Contamination of food, beverages, and water includes physical, chemical, and microbiological concerns, as well as allergens (the Big 9, formerly the Big 8).
Chemical contamination of food, beverages, and water include chemicals used in the growing or production of food, such as pesticides or veterinary drugs, as well as chemicals present in sanitizers, cleaning solutions, coatings, and packaging.
Physical contamination of food and beverages encompasses foreign material that makes its way into product at some point during growing, harvesting, storage, manufacturing, processing, or distribution.
Microbiological contamination of food encompasses bacterial pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli (E.coli), Salmonella, Cronobacter, and many other pathogens that can contaminate food at any point during the supply chain, causing foodborne illness. This category also includes foodborne parasites.
Allergens in food include the Big 9 (formerly the Big 8): milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat (gluten), soybeans, and sesame as of January 2023. Big 9 food allergens and residues in food are grounds for a Class 1 recall.
Presented in a free e-book, AIB International has conducted a comprehensive research study that has illuminated several best practices that can be adopted immediately by food safety professionals to mitigate the impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
A recent review has established pathogen-specific foodborne illness burden estimates for leafy greens in the U.S. by combining three outbreak-based attribution models with illness incidence and economic cost models.
Allergen-related food recalls have increased since the introduction of FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011. This article shares the fundamentals of conducting an allergen gap assessment to help companies comply with new FDA guidance on allergen management.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an order regarding maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides in spices and culinary herbs, in alignment with Codex Alimentarius guidelines and the MRLs adopted by the U.S., the EU, Japan, and Australia/New Zealand.
A new European project investigates the antibiotic resistance microbiome in oyster culture regions and seeks to unravel how antibiotic resistance genes move in the surrounding habitats
Advances are being made in aquaculture practices that will reduce the overuse of antibiotics. This article discusses a new European project that investigates the antibiotic-resistant microbiome in oyster culture regions and how antibiotic-resistant genes move in surrounding habitats.
The European Commission has proposed amendments to EU regulations regarding allowable levels of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods to apply to additional food business operators along the supply chain.
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have achieved simultaneous detection of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in real-world samples, on-site and within an hour, using a handheld electrochemical device.
In evaluating the thousands of existing PFAS compounds and at what level they present a risk to the health of humans and animals, FDA, USDA, CPSC, and EPA are focusing on three issues: bioaccumulation, persistence, and toxicity.
Metals detection at low concentration in food can be challenging from an analytical perspective and requires suitable guidance in terms of the instrumentation used and methodological approaches
AOAC INTERNATIONAL's metals scientific community has formed a working group to review regulations and requirements for metals content in food, and to update the AOAC Standard Method Performance Requirements for metals analysis. The working group is also reviewing existing methods based on Codex Alimentarius requirements for metals analysis.
New studies published by Zero Waste Europe and the ToxicoWatch Foundation point to high levels of persistent organic pollutants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and dioxins in food and water sampled from the areas surrounding waste incinerator facilities in Europe.
On Demand: From this webinar, attendees will learn how to implement a program to control allergens in food processing facilities and prevent allergen cross-contact.
On Demand: In this webinar, technical experts will explain what a system breach is, how to manage and reduce system breaches, and how to design breaches out of a system to help prevent pathogen contamination in dry and low-moisture environments.