Food Safety News has learned that Brian Ronholm has been named acting under secretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Brian Ronholm joined USDA in April 2011 as deputy under secretary for food safety. He previously served as an Agriculture Appropriations associate on the staff of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), managing issues related to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. There is no official word on who will permanently replace Elisabeth Hagen in the position, but POLITICO reports that Anne MacMillan, USDA’s deputy chief of staff, and Al Almanza, Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) administrator, are at the top of the list of potential nominees. Hagen’s last day in the position was Dec. 13, after “an ambitious three years” as under secretary. She now moves on to consulting firm Deloitte as a food safety senior advisor. It’s unclear when President Obama intends to announce his nomination for the position. Hagen was sworn in as the highest food-safety official in the federal government in August 2010 after the position had been vacant for more than a year. Food safety advocates are hoping her successor is appointed much more quickly.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
An analysis of official controls in Norway and Iceland has revealed effective oversight overall with some recurring weaknesses.
Norway and Iceland are part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Bongkrekic acid and the illegal use of a substance to give the appearance of fish freshness were examples of emerging risks discussed in a recent report about problems in Europe
The majority of countries are finding implementing food safety culture controls difficult, according to a European Commission survey.
The report looked at the state of food safety culture controls in
Ireland’s largest Listeria outbreak and plans to introduce a food hygiene rating system are among the highlights of the Irish food agency’s annual report.
According to the Food
Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. is recalling select flavors of Outshine Fruit Bars because of consumer complaints about contamination with glass.
Products affected include Outshine Strawberry, Watermelon, Grape, Tangerine
Salata Dressings of Houston, TX, is recalling its Jalapeno Avocado Dressing because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
The recalled products were distributed in Texas HEB grocery
Grand Central Bakery of Seattle, WA, is recalling loaves of Potato Sourdough because they may contain the presence of pieces of metal.
The following products are subject to recall and
L-Nutra of Culver City, CA, is recalling Prolon brand Apulian Almond & Cocoa Spread because it contains undeclared cashew, pistachio and hazelnut.
People who have an allergy or severe
