News

FDA to Hire 2,200 Staffers as it Narrows Search for Commissioner, Names Produce Safety Director

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:33:25 -0400

After losing more than 4,000 employees since the Trump Administration took office, FDA is in the process of hiring and re-hiring thousands. The agency is also close to choosing its next Commissioner and has selected a new Director of Produce Safety in the Human Foods Program’s Office of Microbiological Food Safety.

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.

Trump Admin Stopped Criminal Charges Against Abbott Nutrition for Infant Formula Illnesses

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:21:46 -0400

The Trump Administration’s Department of Justice “does not believe in regulation by prosecution,” a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal, aligning with a May 2025 Executive Order that “strongly discourages” criminal prosecution of any regulatory offense not explicitly identified by the Administration.

Small-Scale Produce Growers Share Perspectives on FDA’s Produce Safety Rule Exemptions

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Researchers from Purdue University conducted focus groups with Indiana produce growers who qualified for exemptions from the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule, examining the beliefs and practical constraints that shape on-farm food safety practices.

FDA Human Foods Program Updates 2026 Guidance Agenda to Include ‘Healthy’ Claim, Caffeine Labeling

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:11:23 -0400

The guidance agenda lists topics that the program is considering for possible guidance documents or revisions to existing guidance documents, spanning Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements, and Innovation; Microbiological Food Safety; and Nutrition.

USDA-FSIS Announces Pilot Program to Evaluate Salmonella Control Strategies in Raw Poultry Establishments

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:30:30 -0400

As part of the pilot, FSIS plans to evaluate a shortened moving window for Salmonella performance standards.

Researchers Discover Mechanism of Biofilm Formation with Potential for Intervention in Food Production

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400

When a certain protein pathway was disrupted in the assembly of extracellular matrices, normal Bacillus cereus biofilm formation was impaired, but compensatory responses enabled a level of matrix plasticity that could help explain why biofilms are difficult to eradicate.

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.

CDC, FDA, USDA Collaboration Defines Framework for Classifying REP Strains, Identifies Strains of Concern

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Reoccurring, emerging, and persisting (REP) strains cause foodborne illnesses over extended periods of time, rather than through isolated outbreaks. The REP framework was jointly developed by CDC, FDA, and USDA-FSIS through the Interagency Foodborne Outbreak Response Collaboration.

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.

Novel C. Botulinum Test for Infant Formula Developed After ByHeart Study Reveals Industry Standard Falls Short

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:24:45 -0400

ByHeart-commissioned research shows the currently accepted “gold standard” for Clostridium botulinum detection in powdered formula, SRC enumeration, may fail to catch contamination. It is used by many formula brands, including Nara Organics, another company linked to an infant botulism outbreak. Following this finding, third-party IEH Labs developed a novel detection method.

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.

Infant Formula Brands Behind Botulism Outbreaks Used Same Organic Whole Milk Supplier

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:06:53 -0400

For a time, ByHeart Nutrition and Nara Organics both used Organic West milk dried by Dairy Farmers of America in their infant formula products (confirmed by Food Fix). Both brands have been implicated in botulism outbreaks that occurred within months of each other.

Ten-Year Analysis of German Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Shows Rise in Those Linked to Plant-Based Foods

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 11:45:18 -0400

Between 2015 and 2024, the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) and the Robert Koch Institute investigated 3,021 foodborne illness outbreaks.

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.

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.

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.

Organic Infant Formulas Caused Back-to-Back Botulism Outbreaks—What Gives?

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:11:46 -0400

New ByHeart-commissioned research suggests that sulfite-reducing clostridia (SRC) enumeration, the “gold-standard” test for C. botulinum in powdered infant formula, which was used by Nara Organics prior to the ongoing outbreak, is insufficient. Experts who spoke to Food Safety Magazine agree C. botulinum should be considered as a foreseeable hazard requiring specific preventive controls.

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.

Restaurant Industry Urges Congress to Delay Hemp-Derived THC Beverage Ban

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:27:12 -0400

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the sale of hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC, allowing a “legal” edibles and beverage market to emerge. The 2025 government shutdown reconciliation bill closed this “loophole,” effective in November.

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.

Product Testing Suggests USDA-FSIS Regulations for C. perfringens in Meat May Be ‘Overly Conservative’

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

Real-world data from meat processors show Clostridium perfringens is rarely detected in fully cooked meat and poultry products and remains uncommon even when deviations from USDA-FSIS Appendix B parameters are reported, challenging assumptions underlying regulatory limits for growth during stabilization.

Food Safety Provisions in the 2026 Farm Bill

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 05:15:00 -0400

As it stands, the bill would mandate that USDA provide guidance on HACCP plans to small and very small meat processors, require USDA and FDA to define “honey” and establish honey authenticity testing standards, and initiate other directives.

CDC Reports More Than 1,200 Seafood Toxin Illnesses Between 2011 and 2023

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Scombroid toxin and ciguatoxin caused the greatest number of illnesses, hospitalizations, and death. Characterizing marine toxin outbreaks can help guide prevention efforts.

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.

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.”

Safe Food Handling Tips for America’s 250 Potluck from Partnership for Food Safety Education

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:01:51 -0400

The Partnership for Food Safety Education is offering resources to help families, educators, and community leaders prevent foodborne illness during America 250 celebrations through simple, science‑based steps.

Food Safety Five Ep. 33: Studies Raise Safety Questions About Sweeteners, Food Dyes, and UPFs

hendersonb@bnpmedia.com (Bailee Henderson) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 05:30:00 -0400

This episode of Food Safety Five discusses new research linking sorbitol to fatty liver disease, studies suggesting potential health risks associated with both “natural” and artificial color additives, and a major collection of papers examining the health impacts, policy, and marketing practices behind ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

Honey Sold in EU Must Now Carry Countries of Origin on Label

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400

New EU labeling regulations for honey went into effect on June 14, introducing strengthened requirements for country-of-origin declarations.