 is aimed at strengthening food safety systems, increasing participation in international food standards, and improving consumer protection.
While most lower-risk small food businesses now receive fewer inspections, inspections have increased for certain large wholesalers and food producers, reflecting the model's objective of shifting oversight toward parts of the supply chain where food safety noncompliances could have far-reaching consequences.
We speak with Rocco Renaldi, Secretary-General of the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA), about the ongoing debate surrounding UPFs, including limitations of processing-based food classification systems, the importance of processing for safety and nutrition, industry efforts to improve nutritional profiles, and potential implications of UPF policies.
The proposed UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement could reduce trade barriers while requiring significant changes to Great Britain's food safety regulations. As negotiations continue, food businesses face uncertainty over regulatory alignment, implementation timelines, and compliance obligations.
The request will support the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods in determining whether existing maximum levels (MLs) for total aflatoxins in certain commodities require revision, as well as assessing the need for and feasibility of establishing MLs for additional cereals and grains.
A new EU regulation defines the actions competent authorities must take when noncompliance is identified, including requirements for product disposal, investigations, and risk-based enforcement measures.
The European Commission has adopted two regulations that 1) exempt additional shelf-stable composite foods from import border controls and 2) exempt qualifying shellfish products from import control requirements for drug and pesticide residues.
The EU has updated requirements for recycled food packaging, including expanded traceability and import controls, and authorized four new substances for use in plastic food-contact materials.
The monitoring initiative set forth in Recommendation (EU) 2026/2335 is intended to improve data availability on the occurrence and distribution of the industrial chemicals in food, supporting more robust assessments of human dietary exposure.
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