A Center for Produce Safety-funded study is working to characterize the physiological changes that occur in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC) bacteria that is present on romaine lettuce during postharvest cooling and refrigerated transport to processors, which could affect the pathogen’s virulence and detectability characteristics. The end goal of the research is to develop an easily accessible online tool for industry that identifies practices to mitigate the risks of STEC transmission via romaine lettuce.

The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) has shared its initial reactions to the newly published rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)—Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods (Food Traceability Final Rule).

The Washington State Department of Agriculture and its partners have developed an online, animated tool with learning modules to help growers comply with the sanitation requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.

The Controlled Environment Agriculture Food Safety Coalition (CEA Food Safety Coalition) has changed its name to the CEA Alliance, and has expanded its mission to serve the broader needs of all controlled environment food growers.

Two studies funded by the Center for Produce Safety aim to identify production practices that may contribute to Salmonella contamination of bulb onions and food safety control strategies for the commodity.

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) has funded 14 new research projects that will help answer the fresh produce industry’s most urgent food safety questions related to leafy greens, stone fruit, pears, foodborne pathogens, indoor farming, and other topics.

An ongoing study funded by the Center for Produce Safety is examining the survival of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes on surfaces in dry food packaging facilities, as well as the efficacy of dry cleaning processes on pathogen reduction. The first of three phases has concluded.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a document that provides an overview of the agency’s ongoing efforts to advance the safety of produce imported into the U.S. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced two new food safety prevention strategies intended to help prevent outbreaks of foodborne salmonellosis and listeriosis associated with imported enoki and wood ear mushrooms, and salmonellosis associated with bulb onions.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) have released findings from recent Joint Expert Meetings on Microbial Risk Assessment (JERMA) sessions on the prevention and control of microbiological hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables.