Chemical Control

USDA, HHS, EPA Reaffirm Collaboration to Tackle Chemical Contaminants in Food

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 05:00:41 -0400

The Memorandum of Understanding expands interagency collaboration on food contaminant monitoring, including for toxic heavy metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), under the National Residue Program.

Ep. 221. Dr. Alex LeBeau: The Science Behind Food Contaminant Testing

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

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to exposure scientist and toxicologist Dr. Alex LeBeau about the generation, interpretation, and responsible communication of food contaminant testing data—a conversation raised by recent reports on arsenic in candy from Florida officials.

USDA-FSIS to Expand Testing for Metals in RTE Foods Under National Residue Program

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:49:27 -0400

Effective July 20, to support risk surveillance, the agency will perform metals analysis on samples that are already collected for allergen verification.

Consumer Reports Finds Inorganic Arsenic in All Rice Tested; Calls on FDA to Set Limits

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:15:43 -0400

The investigation analyzed 142 samples representing 52 rice products. Notably, 17 products contained average inorganic arsenic concentrations of at least 100 parts per billion. Rice type significantly influenced average concentrations.

JECFA Evaluates Safety of Certain Food Additives; Monk Fruit Presents Potential Concern

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 05:15:00 -0400

The 102^nd meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) took place in June 2026 in Nanjing, China. Key outcomes included the establishment of new, temporary acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) for two substances.

Bipartisan Bill Would Ban PFAS Food Packaging in U.S.

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:29:08 -0400

The Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act (H.R. 9593) would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit food packaging containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances, a.k.a. “forever chemicals.”

FDA Analyzes 15 Years of Mycotoxin Monitoring Data, Finds Low OTA Prevalence

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 05:00:00 -0400

The study represents the first publication of a large FDA dataset on ochratoxin A (OTA) occurrence in U.S. foods. OTA was detected above the limit of detection in 3.5 percent of all samples (which were targeted based on their susceptibility to contamination).

EU Survey Identifies Gaps in Member State Histamine Controls for Fish Products

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:30:00 -0400

A new European Commission report identified inconsistencies in how EU Member States conduct official controls for histamine (scombrotoxin) in fishery products, highlighting gaps in inspection procedures, staff training, and harmonization of testing methods.

Study Identifies 'Forever Chemical' Characteristics Affecting Drinking Water Treatment Effectiveness

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:00:00 -0400

According to the researchers, treating PFAS as a single class of contaminants may overlook important differences in how individual compounds move through water systems and respond to remediation. Treatment strategies should be designed based on molecular structure, especially chain length.

EU Report on Food Safety Alerts Highlights Top Hazards, Major Incidents in 2025

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:38:50 -0400

The Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN), which enables EU Member States to exchange information and coordinate responses to food safety incidents, processed a record 10,490 notifications. Notable incidents included a Listeria outbreak linked to French cheese, Salmonella in Italian tomatoes, and cereulide in infant formula.

Supreme Court Decides EPA Regulations Preempt State Laws on Pesticide Health Warnings

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:51:52 -0400

The ruling in the case Monsanto v. Durnell shields pesticide manufacturers like Bayer–Monsanto, the maker of glyphosate-based Roundup, in failure-to-warn lawsuits. A legal expert explained to Food Safety Magazine how this decision potentially weakens state right-to-know chemical health warning laws like California's Proposition 65.

Study Shows Multiple Aeration Events During Rice Growing Reduces Arsenic Without Increasing Cadmium

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 05:00:08 -0400

The Arkansas-based study showed that repeated mid-season soil aeration events significantly reduced arsenic concentrations in rice grain without increasing cadmium levels, providing field-scale evidence that water management can help mitigate arsenic accumulation.

FAO Offers Guidance to Food Safety Stakeholders on Mitigating Foodborne AMR

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Overuse or misuse of antimicrobials and improper disposal of antimicrobials in the agri-food system may result in food and environmental contamination and contribute to the global rise of AMR.

