In October 2019, the Food Safety and Operating Committee of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy published its updated environmental Pathogen Control Guidance Document, a comprehensive document intended to help the U.S. dairy industry control pathogens in wet and dry dairy processing environments (available at usdairy.com/foodsafety). In its guidance document, the Innovation Center details five principles that should be followed to ensure effective pathogen control. These include: Separate raw from ready-to-eat (RTE); Follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs); Institute sanitary facility an ..read more

The planet is warming, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe. Across the globe, changes in climate are placing enormous pressures on entire ecosystems. Years-long droughts, severe rains and flooding, and frequent wildfires are among the increasingly disruptive weather events that are having cascading effects on perhaps the most essential ecosystem for humans—the food ecosystem. While cyclical weather events such as El Niño and La Niña play a vital role in shifting weather patterns and events, it’s the long-term trend in climate changes wrought by human activity that ..read more

In February 2024, a group of Canadian and American researchers published a study in the journal Environmental Pollution that analyzed the presence of microplastics in 16 protein-based foods commonly found in supermarkets (Environ Pollut. 2024;343:123233). The products included plant and animal proteins from both marine and terrestrial animals and with different levels of processing, such as breaded shrimp, Pollock fillets, chicken nuggets, pork loin chops, plant-based nuggets, and tofu. The analysis found microplastics contamination in all sampled foods, with no significant difference between ..read more

FDA has released new regulatory processes for intentional genomic alterations (IGAs) in animals, citing the need to update due to evolving science and innovations in animal biotechnology. “These updated guidance documents demonstrate our commitment to facilitating innovation while ensuring product safety,” Tracey Forfa, director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in a prepared statement. “These technologies hold great promise for many uses and public and animal health benefits, such as animal disease resistance, control of zoonotic disease transmission, improved animal husbandry, a ..read more

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a Gram-negative, salt-loving bacterium common in marine environments, is the leading cause of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis, also known as “early death syndrome,” in aqua culture, and is responsible for a significant number of foodborne illnesses in humans. Over the past two decades, the bacteria has led to a significant rise of infections in humans, more so than other foodborne pathogens. These infections primarily result from consuming raw fish and seafood, and particularly, shellfish. Climate change, causing rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification, has ..read more

While cannabis-infused foods are not yet legal at the federal level, an increasing number of states allow for edibles, beverages, and other foods that contain THC and CBD as ingredients. As cannabis becomes legal in more and more states across the U.S. and as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) moves to reclassify it as a schedule 3 substance—a move that would make it a less dangerous drug, but not legalize it for recreational use—food manufacturers need to ensure that their production practices are sound and validated. This is why it’s vital for these companies to meet food safety guideli ..read more

Food safety has always been crucial, but with the rise of pathogens and challenges from pests and chemicals, it’s vital for food and beverage manufacturers to have strong food safety leaders. This has led to a strong emphasis on developing the food safety leaders of the future. Jill Stuber, founder of Catalyst, a coaching and leadership development company for the food industry, and vice chair of the Developing Food Safety Professionals Group of the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP), says that possessing solid technical skills is essential in the food safety space. “We’ve se ..read more

Foodborne viruses can be tough to prevent and mitigate. Some can’t be cultured, so they are difficult to analyze. Others aren’t affected even by strong disinfectants, so intervention is ineffective. In the past decade, an additional virus, hepatitis E, joined norovirus and hepatitis A as a top three concern for human food safety. To tackle these challenging foodborne viruses that can cause serious human illnesses, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) are holding a series of meetings focused on microbial risk. The first Joint F ..read more

Safety is the foundation of food quality. It’s critical that any laboratory, manufacturing plant, and production facility that handles food maintains the highest standard of safety and follows careful procedures to the letter. There’s no room for error; a single isolated shortcut can lead to disastrous results. The USDA estimates that one in six Americans become sick from foodborne illness each year. Since New Year’s Eve 2023 alone, the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) site’s Recalls and Public Health Alerts page has featured multiple cross-contamination incidents. The alert ..read more

Approximately 600 million people globally fall victim to food poisoning annually; of those, 420,000 succumb to foodborne illnesses, according to the World Health Organization. Improper handling during food production and the packaging process can introduce bacteria, parasites, and viruses that cause foodborne diseases. Those in the food industry should learn and practice mandatory safety precautions to reduce food contamination and poisoning. Food safety is a set of practices for aiding in the safe processing, handling, packaging, and distribution of food products. Whether you have a multi-bi ..read more