The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is investigating a listeriosis outbreak involving five illnesses and three deaths. Desserts served at healthcare facilities are being considered as the potential vehicle of illness. The desserts tested positive for low levels of Listeria monocytogenes, but have not been confirmed as the source of the outbreak.
Consumer Reports recently released a report revealing the “most contaminated” poultry plants in the U.S., based on an analysis of USDA-FSIS Salmonella testing data.
FDA is launching “Operation Stork Speed,” comprising a series of actions like increased contaminant testing, to better ensure the safety and adequacy of the U.S. infant formula supply. Consumer Reports, which says Operation Stork Speed was announced one day after it shared contaminant testing results with the agency, has questioned whether FDA is adequately resourced to deliver on its new promises.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has proposed a rule that would require mandatory labeling on alcoholic beverages for the “Big 9” food allergens. The proposed rule is open for comment until April 17, 2025.
According to a survey by CDC researchers, nine percent of consumers reported eating prepackaged frozen vegetables raw and 40 percent reported not following cooking instructions, underlining the importance of preventive controls and processing steps to reduce pathogen contamination during production.
This episode of Food Safety Five discusses two recent scientific studies that are advancing the food industry’s understanding of and ability to address Listeria monocytogenes, including new findings about the pathogen’s behavior in biofilms and a developing rapid detection method.
A Boston University study has shown that Escherichia coli exposed to microplastics form strong biofilms and develop increased levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and multi-drug resistance.
A new study by USDA researchers has shown that long-read whole genome sequencing (WGS) could detect Salmonella attachment to food-contact surfaces earlier than traditional culture-based methods, allowing for sanitation interventions to be applied before the maturation of robust and difficult-to-remove biofilms.
According to a pre-publication version of a study conducted by Cornell University and backed by FDA, aging raw milk cheese may not be effective at eliminating the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 virus. However, adequate heat treating or pH 5.0 conditions could be effective.
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) has written a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, urging her to rescind the decision to terminate two key food safety scientific advisory committees, NACMCF and NACMPI.
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