The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CIFA) recently provided insight into how whole genome sequencing (WGS) and international data-sharing helped trace a 2020 multinational food safety outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes to enoki mushrooms, enabling countries to rapidly recall the affected products. 

A multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections associated with meat and cheese from deli counters has resulted in 13 hospitalizations, one death, and one miscarriage. The foodborne illness outbreak is under investigation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has published an after-action review for two Salmonella Newport outbreaks that occurred during 2016–2019, classifying the strain as reoccurring.

The 2022 Food Safety Summit opened with a mock civil trial focusing on a fatal listeriosis outbreak. The workshop was led by attorneys from Food Industry Counsel LLC and included witness testimony, cross-examination, and a jury of conference attendees.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be leading a webinar on its Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced its Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan to optimize foodborne illness investigations.

In 2020, less people fell ill in Hong Kong from foodborne illness, but more outbreaks were reported.

The year 2019 saw an increase in foodborne outbreaks in France, as reported by public health officials. 

Foodborne illness outbreaks were scarce in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that trend is continuing for the first quarter of 2021.

One of the Food Safety Summit’s closing sessions, “Foodborne Illness Outbreak Mock Criminal Trial – A View from the Jury Box" took place on Thursday, October 23rd.