In an April 29 Congressional hearing considering 28 active food safety bills, U.S. Representatives and witnesses from industry and consumer protection groups debated federal preemption of state food safety laws, GRAS and chemical ingredient oversight, and FDA–state
information-sharing during outbreaks.
Improvements in national food safety infrastructure by the 17 countries included in the analysis would cost an estimated $492 million USD over ten years, but would avert 19 million cases of foodborne illness and 13,000 associated deaths, generating a value of $23 billion.
The draft bill proposes sweeping reforms to FDA’s food safety oversight, including GRAS process changes, infant and baby food safety provisions, and federal preemption of state laws. Consumer groups say the FRESH Act’s GRAS reforms and federal preemption language would weaken U.S. food safety.
In 2025, a genetically unique hybrid STEC/STEC strain was the cause of a foodborne illness outbreak that affected exclusively adults, with 90 percent of patients developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and three deaths occurring.
A recent study evaluated the migration of non-intentionally added substances from biodegradable food contact materials (FCMs) under different conditions. The researchers underlined the importance of optimizing polymer blends and processing, and considering chemical analysis in FCM risk assessment.
The Food Safety and Chemical Disclosure Act would mandate public disclosures of “Generally Recognized as Safe” substances used in foods manufactured or sold in New York. It has passed the Assembly and Senate, and now awaits the Governor’s signature into law.
Erica Schwartz, M.D., M.P.H., J.D. is a retired Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, who has held medical leadership positions in both the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy.
This episode of Food Safety Five discusses new academic publications exploring the limitations of a “zero-risk” approach to food safety and evaluating the limited benefits and trade-offs associated with intensified microbiological sampling.
At the upcoming 49th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL49), CCFL will consider draft guidelines on applying food labeling provisions during emergencies. Infant and maternal health groups oppose these guidelines, saying they could harm vulnerable populations.
The outbreak strain of Salmonella Bochum is extremely rare. Children and adolescents aged 2–15 years represent 75 percent of outbreak patients. Patient interviews and a case-control study point to a certain brand of chocolate-hazelnut spread as the vehicle of illness.
