FDA has partnered with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to expand the focus of the Global Business Identifier (GBI) Test, which is examining how identifiers—unique numbers that capture information about legal business entities and their functions—can be leveraged to address a range of supply chain traceability needs.

A study of food safety inspections performed in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, and the U.S. has identified and described a common approach across countries.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now offers several resources to help state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions complete a risk factor study as part of Standard 9 (Program Assessment) of the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.

FDA will hold a one-day virtual public meeting on Data and Technology in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety on April 24, 2024 to better understand how the agency can leverage data and technology to advance food safety. The same day, FDA will also open a docket to collect public comment on the event topic.

The Singapore Food Agency has proposed amendments to federal regulations that would allow the use of new ingredients in infant formula, and would also extend the use of permitted food additives.

West Virginia passed a bill known as the Truth in Food Labeling Act, restricting the language that can be used on labels for cell-based meats, plant-based meat alternatives, and other “analogue products,” such as insect-based foods. The bill awaits the Governor’s signature.

NASEM has completed a study to better understand the nutritional benefits of seafood consumption versus the health hazards posed by contaminants like toxic heavy metals. The study fulfills a request from FDA, partly in a Closer to Zero effort to answer questions about mercury exposure. A webinar about the findings will be held on March 26, 2024.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final rule to amend its regulations on how and when FDA may determine that a food contact notification (FCN) is no longer effective.

Following the wave of state-level legislation on food additives cropping up across the U.S., two bills have been introduced in Pennsylvania to prohibit nine chemicals from being used as food additives in the state. Additionally, Kentucky wrote a resolution urging FDA to mandate a prohibition on U.S. food manufacturers producing or selling food containing harmful ingredients that have been banned by several other countries.

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) are warning that the shortage of veterinary professionals delivering food safety inspections in Great Britain poses a threat to public and animal health.