The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided that cannabidiol (CBD) products will not be regulated as a food or supplement, rather, a new approach will be developed. The agency has also denied three consumer petitions requesting that FDA allow the marketing of CBD products as dietary supplements.

Consumer groups are calling for the use of erythrosine—also known as red dye 3—in foods to be banned, pointing to studies suggesting the food coloring’s carcinogenicity and children’s heightened exposure to the coloring.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an assignment to collect and test imported honey in 2021 and 2022 for economically motivated adulteration (also known as food fraud), finding 10 percent of samples to be adulterated.

New EU legislation restricts the amount of green tea extract containing (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) that can be present in food and sets labeling requirements, for food safety reasons. EGCG is a catechin, which are flavinols that may lead to liver damage.

PlantGuard™ AM is a plant-based, clean label-friendly, antimicrobial ingredient that inhibits the growth of foodborne yeasts, molds, and bacteria.

A recent study has found pervasive, low levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and phthalates in U.S. cannabidiol products. The study also demonstrated substantial inaccuracies of product label claims for CBD potency.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has assessed the food safety of mealworms and determined the novel food to be safe for certain uses.

Reducing food waste is imperative for fighting world hunger, and technologies to reduce food waste can also help improve food safety, quality, and shelf life.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly shifted consumer demand away from restaurants and foodservice to home meals and ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products. As a complement for more convenience-type items, consumers began focusing on product expiration dates to limit trips to retail markets. Combined with consumers' nutritional focus on sugar, sodium, fat content, and additives, meeting these expectations and requirements is a serious challenge for meat and poultry processors. The most common challenges for reformulation are reduction of sodium and replacing additives such as nitrite and preservatives.

The Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association Technical Forum gathered food industry leaders from across the world. Here are their top food safety mandates.