Contamination Control

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U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) targeted testing of clams found a range of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) present in all samples. Testing of domestic clams did not reveal a similar level of contamination. 

Researchers have estimated a global economic cost of $1.5 trillion per year associated with three toxic chemicals commonly found in plastics and food contact materials—BPA, DEHP, and PBDEs—due to premature deaths, chronic diseases, and lower IQs.

Following the high-profile, fatal listeriosis outbreak linked to Boar’s Head ready-to-eat (RTE) deli meats that prompted an internal review of USDA-FSIS processes, the agency has announced several new steps to strengthen its oversight of RTE facilities, including expanded Listeria rule requirements and stricter state-federal cooperative inspection agreements.

Filling a critical knowledge gap in light of recent outbreaks and recalls associated with low-moisture foods, a study led by National University of Singapore researchers has characterized dry surface Salmonella biofilms and developed a fit-for-purpose, antibiofilm, waterless sanitization protocol for the low-moisture food industry. 

A research project funded by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) is exploring the microbial risks of unconventional surfaces in small and midsized produce packinghouses with the goal of determining sanitation best practices.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has opened a public consultation on a draft scientific opinion about the public health risks associated with perchlorate in food. EFSA increased the tolerable daily intake for the chemical and concluded no health risk to the general population at current exposure levels. 

Coordination across the agricultural, food safety, cybersecurity, and emerging cognitive security landscape must become a top priority and be seamlessly integrated across the international and national biodefense enterprise. Part 2 of this column series explores food safety and business decision-making in the face of cognitive security threats.

This article explores the use of growth inhibitors into formulations for deli meats to mitigate Listeria monocytogenes contamination, and provides guidance for the various options of effective compounds, including clean-label ingredients, to reduce the risk of Listeria contamination in deli meats.

Osaka Metropolitan University researchers have discovered the ability of an amino acid to inhibit Clostridium perfringens spore formation in the human gut, a process that causes foodborne illness.

The latest UK Food Security Report (UKFSR) has been published by the UK Government. A trend noted in the report is that, despite Campylobacter causing the most foodborne illnesses, outbreak detection is hindered by the lack of a required national typing scheme.