While it is inevitable that some buyers in tariffed countries will shift their purchases from U.S. suppliers to avoid the tariffs, it is just as expected that many U.S. food companies will shift their purchasing to domestic supply chains to save costs. And as those food companies move away from expensive imports, domestic growers and manufacturers may experience demand surges, creating a fundamental safety challenge where production pressures increase faster than the food safety infrastructure.
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A total of 8,596 complaints and queries were handled by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Advice Line in 2024. Announcing details today of the complaints and queries last year, the FSAI stated that there were 4,996 complaints from consumers, with 32% of complaints relating to unfit food and 29% to suspected food poisoning.
England saw an increase in Campylobacter and Salmonella reports from 2022 to 2024, according to recently released information.
The data comes from the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) first annual report summarizing infectious disease trends.
Between 2022 and 2024, there was an increase in Campylobacter laboratory reports, with the rate per 100,000 population going up by 27 percent from 96.1 in 2022 to 122 in 2024. During this time Salmonella reports also increased by 24.1 percent from a rate of 14.5 to 18 per 100,000 population.
The majority of people in the Czech Republic trust food sold in the country to be safe but at least a fifth struggle with basic food handling rules.
Findings come from an online survey of food safety on the Czech market with more than 1,500 people in March 2025.
It was part of the #Safe2EatEU campaign organized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and rolled out in the Czech Republic by the food safety department of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Carbapenemase-producing bacteria, once mainly a hospital concern, are now being detected in food animals and food products across Europe. This is one of the findings of EFSA’s latest scientific opinion on the occurrence and spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in the food chain in the EU/EFTA.
As part of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO)’s mission to promote a pro-innovation regulatory system, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has awarded the Food Standards Agency (FSA) £1.4 million to support a new innovation hub. This hub will develop and expand specialist expertise in regulating innovative technologies such as precision fermented foods, making sure these products are safe to eat before they are sold.
Certain food and feed products, known as regulated products, including food additives and flavourings, must be authorised as safe before they can be sold. To do this, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) conduct a thorough safety or ‘risk’ assessment which is included in our recommendations to ministers in England, Wales, and Scotland, who then decide whether the product can be sold.
The Wave 9 report, conducted between April and July last year, shows that more than three-quarters of respondents (76%) would rely on the ‘sniff test’ to assess whether raw meat is safe to eat or cook with. A further 73% of respondents said they would rely on the sniff test for milk and yoghurt, and 65% of respondents said they would do so with fish.
The report also found that many respondents would eat bagged salad (72%) or cheese (70%) after the use-by date, while around six-in-ten respondents would eat yoghurt (63%), milk (60%), or cooked meats (58%) after the use-by date.
As part of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO)’s mission to promote a pro-innovation regulatory system, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has awarded the Food Standards Agency (FSA) £1.4 million to support a new innovation hub. This hub will develop and expand specialist expertise in regulating innovative technologies such as precision fermented foods, making sure these products are safe to eat before they are sold.
Various new and ongoing trade issues were discussed at a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting that also covered the picture of notifications in 2024.
Attendees at the March meeting of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures addressed trade concerns related to food safety and animal and plant health.
Members raised 60 specific trade concerns (STCs), including six for the first time.
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.
The European Union (EU) has a robust food safety system in place. However, food contamination by microorganisms can still occur. In our globalised world, contaminated foods can be traded across EU countries or imported from outside the Union. When people consume these contaminated foods, they may experience mild to severe symptoms of infection. By combining data from human cases and the food sector, EU agencies can determine if local and national incidents might evolve into larger, multi-country outbreaks.
The EFSA Traineeship Programme offers you a unique opportunity to join a team of professionals from all over the world working together in an international and multicultural environment on Science, Safe Food and Sustainability projects at the heart of European Food Safety activities.
Recent surveillance data reveal that resistance to commonly used antimicrobials — such as ampicillin, tetracyclines, and sulfonamides— remains persistently high in both humans and animals for key pathogens including Salmonella and Campylobacter. Resistance in E. coli is also frequently observed in animals, although resistance of Salmonella in laying hens is low. These are the main findings of a report issued today by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
