PHOENIX — While genotyping can provide key microbiological information and strengthen epidemiological evidence in foodborne illness outbreaks, there are still some limitations in current technology and the very nature of the pathogens/parasites themselves can make
Continue Reading IAFP panel breaks down challenges in genotype tracing during foodborne illness outbreaks
House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) and House Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development, Food, and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chair Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), have sent a letter to Food and
Continue Reading Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock grilled on FDA food safety budget
Janet Woodcock, the acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs, and Susan T. Mayne, director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) Thursday announced Closer to Zero, a new action plan for
Continue Reading FDA announces ‘Closer to Zero’ plan to reduce toxic elements eaten by babies and young children
The FDA’s big news is that there is now an EPA-approved protocol for developing pathogen treatments for pre-harvest agricultural water. The agency’s nagging news is that its inspectors still can’t collect water or any other
Continue Reading FDA has big hopes for outbreak research with new water protocols
The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene met in Cleveland, Ohio earlier this month to talk about food allergen management, biological foodborne outbreaks and guidelines to control E. coli.
Codex Alimentarius is a collection of standards,
Continue Reading Experts discuss food hygiene, allergens and STEC at Codex meeting
Boy did I get this wrong…but so did many others…most seriously, some domestic and international trainers and Lead Trainers providing the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training programs.
At this time, two diametrically opposed understandings
Continue Reading Important Clarification of FSMA Produce Rule Ag Water Compliance Dates
Editor’s note: This column was originally published by the Food and Drug Administration as a Voice Blog.
We have made dramatic changes in our response to complex, potentially high-risk food safety situations that may be
Continue Reading SCORE one for the FDA: Strategic recall efforts paying off
Food recalls related to illness outbreaks tend to get a lot of headlines, but undeclared allergens in foods continue to be a leading cause of recalls.
To read a report from
Continue Reading Undeclared allergens a leading cause of food recalls in U.S.
Today the government is scheduled to open a six-month public comment period on drafts of guidance documents that are designed to help food company operators meet new regulations — some of which have compliance deadlines
Continue Reading FDA seeks comments; extends food safety deadlines
Editor’s note: The outbreak referenced in this meeting coverage was linked to a Chipotle Mexican Grill in Simi Valley, CA, and sickened an estimated 230 to 1,500 people, according to public health officials. Council meetings
Continue Reading 3 steps to cleaner hands, safer food: Learn, develop, implement
No matter how advanced mapping apps become, they can’t tell you where to go unless you know where you are to begin with, just as those in the food supply chain must assess their operations
Continue Reading Practical solutions to food safety problems take center stage
