International Standards/Harmonization

U.S. Codex Office to Hold Public Meeting Ahead of CCFL49

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:00:00 -0400

The objective of the virtual public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the upcoming 49^th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL49).

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.

Australia Approves New Restrictions on Caffeine Ingredients

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Board has approved new requirements for the sale of caffeine and guarana extract, as well as restrictions on adding caffeine to foods, addressing public health concerns related to excessive caffeine intake.

FSANZ Releases 2030 Roadmap Outlining Priority Food Standards Proposals

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:35:30 -0400

The roadmap outlines Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s (FSANZ’s) plans for food standards proposals over the next five years, with priority work focusing on requirements for formula and infant food, clearer novel foods approval pathways, and other areas.

Ireland Food Safety Authority Issues Guidance on Controlling Listeria in Ready-to-Heat Meals

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:15:00 -0400

Responding to recent listeriosis outbreaks and recognizing that consumers do not always handle or cook ready-to-heat meals in accordance with package instructions, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) encourages businesses to implement recommended practices to better control L. monocytogenes.

EU Publishes Guidance for Industry on New Packaging Law

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) limits PFAS in food packaging, bans single-use plastics for fruit and vegetables under a certain weight, and sets forth other changes, with compliance deadlines beginning as early as August 2026.

EU Seeks Feedback on Data Requirements for Safety Assessment of Bisphenols in FCMs

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Following the EU ban on BPA in food contact materials (FCMs), which specified FCM manufacturing applications where other “hazardous” bisphenols may be used, EFSA issued a draft statement on related safety data requirements.

UK FSA Reveals Plans to Modernize Food Regulatory System

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:02:47 -0400

The “Future of Food Regulation” initiative will explore several reforms, such as a new, data-informed approach to regulating large food businesses and proposals to make the Food Hygiene Rating display mandatory in England.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency Names New President

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 05:15:00 -0400

Dr. Harpreet Kochhar previously served in the position in 2023–2024.

Türkiye Set to Ban Single-Use Food Contact Materials in Line with EU Regulations

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:52:14 -0400

Expected to take effect by the end of 2027 after stakeholder consultations, the regulation, modeled after the EU’s Single-Use Plastics directive, would prohibit items like plastic cutlery, plates, and straws. Future phases would enforce further requirements for other articles.

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.

National Officials Publish Analysis of Netherlands' Largest-Ever Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0400

A key cause of the outbreak was determined to be contaminated eggshells used in poultry feed. Cross-sector collaboration and data-sharing were instrumental in solving the investigation.

FDA Highlights Successful Mexico-U.S. Effort to Eliminate Salmonella Outbreaks from Papayas

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400

No U.S. Salmonella outbreaks linked to Mexican papayas have been identified since 2020 thanks to collaborative efforts between regulators and industry in both countries. The case study could serve as a framework for improving food safety in other commodities and global supply chains.

India Approves Food Safety Regulatory Reforms, Introduces Risk-Based Inspection

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0400

The changes affect registration and licensing rules for food business operators, including specific reforms for street vendor registration, that aim to simplify compliance and reduce regulatory burden. A new technology-enabled, risk-based inspection system has also been introduced.

UK FSA Identifies Emerging Food Technologies Shaping Future Food Safety Needs

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:11:10 -0400

The report groups new food production technologies like precision fermentation, controlled environment agriculture, and cell-culturing by their expected impact and feasibility to help regulators and industry target evidence generation, guidance development, and regulatory preparedness efforts.

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.

Fatal Listeriosis Outbreak in France Linked to RTE Meats

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:49:09 -0400

Ready-to-eat (RTE) pâté en croute contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and produced by Drôme Ardèche Tradition has sickened 12 people across France, resulting in two deaths. All patients were hospitalized.

Assessing Food Safety Competence: Meeting Certification Expectations through On-Floor Capability Building

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Proposed certification scheme updates, such as SQF Edition 10 and ISO 9001:2026, are shifting the focus from compliance to proactive, integrated food safety management. For quality assurance teams, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity: ensuring safe, compliant operations while influencing broader operational performance and workforce capability.

UK-EU Trade Agreement Would Harmonize Certain Food Safety Rules by Mid-2027

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:52:41 -0400

UK businesses will be required to align with relevant EU regulatory requirements within the scope of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, regardless of whether they export to the EU or sell only to the UK market.

EU Launches AI Traceability Platform to Strengthen Detection of Food Fraud, Safety Risks

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:08:06 -0400

TraceMap supports national authorities in identifying food safety threats and improving EU-wide coordinated response. A pilot version of TraceMap was recently used to support the investigation of globally distributed cereulide-contaminated infant formula.

EU Considers Adoption of Harmonized Precautionary Allergen Labeling Rules

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500

Following Codex recommendations for risk-based allergen Precautionary Allergen Labeling (PAL) and thresholds, the European Commission has posted a forthcoming draft act to its public feedback portal on harmonized requirements for the use of voluntary PAL statements.

EU Increases Import Controls for the Ingredient Behind Global Infant Formula Recall

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:45:43 -0500

Arachidonic acid oil (AHA oil) from a Chinese supplier was identified as the source of cereulide toxin contamination in infant formula produced by Nestlé and other well-known brands. Imports of Chinese AHA oil are now subject to stricter EU border checks.

EU Report Outlines Food Chemical Risk Assessment Data Gaps

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500

With the goal of supporting stronger risk assessments to address emerging food chemical risks, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed existing data sources; data gaps and challenges; and recommendations for improving data availability, quality, and interoperability.

French Food Safety Agency Releases New Total Diet Study Results

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:54:11 -0500

The first set of results focuses on acrylamide and certain toxic heavy metals. Although the levels of some contaminants in food are decreasing overall, the population's exposure still remains concerningly high.

FAO, EFSA Sign MOU to Strengthen Collaboration on Science-Based Food Safety

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:16:28 -0500

The three-year partnership will focus on driving food safety, sustainability, and resiliency, aligned with One Health principles, by leveraging advanced technological tools and science.

EFSA Reviews Cereulide Infant Formula Incident, Says Likelihood of Exposure is Low

editorhal@sbcglobal.net (Hallie Forcinio) — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:21:21 -0500

Amid the ongoing global infant formula recall due to possible cereulide contamination, some countries have reported cases of mostly mild gastrointestinal illness in infants who had consumed infant formula, but confirming cereulide exposure is a challenge.

EU Report Raises Concerns About Increasingly Drug-Resistant Foodborne Bacteria

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 05:15:00 -0500

A high proportion of Campylobacter and Salmonella from food-producing animals across Europe are resistant to antimicrobials that are important to human medicine. Escherichia coli resistance to last-resort carbapenems is growing.

EU Maintains Current Stance on Safety of Sucralose After Reevaluation

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 05:15:00 -0500

EFSA conducted a safety reevaluation for the sweetener sucralose, resulting in no change to the acceptable daily intake (ADI). EFSA also considered a proposed extension for the use of sucralose in fine bakery wares, but was unable to determine its safety.

FAO Publishes Report on Regulatory Frameworks for Cell-Based, Precision Fermentation-Derived Foods

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500

The paper reviews international frameworks and national and regional regulations. FAO recommends priority actions for national and regional authorities.

EU Sets Provisional Safe Level for CBD as Novel Food

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:43:32 -0500

EFSA established a provisional safe intake level for adults for CBD as a novel food while highlighting that data gaps continue to exist regarding possible effects of CBD on the liver and the endocrine, nervous, and reproductive systems.