The Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Food Safety Consultative Council today held an open meeting to explore the  transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in food safety. ‘AI in Food Safety: Innovation, Risks, and Opportunities’ brought together leading experts to explore the potential of AI and its real-world applications in reshaping the future of food safety systems .

Over 220 people registered for the event, which took place at the Gibson Hotel in Dublin, with a lineup of Irish and international speakers from the FSAI and representatives from UCD, Kerry Foods, Teagasc, TOMRA, Creme Global, and The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. 

Continue reading

An audit in Iceland has found the country has strengthened import controls for food of animal origin but there is still room for improvement, according to a recent report.

Iceland is part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) monitors how the country implements European Economic Area (EEA) rules on food and feed safety, animal health, and welfare.

Continue reading

Scientists have described the first confirmed ciguatera poisoning incident in the United Kingdom.

The suspected ciguatera incident occurred in England in June 2017 associated with the consumption of fish sold as red snapper steaks. Three people were affected from the same family after eating separate steaks from the same package.

Continue reading

The extensive use of azole fungicides (azoles), particularly in some agricultural and horticultural practices, can increase the risk of Aspergillus fungi developing resistance to essential antifungal treatments. This significant finding is highlighted in a report by the five EU health and environment agencies, with support from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). The Agencies collaborated under a One Health approach to address this growing threat.

Continue reading

Combining disinfection treatments and water replenishment can help maintain the microbiological quality of the water used in processing fresh and frozen fruit, vegetables and herbs. This is the main finding of an analysis carried out by EFSA’s experts, which has resulted in several recommendations and the development of a new online tool.

Continue reading

Avian influenza viruses pose an increasing threat, with the potential to adapt to humans and trigger future pandemics. Employing a One Health approach, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have issued scientific advice that assesses avian influenza virus mutations and the potential of these viruses to spread to humans, along with recommendations for the animal and public health sectors. The work of the two Agencies draws on extensive data, including genetic analyses, human case studies, and antibody presence to outline current risks and mitigation strategies.

Continue reading

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) published its Audit of the Effectiveness of Official Controls by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority at Ready-To-Eat Fishery Products Establishments. The FSAI has overall responsibility for the enforcement of food law in Ireland. To assess the delivery of official controls by official agencies, the FSAI conducts an annual risk-based audit programme. These audits are designed to evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of the official controls implemented by agencies in relation to food law, service contracts, and the Multi-Annual National Control Plan  requirements.

Continue reading

Researchers have looked into the behavior of Listeria monocytogenes related to biofilms and how they support the persistence of the pathogen in food processing environments.

A study led by the Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation (FFoQSI) found that Listeria monocytogenes can colonize existing biofilms and it also survives in them.

Continue reading

An audit has found the Bulgarian meat control system is let down by a lack of problems being recorded during controls and limited enforcement.

The audit by DG Sante took place in May and June 2024 to evaluate the control system for slaughter hygiene and meat inspection. Recently, six recommendations were made.

Continue reading

A project has been awarded funding to investigate a strain of Salmonella often found in cattle.

The grant will fund research to explore the genetic and phenotypic variations within Salmonella Dublin. The aim is to understand more about how the bacteria moves from cattle to humans and what that means for food safety and public health.

Continue reading

European public health officials are monitoring an outbreak linked to international travel on long-haul flights.

A cluster of 20 genetically linked Shigella sonnei sequence type (ST) 152 cases were first reported by the United Kingdom.

Austria, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands have also recorded genetically linked cases, suggesting a common source of infection. Austria and France have seven cases each while Ireland has three and the Netherlands has one.

Continue reading

Results of a French surveillance operation have been published, revealing the rate of contamination in fresh poultry meat at retail.

In France, Salmonella and Campylobacter are the two main bacterial agents responsible for foodborne infections, and Clostridioides difficile is often isolated from the stools of patients with digestive disorders. Poultry is recognized as a reservoir for these three pathogens.

Continue reading

In a shift away from GMOS, aka genetically modified organisms, important research is continuing in gene editing, sometimes referred to as “the next big thing in agriculture.”

The important difference between the two is that in the case of gene editing, no foreign DNA is inserted into a plant, animal or microorganism to achieve improvements in size, productivity, disease and insect resistance and in some cases even drought resistance.

Continue reading

Scientists have identified the most influential weather factors and combinations associated with an increase in Salmonella infections.

The study, led by a team of researchers at Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine, investigated the impact of different weather factors on the transmission of Salmonella. Their work was supported by animal health company Zoetis and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation funding program. Findings were published in the Journal of Infection.

Continue reading

The European Commission mandated EFSA to assess the toxicity of bromide, the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs), and possible transfer from feed into food of animal origin. The critical effects of bromide in experimental animals are on the thyroid and central nervous system. Changes in thyroid hormone homeostasis could result in neurodevelopmental toxicity, among other adverse effects.

Continue reading

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today announced that Mr Greg Dempsey has been appointed Chief Executive. Mr Dempsey is currently Deputy Secretary General at the Department of Health and will take up office following the conclusion of tenure of the current Chief Executive, Dr Pamela Byrne, on 1 March 2025.

Continue reading

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is to develop guidance for sellers of food on social media after a survey found buying products in this way was more common than predicted.

Research focused on ready-to-eat (RTE) food sold on Facebook Marketplace in Scotland. A total of 476 advertisements were included in the analysis.

Bakery and confectionery items accounted for almost two-thirds of the RTE foods sold while 12 percent were takeaway meals collected or delivered hot.

Continue reading

Eleven people have been sickened in a severe Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) outbreak in France linked to raw milk cheese. 

Nine hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) cases in adults have been confirmed by the National Reference Center for E. coli. HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure.

Continue reading

Researchers in Spain are working to develop faster, more accurate methods for detecting viruses like human norovirus and hepatitis A in fresh produce.

The project, led by Dr. Susana Guix from the University of Barcelona, aims to improve food safety and reduce false positives. It focuses on leafy greens and berries, which are often associated with contamination risks.

Continue reading

More details have been shared about the process of developing models to improve knowledge about the risks associated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) revised the 2004 Listeria models.

Continue reading