Bailee Henderson

As promised by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at the end of March, thousands of layoffs at FDA and CDC have begun. A hazy picture of how those cuts are affecting food safety-related positions is beginning to emerge, and stakeholders and legislators are voicing their opposition. 

A study from the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety suggests a synergistic effect between antimicrobial blue light treatment and low concentrations of sanitizers commonly used in industry, finding enhanced inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on food contact surfaces.

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses newly published CDC data about the pathogens causing foodborne illness and contributing factors of outbreaks, as well as research by CDC, USDA, and FDA scientists exploring the use of AI analysis of whole genome sequencing data for foodborne illness source attribution.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a major restructuring that includes the firing of 10,000 employees across all its departments. FDA and CDC will lose 3,500 and 2,400 current staffers, respectively. HHS says FDA food reviewers and inspectors will not be affected.

A recent study identified gaps in currently used food safety training and certification materials for food handlers, and tested the effectiveness of a supplementary training toolkit in improving knowledge and confidence outcomes of low-literacy employees.  

Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. has been confirmed by the Senate as the new FDA Commissioner. In his confirmation hearing, Dr. Makary said he would address food as it impacts health, and also said that he would review the mass layoffs that swept the agency in February.

A recent study of Pseudomonas spoilage microorganisms isolated from dairy products in Spain identified the presence of highly biofilm-forming, antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) strains, presenting challenges for dairy industry control strategies, and posing the risk of transfer of AMR genes to pathogenic foodborne bacteria.

To improve upon the commonly used precautionary, hazards-based approach to allergen labeling, FAO and WHO have developed a scientific approach to food allergen labeling based on actual risk, such as the likelihood and severity of an allergic reaction occurring.

Researchers from CDC, FDA, and USDA trained an artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning model to conduct food source attribution for human cases of salmonellosis by analyzing whole genome sequencing (WGS) data for Salmonella isolates. The model showed promise, estimating that the majority of salmonellosis cases are caused by chicken and vegetables

A study from Public Health Agency of Canada researchers raised concerns about the persistence of Salmonella and Campylobacter in broiler chickens that are resistant to important Category I antimicrobials.