Between January 2023 and January 2025, a total of 509 illnesses were caused by the consumption of alfalfa sprouts across ten countries in Europe. The outbreak encompasses eight Salmonella serotypes, and the sprouts were traced back to seeds grown in a single geographical region in Italy.
A survey of Swedish toddlers conducted by the Swedish Food Agency as part of the Riksmaten Young Children dietary study has found high levels of some toxic substances—such as PFAS, BPA, and lead—in the children’s bodies.
The UK Food Standards Agency has proposed changes to the list of high-risk imported food and feed of non-animal origin subjected to increased official controls (described in assimilated Regulation 2019/1793). A public consultation is open until April 9.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has proposed changes to the Food Law Code of Practice and accompanying guidance. A public consultation is open until May 19, 2025.
The European Commission has published its new Vision for Agriculture and Food. Among other objectives, the Vision communicates the Commission’s goal of more strictly enforcing EU production standards for imported agri-food products, especially related to pesticide use and animal welfare.
The EU has adopted a new regulation requiring Member States to conduct whole genome sequencing (WGS) on the isolates of five important pathogens during the investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks, and sets data-sharing parameters.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has released two new resource documents: a new compilation of the Food Standards Code, and a guidance document on how the agency conducts dietary exposure assessments.
Based on a recent analysis, WaterMagage4You is a free, online tool developed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to help industry predict and mitigate microbial contamination risks in process water for fresh, fresh-cut, and frozen produce. EFSA also published recommendations for fit-for-purpose process water management.
According to the latest National Chemical Residue Monitoring Program Annual Report from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), 97.7 percent of the nearly 15,000 tested food samples were compliant with Canadian standards for chemical residues in 2021–2022.
A joint scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) includes recommended strategies for the food animal sector to prevent the spread of avian influenza and its transmission to humans.
RSS
