To strengthen federal food safety regulation, the Reagan-Udall Foundation has published its independent review of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Human Foods Program, focusing on organizational culture, structure, resources, and authorities. The evaluation will be used to “inform a new vision for the FDA Human Foods Program.”

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service are using a bioplastic coating to naturally shield seeds from Aspergillus, a type of fungi that produces aflatoxin. Exposure to aflatoxins is a food safety issue due to the compound’s carcinogenic and other harmful effects.

The European Food Safety Authority’s European Scientific Network on Microbiological Risk Assessment recently convened for its 22nd meeting to discuss various national efforts related to microbial food safety hazards such as prevalent foodborne pathogens, mycotoxins, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and other risks.

UKHospitality, in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS), has launched an updated version of its industry-recognized hygiene standards guide for caterers.

More than 200 food safety experts across 14 countries in Asia and the Pacific have been trained in the use of the use of nuclear techniques to test for microbial and chemical hazards, through a project led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting in Microbial Risk Assessment (JERMA) convened in response to a Codex Alimentarius Committee request to develop microbiological risk assessment models for Listeria monocytogenes, and to provide recommendations to inform possible future revisions to Codex guidelines on hygienic controls for L. monocytogenes.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently launched a project to strengthen food safety in 12 countries across Eastern and Southern Africa, beginning with a workshop in Comoros.

To deal with the impacts on supply caused by the recent bird flu outbreak, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is temporarily allowing for the sale of certain poultry products that have been previously frozen and defrosted.

Researchers have built a new One Health-based risk model for possible human Campylobacter outbreaks that leverages data on weather patterns and the presence of Campylobacter on broiler farms.

With a draft guidance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling Requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Edition 5); Guidance for Industry.