International

Salmonella-Tainted Alfalfa Sprouts Sicken 109 People in 11 European Countries, One Death Reported

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 08:12:55 -0400

Traceability investigations identified a common seed supplier, with implicated alfalfa seeds imported from India and distributed throughout Europe. Available evidence suggested the seeds were likely contaminated before entering the EU.

Foodborne Illness Deaths in Belgium Doubled in 2025

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Only six deaths were reported in 2024. The majority (nine) of the 12 fatalities in 2025 were included in one E. coli outbreak linked to ground beef served at long-term care facilities nationwide.

Food Standards Scotland Study Identifies Factors Driving Foodborne Illness Risk Among Older Adults

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:28:13 -0400

Based on the findings, researchers recommended targeted food safety messaging for older adults that raises awareness of age-related susceptibility to foodborne illness and the potential severity of infection, and acknowledges the effects of health, financial, and environmental realities on food safety practices.

THAIFEX–ANUGA ASIA 2026 Records Continued Growth with Over 158,000 Visitors and THB 136 Billion in Trade Value

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Thailand achieved remarkable success of THAIFEX–ANUGA ASIA 2026, held from May 26–30 at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok.

EU Webinar to Explore Food System Security, Resilience, Threat Anticipation

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:07:00 -0400

Four European research and innovation projects—SecureFood, EFF-CoP, ACT4FOOD, and DEFENSEFOOD—will host a joint webinar on July 3, titled, "Advancing Food System Security: From Early Signals to Systemic Resilience.”

FoodChain ID Now Accredited to Conduct Inspection Services in France

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:16:17 -0400

The accreditation from COFRAC, France’s sole national accreditation body, covers inspections to assess food safety and quality practices at food retail establishments.

EU Member States Report Challenges in Implementing Food Safety Culture Official Controls

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:25:40 -0400

Following the adoption of EU regulations in 2021 that set food safety culture requirements for food business operators, a European Commission survey conducted in 2025 showed that countries’ progress and approach toward culture official controls are varied, with significant difficulties reported.

WHO Calls for Experts to Join Pesticide Advisory Group

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 05:15:00 -0400

The WHO Advisory Group on Pesticide Specifications supports the evaluation of scientific dossiers to inform the development of WHO specifications for public health pesticides.

How Codex Helps Address the World’s Top Five Foodborne Hazards

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:56:35 -0400

Following the release of WHO’s new foodborne disease burden estimates and relating to the 2026 World Food Safety Day theme, “From Burden to Solutions—Safe Food Everywhere,” FAO and WHO are highlighting how Codex Alimentarius standards and related work help prevent foodborne disease.

SSAFE Advocates for Future-Proofing Food System Through Holistic, Risk-Based Food Safety Approach

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:53:38 -0400

The knowledge paper, titled, “The Future of Food Safety,” was developed in partnership with a top FAO food safety official and written by a former Codex Chair.

WFSD 2026: Exclusive WHO Interview on New Global Foodborne Disease Estimates

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 02:45:00 -0400

Recognizing World Food Safety Day (WFSD) 2026 and the new estimates on the global burden of foodborne disease, WHO’s Elaine Borghi, Ph.D. discusses the development of the estimates and how they can be used to drive effective interventions that meaningfully improve food safety and public health.

Ep. 219: World Food Safety Day 2026

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 02:30:00 -0400

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to WHO’s Dr. Elaine Borghi about the new global foodborne disease burden estimates, updates to the methodology, key insights from the data, and the importance of using data to target food safety interventions, aligning with the WFSD theme “From Burden to Solutions—Safe Food Everywhere.”

Global Foodborne Disease Burden Comparable to Malaria, Per Updated WHO Estimates

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:29:14 -0400

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its anticipated updated global burden of foodborne disease estimates, which suggest that 42 microbiological and chemical hazards caused approximately 866 million illnesses and 1.52 million deaths in 2021.

WHO Releases Data on the Proportion of Microbiological, Chemical Hazards that are Foodborne

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:04:39 -0400

The study was conducted to support the development of new global burden of foodborne disease estimates, which are going to be released on June 4, ahead of World Food Safety Day.

Asia Food Safety Forum 2026: Digitalization, Innovation, and Circularity in Food Safety

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Organized by UNIDO, the Asia Food Safety Forum will take place June 11–12, 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, fostering dialogue, promoting innovation, and strengthening regional cooperation to support safer, more sustainable, and more competitive food systems across the region.

