In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Natalie Dyenson, M.P.H., Chief Food Safety and Regulatory Officer for the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), about her role at IFPA, the Association’s key priorities for produce food safety, and its global advocacy work along the fresh produce supply chain.

The highly regulated food industry has recently reached major milestones in its food safety culture journey. In addition to general acceptance of the key concepts, a unified language and framework has been developed. The local food movement is characterized by short supply chains, typically involving direct sales to consumers. The majority of businesses in this category have a handful of employees and include small-scale farmers and processors, as well as cottage food producers. The concepts of food safety culture are at the infancy stage, gaining traction as the rest of the food industry settles into the new normal of behavior-based food safety practice. This article explores the question: To what extent do the established food safety culture cornerstones apply to the local food segment of the food industry?

A recent publication from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) describes the organization’s work during 2020–2022 to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food and agriculture.

Aflatoxin-contaminated nuts and seeds dominated mycotoxin notifications made through the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) between 2011 and 2021, according to a recent study.

A 2021 multinational foodborne illness outbreak investigation involving imported melons contaminated by Salmonella Braenderup exemplifies effective collaboration across countries, rapid information sharing, and harmonized data collection, and the lessons learned could form the basis of standard practices in multinational outbreak investigations.

A recent analysis of food safety hazard notifications concerning seafood recorded through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) between 1996 and 2020 has revealed hazard trends.

Recent research commissioned by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides an overview of the ways in which labor shortages in critical food system roles are affecting food safety and availability, as well as FSA’s ability to carry out its responsibilities. 

Based on a recent risk assessment conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), European consumers’ dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic is a health concern, with associated effects including different types of cancer, birth issues, and other issues.

A recent publication from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has provided an in-depth review of early warning systems for food safety risks, an explanation of available open access tools, and the potential applications of Big Data and artificial intelligence (AI) in the field.

A recent report from the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) provides an assessment of the efficacy of different control strategies for non-typhoidal Salmonella in broilers and chicken meat at primary production, processing, and post-processing.