A multistate foodborne outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections spanning more than two years has sickened 11 people and resulted in the death of an infant. The outbreak is linked to ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products from Yu Shang Food Inc.

The European Commission amended its regulation on the microbiological criteria for foods to revise the requirements for food business operators regarding Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has completed its root cause investigation of the summer 2024 listeriosis outbreak linked to plant-based Silk and Great Value milks. The agency was unable to confirm the primary source of the contamination, but found that the production facility was not compliant with testing requirements.

Following the history of serious food safety noncompliances at Boar’s Head’s Jarratt, Virginia plant, which led to a fatal listeriosis outbreak, USDA’s Inspector General has launched an internal investigation into the agency’s handling of the repeated sanitary violations found at the facility.

Boar’s Head has appointed Frank Yiannas, former FDA Deputy Commissioner of Food Policy and Response, as its interim Chief Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer (CFSO) and Chair of its Food Safety Advisory Council. Both the CFSO role and advisory council are new additions to Boar’s Head’s structure, established in response to the fatal listeriosis outbreak of 2024.

Babylife Organics has become the second U.S. baby food producer to announce a product testing initiative guided by EU standards; specifically, for toxic heavy metals, tested at four points along production, and measured in parts-per-billion.

Members of Congress have written a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) asking the agency to answer questions about its inspection actions leading up to the fatal Boar’s Head listeriosis outbreak, and about its authorities and processes for preventing such events.

In response to a FOIA petition submitted to USDA by the Associated Press, the agency chose to withhold the requested Boar’s Head inspection and enforcement reports on the grounds that they were being compiled for law enforcement purposes related to the recent listeriosis outbreak.

Baby food producer Little Spoon is the first U.S. company in the sector to promise to never sell product that exceeds EU-aligned limits for toxic heavy metals, pesticides, and plasticizers, and to voluntarily publicize its product testing results.

A recent survey of the low-moisture food industry and relevant stakeholders has revealed the sector’s key food safety challenges and research needs related to food safety culture, sanitation, pathogen reduction, and technology adoption.