Bailee Henderson

Adding to the mounting body of evidence pointing to the health harms of dietary exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a new study by researchers at Aberdeen and Örebro Universities indicates that the “forever chemicals” affect humans as early as in the fetal stage of development.

Following the California Food Safety Act’s precedent, Illinois Senate Bill 2637, dubbed the Illinois Food Safety Act, aims to ban brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye 3 from foods sold in the state.

In light of the recent string of lead poisoning cases in children across the U.S. linked to fruit puree pouches contaminated with lead and chromium, members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have written a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to express concerns and request an immediate briefing.

A recent study has shown the potential of a bacteriophage cocktail for controlling nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica on chicken, while also emphasizing that, because phage efficacy is dependent on many variables, validating treatments for relevant application conditions is key.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently published a scientific opinion that identified the most relevant persistent microorganisms in food and feed production environments to be Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Cronobacter sakazakii, as well as risk factors and interventions associated with these pathogens.

Eliminating redundancies, increasing efficiency, and cultivating a culture of collaboration were the main themes of a January 19 webinar featuring top U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials, hosted by Alliance for a Stronger FDA to discuss the agency’s proposed reorganization.

Recent testing for phthalates and bisphenols like BPA in foods found all but one sample to contain phthalates and 79 percent of samples to contain bisphenols. Phthalates were present at worryingly high levels, although levels of bisphenols have decreased since 2009. The study was conducted by Consumer Reports.

A recent study from Penn State researchers has demonstrated the significant influence that an organization’s leadership style has on employees voicing their food safety concerns.

With each passing year, new and emerging technologies and techniques that have promise for advancing food safety are developed and validated. This article summarizes the top food safety innovations of 2023, based on audience interest. 

The European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries recently held a public hearing to discuss the issue of labeling plant-based imitation fishery products, with some stakeholders likening current labeling practices to food fraud, and others arguing that labeling plant-based foods with words that evoke animal products is helpful to consumers.