Trace Register and ReposiTrak have announced a partnership to enable fast, simple compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Food Safety Modernization Act, Section 204 (FSMA 204), also known as the Food Traceability Final Rule, through data interoperability.

bioMérieux and Mérieux NutriSciences have announced the launch of a new data-driven Trusted Third Party initiative, built with a group of global food industry partners to foster safe industry collaboration and to better anticipate and prevent food safety risks.

There is national interest in protecting public health by reducing foodborne illness from Salmonella in poultry. The University of Maryland, in partnership with IAFNS and Structured Partnerships, have been collaborating with USDA-FSIS through a Cooperative Agreement to support data sharing with the aim of reducing Salmonella illnesses in humans.

The establishment of a comprehensive surveillance program that harnesses the benefits of whole genome sequencing (WGS) requires a coordinated approach involving multiple stakeholders at multiple levels within the framework of One Health. EFSA is actively collaborating with the network of EU experts to foster cooperation and promote equitable data-sharing practices, and is also committed to ensuring a more balanced contribution from all European countries and providing effective support and resources when necessary.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently published a report detailing the activities of its Advisory Group on Data during 2022. The aim of the EFSA Advisory Group on Data is to demonstrate the ways in which digitalization of food systems can improve food safety in Europe.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CIFA) recently provided insight into how whole genome sequencing (WGS) and international data-sharing helped trace a 2020 multinational food safety outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes to enoki mushrooms, enabling countries to rapidly recall the affected products. 

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.

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.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will air an upcoming TechTalk Podcast episode focusing on some of the agency’s efforts under the New Era of Smarter Food Safety; specifically, the Office of Regulatory Affairs Data Exchange.

The IFT FIRST event offered several key takeaways impacting food safety, from topics and issues surrounding supply chain disruption and innovation to data standards and contaminants.