Management

Prevention is Not Automatic: Building the Workforce Behind Food Safety

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Foodborne illness prevention does not happen by chance. It depends on a workforce that is trained, credentialed, data-enabled, and supported by coordinated federal investment. These are the conditions that allow prevention to occur consistently across jurisdictions and over time—and current workforce research suggests each is under pressure.

FAO Outlines Risks of Plastic Pollution to Food Safety, Calls for One Health Policy Approach

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0400

A new FAO technical brief explains how plastic pollution moves through agrifood systems and creates interconnected risks to food safety and human, animal, plant, and environmental health.

AI in Food Safety and GMP Systems: Practical Applications, Limitations, and Compliance Considerations

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The question is no longer whether AI will enter food safety and GMP environments; it already has. The more important question is how it can be used without weakening the controls on which these systems depend.

Corrective Actions as Preventive Intelligence: Embedding Root Cause Analysis Into Everyday Food Safety Management

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 05:30:00 -0400

Root cause analysis can turn routine food safety deviations into opportunities to identify systemic weaknesses, strengthen preventive controls, and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

FAO Makes the Case for Strong Science, Clear Risk Communication for Food Safety Decision-Making

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0400

In a new publication, FAO authors argued that robust scientific evidence and clear risk communication are essential to effective food safety decision-making, and highlighted challenges posed by emerging technologies like AI, social media misinformation, and the framing of scientific information.

Food Safety Doctor Offers New Self-Paced Certificate Training Course for Food Industry Workers

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:43:35 -0400

The 60-slide course on food safety, personal hygiene, and Good Manufacturing Practices basics is designed to help food businesses efficiently meet FSMA training requirements for personnel involved in food production, packaging, and storage.

Penn State to Hold In-Person Food Safety and Sanitation Workshop for Industry Professionals

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:13:59 -0400

Taking place October 13–15, 2026 in State College, Pennsylvania, the opportunity is geared toward those developing in-house food safety programs who want to enhance their knowledge of the science and technology of cleaning, sanitizing, and pest control.

Penn State Extension to Hold FSMA Training Series for Pennsylvania Growers in 2027

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:25:48 -0400

Penn State Extension will offer a series of in-person and virtual training sessions for Pennsylvania fruit and vegetable growers on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR), Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and the co-management of natural resources and food safety.

Building a HACCP Program: More Than the Seven Principles

rickstier4@aol.com (Richard F. Stier, M.S.) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Developing an effective HACCP program requires more than following the seven principles. Management commitment, document control, prerequisite programs, training, and other foundational elements are essential to building and maintaining a robust HACCP system.

Food Safety Five Ep. 37: Sanitizer Spray Efficacy, ROI of WGS, Emulsifier Health Effects, and More

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 02:30:00 -0400

This episode of Food Safety Five covers new research on the impact of spray application on sanitizer efficacy, ROI of WGS for foodborne pathogen surveillance, effect of common food additives on gut health and implications for safety assessment, and contribution of industrial poultry farming to global Campylobacter spread.

German Officials Publish Guidance on Risk Assessment of Non-Intentionally Added Substances in Food Contact Materials

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:59:53 -0400

The resource outlines the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment’s (BfR’s) approach to risk assessment of NIAS in FCMs. It is primarily intended to support dossiers for new substances in Germany.

Unpacking the 2026 Recall Landscape and Preparing for Q4

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Recall activity in 2026 is sending a clear message that the industry is not facing isolated failures, but rather recurring breakdowns in the systems designed to prevent them. Manufacturers must prioritize four critical areas to minimize the risk of product contamination and recalls heading into 2027.

Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Taylor Farms Lettuce Ends with Nearly 13,000 Illnesses, Two Deaths

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:34:14 -0400

CDC has declared the unprecedented Cyclospora outbreak linked to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce over. FDA continues its root cause investigation of the current outbreak as well as investigations into other U.S. cyclosporiasis outbreak clusters.

We Taught It. But Can They Use It?

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Food safety education must move beyond delivering knowledge to give learners opportunities to practice applying what they know.

Fundamental Beliefs as Underlying Risk Catalyst in High-Velocity Food Manufacturing

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This article focuses on two main questions: first, why do food safety failures persist in high-velocity manufacturing settings despite the presence of comprehensive technical controls? And secondly, how do organizational beliefs and governance models influence ongoing risk exposure in these environments?

Global Study Quantifies Pathogen Prevalence in Traditional Food Markets; Seafood Showed Greatest Contamination

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Based on an analysis of 2.8 million samples collected in 41 countries over 25 years, the global pooled prevalence of foodborne and zoonotic bacteria, viruses, and parasites was 15 percent.

