The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update the protocol for the development and registration of antimicrobial treatments for preharvest agricultural water, removing Listeria monocytogenes from the organism test panel.

A recent study is the first to track foodborne pathogens from specific pigs and their associated pork products at all points in the supply chain, from the farm to retail stores. The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of the pathogens was also evaluated.

A Center for Produce Safety-funded study is working to characterize the physiological changes that occur in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC) bacteria that is present on romaine lettuce during postharvest cooling and refrigerated transport to processors, which could affect the pathogen’s virulence and detectability characteristics. The end goal of the research is to develop an easily accessible online tool for industry that identifies practices to mitigate the risks of STEC transmission via romaine lettuce.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently published two reports—one on control measures for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in meat and dairy products, and another reviewing Listeria monocytogenes attribution, characterization, and monitoring in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.

Based on Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) data, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report states that the incidence of commonly foodborne enteric infections decreased in the U.S. during 2021.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will conduct targeted sampling of leafy greens as part of the Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan (LGAP). The agency also provided updates on the progress of LGAP and a summary report of a 2021 sampling assignment.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has summarized its investigations of possible multistate outbreaks caused by Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Listeria monocytogenes in 2017–2020. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA’s ARS) recently published a Research Brief that highlights two recent food safety studies related to Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has published its annual report on FSIS Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigations for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 2021) and key after-action reviews.

The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JERMA) recently published a summary of control methods for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in meat and dairy.