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.

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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a factsheet on the 2022 Food Code definition and requirements for “in-shell product,” which is a sub-category of molluscan shellfish that requires special parameters for safe handling.

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).

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.

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.

A new coalition between various food safety stakeholders has been formed with the purpose of advocating for a modernized, effective Human Foods Program at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).