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.
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
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.
Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli infections declined in Europe but Listeria monocytogenes infections went up in 2019, according to figures from the zoonoses report.
Campylobacteriosis was the top infection followed by Salmonellosis, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), yersiniosis and listeriosis, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) annual report. For data on outbreaks in Europe in 2019 click here.
The authentication of food to ensure that it has not been subject to fraud is a significant and challenging task. Currently there is not an internationally recognised official definition of food fraud. A generally accepted concept is that food fraud occurs when a perpetrator deliberately passes off a foodstuff that does not meet either implicit or explicit claims. It therefore covers a huge variety of acts including, but not limited to, undeclared addition of water, exceeding fishing quotas, redirection of stolen products and substitution of key ingredients. When using an analytical approach to verify the authenticity of a product, it is important to identify a strategy, which enables differentiation between fraudulent and authentic samples.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that, in collaboration with its official agencies, investigations were carried out into 47* unregistered food businesses in 2020, as compared to 19 in 2019. These unregistered food businesses were operating illegally without the knowledge or supervision of the competent authorities. Some of these food businesses were established in domestic kitchens or private dwellings with inadequate food safety processes, procedures and facilities in place, as a result of the temporary closure of the food business in which the people were employed due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
Multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type (ST)11 infections linked to poultry products in the EU/EEA and the United Kingdom
The number of people getting sick and dying in foodborne outbreaks in Europe went up in 2019, based on figures from the annual report on zoonoses.
Salmonella was behind the majority of outbreaks followed by norovirus, according to data published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
A Salmonella outbreak has swept the UK, causing nearly 500 people to fall ill with the bacteria and several products to be recalled from supermarket shelves.
An intelligence report published by Advance Market Analytics details insights about the potential future of food irradiation around the world, pointing to food safety among the benefits.
United States companies will contribute to the maximum growth of the global food irradiation market throughout the predicted period of 2021-2026, according to the report “Food Irradiation Market Outlook to 2026.”
A survey to overview the presence of pollen supplements and substitutes for bees and other animal species in the EU was conducted to serve as input for the regulatory risk assessment of genetically modified feed by the EFSA GMO Panel. A comprehensive mapping of the possible presence of pollen collected by honey bees in the feed supply chain requires an understanding of the production in the EU as well as the flow of imports from non‐EU to EU countries.
Temporary rules covering official controls in Europe because of the coronavirus pandemic have been extended for the fourth time. The implementing regulation covers a variety of activities to ensure food and feed law, as well as rules on animal health and welfare and plant health and protection products.
The Food Standards Agency has launched a campaign today advising young adults to speak up about their food allergies every time they order a takeaway.
Over 2,772 consumer complaints were handled by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Advice Line in 2020, with 34% of complaints relating to unfit food and 30% to poor hygiene standards. Overall, the 2020 complaints saw a decrease on the 3,460 complaints reported in 2019. The reduction in numbers largely reflects the impact of COVID-19, where many food service businesses were temporarily closed for long periods throughout the year. All complaints received by the FSAI in 2020 were followed up and investigated by food inspectors throughout the country.
Adequate surveillance programs for most foodborne parasites in Europe are lacking, according to a recently published study.
Researchers found although human and animal data are available for five selected parasites, the surveillance and reporting requirements vary among and within regions and countries, and among national experts and European bodies.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) along with Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and Public Health England (PHE), Public Health Scotland and Public Health Wales are reminding people once again to take care when handling and cooking frozen raw breaded chicken products at home, such as nuggets, goujons, dippers, poppers and kievs.
There is low awareness of Campylobacter and its impact despite it being the main cause of food poisoning in the UK, according to a project on how people perceive food-related risks.
Results come from a survey by Kantar Public and analysis at the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The study was online and had 1,194 participants in March 2017 but results were only published this month.
A non-profit group has added its voice to a chorus of growing safety concerns about the rise in businesses operating out of people’s homes.
The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation said urgent government intervention on food safety standards is required to deal with the subject that has gained increased attention during the coronavirus pandemic.
New research conducted at North Carolina State University reveals that two of the most common strains of Campylobacter are exchanging genetic material. That means they are producing more infectious and antibiotic-resistant strains. And that is bad news for consumers, since those strains are common in the poultry industry.
Scientists have determined how harmless E. coli gut bacteria in chickens can pick up the genes required to evolve and cause infections in poultry and people.
Colibacillosis caused by avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) is the most common infection in chickens reared for meat or eggs. It is fatal in up to 20 percent of cases and causes multi-million pound losses in the poultry industry. Other problems include increasing antibiotic resistance and the risk of human infections, according to the research report.
