Bailee Henderson

The closing session of the 2023 Food Safety Summit featured a panel discussion among prominent attorneys who work on behalf of consumers and industry—with all advocating on the side of food safety. Expert lawyers discussed the common gaps and weaknesses they see in company operations, culture, and regulatory adherence that lead to adverse events, such as foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls.

The 2023 Food Safety Summit town hall session centered on a conversation with top food industry regulators and advisory groups about the key issues, updates, and initiatives happening within their organizations. 

The 2023 Food Safety Summit keynote presentation focused on a conversation with food industry executives on the topic of balancing risks for the safety of consumers, team members, and the environment. 

On March 8, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an Immediate National Strategy to Increase the Resiliency of the U.S. Infant Formula Market. On the same day, the agency’s response to the recent infant formula safety and supply crisis was called into question during a hearing with the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services Hearing.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently highlighted recently completed and ongoing work for two separate projects, the first being an expert presentation on foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Nepal, and the second being an evaluation of the national food control system in Kenya.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a national search for a new Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods and provided an update on the recently proposed restructuring of the agency's Human Foods Program and Office of Regulatory Affairs. Following the announcement, organizations representing consumers, industry, and state and local regulators expressed their concerns.

Researchers have introduced a novel, thermal biosensor for real-time detection of Escherichia coli, demonstrating its ability to detect the pathogen in milk without sample preparation. The sensor would be easy to mass produce, and shows potential as a low-cost, rapid tool for onsite microbial indication.

A recent study assessed the presence and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in Danish ready-to-eat (RTE) food production environments to evaluate the efficacy of a Listeria awareness campaign. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis was also performed to characterize the isolates.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a new, transformative vision for the agency’s Human Foods Program, as well as for the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) to better support FDA as a whole.

By approaching food safety culture (FSC) as organizational culture, a recent study funded by the Danish Agriculture Food Council has developed a Change Agent Model for FSC. The model illustrates the important underlying mechanisms that an individual or group can work through to become culture change agents and drivers for FSC development.