Food Safety Top Stories

RSS

The recent lead chromate contamination incident in cinnamon applesauce pouches has underscored critical gaps in our national food recall system, and illustrates the urgent need to modernize food recall processes and enhance data-sharing among food safety and public health agencies.

Ensuring personnel are qualified for the position they hold is not only essential to manufacturing quality, compliant finished goods; it is part of the law by which those items are regulated. Food industry regulations point to three main categories to ensure qualification: education, experience, and training.

Food spoilage is the result of several factors, one of which is the level of moisture in the food. Flash freezing can be used to reduce spoilage in plant-based milk. Several interventions can improve quality and safety, especially with regard to packaging.

Certain components of the food safety plan, like preventive maintenance and environmental monitoring, can benefit from the predictive characteristics of AI; however, the quality of the data fed into the system is critical.

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and hyperspectral imaging are proposed in a One Health context to be applied to biosurveillance.

This article shares the views of more than 250 global food safety professionals on which new technologies have been the most beneficial for their food safety programs and for the general food safety landscape, as well as their thoughts on possible future changes. 

Antimicrobial processing aids (APAs) are a subgroup of antimicrobial food additives used by food processors to benefit public health. As new APA technologies emerge, food processors and retail food/foodservice companies have identified opportunities to enhance food safety and the reliability of their processes. 

Despite food safety regulations and processes improving over the last several decades, foodborne illnesses have not significantly declined. This begs a critical question, which the article attempts to answer through a food safety culture lens: Are new regulations and "best practices" actually improving outcomes?

Aseptic processing and packaging have emerged as paramount methods in ensuring the safety and quality of consumer packaged goods. Understanding the nuances and regulatory requirements of aseptic processing is crucial to delivering products that meet the highest standards of food quality and safety.

Ice cream has historically been associated with human cases of infection by various foodborne pathogens. Pathogen introduction into ice cream can occur at various points throughout the production process for a range of reasons, which can be addressed through proper food safety controls.