A food fraud unit in England and Wales has been granted the ability to apply for and execute search warrants under certain conditions.
The Food Standard Agency’s (FSA) National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) was given the investigatory powers under The Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE).
Officers in the NFCU
Continue Reading Food fraud unit secures enhanced powers
A long-awaited report into one of the largest E. coli O157 outbreaks in the United Kingdom has finally been published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
In the 2022 outbreak, there were 259 confirmed Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157 cases, including seven secondary infections. Another 25 confirmed patients
Continue Reading UKHSA publishes report on major E. coli outbreak in 2022
Researchers have reported the food attributable portions of disease for four important pathogens in the United Kingdom.
Findings will be used to support future Food Standards Agency (FSA) studies estimating the burden of foodborne disease.
A literature review was conducted to provide source attribution estimates for enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), sapovirus
Continue Reading FSA assesses foodborne burden of four pathogens
Four men and a business have been convicted in England after diverting meat unfit for human consumption back into the food chain.
Three men pled guilty, and one man and his business entered not guilty pleas at the Inner London Crown Court following an investigation by Southwark Council and the
Continue Reading Men convicted in unfit meat diversion case
A consumer survey has revealed dangerous behaviors such as sniffing food to see if it is safe to consume and eating products after their shelf life has expired.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) survey was conducted between April and July 2024, and 5,526 adults from 3,908 households across England, Wales
Continue Reading Risky consumer behaviors flagged in FSA survey
More than 50 people fell ill across the United Kingdom as part of a Salmonella outbreak in 2024.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) investigated a cluster of Salmonella Blockley infections identified through the analysis of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data.
An Incident Management Team including Public Health Scotland, Public
Continue Reading 50 sickened in UK Salmonella outbreak with unknown source
Health officials in the United Kingdom are investigating a fatal Listeria outbreak linked to desserts supplied to the National Health Service.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Food Standards Agency (FSA) are investigating five cases of Listeria monocytogenes. Patients were identified from May to December 2024 with two in
Continue Reading UK health officials investigating listeria outbreak that has killed 3
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has started work on assessing the safety of lab-grown meat but only a minority of consumers seem to be willing to consume it.
A team of scientists and regulatory experts will work on the two-year program with academic bodies, the industry and trade organizations.
In
Continue Reading FSA starts work on cell-based meat; consumers skeptical
A seafood sampling survey has revealed some non-compliances but an overall low risk to public health.
In England and Wales, 152 samples of wild caught fish, crustaceans and cephalopods were purchased from fish markets and analyzed for mercury, lead, cadmium, total arsenic, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Also, 76
Continue Reading FSA publishes seafood sampling survey findings
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has proposed several changes to import controls on food of non-animal origin.
The 14 modifications are for Salmonella, pesticide residues, and aflatoxins in products from countries including Brazil, China, Turkey, and India. Official controls include documentary, identity, and physical examinations such as sampling.
The review
Continue Reading FSA proposes changes to import checks