To strengthen federal food safety regulation, the Reagan-Udall Foundation has published its independent review of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Human Foods Program, focusing on organizational culture, structure, resources, and authorities. The evaluation will be used to “inform a new vision for the FDA Human Foods Program.”

Domestic mutual reliance, part of FDA's New Era for Smarter Food Safety initiative, is a key component of the Integrated Food Safety System. It enables FDA and states with comparable regulatory systems to rely on each other for a safer national food supply. Three additional states have recently formalized domestic mutual reliance partnerships with FDA to advance collaborative activities to help ensure continued access to safe foods.

The European Food Safety Authority’s European Scientific Network on Microbiological Risk Assessment recently convened for its 22nd meeting to discuss various national efforts related to microbial food safety hazards such as prevalent foodborne pathogens, mycotoxins, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and other risks.

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting in Microbial Risk Assessment (JERMA) convened in response to a Codex Alimentarius Committee request to develop microbiological risk assessment models for Listeria monocytogenes, and to provide recommendations to inform possible future revisions to Codex guidelines on hygienic controls for L. monocytogenes.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently launched a project to strengthen food safety in 12 countries across Eastern and Southern Africa, beginning with a workshop in Comoros.

To deal with the impacts on supply caused by the recent bird flu outbreak, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is temporarily allowing for the sale of certain poultry products that have been previously frozen and defrosted.

With a draft guidance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling Requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Edition 5); Guidance for Industry.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have produced a new series of eLearning courses on Codex Alimentarius to help stakeholders more effectively participate in the Codex Alimentarius Commission standard-setting process.

The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) recently updated risk assessment of sulfur dioxide and sulfites concludes that dietary intakes of sulfites may be a food safety concern, but there remain problematic gaps in toxicity data.

To collect food and agriculture-related antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data that could help mitigate public health risks, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is developing the International Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (InFARM) platform.