Bailee Henderson

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has released its first Science and Technology Advisory Group (STAG) Report, which focuses on four themes impacting food safety: “Big Data,” the role of the microbiome, emerging foodborne pathogens, and food system resilience.

A recent study has estimated the annual microplastics intake by adult humans based on the presence of microplastics found in the gastrointestinal tracts of 160 fish species

A Center for Produce Safety-funded study is working to characterize the physiological changes that occur in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC) bacteria that is present on romaine lettuce during postharvest cooling and refrigerated transport to processors, which could affect the pathogen’s virulence and detectability characteristics. The end goal of the research is to develop an easily accessible online tool for industry that identifies practices to mitigate the risks of STEC transmission via romaine lettuce.

On November 15, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its final rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods (Food Traceability Final Rule) under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Section 204(d).

On November 10, 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the National Security Memorandum-16 (NSM-16), which aims to strengthen the security and resilience of the U.S. food supply and agricultural systems. NSM-16 focuses on threats such as climate change, supply chain disruption, cyberattacks, worker safety and workplace development, and other topics.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released an outline of a prevention strategy that is under development for Cronobacter sakazakii contamination of powdered infant formula and enhance food safety. A notable action includes supporting the elevation of Cronobacter sakazakii infection among infants as a nationally notifiable disease.

A recent attribution analysis aimed to understand the epidemiological characteristics of foodborne illness outbreaks related to meat and meat products in China from 2002–2017.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published six key recommendations for advancing food safety based on discussions held at the recent ONE—Health, Environment, and Society—Conference.

A recent European Environment Agency report explains that foodborne illnesses are projected to rise due to the effects of climate change, especially for Vibrio in the Baltic Sea.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has amended its Health of Animals Regulations to better prevent and control foodborne illnesses associated with poultry and eggs, citing the need for national consistency, modernization, and alignment with global trading partners.