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Food Safety Magazine

June-July eMagazine

June/July 2025

The cover story for the June/July '25 issue of Food Safety Magazine examines methods, strategies, and cautions for conducting challenge studies to ensure safer food products and longer shelf life. Additional features explore strategies for contamination prevention and quality assurance in the spice industry, as well as the global impacts of PFAS on public health and the environment.

Cover Story

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Features

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spices

Safeguarding the Spice Industry: Strategies for Contamination Prevention and Quality Control

By integrating regulatory mandates with strong internal controls and industry best practices, spice manufacturers can enhance food safety and maintain the integrity of their products
Michael Ciepiela
June 17, 2025

Spices are sourced from various regions worldwide, often involving multiple suppliers, diverse agricultural practices, and differing regulatory standards. These complexities increase the risk of contamination, adulteration, and foodborne illnesses. Effectively managing these risks requires a thorough understanding of the international supply chain and the vulnerabilities that exist at each stage.


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trash

Unmasking 'Forever Chemicals': Global Insights on PFAS and Urgent Calls to Action—Part 1

The delayed response and mismanagement of PFAS and plastic waste have led to severe consequences for human health
Jocelyn C. Lee John Duffill Ben Marandi Ph.D. Slim Smaoui Ph.D. Theodoros Varzakas Ph.D.
June 18, 2025

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. This article discusses different PFAS, their connection to microplastics, and their global impacts on public health and the environment.


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Columns

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rockmelon

Making Risk Assessments Practical: Spotting and Preventing Food Safety Hazards

Risk assessments are sometimes reduced to paperwork exercises, missing the opportunity to prevent food safety failures
Andrew Thomson Matthew Wilson Ph.D.
June 19, 2025

A risk assessment is a systematic process used to identify, analyze, and address potential hazards that could compromise safety. It considers how likely a hazard is to occur and the severity of its consequences, leading to control measures that reduce risks to a safe level. These assessments should be dynamic, practical, action-oriented, and designed to foster true competence.


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shelf-stable food

Fundamentals of a Retain Sample Program

A retain sample program ensures that production samples from each lot of product manufactured are retained onsite
Richard F. Stier
Richard F. Stier, M.S.
June 18, 2025

This article discusses the fundamentals of a retain sample program, which ensures that production samples from each lot of product are retained onsite. These retained samples allow the manufacturing company to evaluate any customer complaints, conduct quality checks, and provide samples to evaluate in the event of a recall.



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Food Packaging Materials

Prepare Now for New State Restrictions on Food Packaging Materials

Entities across the entire food and beverage supply chain need to be prepared for compliance with state-specific EPR and stewardship programs as well as recyclability and recycled content requirements for food packaging
Samuel Jockel J.D. Ashley Yull J.D.
June 19, 2025

Efforts are underway to create a patchwork of new state-specific extended producer responsibility (EPR) and stewardship programs, recycling requirements, and minimum post-consumer recycled (PCR) content requirements that apply to packaging materials used for food and beverage products. Entities across the entire food and beverage supply chain may be implicated and need to be prepared for compliance. 


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woman cleaning

Hygienic Design: How are Processors Coping With This Essential Element of Food Safety?—Part 2

Food processors elaborate on their sanitation program's fundamentals and challenges
Bob Ferguson
Bob Ferguson
June 19, 2025

The hygienic design, sanitation, and maintenance of food processing equipment and the surrounding production facilities are of paramount importance for an effective food safety sanitation program. In this column, we share additional information from processors about their programs, as well as the challenges and obstacles they face in keeping their equipment and facilities in the best condition to ensure food safety.


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a person performing equipment maintenance, specifically cleaning the floor in a commercial kitchen.

Summer Pest Pressures: How Businesses Can Prepare

Food facility managers must understand the complexities of pest control and how to mitigate risks with proper planning
Jim Fredericks
June 23, 2025

The key to achieving long-term pest management success is fostering a year-round, collaborative relationship between facility managers and a professional pest control partner to implement an integrated pest management (IPM) plan.


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hand in a sterile glove interacting with a digital interface

Welcome to the Machine: AI and Potential Implications for the Food Industry

An exploration of how AI might support food safety efforts and regulatory compliance
Alan Minsk J.D. Laura Dona J.D. Cody Davis J.D. Grace Gluck J.D.
June 23, 2025

Advances in AI offer promising opportunities to strengthen food manufacturers' internal compliance efforts with FDA requirements. While FDA has issued written guidances on AI, primarily for drug and medical device companies, its direct application to food safety is still evolving. 


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man picking tomatoes

At Cut Fresh, 'All Hands On Deck' for Food Safety

An FSQA supervisor in the produce industry shares his story of taking a "hands-on" approach to food safety and sanitation
Mike Buelow
June 19, 2025

While most businesses in the food processing industry have detailed procedures, standards, and best practices to ensure food safety, Cut Fresh LLC has learned via experience that having a hands-on approach is what makes food safety achieve success, in addition to established procedures and practices. 


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