Researchers have urged a change in the way microbial food safety is considered.
Experts from the Quadram Institute, the University of East Anglia, the Royal Veterinary College, and Massey University called for more holistic approaches that assess the risks and monitor changes in microbial communities as a whole and across
Continue Reading Scientists push for broader adoption of genomic surveillance
Eight times since 2017, growers of leafy greens, especially those producing Romaine lettuce, have been rocked by outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7. The pathogen associated with the intestines of cows rode in on the greens, causing sicknesses, sending people to hospitals for treatment of kidney ailment, and, oh yes
Continue Reading There’s a break in leafy green outbreaks, but work to eliminate them forever continues
The United Kingdom’s top food microbiology lab has continued to see a drop in communications with European counterparts after Brexit.
Findings come from a report covering work of the UK’s national reference laboratory (NRL) for food microbiology between April 2022 and March 2023.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provides
Continue Reading Reduced EU contact continues for UK food microbiology lab
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a report on a four state outbreak that sickened 20 people. The implicated Salmonellas were linked to the same brand of cashew brie.
In keeping with its standard procedure, the CDC did not name the brand or manufacturer of the brie
Continue Reading CDC confirms that cashew brie caused multistate Salmonella outbreak
It was not exactly a do-over, but a federal court did order the Food and Drug Administration to do additional analysis and reconsider its “no effect” determination from 2015 for the AquaBounty salmon.
The FDA has completed that work this week with the announcement of the availability of a draft
Continue Reading FDA releases draft amended environmental assessment for AquAdvantage salmon and sets virtual public meeting
Scientists have assessed the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods for norovirus in shellfish.
They found such techniques are ready to substitute current methods despite some limitations.
Bivalve molluscan shellfish (BMS) contamination with norovirus is a significant public health risk. Contaminated foods, such as oysters, may harbor concentrations of viral
Continue Reading Experts review NGS methods for norovirus in shellfish
One-third of survey respondents in low and middle-income countries do not use whole genome sequencing, according to a study.
Only 8 percent reported using WGS in a routine, real-time way, highlighting minimal uptake of the technology for foodborne disease surveillance outside the United States, Canada, and Europe.
The main barriers
Continue Reading Study reveals low use of whole genome sequencing outside of U.S. and Europe
A study in the United Kingdom has provided new information about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in lamb and turkey meat.
Antimicrobial drugs are given to animals for veterinary purposes to treat and prevent disease and to humans with bacterial infections. However, bacteria can adapt to survive the effects of antimicrobials. AMR
Continue Reading Survey reveals levels of AMR bacteria in lamb and turkey
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has opened an application portal for accreditation bodies interested in participating in the Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF) program.
Under the LAAF program, the FDA will recognize accreditation bodies that will accredit food testing laboratories to standards established in the final rule
Continue Reading Program offers accreditation bodies help in giving approval to labs for food testing
In a recent presentation, Martin Wiedmann of Cornell University discussed the positives and negatives of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data sharing, saying that easy access to such data can sometimes lead companies and individuals to the wrong conclusions about the source of a foodborne outbreak.
Weidmann’s presentation was part of
Continue Reading Center for Produce Safety webinar focuses on pathogen detection
