June/July 2026

The cover story for the June/July ‘26 issue of Food Safety Magazine discusses best practices for using existing organizational momentum to drive food safety culture improvement and keep SQF scores high. Additional features explore key factors for producing aseptic beverages, contextualizing toxicology and human exposure data related to pesticide residues in food, and the importance of workforce investment to a strong food safety culture.

a team of operators and a manager in a food production facility

SQF Audit Not for Another Year—Now What Do You Do?

How to use existing organizational momentum to drive food safety culture improvement and keep audit scores high

Bob Lijana M.Sc.

June 18, 2026

This article shares best practices for using existing organizational momentum to drive food safety culture improvement and keep SQF scores high. It also suggests ways to cast a wide net to gather ideas for continual improvement that will reduce risk and better protect public health.

Ten Critical Food Safety Risks and Opportunities in Aseptic Manufacturing

Small compromises made to protect throughput can contribute to warning signs and failure

Robert (Bob) Manning M.B.A., M.S., M.E.M.

June 12, 2026

In aseptic systems, product sterilization is only one part of a much larger control strategy. FDA's Acidified and Low-Acid Canned Foods framework outlines the regulatory requirements for producing aseptic products, but a functioning system also depends on effective sanitation, strong control of ingredients and packaging materials, and robust maintenance.

an agricultural sprayer mounted on a tractor

Beyond Detection: Putting Dietary Pesticide Residues into Risk Context

Andrey Massarsky Ph.D. Neva Jacobs M.S.P.H., CIH Ania Urban Ph.D., M.P.H.

June 22, 2026

This article discusses toxicology and human exposure to pesticide residues in foods, including policy context and risk communication recommendations.

bakers in a commercial kitchen likely preparing traditional pastries

Building Food Safety Culture Through Real Skills on the Floor

If a food safety culture is strong, it should be reflected in the workforce's capability and operational discipline

Andrew Thomson Matthew Wilson Ph.D.

June 24, 2026

When workforce capability receives limited attention, it raises broader questions about leadership commitment to protecting both employees and consumers. Building a strong food safety culture requires more than policies and audits; it requires sustained investment in the people responsible for providing safe food every day.

the cleaning of durable plastic pallets for food industry hygiene

The Real Microbial Reduction Step is Cleaning

In most cases, greater microbial reduction comes from cleaning than from sanitizing

Neil Bogart Abby Snyder Ph.D.

June 26, 2026

This article discusses how, in most cases, more microbial reduction comes from cleaning than from sanitizing.

a person using a tablet computer in a professional setting

Insights on Artificial Intelligence Use in Food Safety

In many plants, the tools we still officially call "experimental" are already helping design core elements of the food safety management system

Bob Ferguson

July 1, 2026

AI has moved into food safety programs faster than policies, procedures, and comfort levels can adapt. The gap between what organizations say and what people do regarding AI use is one of the most interesting—and potentially risky—signals from this Food Safety Insights survey.

Data Culture as a Preventive Control

The real challenge today is not simply having access to data; it is making sense of it

Barbara Kowalcyk Ph.D., M.A.

July 6, 2026

This article examines the importance of data culture—including data leadership, data literacy, data governance, data strategy, data access, and data communication—for supporting risk-based food safety systems.

Listen to Your Customers: How Complaint Intelligence Transforms Supplier Performance

Retailers and foodservice operators can protect major accounts by treating complaints not as normal operating conditions, but as intelligence

Jeremy Okwuosa

July 8, 2026

Retailers and foodservice operators can protect major accounts by treating complaints not as normal operating conditions, but as intelligence—pinpointing true root causes, building supplier capability, and driving complaint volume as close to zero as possible.

Cruise ship buffet dining area with serving stations and ocean views.

Food Safety at Sea: Why Norovirus Prevention Starts with Culture, Not Checklists

Norovirus prevention is not a sanitation problem; it is a cultural one

Jacques Van Staden

July 9, 2026

Cruise ships are self-contained, complex ecosystems where pathogens like norovirus present a heightened risk to passengers. Highly contagious, environmentally persistent, and operationally disruptive, norovirus has long been the single greatest food safety challenge facing the cruise industry.

Food safety auditor reviewing inspection records in a food processing facility.

When the Score Lies: A Call for Real Competence and Accountability

High audit scores, catastrophic failures, and the new rule that would disqualify the person cleaning up the mess

Bonna Cannon

July 10, 2026

This article discusses high audit scores, catastrophic failures, and the new rule that would disqualify the person cleaning up the mess.

Lifecycle Assessment in Food Packaging: What Food Industry Professionals Need to Know

LCA helps packaging professionals move beyond assumptions and make more informed decisions about environmental trade-offs

Min DeGruson Ph.D.

July 15, 2026

This article details how to conduct a lifecycle assessment for food packaging.

Recall Litigation and Regulatory Trends: Worrisome Changes Bring Similar Results—For Now

Although recall statistics remained relatively static in 2025, changes to the regulatory landscape will pose challenges moving forward

Richard Fama J.D. Orla G. Thompson J.D. Samantha Rubin Stratford J.D. Emily M. Fulginiti J.D. Maxwell Boyle J.D. Aline Peres Martins J.D.

July 20, 2026

Given the headlines coming out of 2025, it would be reasonable to expect a shift in recall patterns in the food industry. Yet, looking past the headlines and into the numbers, 2025 remained remarkably consistent with the past decade of recall trends, in terms of count and cause.

a plate of tuna sashimi, featuring sliced raw fatty tuna

Ahi Tuna Sourcing, Processing, Safety, and Quality

While tuna is a wild caught product, its quality and safety are arguably a function of handling, grading, and processing

John M. Wigglesworth Ph.D. REHS/RS, CPFS, PCQI

July 23, 2026

This article focuses on frozen and fresh tuna used in sushi and sashimi applications and, as such, describes processing as it pertains to Big Eye, Yellowfin, and Bluefin tuna.

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.

Live: August 11, 2026 at 2:00 pm EDT: Attend this webinar to learn why ambient air is the largest and most overlooked contamination zone in food processing, and what it costs you between scheduled cleans.

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