Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), novel foods and emerging risks are some of the main topics facing the food system, according to EFSA’s chief scientist.
Marta Hugas, from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), said regulatory agencies face challenges ranging from current priorities, such as tackling AMR and food waste, to identifying emerging risks, where methodologies or data may be lacking, such as microplastics in the food chain.
safefood Sectoral Food Safety Review: The Beef Sector
The sound and smell of meat cooking on the barbecue is one of the great signifiers of summertime. With coronavirus restrictions easing and people once again able to congregate in parks and gardens...continue reading
Following the success of Food Integrity 2021, Professor Chris Elliott reflects on some of the key takeaways, with particular focus on food fraud.
The Health Protection Team (HPT) in the Department of Public Health, HSE North East would like to advise the public to take extra care when in contact with farm animals following an increase in the numbers of cryptosporidiosis and VTEC (E. coli)infections in recent weeks. The majority of the infections have occurred in children under the age of ten.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today issued a warning for consumers about the danger associated with eating edible products, such as jelly sweets, containing cannabis components. This warning comes following a number of recent incidents whereby edible products containing significant levels of the psychotropic cannabis component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were intercepted by An Garda Síochana and Revenue’s Customs Service.
An independent strategic review into the future of the agri-food sector here has been announced by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots MLA and Economy Minister Diane Dodds MLA.
Officials from Poland and the United Kingdom have met virtually to discuss the safety of Polish poultry meat after it was linked to several outbreaks.
Grzegorz Puda, Polish minister of Agriculture and Forestry, spoke remotely this past week with George Eustice, secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
An E. coli O157 outbreak in the United Kingdom that affected 36 people has been linked to a fast food product containing imported cucumbers.
Investigations into the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) outbreak this past year pointed to a certain fast food meal sold at one restaurant chain with contaminated cucumbers from the Netherlands.
Public health officials in Ireland have issued a warning following a large increase in cryptosporidium infections in the past month.
The Health Service Executive-Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) said the rise in the parasitic infections during the past few weeks is mostly affecting children.
The European Commission has tightened checks on black pepper from Brazil because of Salmonella and peanuts from India because of aflatoxins.
These and other products entering the European Union from non-EU countries are now subject to a temporary increase of official controls. Revised legislation has also seen some checks become less strict.
Replacement of outgoing member of the Management Board of the European Food Safety Authority
Applications are invited for a position of a member of the Management Board of the European Food Safety Authority with justified background in organisations representing consumers and other interests in the food chain. The term of office of one of the current members expires on 30 June 2021. This member has to be replaced until 30 June 2022. As of 1 July 2022, a new composition of the Management Board will be put in place. The duration of the term of office of the new member, to be appointed in the result of this call, will be of approximately one year.
Data on the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in human infections from Salmonella and Campylobacter in Europe has revealed little progress.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that resistance is still high in bacteria that are causing foodborne infections.
Officials in the United Kingdom are investigating close to 30 related Hepatitis A infections with some linked to imported dates.
There are 28 people sick in different parts of England since the start of this year, according to Public Health England (PHE).
Consultation seeking stakeholders’ views on the proposed amendments to Northern Ireland domestic legislation relating to official controls and other official activities to ensure the application of food and feed law, to technical amendments to food and feed hygiene and safety law that applies in Northern Ireland, and our assessment of the impact associated with the implementation of these amendments into Northern Ireland domestic law.
The main suspects in the 2017 fipronil in eggs scandal have been sentenced to a year in prison by a Dutch court.
Managers of Chickfriend and Chickclean were given 12 months in jail for using fipronil at poultry farms in the Netherlands and endangering public health.
Vacancy Announcement
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States.
A recent poll by the Food Standards Agency revealed that 44% of adults view ‘use by’ dates as a ‘useful guide’ – not realising the potential health risks of getting food poisoning, which could make them or their family seriously ill.
The new finding shines a light on the larger issue of date mark confusion. We’re all aware of the various date marks that appear on food labels, such as ‘use-by’ and ‘display until’, but there are still many who are uncertain about what each of them means.
Researchers have studied the relationship between consumer practices, kitchens, and the risk of cross-contamination with pathogens in Europe.
Participants from 87 households in six European countries were observed and interviewed in 2018 during shopping and preparation of a chicken and vegetable meal. Sampling and analyses of microbial pathogens from their kitchens were also performed.
A sizeable proportion of Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria is still resistant to antibiotics commonly used in humans and animals, as in previous years, says a report released today by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
In humans, high proportions of resistance to ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic commonly used to treat several types of infections, were reported in a specific Salmonella type known as S. Kentucky (82.1%). In recent years, S. Enteritidis resistant to nalidixic acid and/or ciprofloxacin has been increasingly reported in several countries. The increasing occurrence of fluoroquinolone and/or quinolone resistance in these types of Salmonella probably reflects the spread of particularly resistant strains.
The latest report on pesticide residues in food in the European Union is now available, giving a snapshot of residue levels found in a basket of products widely consumed in the territory.
A total of 96,302 samples were analysed in 2019, 96.1% of which fell within legally permitted levels. For the subset of 12,579 samples analysed as part of the EU-coordinated control programme (EUCP), 98% were within legal limits.
