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Advances in information technology, rapid advances in diagnostic sensitivity, and shifting regulatory requirements are changing the nature of food safety, while macroeconomic trends like globalization, competitive consolidation, and maturation of the industry are altering the structure of the markets. These trends are colliding with shorter-term disruptions like the economic recovery from COVID-19, inflation, and the war in Ukraine, making the near-term future difficult to see.

Posting health department restaurant inspection scores at restaurants and using letter grades for restaurant inspection results are linked with fewer foodborne illness outbreaks, found a study partly funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a four-hour webinar to give stakeholders an in-depth overview of the newly issued final rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods (Food Traceability Final Rule).

To comply with the FSMA 204 Traceability Final Rule, a major retailer in the U.S. Midwest has enlisted the services of ReposiTrak’s Traceability Network.

Domestic mutual reliance, part of FDA's New Era for Smarter Food Safety initiative, is a key component of the Integrated Food Safety System. It enables FDA and states with comparable regulatory systems to rely on each other for a safer national food supply. Three additional states have recently formalized domestic mutual reliance partnerships with FDA to advance collaborative activities to help ensure continued access to safe foods.

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service are using a bioplastic coating to naturally shield seeds from Aspergillus, a type of fungi that produces aflatoxin. Exposure to aflatoxins is a food safety issue due to the compound’s carcinogenic and other harmful effects.

UKHospitality, in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS), has launched an updated version of its industry-recognized hygiene standards guide for caterers.

Australian supermarket chain Coles is using Internet of Things (IoT) technology to digitize and make traceable its entire poultry cold chain.

Robust food traceability systems serve several roles in advancing food safety and sustainability. Traceability systems are inherently collaborative and require all members of a product supply chain to collect, store, and share data.

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has released its first Science and Technology Advisory Group (STAG) Report, which focuses on four themes impacting food safety: “Big Data,” the role of the microbiome, emerging foodborne pathogens, and food system resilience.