Microbiological specifications for foods are set to keep food safe and of good quality. Recent advances in microbial population analysis have provided more evidence to
support the idea that the pathogenic microflora is in competition with the spoilage microflora. Consequently, a more nuanced approach to using microbial specifications
is needed to better define those groups of organisms that cause spoilage whilst recognising that the majority of the microflora can have a protective effect against pathogens.

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Due to its ability to colonise, grow and form in niches in food manufacturing environments, the management of Listeria monocytogenes can be complex, particularly for food manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). In addition to an effective food safety management system, the perceptions of risk, control and responsibility within a food manufacturing business are important influential factors associated with the management of L. monocytogenes. Research exploring managerial ....

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Frogs legs made up two thirds of the products irradiated in Europe in 2018 and 2019, but use of the food safety technique continued to fall, according to a report.

The three main commodities are frozen frog legs at 65.1 percent, poultry at 20.6 percent, and dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetables seasoning at 14 percent.

The report covers from January 2018 to December 2019 and includes information sent to the European Commission by 28 member states and Norway in 2018, and 27 member states in 2019. Latvia did not submit any data for the latter year.

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The Food Standards Agency (FSA) new snapshot poll of 2,132 adults aged 16-75 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland reveals half of adults do not always check the use-by date on their food before eating it.

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More than a third of people in the United Kingdom were unaware that takeaways and food businesses were required by law to undergo safety and hygiene checks, according to a survey.

People in the UK buying homemade food online and from social media chefs during lockdown has become increasingly popular during the past 12 months. Oliver’s Kitchen commissioned a survey of 5,000 British residents to find out their thoughts and experiences eating this type of takeaway

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EFSA Call for Expression of Interest External Experts - Food Contact Materials / Recycling Plastics Working Groups

Deadline for sending applications: 15 April 2021 midnight (CET). 
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), based in Parma, Italy is looking to expand its pool of scientists with expertise in the areas of Food Contact Materials and/or Recycling Plastics. 

Scientists with the required expertise are invited to express their interest by applying to this call and may be considered for participation in one of EFSA’s Working Groups under the Scientific Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP).

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In the latest FSA Takeaway, two experts discuss some key findings of the Food Allergy and Intolerance Research Programme, how good quality research informs the FSA’s work, and where its next study will lead.

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Two outbreaks of hepatitis A virus (HAV) with 17 infections are under investigation in Ireland.

A total of 21 patients have been identified during a three-month period in Dublin, with 17 linked to the outbreaks that began in November 2020. One of the outbreak strains has genotype IA.

Three cases of hepatitis A were reported to the Department of Public Health East in mid-November with no direct link between them. Three further patients in late December prompted an incident review meeting.

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In 2011, WRAP estimated that 1.2% of fishery produce was wasted, costing retailers alone £12 million. Why are fish and seafood products so perishable? Understanding this may help us identify ways of extending shelf-life by a day or more, potentially saving producers and retailers millions of pounds each year in wasted food.

In a new blog by our microbiology expert, Dr Greg Jones, we take an in-depth look at fish and seafood spoilage and new research that is attempting to increase the shelf-life of these products.

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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has picked the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) to support food safety and authenticity research.

The IAEA and IGFS of Queen’s University Belfast in the United Kingdom formalized their collaboration during a virtual ceremony at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting.

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Food businesses can use a new online tool to assess their vulnerability to food crime. 

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The ECDC Strategy 2021-2027 defines ECDC’s goals in the coming years to continue ensuring that decision-makers receive the necessary advice and scientific evidence to support changes in policy and practice in the area of communicable disease prevention and control. ECDC works in a close and coordinated way with EU/EEA Member States, EU Institutions, and several international partners, such as the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

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Following an official request to EFSA from the European Commission, EFSA assessed the chronic dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) in the European population. A total of 13,608 analytical results on iAs were considered in the current assessment (7,623 corresponding to drinking water and 5,985 to different types of food). Samples were collected across Europe between 2013 and 2018. The highest mean dietary exposure estimates at the lower bound (LB) were in toddlers (0.30 μg/kg body weight (bw) per day), and in both infants and toddlers (0.61 μg/kg bw per day) at the upper bound (UB). 

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This editorial proposes directions for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to meet its current and future obligations as a source of public information and communication on food‐related risks in the EU. These directions are intended to guide EFSA's communications through changes driven by new legal obligations, a new organisational strategy cycle and social and technological evolution. 

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The Cost Estimates of Foodborne Illnesses data product provides detailed data about the costs of major foodborne illnesses in the United States, updating and extending previous ERS research. This data set includes the following:

• Detailed identification of specific disease outcomes for foodborne infections caused by 15 major pathogens in the United States
• Associated outpatient and inpatient expenditures on medical care
• Associated lost wages
• Estimates of individuals’ willingness to pay to reduce mortality resulting from these foodborne illnesses acquired in the United States.

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Why is blockchain relevant for agrifood and how can it contribute to sustainable agrifood in the data economy? Blockchain has the potential to offer many opportunities for increasing transparency, traceability, efficiency, and the position of farmers and horticulturists in the agrifood chains — aspects that are essential for sustainable agrifood.

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Latest research has shown that the impacts of climate change are already evident in Irish marine waters, with the patterns of harmful algal blooms changing in recent decades. The research, undertaken by the Marine Institute, also indicates that the ocean off southwest Ireland will likely become warmer and less salty by the year 2035.

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Irish officials investigated almost 50 unregistered food businesses in 2020 which is more than double the figure from the year before.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) was part of enquiries into 47 unregistered firms this past year compared to 19 in 2019.

Investigations resulted in 17 tons of unfit or unsafe food ta

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This report of the EFSA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control presents the results of zoonoses monitoring activities carried out in 2019 in 36 European countries (28 Member States (MS) and eight non‐MS). The first and second most reported zoonoses in humans were campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis, respectively. The EU trend for confirmed human cases of these two diseases was stable (flat) during 2015–2019. The proportion of human salmonellosis cases due to Salmonella Enteritidis acquired in the EU was similar to that in 2017–2018.

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