Ep. 225. Yasuda, Boeffard, Boyce: The Stop Alliance Mentorship Program: Lessons Learned and Collaborations Shared

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 02:30:00 -0400

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we discuss the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness Mentorship Program and its role in supporting professional growth in food safety, including lessons from the mentor-mentee experience, the value of perspectives outside one's own organization, and how mentorship can strengthen leadership, communication, and collaboration across the profession.

University of Delaware’s Produce Safety Alliance Training Addresses On-Farm Microbial Risks Like Cyclospora

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:11:53 -0400

The UD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and UD Cooperative Extension offer Produce Safety Alliance Training at least three times a year, with the next course slated for winter 2026–2027.

UK Food Safety Research Network Offers New Funding Opportunity for AI-Focused Projects

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:17:14 -0400

The FSRN Pilots Award is a rapid call for relevant short-term projects with funding needs from £2,000 to £10,000. Cross-sector and cross-disciplinary projects are encouraged.

Ultra-Processed Foods Cause Most High-Risk Food Safety Notifications for Acrylamide in EU

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Acrylamide is a harmful contaminant that forms during thermal processing. An analysis of 17 years of EU RASFF data showed that UPFs accounted for 85 percent of related notifications. Cereals, baked goods, and potato chips were most frequently implicated.

IFT Names New President, President-Elect

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:18:15 -0400

Dr. Gunnar Sigge, Stellenbosch University Associate Professor and Department of Food Science Chair, has assumed the role of President. Dr. Jeffrey Varcoe, Senior Vice President of Science and Technical Excellence at The J.M. Smucker Company, is now IFT President-Elect.

Stop Foodborne Illness Kicks Off STOP3000 Food Safety Education Month Fundraiser

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:42:53 -0400

Donations will support the organization’s work to drive food safety improvements through regulatory advocacy, culture change, and consumer support, as well as to share the impactful stories of its constituent advocates who have been impacted by foodborne illnesses.

Food Safety Without Borders: Building Knowledge Networks for Global Cooperation

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:00:00 -0400

As discussed at the 2024 Global Food Safety Symposium at Michigan State University, resilient food safety systems are not built by one technology, one regulation, or one training program. They come from sustained investment in people, partnerships, scientific excellence, and institutions that can respond to evolving risks.

Survey Says 94 Percent of U.S. Adults Concerned About Frequency of Food Recalls

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:00:00 -0400

Additionally, 80 percent of respondents believed food recalls were effective in protecting public health and safety, down from 85 percent in 2025. GS1 US suggested that traceability and improved data-sharing would help companies identify affected products and increase consumer confidence.

ILSI Europe Develops Framework to Help Food Industry Rank Microbial Risks of Dried Ingredients

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:15:00 -0400

The qualitative, risk-based framework is designed to help manufacturers, foodservice operators, suppliers, and buyers evaluate microbiological hazards associated with dried fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices, and appropriate pathogen mitigation measures.

UK APHA Highlights Outcomes of Seven-Year Project to Bolster Global AMR Laboratory Capacities

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 05:00:00 -0400

In an effort to address the “silent pandemic” of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a recently concluded UK Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)–FAO project has helped partners across Africa and Asia to improve their AMR detection, analysis, and mitigation capabilities.

FDA Explains Recall Classifications to Get Ahead of Cyclospora Outbreak Panic

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:14:00 -0400

The Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce recall has been given Class I status. The details of the recall and FDA’s public health advice remain unchanged. Experts explain why recall classifications “should not be a media-worthy event” and how such headlines can cause confusion among consumers.

Nara Organics Infant Formula Botulism Outbreak Ends; WGS, Supply Chain Evidence Show Link to ByHeart

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:16:06 -0400

The Nara Organics infant botulism outbreak has ended, with four sick in three states. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) findings and a shared powdered milk supplier/processor indicate a common source of contamination with the 2025 outbreak linked to ByHeart infant formula.

Q&A: EFSA Explains New EU WGS Data-Sharing Requirements for Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:44:00 -0400

Regulation (EU) 2025/179, which came into effect on August 23, requires EU Member States to conduct WGS on five key pathogens during foodborne illness outbreak investigations. An interview with EFSA’s Dr. Frank Verdonck unpacks the new rule and previews the upcoming Science Meets Policy conference.

Food Hygiene, Antimicrobial Stewardship are Equally Critical to Controlling Foodborne Drug Resistance, FAO Experts Say

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:00:36 -0400

Controlling foodborne antimicrobial resistance requires a One Health approach centered on food hygiene. Although antimicrobial stewardship can slow the emergence and enrichment of resistant bacteria, existing environmental reservoirs mean that resistant bacteria can contaminate food regardless of antimicrobial use.