The categories of food for which food safety concerns are examined include beverages; dairy and eggs; ingredients; meat and poultry; natural and organic; fresh produce; ready-to-eat (RTE); refrigerated and frozen; seafood and shellfish; plant-based; and alternative proteins.
Alternative proteins encompass lab-cultivated, cell-based meat, dairy, and seafood, as well as novel methods of producing proteins (e.g., upcycling carbon dioxide).
Meat and poultry safety focuses on the slaughter and processing hygiene of cattle, pork, ruminants, and other mammals used as food, as well as chicken, turkey, duck, and other avian species.
Natural and organic products contain no artificial ingredients or added colors, and are minimally processed or processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product.
The ready-to-eat (RTE) category includes foods that are assembled from ingredients into fully prepared meals that do not require cooking, chilling, or other preparation prior to consumption.
Refrigerated foods are temperature control dependent and remain fresh between 35 °F and 38°F (1.7 °C and 3.3 °C) for a specified length of time. Frozen foods are prepared or processed fresh and then frozen for future consumption.
Seafood includes all commercially captured or farmed freshwater and saltwater fish, molluscan shellfish, and crustaceans. Seafood and shellfish food safety is characterized by a special set of HACCP rules.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published the results of a sampling and testing assignment to determine the prevalence of Cyclospora cayetanensis, Salmonella, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in cilantro, parsley, and basil.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold an informational webinar on August 6, 2024 on basic Produce Safety Rule requirements for growing, harvesting, packing, and holding the most common types of mushrooms, as well as specialty mushrooms.
The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) is holding a free, three-part webinar series to highlight research projects that were presented at the 2024 CPS Research Symposium.
In a new scientific opinion, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) warns that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to critical antibiotics is increasing in some Vibrio species, and that the prevalence of the pathogen is expected to increase globally due to climate change.
Beginning in September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) will implement a new sampling program to verify allergen label claims on ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has approved 16 edible insect species for import and sale in the country, and has set out the guidelines for insects to be approved as food.
A recent study conducted by researchers at NC State University has found a significantly higher prevalence of Campylobacter on backyard poultry farms than on commercial poultry farms, although the rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) were much higher among isolates from commercial farms.
Food spoilage is the result of several factors, one of which is the level of moisture in the food. Flash freezing can be used to reduce spoilage in plant-based milk. Several interventions can improve quality and safety, especially with regard to packaging.
Testing and sampling of raw dog and cat food sold at retail across the UK has shown a high prevalence of significant foodborne pathogens, putting pets and pet owners at varying risk of infection by different bacteria, according to the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA).