Food companies that prepare fresh food items often source individual ingredients from primary suppliers. The food safety risk is typically controlled at primary supplier plants or farms; however, the food safety stakes are high. It is necessary to have "boots on the ground" to assess how food safety and quality programs are integrated with the front-line operation for those suppliers who mitigate food safety risk on the behalf of a receiving company.
While new food sources and food production systems can help address some of the pressing food security and sustainability challenges ahead, they may also bring some unique food safety issues that must be proactively considered and addressed. This article examines the food safety and quality aspects of edible insects and other "new food" sources, such as jellyfish, aquatic algae, seaweed, and invertebrates.
In response to a petition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has decided not to revise the mandatory safe handling instruction (SHI) label for raw and partially cooked meat and poultry products.
A recent study evaluated and compared the level of conformity with food safety requirements in cattle and pig slaughterhouses, for which large-scale and beef facilities scored better, on average.
A recent project report published by the UK Food Standards Agency reflects the potential of advanced technologies and data analytics—such as artificial intelligence (AI) and imaging methods—for improving meat inspection processes.
A research team from the University of New England is addressing the lack of regulatory oversight of edible seaweed by studying the effect that various food safety control measures have on the presence of pathogens on the crop. The researchers also explain why seaweed should not be regulated as shellfish.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a study that measured the prevalence of Salmonella in swine carcasses and evaluated the factors that influence Salmonella levels.
The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JERMA) recently published a summary of control methods for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in meat and dairy.