Supply Chain

Virginia Passes Law Requiring Allergen Markers on Delivery, Takeout Foods

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:32:39 -0400

Per the new law, restaurants must place an identifying marker on any food item prepared for delivery or takeout that has been altered or substituted due to a consumer-identified food allergy or sensitivity.

CEA Alliance Publishes Updated Food Safety Guide for Leafy Greens, Herbs

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:06:40 -0400

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is a unique food production system with its own food safety risks and considerations.

Sustainable Fertilizer Practice Causes Increased Cadmium in Rice, Study Shows

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:52:20 -0400

Large-scale recycled manure use—a circular agriculture approach used to combat soil acidification that reduces crop yield—can lead to the accumulation of cadmium in soil, which is then taken up by rice crops, affecting food safety.

FDA to Hold Town Halls on Food Traceability Rule Implementation

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:19:14 -0400

Registration is now open for the virtual meetings on FSMA 204, which will be jointly hosted with the Partnership for Food Traceability. FDA is interested in hearing stakeholder feedback on lot-level traceability efforts, industry challenges, and potential solutions.

AI-Powered Platform Offers Real-Time, End-to-End Visibility for Manufacturers, Distributors

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:35:59 -0400

Peak Automation Intelligence by Peak Technologies uses machine vision, smart optics, mobile computing, and unified analytics to provide an automated view of pallets and packages, material movement, and dock workflow.

Initial Tests Show Promise for Novel Protein-Based Biopesticide

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:30:15 -0400

In a partnership with Syngenta, early laboratory testing demonstrated the activity of novel bioactive ingredients, developed with Biotalys’ AGROBODY technology, against a specific insect crop pest.

NEHA–FDA Retail Program Standards Symposium to Take Place in April

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:58:58 -0400

The free, virtual event for state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions will deliver practical insights on advancing retail food safety in compliance with FDA’s Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.

Study Explores Whether an Area’s Density of ‘Healthy’ Food Retail Outlets Affects Foodborne Illness Risk

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0400

The Canadian-based study represents some of the first evidence linking an area’s retail food environment, including the density of “healthy” and fast food outlets, with recorded food safety infractions as a proxy for foodborne illness risk.

Researchers Investigate Microbial Risks to Produce Growers’ Groundwater Quality, Irrigation Systems

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:29:01 -0400

The Center for Produce Safety-funded project aims to generate practical guidance for produce growers, including improved sampling approaches to determine whether groundwater is influenced by surface water, and immediately actionable recommendations for mitigating microbial contamination and biofilms in irrigation systems.

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.

Moringa Supply Chains Under Scrutiny: What Recent Contamination Cases Reveal About Botanical Ingredient Risks

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Recent contamination incidents involving moringa products draw attention to supply chain vulnerabilities that affect many botanical ingredients used in the global natural health industry. These events offer an opportunity to examine where problems can emerge and how companies can better protect consumer safety.

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.

LSU Researchers are Developing Farm-to-Packaging Produce Safety Strategies

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 05:30:00 -0400

The Achyut Adhikari Research Group is conducting several projects focused on preventive, FSMA-aligned strategies to reduce microbiological risks during pre-harvest and processing of produce, including hydroponic production, manure fertilizer treatment, food-contact surface sanitation, and antimicrobial packaging development.

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.

Study Shows Drinking Water Quality Significantly Impacts Salmonella Vaccines for Poultry

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0500

Elevated levels of certain metals and the presence of commonly used disinfectants were found to inactivate Salmonella vaccines administered to poultry via drinking water.

FDA Releases Initial Findings from Foodborne Pathogen Study in California Growing Region

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:01:39 -0500

The California Longitudinal Study, a five-year environmental study of California’s Central Coast produce-growing region, identified wildlife, livestock, and surface water as potential contributors to the persistence and movement of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC).

Large Grocery Retailer Using ReposiTrak Becomes First to Achieve Full FSMA 204 Compliance

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:14:50 -0500

ReposiTrak asserts that this use case provides evidence that large-scale, automated traceability in compliance with FDA’s Food Traceability Rule is both operationally feasible and economically practical.

NCCO Introduces Handheld Food Product Labeling Device

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:32:03 -0500

The portable DateCodeGenie Mini allows operators in foodservice and food retail establishments to apply harmonized labels to products, which can be updated through a centralized digital portal.

Study Underlines Underappreciated Risks of Refrigerators: Microbial Communities, AMR, Inadequate Hygiene

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 05:30:00 -0500

In an analysis of domestic refrigerator swabs, researchers discovered complex microbial communities harboring foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The findings also suggested that regular cleaning is possibly more important than temperature control in managing these communities.

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.

Study Demonstrates Effective Listeria Environmental Monitoring in Hydroponic Produce Facility

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 05:30:00 -0500

The researchers conducted environmental sampling throughout a controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operation and tested swabs for L. monocytogenes. Boot covers proved to be a useful tool for evaluating the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitation.

New RFID Tagging Solution for Fresh Food Tagging Helps Address Food Waste

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:00:52 -0500

Avery Dennison’s AD IdentiFresh inlay series provides real-time fresh food inventory visibility for both retailers and suppliers across categories like bakery, meat, deli, and produce.

TraceGains, iFoodDS Expand Partnership to Offer Traceability Solutions

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:10:34 -0500

Integration between the companies’ networks and platforms supports compliance with FDA’s Food Traceability Rule and enables suppliers to earn the TraceApproved FSMA 204 traceability readiness badge.

FDA Announces FSMA 204 Stakeholder Engagement Initiative, Releases Guidance

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:49:42 -0500

The agency has also finalized the exemption for IMS-listed Grade A cottage cheese from the requirements of the Food Traceability Rule.

Registration Now Open for 2026 AFDO Annual Education Conference

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:50:56 -0500

Taking place June 5–9 in Columbus, Ohio, the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) 130^th Annual Education Conference offers sessions focused on manufactured food safety, retail food safety, and produce safety.

NASEM Publishes Report to Guide USDA’s Response to PFAS in Agricultural Systems

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:05:00 -0500

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has published a report on PFAS in agricultural systems to help guide USDA's response to the impacts of agricultural lands polluted by these “forever chemicals.”

FAO Highlights Overlooked Role of Food Waste in Spread of AMR

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0500

A new review by FAO researchers identifies how food loss and waste (FLW) can disseminate antibiotic resistance (AMR), as well as practices that can either mitigate or exacerbate AMR dissemination from FLW.

Buyer-Led Supply Chain Screening: Establish Trust Without Betting the Business

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

This article discusses how effective supplier screening is critical to managing risks such as food fraud, regulatory non-compliance, and unethical sourcing.

ReposiTrak Introduces Automated Error Correction Technology for Traceability Data

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:09:59 -0500

The patented-pending system addresses the food industry’s problem of an average 40 percent error rate in all traceability records.