Food Safety Magazine Editorial Team

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched its five-part National Milk Testing Strategy to monitor and address Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) in milk and dairy herds. A new Federal Order and accompanying guidance has been issued. 

TopBake Fresh and Taste, a new enzyme solution developed by DeutscheBack, enables targeted enzymatic flavor improvement of baked goods while helping to extend shelf life and reduce the use of emulsifiers and sugars in recipes.

The EU Joint Research Center (JRC) has developed new methods for detecting adulteration in six popular herbs and spices, as well as new reference materials to help identify fraudulent fish products.

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reported the arrest of five men in London after trucks full of allegedly illegal smoked meat carcasses were discovered. 

Companies W-Cycle Ltd. and Melhoramentos have joined forces to produce compostable food packaging made from renewable materials that naturally decompose within 100 days.

Hygiena has acquired Nexcor Food Safety Technologies, the creator of food industry sanitation and equipment maintenance software KLEANZ and CAMS-PM, and plans to integrate its SureTrend analytics platform into KLEANZ’s sanitation software.

AOAC International has announced that the Scope of Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17043 for the Proficiency Testing program has been expanded to include its cannabis and hemp oil programs.

The European Food Fraud Community of Practice (EFF-CoP) is a newly formed research and innovation coalition funded by the EU and coordinated by University College Dublin, the goal of which is to combat food fraud by gathering thousands of diverse stakeholders to share knowledge and collaborate on different activities.

In an effort to reduce food waste caused by consumer confusion, and following new legislation passed in California standardizing the use of “Best By” dates on food, USDA and FDA have issued a joint request for information about industry practices, consumer perceptions, and impacts related to food date labeling.

CDC has announced that the Escherichia coli outbreak linked to yellow onions distributed by Taylor Farms and served at McDonald’s restaurants to be over, and FDA has closed its investigation. However, the outbreak strain was not confirmed in any product or environmental samples.