None of the top nine retailers in the United Kingdom reported Campylobacter in chicken test results near the FSA limit in the first three months of this year.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) maximum acceptable level is 7 percent of birds with more than 1,000 colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) of Campylobacter.
The FSA Board reiterated its commitment to working with a range of other government agencies and increasing its science and research capability to become a “champion of the food hypersensitivity cause” as members responded to two reports on the issue.
The role of food-producing environments in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in EU plant-based food production, terrestrial animals (poultry, cattle and pigs) and aquaculture was assessed. Among the various sources and transmission routes identified, fertilisers of faecal origin, irrigation and surface water for plant-based food and water for aquaculture were considered of major importance. For terrestrial animal production, potential sources consist of feed, humans, water, air/dust, soil, wildlife, rodents, arthropods and equipment. Among those, evidence was found for introduction with feed and humans, for the other sources, the importance could not be assessed.
The chief scientists of FAO and WHO highlighted the role of science in keeping food safe while stressing the importance of technology during a webinar earlier this week.
The virtual event was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) to mark the third annual World Food Safety Day.
Under the best circumstances, agriculture can be a tough business. Today, increasing pressures on the world’s land and water resources are jeopardizing humanity’s ability to feed itself. Exacerbated by climate change, these pressures are making agriculture a more vulnerable and challenging enterprise. Elevated temperatures, changes in water availability, deteriorating soil quality, extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification, among other factors, can have an impact on food production, processing, storage, and distribution, right up to the moment it reaches our tables. In other words, our entire food system is threatened by climate change.
Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is one of the new buzzwords in food safety. This article is a brief review of what WGS is and how it has revolutionized food safety in recent years. It has now become an integral part of public health surveillance and is increasingly used by the food industry in the United States and abroad to study foodborne bacterial pathogens, indicator and spoilage organisms, and the spread of antimicrobial resistance, virulence, and more. WGS in food safety has particularly focused on bacteria (the subject of this article), but it is equally efficient to use with viruses and parasites.
This handbook provides detailed guidance on assessing the burden of diseases caused by microbiological agents commonly transmitted through foods. It is particularly intended for use at national level, and gives a complete picture of the requirements, enabling factors, challenges and opportunities involved, and the steps in the process. It also aims to foster harmonization of methodologies for estimating foodborne disease burden across countries.
The goal of a national burden of foodborne disease study is to rank and prioritize foodborne diseases based on their overall public health impact in the population. The objectives of such a study are to:
Three German organizations have created a consortium to monitor bacterial pathogens and detect outbreaks faster.
The University of Münster, Research Center Borstel and the Robert Koch Institute formed the miGenomeSurv network (microbial genome-based surveillance of infectious agents).
The number of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections in Europe declined in 2019 slightly compared to 2018 but is higher than previous years, according to a new report.
For 2019, 8,313 confirmed cases of STEC infection were reported but no multi-country outbreaks were detected or investigated. This compares to 8,658 cases in 2018 and 6,455 in 2017.
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) provides a level of additional information that more than balances out the additional costs if used effectively, according to a recent study.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has set out a plan of how local authorities can get back to food hygiene and standards work after dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
The recovery plan for local authorities proposes a restart to the regulatory system for the highest risk businesses and providing greater flexibility for lower risk firms.
A mathematical model has been developed by scientists in Denmark to control the risk from Clostridium botulinum in certain foods.
The tool could be used in development or reformulation of fresh and lightly preserved seafood and poultry products that do not support the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Botulism poisoning is a serious but rare illness caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
Today, BSI, the business improvement and standards company, unveiled its annual Supply Chain Risk Insights 2021 Report that identifies the trends and associated risks likely to impact global supply chains in the year ahead. The report is powered by the global data in BSI's proprietary web-based, comprehensive intelligence system. Using this insight, BSI predicts the following trends will likely dominate the global supply chain throughout the year ahead:
Food fraud is of high concern to the food industry. A multitude of analytical technologies exist to detect fraud. However, this testing is often expensive. Available databases detailing fraud occurrences were systematically examined to determine how frequently analytical testing triggered fraud detection. A conceptual framework was developed for deciding when to implement analytical testing programmes for fraud and a framework to consider the economic costs of fraud and the benefits of its early detection.
Melons have been linked to a Salmonella Braenderup outbreak that has affected 200 people in more than 10 countries.
Patients have been reported in Denmark, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada and Switzerland. Illnesses started in late March.
Outbreaks of Listeria monocytogenes in recent years have reminded the food industry of the serious food safety concern this pathogen creates along the food chain. Often associated with ready-to-eat foods, all food business operators (FBOs) who manufacture these goods must be able to demonstrate effective control of Listeria in their products. This is important not just because of the health risk this pathogen poses to the public, but also because it’s a requirement under EU legislation (EU microbiological criteria legislation - regulation No. 2073/2005).
A study on a deadly E. coli outbreak in the United Kingdom linked to raw pet food adds to the evidence of such products being a risk factor for human infections, according to researchers.
In August 2017, four people were infected with related strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7. One person died after developing the kidney complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
This study looked at information and data from various countries around the world on the production processes for meat and poultry, and prevalence of several microorganisms.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is looking for a consultant to help with work on foodborne disease surveillance.
The appointed expert will support the Actions in Food Systems unit with development of a report on emerging topics related to foodborne infections.
EFSA has updated its safety assessment of the food additive titanium dioxide (E 171), following a request by the European Commission in March 2020.
The updated evaluation revises the outcome of EFSA’s previous assessment published in 2016, which highlighted the need for more research to fill data gaps.
