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After a poisoning outbreak linked to “legal” mushroom-based edibles sold across the country, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has informed industry that the mushroom Amanita muscaria is not authorized for use as an ingredient in food.

Earthjustice sued FDA on behalf of consumer advocates that previously petitioned FDA to revoke food contact authorizations for 28 phthalates, and were denied. Although FDA since revoked authorizations for many of those phthalates and says the rest are under review, the plaintiffs hope their lawsuit will force a long-overdue safety reassessment.

USDA is soliciting nominations for 30 new appointees to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF), who will be tasked with reviewing USDA-FSIS’ regulatory approach for Listeria, among other charges.

On December 19, the European Commission officially adopted a sweeping ban on the use of Bisphenol A (BPA), as well as some other bisphenols considered harmful, in all food contact materials. Industry will be allowed an 18-month transition period.

The European Commission has updated its list of food imports from certain countries that are subjected to temporarily increased official controls due to contamination risk.

California has declared a state of emergency as the current outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) continues to sweep North American dairy herds.

To assist interpretation of test results generated by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) microbiology laboratories, UKHSA has published new guidelines for assessing the microbiological safety of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods placed on the market.

The Government of Canada has amended the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), making changes to the regulatory framework for food compositional standards, affecting certain regulations concerning food additives and compositional standards, microbiological criteria, and methods of analysis for food.

This article addresses the requirements of the 3-A Sanitary Standards and some common misconceptions. It also describes the relationship between the 3-A Standards and U.S. federal regulations, as well as hygienic requirements beyond the sanitary design of the equipment—installation, validation, and maintenance.

This column explores food processors’ comments on the potential impacts of important industry developments, including the establishment of FDA’s Human Foods Program and USDA’s developing new regulatory approach to Salmonella in poultry. The article also delves into processors' priorities for their food safety programs in 2025.