According to a report by the Swedish Food Agency, food fraud costs Swedish society an estimated $13.6 billion SEK (approximately $1.5 billion USD) annually. The agency is preparing upcoming government directives to implement measures to address the growing problem of food fraud.
This episode of Food Safety Five discusses scientific recommendations around ultra-processed food (UPF) definitions and policy, a study demonstrating the antimicrobial efficacy of common sanitizers in potato wash water, and a review outlining the food safety risks of edible flowers. Also discussed are regulatory and standards developments in the U.S., EU, and at the international level.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published guidelines for reporting whole genome sequencing (WGS) data in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2025/179, which requires Member States to conduct WGS on the isolates of five important pathogens during the investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks and sets data-sharing parameters.
By examining global standards such as HACCP, GFSI, and SQF, this article explores the gaps in current competency assessments and the risks posed by these gaps. It also provides actionable strategies to empower frontline leaders and quality assurance teams to improve where necessary.
Responsible for representing scientific interests within the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), Dr. Ian Young is also Professor of Medicine at Queen’s University in Belfast.
At its December 2025 Board Meeting, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommended that the agency support Codex proposals on precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) and seek UK alignment with Codex PAL recommendations.
As screening of Ukraine for entry into the EU continues, the country has implemented a system similar to the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). Additionally, evaluation of Ukraine’s food safety policy for EU alignment has progressed.
To close significant knowledge gaps and inform measures to protect consumers, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been requested by Parliament to deliver a scientific opinion on the potential health risks posed by microplastics in food, water, and air.
The European Commission has announced several new measures to significantly expand and strengthen its controls for food and feed products entering the EU, including increased audits in third countries and at EU borders, additional checks for frequently non-compliant countries and commodities, a dedicated task force, and other changes.
Lacprodan MFGM-10 is part of Arla Foods Ingredients’ range of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) products, which occur naturally in breast milk. It is now approved in Brazil for use in food and beverages in which whey protein concentrate is permitted.