The food and beverage industry is undergoing a digital transformation. From large corporations to smaller, more flexible brands, companies are using digital technologies to collect more data regarding their workflow processes and to ensure safety and quality in food processing, packaging, and distribution.

This article explores the food safety challenges of the labor-heavy catering sector, including the pervasive lack of food safety culture and management commitment; the need for creative solutions in process monitoring for large facilities; how to build an effective training program for a catering facility; and how to handle customer complaints, including the importance of root cause analysis.

Due to concerns about Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CIFA) has implemented temporary Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) license conditions for romaine lettuce imports from the U.S., specifically California’s Salinas Valley.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is offering a webinar for stakeholders discuss Food Facility Registration, Biennial Renewal, and obtaining an acceptable Unique Facility Identifier (UFI).

A University of Arkansas study provides insight into the food safety risks of microgreens production and discusses measures for mitigating microbiological contamination in indoor farming environments. 

The European Commission has recently updated its import controls regulation to increase checks for aflatoxins, pesticides, and microbiological contaminants.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland recently published an audit report that focused on food businesses’ levels of compliance with food law as it relates to traceability and labeling for meat products.

The IAFNS 2022 Annual Meeting and Science Symposium featured a panel that addressed emerging food safety concerns associated with new modes of food retail, such as e-commerce, ghost kitchens, and delivery services. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final guidance that outlines adjustments to FDA’s regulatory oversight activities for imported food products covered by a Systems Recognition Arrangement.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced its new Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program, which will provide financial assistance to specialty crops producers who incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses while pursuing a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 or 2023.