August/September 2025

The cover story for the August/September ‘25 issue of Food Safety Magazine discusses how smaller-scale food producers can develop, implement, and maintain a food safety plan. Additional features explore the intersection between food safety culture and food safety management, what the traceability requirements under FSMA 204 mean for temperature-controlled food supply chains, and the “why” and “how” of dust mitigation in food processing facilities.

Developing a Food Safety Plan for Smaller-Scale Food Companies

Kimberly A. Baker Ph.D., R.D., L.D. Adair Hoover M.S.

August 11, 2025

This article discusses how smaller-scale food producers can develop, implement, and maintain a food safety plan.

Listeria Control: Moving Beyond Best Practices to Implementation

While the industry has well-established best practices for Listeria prevention, the real issue lies in execution

Christi Calhoun Ph.D. Robert Maddock Ph.D.

August 12, 2025

This article examines control of Listeria contamination of meat and poultry products by smaller-scale meat/poultry producers.

The Synergy Between Food Safety Management and Food Safety Culture in the Governance of Food Safety

Both food safety culture and food safety management matter, and alignment between them at the operational level is essential to success

Hal King Ph.D.

August 18, 2025

This article examines the common elements and synergies between food safety culture and food safety management, and how to leverage both food industry needs.

Achieving Better Traceability for Refrigerated and Frozen Foods

The extension of the compliance date for FDA's Food Traceability Final Rule will allow time for the refinement of compliance requirements and the development of further guidance

Lowell Randel

August 12, 2025

This article looks at what the FSMA 204/traceability requirements mean for temperature-controlled food storage and transportation, as well as processes and technologies that can support traceability throughout the fresh and frozen food supply chains.

oil palm fruits passing on conveyor belt

Air Quality Monitoring for Food Processors: Tackling the Problem of Dust

Air and its physical characteristics contribute to cross-contamination; capturing bioaerosols helps assess the air bioburden and prevent recontamination

Robert W. Powitz Ph.D., M.P.H., RS, CFSP

August 18, 2025

This article walks food processors through why and how to mitigate dust in the environment of their food facility.

Surface Sanitation in Retail and Foodservice Establishments: Gaps in Terminology and Regulations

At the core of improper sanitation practices within retail foodservice settings is a lack of clarity in sanitation terminology and the standards in the Food Code

Angela M. Fraser Ph.D.

August 22, 2025

This article examines cleaning and sanitization in the retail foodservice sector, with a fresh-cut produce example.

Food Labeling: Are Standards Being Relaxed or Recovered?

Food labeling operates at the intersection of public policy and private enterprise, fulfilling regulatory obligations and influencing purchasing decisions

Tami Jackson Buckner Leah H. Ziemba J.D.

August 13, 2025

This article discusses recent development on food labeling regulations in the U.S., including the "clean" label trend and the impact of FDA's policies in this area, "healthy" label claims, and the need for innovation to allow for product development and meet consumer demands.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Views of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Food and Food Packaging Safety

The MAHA Commission's actions on food chemical safety, GRAS determinations, and other food safety and nutrition issues are occurring against a backdrop of the reduced FDA workforce and a thinner budget

George G. Misko J.D.

August 19, 2025

This article discusses the sum of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s actions impacting food packaging. It also looks at why the "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) provision was originally established, and why it may still be considered useful.

Food Safety Markets and Trends—Developments to Watch

This edition examines a few of the trends that will affect food safety in the coming years and be impactful to our markets

Bob Ferguson

August 12, 2025

There are many trends and happenings in food safety that will greatly affect the future of our markets. This article takes a look at the ones we are watching and the impact we think they will have.

Exploring Consumer Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Around Food Irradiation, and Possible Impact on Foodborne Illness

Consumer acceptance is a widely discussed barrier to adoption of food irradiation in the U.S.

Michael Ablan M.P.H. Misha Robyn D.V.M. Katherine E. Marshall M.P.H.

August 12, 2025

In this article, CDC characterizes the current landscape around consumer knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to food irradiation, and explores the potential impact on reduction of foodborne illness.

Implementing 'Kaizen' in a Food Facility: A Guide to Continuous Improvement

A structured approach, employee engagement, and commitment to ongoing refinement are necessary to implement Kaizen principles

Janna Hamlett Ph.D.

August 19, 2025

One of the most effective methodologies for achieving continuous improvement is "Kaizen," rooted in the Japanese philosophy of "change for better," with a focus on incremental, sustainable improvements that enhance productivity, reduce waste, and improve overall operations. This article explores practical steps for introducing and sustaining Kaizen in a food manufacturing environment.

a worker in a warehouse or facility, surrounded by stacked crates filled with apples

No Reason to Wait: Prepare Now for FSMA Rule 204

Do you understand what your business needs to do, and are you ready to meet the FSMA Rule 204 requirements?

Liz Sertl

August 18, 2025

In March 2025, FDA announced its intent to extend the deadline for its Food Traceability Final Rule, under Section 204(d) of the Food Safety Modernization Act, by 30 months. FDA says the extension will allow affected companies more time for building the necessary systems and effecting complete coordination across the supply chain in order to implement the final rule's requirements. However, this is no reason to wait on traceability!

Unmasking 'Forever Chemicals': Global Insights on PFAS and Urgent Calls to Action—Part 2

In analyzing the PFAS crisis, it is necessary to identify system failures and their resulting health impacts

Jocelyn C. Lee Ben Marandi Ph.D. John Duffill Slim Smaoui Ph.D. Theodoros Varzakas Ph.D.

August 19, 2025

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Part 2 of this article series discusses the application of several problem-solving analytical tools to the PFAS crisis, as well as the impacts of PFAS on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.

a person inspecting lettuce plants in a field

Quantifying the Invisible: New Tools to Evaluate Bioaerosol Risks in Fresh Produce

Recent advances in biosensing and molecular diagnostics are allowing producers to better quantify the threat from bioaerosols at the field level

Mohit Verma Ph.D.

August 12, 2025

This article discusses the development of low-cost, user-friendly biosensors to improve food safety in produce.

Cognitive Security, a Growing Concern for Food Safety: Part 6

Biosurveillance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance: A detailed description of the system design and operation

David E. Bragg M.S.A.E.

Robert A. Norton Ph.D.

Cris A. Young D.V.M., M.P.H., Diplomate A.C.V.P.M. Marcus (Marc) Sachs P.E. Soren P. Rodning D.V.M., M.S., Diplomate A.C.T.

August 20, 2025

This article discusses biosurveillance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance for food processors, from a system design and operation standpoint.

The image depicts "AI," which stands for Artificial Intelligence

Big Data, AI, and the Coming Philosophical Challenges with Food Safety

Improvements on the horizon will make AI systems more useful for food safety applications

Angela Anandappa Ph.D. Niam Abeysiriwardena M.S.

August 21, 2025

This article discusses the use of big data and philosophical challenges with food safety for commercial products.

Live: December 11, 2025 at 2:00 pm EDT: From this webinar, attendees will learn common areas where companies encounter challenges in their food defense strategies and how to address them.

Stay informed on the latest food safety trends, innovations, emerging challenges, and expert analysis. Leave the Summit with actionable insights ready to drive measurable improvements in your organization. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from experts about contamination control, food safety culture, regulations, sanitation, supply chain traceability, and so much more.

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