FAO, WHO Launch New Resources Ahead of World Food Safety Day

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:58:40 -0400

Ahead of World Food Safety Day, FAO and WHO have introduced a Food Safety Roadmap Development Tool and an online learning course on Codex-aligned risk assessments, supporting competent authorities and other stakeholders seeking to utilize science and data to improve national food safety systems.

Africa, Near East Countries Collaborate to Advance Food Safety Competencies

Tue, 26 May 2026 10:16:31 -0400

FAO, WHO, and the Codex Coordinating Committees for Africa and the Near East led a training with more than 350 participants from the Africa, Near East, and Eastern Mediterranean regions, focused on participation in Codex standard-setting work.

Codex Moves to Adopt Standardized Precautionary Allergen Labeling, Kicks UPFs Can Down the Road

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Tue, 19 May 2026 12:22:46 -0400

During the 49^th Meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL49), guidelines on risk-based precautionary allergen labeling, labeling for multipack foods, and emergency flexible labeling were recommended for adoption. CCFL also declined a proposal to initiate work related to ultra-processed foods.

SecureFood School: Transforming Food System Risk Science into Real-World Education

Tue, 05 May 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Strengthening food system resilience requires not only technological innovation, but also an improved societal understanding of food system dynamics and risks.

WHO Estimates a $46 Return for Every $1 Investment in National Foodborne Disease Surveillance

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Improvements in national food safety infrastructure by the 17 countries included in the analysis would cost an estimated $492 million USD over ten years, but would avert 19 million cases of foodborne illness and 13,000 associated deaths, generating a value of $23 billion.

Stakeholders Say Codex Emergency Food Labeling Provisions Could Compromise Infant Formula Safety

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:16:45 -0400

At the upcoming 49^th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL49), CCFL will consider draft guidelines on applying food labeling provisions during emergencies. Infant and maternal health groups oppose these guidelines, saying they could harm vulnerable populations.

40 Sick, One Dead in German Salmonella Outbreak Involving Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:05:22 -0400

The outbreak strain of Salmonella Bochum is extremely rare. Children and adolescents aged 2–15 years represent 75 percent of outbreak patients. Patient interviews and a case-control study point to a certain brand of chocolate-hazelnut spread as the vehicle of illness.

THAIFEX – ANUGA ASIA 2026: The Leading Sourcing Platform for Plant-Based Proteins & Alternative Foods

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The growing global focus on health and wellness has reshaped the way consumers choose food. Beyond taste and nutritional value, greater importance is now placed on the origin of ingredients, production methods, and environmental impact.

Ep. 215. Stalker and Terada: Aligning Culture, Risk, and Operations at the Food Safety Summit

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:30:00 -0400

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to two industry leaders and Food Safety Summit Editorial Advisory Board members about managing food safety programs across large-scale, global operations; upcoming Summit sessions on imported food safety risks and food safety culture; and advice for early-career food safety professionals.

Codex Committee Advances Work on Standards for Veterinary Drug Residues in Food

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

The 28^th session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods made advances related to maximum residue limits (MRLs), extrapolation approaches, and risk management guidance, with several measures forwarded to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption.

Huub Lelieveld Awarded 2026 World Food Prize for Global Food Safety Leadership

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:48:51 -0400

With a six-decade career that includes founding the Global Harmonization Initiative, Mr. Lelieveld was formerly a longtime member of Food Safety Magazine's (FSM’s) Editorial Advisory Board and a past recipient of the FSM Distinguished Service Award.

FAO/WHO Experts Evaluate Omics Technologies for Microbiological Risk Assessment

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:15:00 -0400

A JEMRA meeting was convened to help inform discussions about potential updates to Codex Alimentarius guidance, reflecting how scientific advances could strengthen microbiological risk assessments for food safety.

Ep. 214. Chris McGarvey: UK/EU Food Regulatory Changes on the Horizon

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 02:30:00 -0400

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to UK food law expert Chris McGarvey about the implications of dynamic UK/EU regulatory trends and how businesses can navigate changing legislation related to trade, food substances, novel foods and technologies, and allergen labeling.

144 Illnesses Potentially Linked to Global Cereulide-Contaminated Infant Formula Incident, WHO Reports

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:28:43 -0400

WHO assessed the overall public health risk as “moderate,” citing the vulnerability of infants, uncertainty around the extent of contamination, and gaps in surveillance and traceability.

FAO, WHO Request Data on Microbial Food Safety Impacts of Frozen Storage Temperatures

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 11:21:53 -0400

The information gathered will be used to support FAO/WHO scientific advice intended to inform future Codex Alimentarius discussions on frozen food handling guidance.