In response to mixed comments received through a public consultation on a proposed modernized food hygiene delivery model, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) will not be progressing several elements of its plan, and other elements will be amended to better enable local authorities to prioritize higher-risk food businesses when carrying out official controls.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is offering new resources—a QR code and graphic element—to communicate with stakeholders about two of its Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) programs: the Accredited Third-Party Certification Program (TPP) and the Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods Program (LAAF).

The European Food Safety Authority Panel on Biological Hazards (EFSA BIOHAZ) recently produced a report on the microbiological hazards associated with water used in postharvest handling and processing of fresh and frozen fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Due to concerns about harms to human health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed to revoke the regulation that authorizes the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food. The agency also announced its intent to review three other possibly toxic, FDA-regulated food additives that were recently banned in the state of California, and announced that a decision about red dye 3 is forthcoming.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is soliciting volunteers to participate in the first phase of the rollout of the new Observation and Corrective Action Report (OCAR) industry portal, which enables human and animal food facilities to submit documentation of voluntary corrective actions they have taken to address regulatory non-compliances noted by the agency during facility inspections.

On October 31, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a proposed rule which, if finalized, would amend its prior notice regulations for human and animal foods imported by mail.

Singaporean officials recently provided an update on the proposed national Food Safety and Security Bill, which was first introduced in 2021 and aims to provide greater clarity on the regulation of novel food innovations, such as cultured meat, while preventing foodborne illness. The country also opened a new National Center for Food Science.

PFAS concentrations, which do not break down easily in the body, tend to increase rather than diminish over time. In light of these concerns and the prevalence of PFAS in consumer products like food packaging, many state and local governments, as well as public interest organizations, have begun enacting or promoting legislation that would regulate the implementation of PFAS in consumer products.

Due to a steady increase of foodborne Cyclospora cayetanensis infections in recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) charged the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) with producing a report that provides information on the factors that contribute to the contamination of produce by the parasite, as well as recommendations for a prevention and management strategy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the appointment of 21 new members and nine returning members to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). A virtual public meeting will be held in November to welcome the committee members and introduce a new charge on the genomic characterization of pathogens.