The U.S. and Canada are melting pots of cultures, and one of the most evident expressions of this diversity can be found in the variety of ethnic foods available in markets. While the influx of these foods has brought new and exciting flavors to North American palates, it has also brought the risk of new microbial hazards.
The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has published the summary of its findings on the food safety aspartame and 15 other flavorings, which was discussed at the 96th meeting of JECFA that took place in Geneva, Switzerland from June 27–July 6, 2023.
However, FDA and industry groups disagree with WHO's determination.
July 14, 2023
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared popular artificial sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans," although the acceptable daily intake of 40 milligrams mg/kg of body weight remains unchanged. Additionally, FDA and industry groups disagree with WHO's determination.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reissued two temporary guidances originally published during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for certain regulatory requirements that involve onsite visits abroad under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
Now available is the 120 Day Food and Agriculture Interim Risk Review, which provides a review of critical and emergent risks to the U.S. food and agriculture sector, and will help inform the Federal Risk Mitigation Strategy, as outlined in the National Security Memorandum-16 (NSM-16).
As leaders in food safety, it is our responsibility to develop the influential skills to "manage up" and "train upper management" on food safety risks and opportunities to secure the necessary funding for continued development.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Dr. Steven Lyon, Director of Food Safety–Field Operations at Chick-Fil-A, to discuss the company’s work in digital solutions and innovation, antimicrobial resistance mitigation, food safety culture, and other areas.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) hopes to secure further legal powers for the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) in England and Wales, which will enable the agency to more effectively investigate food crime with autonomy by granting powers of entry and search. A public consultation is now available.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has put out a call for experts to estimate the global disease burden of certain conditions associated with dietary exposure to cadmium, methylmercury, inorganic arsenic, and lead.
With the post-pandemic ramp-up of in-person, global sporting events comes a parallel increase in the number of food safety professionals required to oversee the catering of such events. Event organizers and caterers alike have come to understand the importance of food safety in such large-scale scenarios.