Following the historically large cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce that swept the U.S. this summer, FAO highlighted the importance of pre-harvest water safety, sanitation, and hygiene to prevent microbial contamination of food in a new fact sheet resource.
A memo from EPA leadership to its Regional Water Division directors withdraws guidance that encouraged states and wastewater utilities to use existing Clean Water Act authorities to prevent “forever chemicals” from entering waterways and drinking water systems.
University of California, Riverside researchers have identified key chemical reactions that occur when UV light is used to break down PFAS “forever chemicals” in water, which could inform the development and optimization of PFAS treatment technologies, or even more degradable fluorinated compounds.
This episode of Food Safety Five discusses new research on avocado oil authenticity in processed foods, the effects of nanoplastics on bacterial biofilms in drinking water systems, factors influencing Listeria monocytogenes persistence on plastic food contact surfaces, and stress-adaptation traits that may help E. coli persist from farm to fork.
Alfaa UV will be integrated into Veralto's Trojan Technologies business, which provides UV treatment and filtration technologies for municipal, industrial, and residential water applications.
Adding to a growing body of evidence that micro- and nanoplastics may enhance the virulence and persistence of pathogens in food and the environment, a new study found that nanoplastics may strengthen E. coli biofilms in drinking water systems and increase resistance to chlorine treatment.
According to the researchers, treating PFAS as a single class of contaminants may overlook important differences in how individual compounds move through water systems and respond to remediation. Treatment strategies should be designed based on molecular structure, especially chain length.
With two proposed rules issued on May 18, the Trump EPA followed through on its stated intent to rescind or extend the compliance date for Biden-era drinking water limits for several “forever chemicals” of concern.
EPA has announced its sixth Contaminant Candidate List, which includes PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, disinfection byproducts, and other chemicals and microbes. Concurrently, HHS unveiled its Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics (STOMP)
initiative to address and understand microplastics in the human body.
The Center for Produce Safety-funded project aims to generate practical guidance for produce growers, including improved sampling approaches to determine whether groundwater is influenced by surface water, and immediately actionable recommendations for mitigating microbial contamination and biofilms in irrigation systems.
