The EU One Health Zoonoses Report for 2023 shows that foodborne illnesses are rising in the EU, with listeriosis cases reaching their highest levels since 2007. Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) caused the greatest number of illnesses in 2023.
A report by the European Court of Auditors has identified “notable gaps” in the EU legal framework around food labeling and enforcement of regulations, and offered recommendations for improvement.
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 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.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is seeking stakeholder input on a new draft guidance regarding the characterization and risk assessment of microorganisms used in foods.
Recent research efforts by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to support novel food risk assessments include a study of the effects that processing methods for novel and genetically modified foods can have on proteins, as well as the development of a fit-for-purpose, in vitro toxicity assessment approach for novel proteins.
The European Commission amended its regulation on the microbiological criteria for foods to revise the requirements for food business operators regarding Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.
As a result of Operation OPSON 2024—an EU-wide coordinated effort targeting fraudulent and counterfeit foods—22,000 tons of food and 850,000 liters of beverages, totaling €91 million, were removed from the market.
The European Commission’s annual report on EU Member States’ official food safety controls in 2022 highlighted successes, areas for improvement, and challenges.
The European Parliament blocked two European Commission decisions that would have set tolerances for EU-banned pesticides in a range of imported foods.
