Food Safety Top Stories

A Note From the Editorial Director: Welcome to Our New Web-First Features Collection!

BlumeA@bnpmedia.com (Adrienne Blume, M.A.) — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Publishing feature articles on a weekly basis allows us to bring technical information on need-to-know topics to you faster, in a more easily accessible format.

A Potential Recall is on the Table—Now What? What the First 24 Hours Reveal About Strategic Communications

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 02:30:00 -0400

When a potential recall emerges, strategic communications can help organizations create clarity amid rapidly evolving information. Five key questions can help guide decision-making during the critical first 24 hours.

Building Leadership Buy-In for Food Safety

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 02:30:00 -0400

Moving from compliance to capability requires more than training; it requires leadership buy-in that enables better food safety decisions under pressure.

Raw Milk Under the Microscope: Separating Safety Risks From Nutritional Claims

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 02:30:00 -0400

As consumer interest in raw milk grows, questions persist about its safety and purported nutritional and health benefits. Examining the evidence can help producers, consumers, and regulators distinguish established risks from emerging science and unsupported claims.

From Farm to Threat: Integrating Biosurveillance, Biointelligence, and Biosecurity (B3) into the Food Safety Enterprise—Part 1

nortora@auburn.edu (Robert A. Norton Ph.D.) — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This article introduces Auburn University’s AU-BISR System, which is governed by a unifying Biosurveillance, Biointelligence, and Biosecurity (B3) operational architecture. AU-BISR is a directly applicable early-warning architecture for the food system to prevent foodborne illnesses and recalls before they occur.

After Upside Foods: Implications for State Cultivated Meat Bans, Federal Preemption, and Industry Compliance

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:00:00 -0400

The 11^th Circuit's Upside Foods decision has narrowed the path for federal preemption challenges to state cultivated meat bans, with significant implications for state regulation, interstate commerce, and food industry compliance.

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.

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.

Ep. 226: Jules Shepard: From Celiac Disease Advocacy to Gluten-Free Food Manufacturing

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:30:00 -0400

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak about gluten-free food safety from the perspectives of a person with celiac disease, a consumer advocate, and a food manufacturer, including gluten-free labeling requirements, food safety controls, gaps in U.S. labeling regulations, and policy discussions around cross-contact, precautionary labeling, thresholds, and "free-from" claims.

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.

Lessons Learned from Outbreaks: Publications and Reports from FDA's CORE+EP in FY 2025

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

FDA’s CORE+EP team conducts outbreak surveillance, investigation, mitigation, and post-response initiatives for products regulated by the Human Foods Program, including the analysis of outbreak data for food safety decision-making and sharing outbreak findings with food safety stakeholders.

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.

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.

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?

When Should You Start the Conversion of Agricultural Commodities to Food, Particularly for Fresh-Cut Items?

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This article explores the application of pre-wash and other food hygiene processes to raw agricultural products to implement food safety measures sooner in the production and processing of raw agricultural commodities.

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.

Managing Risk From Seed to Shelf: A Comprehensive Approach to Fresh Produce Food Safety

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

As regulatory requirements continue to evolve and consumer expectations increase, organizations across the fresh produce supply chain must adopt a proactive approach to risk management that emphasizes prevention, verification, transparency, and continuous improvement.

When Minutes Matter: Rapid Detection of Listeria in Dairy Processing Environments

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This article explores how rapid detection technologies are transforming environmental monitoring programs for L. monocytogenes in dairy plants. It also discusses how faster detection supports quicker sanitation verification, improved risk-based monitoring, and more effective decision-making during contamination events.

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.

Allergens and GMO: What is Happening in Control Programs?

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

Allergens are an unavoidable part of food processing, and effective control is key. Testing and control options are changing, with more technologies, test formats, and cleaning options available. How are food processors evaluating and choosing the options they use? This global survey of food processors seeks to find out.

The Limits of 'Dry' Sanitizers in Low-Moisture Environments

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

This article discusses the limits of "dry" sanitizers in low-moisture environments in terms of performance, cost, employee safety, and the hidden risks of moisture in hard-to-clean niches.

Ep. 224. Rhodes Yepsen: Balancing Food Safety, Sustainability, and Packaging Policy

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 02:30:00 -0400

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Rhodes Yepsen, Executive Director of the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), about developments in California packaging policy and their potential implications for food processors and packaging manufacturers. Rhodes also discusses the role of compostable packaging in food waste reduction and the tradeoffs manufacturers must consider when balancing sustainability goals with food safety, product protection, and shelf-life requirements.

From Audit-Ready to Food-Safe: Making Better Decisions Across the Food Supply Chain

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Rather than revisiting why audits and traditional compliance training fall short, this article focuses on what actually improves food safety outcomes: how quality assurance professionals and frontline leaders can build better decision-making capabilities across the food supply chain.

FDA's Proposed Mandatory GRAS Rule: What Food Safety Professionals Need to Know

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:00:00 -0400

FDA recently proposed the most significant changes to its GRAS framework since 1958. For companies managing ingredient compliance, the proposed mandatory filing obligations raise questions about statutory authority, agency capacity, and whether its design matches its stated objectives.

From Compliance to Capability: When HACCP Becomes a Living System

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Many organizations continue to approach food safety primarily as a compliance exercise rather than as an embedded part of everyday operations. This article considers an approach where HACCP is treated as an active and evolving management system rather than an annual event.

When Accountability Outweighs Authority: A Structural Psychosocial Risk in Food Manufacturing

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -0400

When accountability consistently outweighs authority, strain accumulates quietly until it surfaces in turnover, fatigue, or failure. When they align, decision integrity stabilizes. And stability, rather than strain, is what ultimately sustains safe food systems over time.

Is Whole Head Lettuce Safer Than Bagged Salad?

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Is whole head lettuce really safer than bagged salad? The answer depends on far more than how the lettuce is packaged and sold.

Food Safety Representation at the Board Level

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Food safety, once considered the responsibility of technical and production functions, should be recognized as a company-wide, end-to-end business imperative. At the same time, food safety risk management is becoming increasingly complex and represents a growing threat to food companies, and should be regularly addressed by the Board of Directors.

The Future of Self-Affirmed GRAS: Balancing Innovation, Transparency, and Food Safety

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:17:32 -0400

The self-affirmed GRAS pathway has supported innovation in the food industry for decades by allowing companies to bring new ingredients to market based on robust scientific evidence. As FDA considers changing this pathway, manufacturers should understand both the criticisms driving the debate and the steps they can take to prepare for potential regulatory change.