This episode covers new research on food allergen risks in processing environments, including studies on allergen recovery from environmental swabs, cross-contamination in shared frying oil, and dispersal of allergenic food powders. Also discussed is an EU proposal to harmonize precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) requirements.
A literature review conducted by Greenpeace concluded that heating food in plastic packaging—even ready-to-heat meals labeled as “microwave-safe” or “oven-safe”—may significantly increase the migration of microplastics and chemical additives into food.
Despite having Listeria-positive samples that matched the outbreak strain via whole genome sequencing (WGS), which prompted an FDA Import Alert and a company recall for the suspected vehicle of illness, FDA did not disclose the specific product or any of the firms implicated.
In his remarks on a recent Joe Rogan Experience podcast episode, Secretary Kennedy also suggested FDA is considering a new approach to front-of-pack nutrition labeling.
Of the 111 “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) additives identified by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), 49 are known to be widely used by food manufacturers.
This episode of Food Safety Five discusses expert perspectives on the Healthy Florida First food contaminant testing program, including information gaps about the testing and risk assessment methodology and why this missing information matters.
Following Codex recommendations for risk-based allergen Precautionary Allergen Labeling (PAL) and thresholds, the European Commission has posted a forthcoming draft act to its public feedback portal on harmonized requirements for the use of voluntary PAL statements.
Arachidonic acid oil (AHA oil) from a Chinese supplier was identified as the source of cereulide toxin contamination in infant formula produced by Nestlé and other well-known
brands. Imports of Chinese AHA oil are now subject to stricter EU border checks.
EPA repealed Biden-era amendments that had tightened emissions regulations under the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule. Critics warn that this decision could lead to greater bioaccumulation of the neurotoxin methylmercury in fish, increasing human dietary exposure.
A new study quantified the allergen cross-contamination that occurs in shared frying oil and evaluated the efficacy of different filters in removing allergen protein residues from oil.
