The Paris-based Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) today announced that Cenk Gürol, group chief SCM officer, Aeon Co., Ltd., and president, Aeon Global SCM Co., Ltd., Japan, has been appointed as its new Board chairman. The newly elected vice chairs of GFSI are Mike Robach, vice president, food safety, quality and regulatory affairs, Cargill, USA, and Neil Marshall, global director, quality & food safety strategy, policy and programs, The Coca-Cola Company, USA.
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Global Food Traceability Center (GFTC) has received a grant to conduct research into the impacts of traceability on consumer attitudes and business performance in the seafood industry from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that registration is open for the third public meeting on the Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food Proposed Rule, to be held Thursday, March 20, in College Park, MD.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has developed a new tool for use by FSIS-regulated companies, known as Food Defense and Recall Preparedness: A Scenario-Based Exercise Tool. FSIS is hosting webinars for industry on Feb. 19 and March 14 to explain the tool's purpose and to demonstrate how to use it.
Two subcommittees of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold public meetings next month in Washington, DC. The subcommittee on Control Strategies for Reducing Foodborne Norovirus Infections will meet March 18-20 and the subcommittee on the Study of Microbiological Criteria as Indicators of Process Control or Insanitary Conditions will meet March 25-27.
Research conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health has concluded that consuming raw milk is unsafe and that illnesses from the product are more prevalent than previously realized, with 17 percent of those consuming the product falling ill.
Invisible Sentinel Inc. announced Monday that its rapid diagnostic for the detection of Listeria species has received Performance Tested Methods certification from the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC).
Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is in India this week "to further strengthen cooperation between the FDA and its Indian regulatory counterparts" on matters of food and drug safety, according to the Agency. An Indian food industry publication reported that Hamburg's meeting today with India's health minister focused on pharmaceuticals, and suggested that Indian authorities are reluctant to discuss food safety.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local officials have been investigating a cluster of illnesses associated with Uncle Ben’s Infused Rice Mexican Flavor sold in 5- and 25-pound bags. The manufacturer, Mars Foodservices, is recalling all bags and all lot numbers of its Uncle Ben’s Infused Rice products produced in 2013.
Rona Ambrose, Canada’s Minister of Health and the head of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), today announced the launch of a searchable database to help the food industry identify and address food safety hazards. The online database, known as the Reference Database for Hazard Identification (RDHI), provides a vital resource to assist the food industry in developing preventive food safety control plans.