The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has dropped some proposed plans as part of updating food hygiene controls following a consultation.
Several stakeholders raised concerns about a new scoring system and frequencies of planned official controls. They would have applied in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. FSA said the plans will not be progressed as costs and timescales outweigh the potential benefits.
The FSAI has been advised that members of the Northern Ireland public service alliance, which includes official veterinarians and meat inspectors who carry out border control post controls on foods of animal origin and meat inspections in approved premises, have announced industrial action this week from 30 October – 3 November 2023 inclusive.
The Group of Seven (G7) has urged recent restrictions imposed on Japanese food products from around Fukushima to be removed.
Trade ministers made the comments at a meeting in Sakai, in Osaka Prefecture, with Japan holding the presidency of the G7 in 2023. The G7 includes Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Canada, and the United States.
Japan has started releasing treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station into the sea. The accident at the site occurred in 2011. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the discharges would have a “negligible” radiological impact on people and the environment.
Chicken meat and chicken meat products (kebab) are the likely source of a multi-country outbreak caused by three types of Salmonella Enteritidis, according to EFSA and ECDC’s latest Rapid Outbreak Assessment.
Bacteria similar to those causing the outbreak have been detected in samples of chicken meat and chicken kebab. While food traceability data points to producers located in Poland (7 producers) and Austria (1 producer), no microbiological evidence of a contamination at their facilities has been found.
Scientists in the United Kingdom have reported an ongoing nationwide increase in cases of cryptosporidiosis.
The rise in infections was first noted in August and is mainly due to Cryptosporidium Hominis, although there are also hundreds of Cryptosporidium parvum cases.
There have been 2,411 laboratory confirmed cases in the UK with 2,032 in England, 163 in Wales, 127 in Scotland and 89 in Northern Ireland from mid-August to early October.
The FSAI is committed to creating an environment of openness and transparency. This public consultation process allows for those interested in proposed changes to food safety legislation to contribute their views.
The majority of food safety legislation in Ireland originates from the European Union. Proposals from the EU relevant to food safety will be available on this page. Interested parties can submit their views on the possible impact of the proposals.
According to researchers, the rate of severe complications after E. coli infection has remained mainly stable over several years but went up in Ireland.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a rare but severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure.
Previous figures showed no notable changes in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. In Ireland, however, the incidence was estimated to have increased three-fold. The reasons for this are unknown but coincide with a rise in Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have advised vulnerable consumers to thoroughly cook enoki mushrooms due to the risk of Listeria contamination.
Analysis of FSA and local authority sampling data has found the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in 13 of 40 samples of enoki mushrooms tested, sometimes at high levels. Contaminated mushrooms have been imported from China, South Korea, Thailand, and other Asian countries.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has today issued new precautionary advice on CBD, recommending healthy adults should limit their consumption of CBD from food to 10mg per day, which is about 4-5 drops of 5% CBD oil.
Researchers have looked into possible reasons for Scotland recording more E. coli O157 infections than England and Wales.
Based on yearly reports from public health agencies, the rate of clinical E. coli O157 infection is higher in Scotland.
Results from national cattle surveys in Scotland, England, and Wales in 2014 and 2015 were combined with data on reported human cases from the same time frame.
Experts have named norovirus the leading cause of viral foodborne illness, followed by Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E.
Hepatitis A and E viruses were ranked equally but higher compared to norovirus in terms of clinical severity by scientists at a recent meeting organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
In September, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) on viruses in foods took place in Rome, Italy, in response to a request by the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene in 2022.
Irish health officials have issued a warning after recording a rise in cryptosporidium infections in people returning from abroad.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland said increased levels of cryptosporidiosis have been reported from areas of Spain, including Salou in Catalonia, in the past month. A parasite causes the infection, and symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting.
According to researchers, at least two patients in a botulism outbreak in France remain in hospital.
The study covered eight individuals from four countries admitted to the intensive care unit at Bordeaux University Hospital, where six required invasive mechanical ventilation. Cases reported consuming locally produced canned sardines at a Tchin Tchin Wine Bar restaurant.
The European Commission has set new limits for the use of nitrites and nitrates as food additives.
The tighter levels aim to protect against pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella, and Clostridium botulinum, while reducing the exposure to nitrosamines, some of which are carcinogenic.
Based on a previous scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the limits were endorsed by EU member states.
he majority of Codex members are satisfied with the reach and usefulness of Codex texts, according to a survey.
Findings come from the first survey undertaken in 2022 on the use and impact of Codex texts.
Ninety-eight of 189 Codex members responded to the poll. It focused on the following texts: General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed; General Principles of Food Hygiene; General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods; and General Principles for the Addition of Essential Nutrients to Foods.
The number of Listeria infections went up in 2021 in England and Wales, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
A total of 160 cases of listeriosis were reported in England and Wales compared to 124 infections in 2020.
National surveillance in England and Wales is coordinated by the Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health) Division at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with support from Public Health Wales.
There’s not going to be any lab -grown meat in Europe until the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says so.
But according to Wolfgang Gelbmann, a senior scientific officer at EFSA in the novel foods area, Europe has not received any applications for review of cell-culture-derived food.
Speaking recently on EFSA’s podcast “Science on the Menu,” Gelbmann said his agency is ready to conduct a scientific evaluation If it receives a novel food application.
In today’s fast-paced world, ensuring food safety and efficiency is crucial for food businesses. Fortunately, technological advancements, including the Internet of Things (IoT), have revolutionized the way the food industry operates. By leveraging IoT, food businesses can drive efficiency, enhance food safety, mitigate risks and boost transparency throughout the supply chain. All food businesses should be embracing IoT innovations to optimize their operations, improve efficiency, maximize safety and drive key performance indicators (KPIs), including consumer satisfaction, loyalty and sales.
The number of recalls declined in 2022, but there was a rise in food incidents, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI)’s annual report.
In 2022, 77 Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses by the FSAI and through other agencies. This included 65 closure orders, 12 prohibition orders, and six prosecutions. Although prosecutions were down compared to 2021, other orders and notices were up.
