Food Safety Magazine Editorial Team

In a letter addressed to key U.S. congressional leaders, the Safe Food Coalition (SFC) expressed its opposition to the DIRECT Act, the PRIME Act, and the New Markets Act, which would lift prohibitions on the interstate sale of meat and poultry from state inspected facilities and allow commercial sales from uninspected “custom” slaughter facilities.

North American distributor BAK Food Equipment recently announced a name change from one of its partners—Poland-based Nowicki Food Machinery has become NOMA, effective immediately.

The Alliance for a Stronger FDA has published its “ask” for Fiscal Year 2025 funding for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is $214 million more than the Presidential budget request submitted by FDA for FY 2025.

On April 18, 2024, Illinois Senate Bill 2637, also known as the Illinois Food Safety Act, passed the state Senate and was progressed to the House.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)—as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA Act, also known as the Superfund Act).

ExxonMobil has published a case study that showcases its recent collaboration with plant-based foods provider Bonduelle and packaging manufacturer Constantia Drukpol to develop a recyclable, non-laminated freezer film that meets both sustainability goals and the rigorous demands of freezer packaging.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published testing results for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in foods collected as part of its Total Diet Study (TDS), and has provided an update on the agency’s activities to better understand and address PFAS in the U.S. food supply, including an updated analytical method to measure the chemicals. 

Based on an analysis of seven years of data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA's) Pesticide Data Program, watchdog group Consumer Reports is warning that it found pesticide residues to pose “significant risks” in 20 percent of foods analyzed.

On May 9, 2024, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will hold a webinar via Zoom to discuss the food safety aspects that need to be considered and addressed when using environmental inhibitors in agrifood systems.

According to a recent evaluation conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), many of the most commonly farmed and consumed fish in the EU are free of parasites that can infect humans, but at the same time, parasites were found in some farmed species and more data is needed to determine prevalence.