Beyond Detection: Putting Dietary Pesticide Residues into Risk Context

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

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

Bipartisan Bill Aims to Ban U.S. Paraquat Use, Citing Parkinson’s Concerns

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 09:08:05 -0400

The Paraquat Prevention Act would cancel all EPA-registered uses of the herbicide and permanently prohibit its reregistration. More than 70 countries, including the EU and China, have banned the domestic use of paraquat, although China still manufactures and exports the chemical to the U.S.

Researchers Predict Climate Change-Driven Increases in Mycotoxin Contamination of Wheat Across Europe

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Wageningen University researchers developed a hybrid machine learning modeling framework that considers crop growth stages, various future scenarios, and a large geographic region. The model predicted deoxynivalenol will present the greatest risk, with coastal countries, the UK, and northern France most affected.

Nestlé USA Completes Artificial Food Dye Phase-Out

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 05:15:00 -0400

The action aligns with the wishes of FDA and U.S. Health Secretary RFK Jr. for industry to voluntarily phase out synthetic, petroleum-based dyes from the nation’s food supply.

65 Organizations Petition FDA to End Routine Preventive Antibiotic Use in Food Animals

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:27:47 -0400

Citing concerns about antibiotic overuse in food-producing animals contributing to the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the petition calls for FDA to withdraw approvals for the routine use of medically important drugs for disease prevention.

Researchers Find Plant Extract Effectively Removes Microplastics from Drinking Water

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

Moringa oleifera seed extract could potentially serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional alum coagulants for microplastic removal in drinking water treatments, while also allowing for process simplification and cost savings.

EU Drafting Legislation to Require Checks for Cereulide Toxin in Infant Formula

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 05:30:00 -0400

Following a high-profile, global recall of infant formulas due to cereulide contamination in early 2026, the European Commission is drafting an act that would introduce additional checks for the toxin in formulas.

Europeans’ Exposure to Dioxins, DL-PCBs in Food Still Too High, EFSA Risk Assessment Finds

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 09:40:17 -0400

Dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) are environmental contaminants generated as byproducts of industrial processes and waste incineration. EFSA’s risk assessment resulted in a lower tolerable weekly intake, which Europeans generally exceed.

Canadian Monitoring of Baby Foods Finds 100 Percent Compliance with Chemical Contaminant Limits

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:15:00 -0400

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has published the most recent findings from its Children’s Food Project and National Chemical Residue Monitoring Program, which test foods for toxic heavy metals, veterinary drugs, pesticides, and other substances.

FAO Researchers Explore How Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance Spreads in Gut Microbiome

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 05:15:00 -0400

The review summarized current knowledge about the potential contribution of foodborne bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes to the human gut resistome, suggesting the integration of gut microbiome and AMR data into risk assessment frameworks.

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.

New York, California Advance Baby Food, Infant Formula Testing Bills

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 05:15:00 -0400

The New York bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature, while the California bill advances from the Assembly to the Senate. The bills would require baby food and infant formula manufacturers to regularly test their products for toxic heavy metals and disclose results.

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.

Prop 65: Are You Worried About Chemical Hazards?

rickstier4@aol.com (Richard F. Stier, M.S.) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

A law to protect the public health is a good idea, but it should be based on a risk assessment—i.e., whether exposure to the chemical really elicits an adverse reaction. Perhaps it is time to update or rethink California's Prop 65.

FDA Modernizes Oversight of Pesticides in Food

Thu, 28 May 2026 13:13:47 -0400

The updated compliance program for pesticide residues includes a new focus on risk-based sampling of foods commonly consumed by young children and reflects procedural changes to the laboratory testing and analysis methods.

Vermont Enacts Food Chemical Laws: Herbicide Paraquat Banned, Baby Food Testing Now Mandatory

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 28 May 2026 06:00:00 -0400

On May 26, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed into law two bills related to food chemical safety; specifically, the nation’s first state-level ban on paraquat (H.739) and legislation setting heavy metals testing and disclosure requirements for baby food manufacturers (H.536).