Dr. Gunnar Sigge, Stellenbosch University Associate Professor and Department of Food Science Chair, has assumed the role of President. Dr. Jeffrey Varcoe, Senior Vice President of Science and Technical Excellence at The J.M. Smucker Company, is now IFT President-Elect.
Donations will support the organization’s work to drive food safety improvements through regulatory advocacy, culture change, and consumer support, as well as to share the impactful stories of its constituent advocates who have been impacted by foodborne illnesses.
Additionally, 80 percent of respondents believed food recalls were effective in protecting public health and safety, down from 85 percent in 2025. GS1 US suggested that traceability and improved data-sharing would help companies identify affected products and increase consumer confidence.
The qualitative, risk-based framework is designed to help manufacturers, foodservice operators, suppliers, and buyers evaluate microbiological hazards associated with dried fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices, and appropriate pathogen mitigation measures.
According to the researchers, 1,222 FCCs are already known to be hazardous to human health, and more than 13,000 lack sufficient data to determine safety. Until adequate data become available, they proposed grouping FCCs based on chemical structure to help identify substances that may pose similar hazards.
Congress cut two of three federal Cyclospora research projects as part of FY2026 appropriations, and the third will be disrupted by the Trump Administration’s planned USDA reorganization, according to sources who spoke to POLITICO.
The researchers analyzed cost and sequencing-volume data from 23 FDA and FDA partner GenomeTrakr laboratories. Findings suggested that WGS-based genomic surveillance is a cost-effective public health investment.
Modeled after the “USDA Organic” label, AB 2244 would create a voluntary certification program through which qualifying manufacturers could display a “Non-Ultraprocessed Certified” seal on food packaging. Manufacturers could apply to accredited certification agents for authorization to use the seal.
In an effort to address the “silent pandemic” of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a recently concluded UK Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)–FAO project has helped partners across Africa and Asia to improve their AMR detection, analysis, and mitigation capabilities.
