The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has updated its Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes in Retail Delicatessens.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released the findings of a sampling assignment that collected and tested ready-to-eat (RTE) dips and spreads with the aim of determining the presence of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella.
A recent bill submitted by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations included text mandating the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to unify its Human Foods program under a single Deputy Commissioner and urges a new approach for Listeria monocytogenes regulation, among other directives.
A recent study has demonstrated the ability of Listeria monocytogenes to develop persister cells under produce packinghouse conditions, as well as persisters’ susceptibility to chlorine treatment where antibiotics fail.
A recent study aiming to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cases of foodborne enteric diseases in Canada found a considerable reduction in cases in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Through sampling activities and whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis, a recent research project funded by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) revealed insights about the movement of L. monocytogenes across a processing facility, the persistence of the pathogen, and the efficacy of biocides and sanitation practices.
Similar to the gut microbiome, foods have a diverse community of indigenous or native microbes that reside on a food product.These microbes are influenced by changes in temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen, and exposure to other organisms, resulting in shifts in the bacterial population proportions. These dynamics can be further influenced by adding new bacteria—or bacteria already present in greater proportions—to help influence and improve food safety and quality.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will release a new prevention strategy aimed at reducing foodborne listeriosis cases and outbreaks associated with the consumption of fresh, soft Queso Fresco-type (QFT) cheeses.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we talk with Martin Wiedmann, Ph.D., D.V.M., the Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety and Food Science at Cornell University, about his research on Listeria and Salmonella, his work to strengthen foodborne illness surveillance and response, his use of whole genome sequencing (WGS), and other topics.
