Bailee Henderson

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting in Microbial Risk Assessment (JERMA) convened in response to a Codex Alimentarius Committee request to develop microbiological risk assessment models for Listeria monocytogenes, and to provide recommendations to inform possible future revisions to Codex guidelines on hygienic controls for L. monocytogenes.

Researchers have built a new One Health-based risk model for possible human Campylobacter outbreaks that leverages data on weather patterns and the presence of Campylobacter on broiler farms.

After conducting new research on the survival of the COVID-19 virus on food and food packaging, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has determined that, while the likelihood of catching the virus from food varies by surface type, the risk is “very low” overall.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled to annul the European Commission’s 2019 classification of titanium dioxide, which is also known as E171 and is used to add white color to foods, as a carcinogen.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will be reevaluating the health risks posed by phthalates and replacement plasticizers used in food contact materials, and has recently published its scientific protocol for the hazard assessment of the substances.

Researchers have developed a new quantitative risk assessment model for foodborne illness outbreak investigations that takes into account epidemic curves, and demonstrated its efficacy with a case study on a 2019 Salmonella outbreak linked to precut melons. 

A recent case study from the Sapienza University of Rome examined the surveillance of foodborne pathogens through a One Health lens in Europe, with a specific focus on the One Health European Joint Program (OHEJP) MATRIX Project framework.

A recent study is the first to track foodborne pathogens from specific pigs and their associated pork products at all points in the supply chain, from the farm to retail stores. The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of the pathogens was also evaluated.

A recent study has revealed that Salmonella is developing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to the overuse of antibiotics for livestock, and that foodborne illness outbreaks linked to Salmonella in poultry are continuously increasing.

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.