Quick bites from around the food safety arena this week
A significant Salmonella outbreak across Europe has sickened more than 100 people now. Children and young adults have been most affected, with 49 victims hospitalized. The UK and Lithuania have the largest number of cases. The source appears to be flavored instant noodle products from the Reeva brand and some cases seem to have resulted from eating the product directly from the package. “This is absolutely not advisable, as the product is not ready to eat,” said Ulrich Pinstrup, from the Danish Veterinary, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Agency.- In the US, the FDA is investigating a new outbreak involving E. coli O157:H7 with 14 patients affected so far. The agency has not reported where the victims are located or what food is being investigated as the source. The FDA has also begun onsite inspections related to an outbreak of botulism traced to Nara Organics infant formula. As of July 1, three patients have been hospitalized with symptoms.
- The Senate Agriculture Committee has released its draft of the 2026 Farm Bill which it will consider later this year. Food safety provisions in the bill include: a requirement to update food safety preparation regulations and guidelines for childcare facilities regarding fresh fruits and vegetables, establishment of a pilot program to allow custom slaughter facilities exemption from inspection to sell meat and poultry products directly to consumers and creation of standards for honey authentication.
Hello FSN+ members,
We are not producing a fresh Sunday Edition newsletter this week because of the Independence Day holiday. Here are some highlights and updates related to the great work the FSN team does each week. Thank you for your continued support!
Morgan Holm
Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief
In February, we did a deep dive on so-called “forever chemicals.” Those are PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals are resistant to heat, water and oil. They also degrade very slowly so they are used in water systems to protect infrastructure. Here are some of the most recent developments on the topic.
- The EPA will hold a virtual public hearing on July 7 to accept comments on proposed rules that would rescind regulatory standards for four PFAS that were set in 2024. Drinking water providers would also have more time to comply with standards for two other PFAS under another proposed rule.
- Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a proposed settlement in a lawsuit against Chemours Chemical Company for discharging PFAS into water supplies in West Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey. The settlement, which has not yet been approved by a judge, would require the company to pay more than $22 million in civil penalties for PFAS discharges above allowable limits near its facilities in those three states. Under the proposed settlement, Chemours would not admit liability. The company would also be required to spend $90 million over the next 15 years to clean up the affected waters. The DOJ says this is the first settlement to resolve enforcement claims tied to pollution from a PFAS manufacturer.
In May, we looked at the 2026 Farm Bill passed by the U.S. House. The legislation included a 20 percent cut in the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP. The Senate is expected to take up its version of the bill later this summer. Here’s the latest on this topic:
- Last week, a federal judge in Washington D.C. blocked a Trump administration policy that allowed states to restrict the use of SNAP benefits. Benefits recipients in five states sued the USDA over limits on using SNAP funds to buy candy, soda, energy drinks and prepared desserts. Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the USDA did not have the authority to give waivers to states that want to limit how the benefits are used since Congress defines what is considered "food" for the purposes of the program.
- The USDA released its fiscal year 2025 payment error rates for SNAP last week. This wouldn’t normally be a big deal, but under the One Big Beautiful Bill approved by Congress in 2025, states that have an error rate at or above six percent must start to pay a portion of SNAP benefits for their residents beginning in the fall of 2027. The average error rate across the nation is 10.62 percent, which Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says is “further proof that state accountability is severely lacking in SNAP.” The rate measures over- and underpayments in SNAP that often reflect unintentional mistakes (fraud and abuse are tracked by separate metrics). Many states could be on the hook for $100 million or more in contributions, that is, unless the Senate decides to alter the rule in its version of the Farm Bill.
In April, we looked at the surging popularity of raw milk and one of its biggest proponents, Mark McAfee, the owner of RAW FARM LLC in Fresno, CA. Even though many consumers acknowledge the risks associated with unpasteurized milk, it has come to symbolize freedom from the rules and regulations common to many American food products. Here’s what’s happened recently.
- Eleven people in Louisiana were sickened by campylobacteriosis and cryptosporidiosis after consuming unpasteurized, raw milk. Two were hospitalized. Louisiana does not allow the sale of raw milk for human consumption, although it can be purchased for animal or pet consumption.
- At the end of May, Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt signed into law a measure increasing the cap on sales of raw milk to consumers. The new state law allows sales of up to 1,500 gallons of raw milk directly to consumers each month. The old cap was 100 gallons. Supporters of the law hailed it for giving dairy producers more freedom and for supporting small family farms.
We’ll be back next week with more insights and perspective about food safety.
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