The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Nov. 13 announced that it has published the 2013 Food Code (eighth edition). The Food Code establishes practical, science-based guidance for mitigating risk factors that are known to cause or contribute to foodborne illness outbreaks associated with retail and foodservice establishments.
The head of food safety at a Rhode Island sausage company at the center of a nationwide salmonella outbreak in 2009 has helped design a new food industry training program at Rhode Island College.The program, to begin in fall 2014, will combine food chemistry and microbiology with practical training in areas such as designing an emergency response plan and managing a food safety crisis.
On Nov. 10, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) publicly denounced what he described as USDA's plan "to allow chickens that are raised and processed in China to be sold [in the U.S.]" Yesterday, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a statement denying that the agency has found China's poultry slaughter system to be equivalent
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Nov. 10 announced that it is collaborating with public health officials in California, Washington, and Arizona; USDA-FSIS; and the FDA to investigate a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157:H7) infections. The infections have been linked to ready-to-eat salads produced by Glass Onion Catering, a business of RIchmond, CA-based Atherstone Foods.
Robert Mills, an experienced food safety and quality expert, recently joined GlobalG.A.P. North America as vice president, technical services and training. G.A.P. stands for Good Agricultural Practice, and Baltimore-based GLOBALG.A.P. is the worldwide standards organization that assures Good Agricultural Practice.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced its preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods, are not “generally recognized as safe” for use in food. The FDA’s preliminary determination is based on available scientific evidence and the findings of expert scientific panels.
The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) today began accepting nominations for its 2014 Association Awards. IAFP also encourages people to submit applications for the IAFP Travel Award for State or Local Health or State Agricultural Department Employees (U.S. only) and for the IAFP Travel Award for a Food Safety Professional in a Country with a Developing Economy. Students may apply for a Student Travel Scholarship.
The United States on Nov. 1 issued new import rules for cattle and beef that will comply with international standards for the prevention of mad cow disease, saying the step could ultimately boost U.S. beef exports. The European Union said the U.S. move would bring a welcome re-opening of a market closed to its beef since January 1998.
The Knox County Health Department and the East Tennessee Regional Office have issued an alert, advising people not to consume raw milk or dairy products from McBee Dairy Farm in Mascot due to possible E. coli infection.
Food traceability is a growing concern for both businesses and consumers who want to know exactly where their food is coming from, but the path of the global food supply is a winding one and the increasing complexity of the world's food system can make it difficult to trace products back to their source.