A bill was recently introduced to the Florida legislature that would ban cultivated meat products (also known as “lab-grown meat,” “cell-based meat,” or “cultured meat” products) in the state.

The Real Marketing Edible Artificials Truthfully Act (Real MEAT Act) has been reintroduced to the U.S. Senate, and it would clarify the definition of beef and pork for labeling purposes by requiring alternative proteins to clearly display the word “imitation” on their packaging.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently assessed the food safety of eight smoke flavorings on the EU market, the authorization for which were due for renewal, and were unable to rule out concerns of genotoxicity.

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (EC’s DG SANTE) recently published a report on the effectiveness of EU Member States’ strategic approaches for fighting food fraud, which informed a guidance document that supports Member State efforts in this area.

As of November 16, 2023, there are 34 known cases of acute lead toxicity linked to recalled fruit puree pouches in the U.S. FDA has alluded to an unconfirmed theory that the common source of contamination may be an imported ingredient used in the products.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has introduced TKPlate, a new platform that can model and predict the toxicity and toxicokinetics of chemicals used in foods, which will help reduce the amount of animal testing used in food safety assessments.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Dr. Kathy Knutson, an author, food safety consultant, and educator for the cannabis industry. She discusses packaging, good manufacturing practices, training, and other considerations for ensuring the safety of cannabis-infused edibles and beverages, as well as the complicated patchwork of state regulations for cannabis and the potential for future federal regulation. We also hear from Dr. Hal King, the Editor of Food Safety Leadership in the Business of Food Safety, a new digital book published by Food Safety Magazine that serves as a resource for the retail foodservice industry. The book defines and models food safety business leadership from the perspective of top food safety business leaders at best-in-class retail foodservice operations.

On November 13, 2023, the Alliance for a Stronger FDA hosted a webinar with James "Jim" Jones, the recently appointed Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), during which he discussed his priorities, plans, and approach to change at the agency. He provided expected timelines for specific initiatives, such as finalization of the Agricultural Water Rule and an officialized outline of the new Human Foods Program.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a joint statement with the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Environment Agency (EEA), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to express their commitment to supporting the One Health agenda.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a letter to the Government of Minnesota requiring the state to address dangerous levels of nitrate contamination in its drinking water.