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.
safefood Knowledge Network 's Posts (1022)
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
EFSA is organising a webinar on the updated draft opinion on the risks for human health related to the presence of perchlorate in food, which is open for public consultation until 11 February 2025.
Experts have suggested reasons why a reduction of Campylobacter in chicken meat has not led to a decrease in infections in the United Kingdom.
Ideas include the selected meat contamination target being the wrong one to focus on as well as the role of other sources of infection and imported poultry meat.
Between 21 September and 6 December 2024, 657 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) and A(H5N5) virus detections were reported in domestic (341) and wild (316) birds across 27 countries in Europe. Many HPAI outbreaks in domestic birds were clustered in areas with high poultry density and characterised by secondary farm-to-farm spread.
The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials (FCM) assessed the safety of the recycling process NGR LSP (EU register number RECYC328). The input is hot washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes mainly originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, with no more than 5% PET from non-food consumer applications.
The number of enforcement measures taken against food businesses went up in 2024 in Ireland prompting officials to describe the rise as “unacceptable.”
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) reported that 133 enforcement orders were served on companies for breaches of food safety legislation in 2024, an increase from 92 in 2023.
A coalition of environmental groups has sued the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the use of highly toxic phthalates in plastic food packaging because the chemicals have been found to leach at alarming rates and present a serious health risk, especially for developing children.
The suit is the latest salvo in an ongoing eight-year battle in which advocates have pressured the FDA to ban the chemicals’ use in food packaging, but the agency has sided with industry that opposes the calls. Since 2016, the FDA has either illegally ignored petitions or rejected demands to revoke a 40-year-old authorization for the chemicals that is based on long-outdated science.
Revised foodborne illness figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) are the main thing to watch out for in 2025.
There are also new regulatory requirements around Campylobacter in Europe and Singapore is working on a Food Safety and Security Bill.
Amid a wave of reported avian influenza (bird flu) infections of cattle and other mammals, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released new guidelines advising its members how to implement effective surveillance programmes for early detection of influenza in cattle.
Since its emergence over two decades ago, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus has evolved into various clades.
In recent times, Frank Yiannas, the former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, has been a prominent voice on LinkedIn, calling for rethinking and innovation in food safety practices to protect the consumer. His calls come amid a troubling series of food recalls, foodborne illness outbreaks, food allergen issues, and other food safety challenges in the U.S. Yiannas' use of the term "rethinking" emphasises the urgent need to reassess our approach to food safety—not just at the policy level, but also on the kitchen/production floor, where daily food safety practices are implemented. This is a global issue that is not confined to any one country.
While there continues to be no evidence of human-to-human spread of avian influenza, new outbreaks in wild and domestic birds were reported in Europe and around the world between September and December 2024. These are the main findings of our last avian influenza monitoring report, produced together with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the EU reference laboratory (EURL).
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) published its new Strategy for 2025-2029, setting out an ambitious strategic roadmap to safeguard consumer health and assure continued trust in Ireland’s food systems. At its core is a commitment to protect consumers in Ireland and consumers of Irish food in more than 180 markets across the world. The five-year Strategy seeks to ensure that Ireland’s food safety regulatory system is robustly equipped to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented to food safety, within an evolving global food supply chain with new innovations and changing consumer preferences and tastes. As the central competent authority, the FSAI will continue to lead and support Ireland’s food safety inspectorate to implement a fair, consistent and effective system of enforcement.
Adulteration, pesticides and unauthorized ingredients were among fraud and non-compliance issues discussed by European countries recently.
The number of food and other fraud suspicions raised by EU member states dropped in November. The 232 alerts are down from 292 in October. This compares to 213 in September and 222 in August. There were 325 notifications in July, 265 in June, 281 in May, 341 in April, 345 in March, 318 in February, and 277 in January.
A global food standards setting agency has supported guidance on several topics to try and improve food safety, including traditional markets and ciguatera.
The United Nations food standards body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Texts adopted at a meeting in November include guidelines for food hygiene control measures in traditional food markets and a code of practice for the prevention and reduction of ciguatera poisoning.
According to a new study from Stanford University, the influenza virus can remain infectious in raw milk stored at refrigeration temperatures for up to five days. The research, published Dec. 12 in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, underscores the potential health risks associated with consuming unpasteurized milk at a time when outbreaks of avian influenza in dairy cattle are raising alarm.
