Next generation sequencing is beginning to replace traditional DNA methods in food safety testing. As this trend continues, sequencing will no longer be the time intensive process it once was. Laboratories will be limited by how quickly they can prepare samples, not how quickly they can sequence them. Automation will, therefore, play an increasingly critical…
Three things to expect during unannounced FDA inspections
It’s not a question of if, but when, officials with the Food and Drug Administration will show up at any given food company for an unannounced inspection, with any violations outlined in a Form 483 that is handed off to company representatives as inspectors head out the door. While the Form 483 itself is essentially…
The intersection of science and safety: NY testing pays off
The work of 43 people in New York led to more than 300 recalls and the removal of contaminated food from countless store shelves across the country in 2016, preventing illnesses and protecting the public.
Dairy microbiology is just one of the specialty areas covered by staff at the New York…
Federal hiring freeze disrupts USDA’s food safety testing
As the federal government continues the transition that comes every time a new administration moves into the White House, a hiring freeze and an order from President Donald Trump that temporarily puts new regulations on hold are having varying consequences for food safety efforts.
Officials at the Food and Drug Administration said the president’s pause…
USDA investment in research pays off with E. coli defenses
A $25 million research project that has already produced improved detection and eradication techniques for toxic E. coli is beginning its seventh year with the continued goal of reducing public health risks.
Scientists and educators at 18 institutions have been working on the project, funded with a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that…
CORRECTED: Blue Bell asks FDA if it can return to ‘industry norm’
CORRECTED CONTENT: Blue Bell Creameries wants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to release it from certain food safety precautions imposed after its ice cream was linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak, seeking permission for less expensive practices it refers to as “the industry norm.”
There is no word on FDA’s response to the request,…
Tech+intellect = 100% consumers at CPS Research Symposium
SEATTLE — The mood was upbeat as the Center for Produce Safety’s seventh annual Research Symposium opened. “Welcome to our coming-out party,” said an enthusiastic Steve Patricio, the center’s board chairman, as he welcomed more than 300 attendees to the two days of research reports about food safety in the fresh produce industry. Patricio, president…
Raw milk producer says state’s testing method is the problem
The owner of a California organic dairy is working with state officials to find the source of Salmonella that has twice this month caused recalls of his raw milk, even though he believes the state’s test results are not indicative of the safety of his unpasteurized dairy products. 
The 500-cow operation, Organic Pastures Dairy Co.…
Rapid lab tests likely hampering some public health efforts
The next generation of rapid lab tests is helping doctors diagnose and treat foodborne illnesses faster than ever, but health officials are concerned increasing use of the tests is decreasing their ability to detect and investigate outbreaks. Known as CIDTs, the “culture-independent diagnostic tests” provide big picture results in hours, indicating whether a person’s illness…
Chipotle using games, brains and off-site cooks to turn corner
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has a new game online, a new executive director of food safety on payroll, a new public relations firm in New York City and new ways of cooking its food away from its restaurants. Now all it needs is new sales. Keeping with corporate promises about transparency in the wake of…
Expert survey says: You can’t test your way to food safety
Recent foodborne illness outbreaks have pushed pathogen testing into the headlines, with national restaurant chains and local eateries touting negative test results as positive news. 
Executives for the Denver-based fast-food burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill are relying on pathogen testing of fresh produce as part of their response to six foodborne outbreaks in the last…