April/May 2026

The cover story for the April/May ‘26 issue of Food Safety Magazine discusses the overlooked but critical role that middle managers play in shaping food safety culture. Additional features explore how the seafood industry can expand a safe and sustainable food supply; best practices for validating cleaning to prevent allergen contamination in processing environments; and how laboratories can produce reliable Salmonella testing results when following FDA guidelines.

This image shows a woman in a white blazer actively collaborating with a team in an office setting.

Why Middle Managers Hold the Key to Food Safety

This overlooked sub-group plays a large part in determining culture, execution, and risk performance

Lone Jespersen Ph.D. Marie Tanner M.Sc.

April 10, 2026

This article discusses how the overlooked sub-group of middle management plays a large part in determining culture, execution, and risk performance.

This image captures a chaotic scene of Atlantic fishing vessels netting fish in northern Norway, surrounded by thousands of seagulls feasting on the catch.

Riding the Wave: Seafood Sector Must Embrace Sustainability and Safety to Ensure Success

The seafood industry must ensure that operational models meet evolving market expectations, and then properly leverage them to drive profitability and success

Lisa Goché

April 15, 2026

In the fight against food insecurity, seafood is an essential source of protein. Growing the responsibly produced seafood supply depends on every part of the value chain. Industry must ensure that operational models meet evolving market expectations, and then properly leverage them to drive profitability and success.

Best Practice Considerations to Enhance the Effectiveness of Allergen Cleaning and Validation

The development and validation of effective cleaning practices are imperative to prevent allergen cross-contact

Joseph Baumert Ph.D. Melanie Downs Ph.D. Philip Johnson Ph.D. Steve L. Taylor Ph.D.

April 20, 2026

This article examines how the development and validation of effective cleaning practices are imperative to prevent allergen cross-contact in food processing environments.

a Petri dish containing a microbial culture medium

Tips for Building Confidence in Your Third-Party Laboratory's Salmonella Results

Salmonella testing plays an important role in reducing risk by providing validation and verification of Salmonella control strategies

Catharine Carlin Ph.D. Anna Schumann Ph.D. Martin Wiedmann Ph.D., D.V.M.

April 24, 2026

This article reviews why testing for Salmonella is important, the challenges encountered when testing for Salmonella (specifically when using FDA's Bacteriological Analytical Manual Chapter 5 guidelines), and how to evaluate if your testing laboratory is providing reliable testing results.

In Dry Processing Environments, Treat Water Like Glass

The way we manage glass is the way we should manage moisture in dry and low-moisture food production environments

Abby Snyder Ph.D. Karl Thorson

July 9, 2026

In low-moisture food manufacturing, keeping your facility dry is key environmental control, yet many facilities treat water in their environment with a level of complacency that does not match its impact. What is needed is a more disciplined mindset—one that treats water with the same seriousness applied to other high-risk materials, such as glass.

Food Safety Insights and the 2026 Food Safety Summit

The 2026 Food Safety Summit education agenda will explore a number of topics addressed in Food Safety Insights over the past few years

Bob Ferguson

April 29, 2026

This article previews upcoming sessions at the 2026 Food Safety Summit and ties in topical learnings from recent Food Safety Insights columns.

When Dead Bacteria Trigger False Alarms: Rethinking a Common "Live–Dead" Test

False positives may result from PMA use in PCR testing, which can lead to food recalls and waste

Simerdeep Kaur Ph.D.

May 4, 2026

This article discusses the problem of false positive results when using propidium monoazide (PMA) in PCR testing for food safety.

a person looking at items on a grocery store shelf while holding a black shopping basket.

New USDA Dietary Guidelines with a Focus on Food Packaging

Changes in focus in the new Dietary Guidelines are the inclusion of food packaging and its connection to highly processed foods

George G. Misko J.D.

May 8, 2026

This article discusses what the recently released Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 say about "highly processed foods" and the food packaging concerns associated with such foods.

This image illustrates the concept of digital warehousing and the integration of artificial intelligence in supply chain management.

Food Fraud Prevention Meets Supply Chain Digitalization: Why Old Systems are Not Enough

The intersection of digitalization, omnichannel operations, and automation is creating both challenges and opportunities for food fraud prevention

Roy Fenoff Ph.D. John W. Spink Ph.D.

May 13, 2026

Supply chains are going digital, omnichannel operations are becoming the norm, and automation is everywhere. This should be good news for food fraud prevention. More data should mean more visibility, but in reality, it also creates more opportunities for both prevention and exploitation.

This image features a variety of plant-based meat alternative products, including tofu, plant-based milk, and veggie patties or meatballs.

Food Innovation: An Introduction to Precision Fermentation

The biotechnology behind precision fermentation is likely to become increasingly important in food manufacturing

Chris McGarvey

April 6, 2026

Precision fermentation has the potential to improve food security, promote sustainable food production, and support the food sector as an important driver of economic growth. The biotechnology behind precision fermentation is likely to become progressively visible, and its role in food manufacturing will become increasingly important. 

a server providing dining service to a customer

Rethinking Food Safety Training: Putting the Consumer at the Table

To embrace consumer-first food safety training, industry must humanize the risk and redesign onboarding with consumer outcomes in mind

Andrew Thomson Matthew Wilson Ph.D.

May 20, 2026

To date, food safety training has emphasized compliance rather than prioritizing the end consumer. This approach has served its purpose, but it is time to (figuratively) bring the consumer into the training room and redesign food safety education and training with a sharper focus and impact.

a stock photo depicting a person working in a food processing or manufacturing facility

Are You Prepared for Your Next Audit?

A processor can do several things to prepare for an audit and even help streamline the process

Richard F. Stier, M.S.

May 27, 2026

Each food processor, ingredient manufacturer, beverage manufacturer, or food hander should develop, document, implement, and maintain a program that focuses on how to prepare for and deal with an audit.

a veterinarian performing a check on a dairy cow

How On-Farm Animal Well-Being Shapes Food Safety Outcomes

What veterinarians wish food processors knew (and vice versa) about food safety risks and safeguards

Michelle Schack D.V.M.

June 3, 2026

This article explores how animal well-being on farms directly impacts food safety outcomes and what veterinarians wish food processors knew (and vice versa) about the risks and safeguards.

a stock illustration depicting artificial intelligence concepts like neural networks and machine learning

Malevolent, Misaligned, and Misused: How Emerging AI Threats Endanger the Biological and Business Foundations of Food Safety

AI is no longer just a tool to be adopted; it is a national and business security domain that must be secured if food corporations intend to remain in business

Robert A. Norton Ph.D. Marcus (Marc) Sachs P.E.

June 9, 2026

AI-enhanced biosurveillance, integrated sensor networks, and intelligent analytics have been framed as critical enablers of safer, more efficient food systems. At the same time, the field has begun to acknowledge that the same tools that drive efficiency and predictive power can also be turned against the food system itself.

Live: July 21, 2026 at 2:00 pm EDT: This webinar will provide participants with guidance on how to effectively use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools to develop key components of a food safety management system (FSMS).

Live: August 6, 2026 at 2:00 pm EDT: Attend this webinar to learn strategies for strengthening environmental control programs through a layered approach to pathogen management.

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