The risk from pesticide residues to human health remains low, in line with previous years, EFSA said in its latest annual report. EFSA analysed thousands of samples collected in 2023 from commonly consumed products.
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An analysis of Salmonella in Germany has revealed an overall decline but an increase in imported cases and unknown types of the pathogen.
German national surveillance data on salmonellosis from 2012 to 2023 were analyzed. A total of 160,782 cases of salmonellosis were reported in this timeframe, with seasonal peaks during the summer months. Incidence declined from 26 per 100,000 in 2012 to 13 per 100,000 in 2023. This equates to 20,836 cases in 2012 and 10,666 in 2023.
The European Commission has proposed a change to tuna freezing rules to clamp down on food fraud and the risk of consumers getting sick.
Current rules require vessels to have freezing equipment with sufficient capacity to freeze as quickly as possible in a continuous process and achieve a core temperature of no higher than -18 degrees C (-0.4 degrees F). Freezing vessels must also have enough refrigeration equipment to maintain fishery products in storage holds at the same temperature.
Researchers have reported the food-attributable portions of disease for four important pathogens in the United Kingdom.
Findings will be used to support future Food Standards Agency (FSA) studies estimating the burden of foodborne disease.
While it is inevitable that some buyers in tariffed countries will shift their purchases from U.S. suppliers to avoid the tariffs, it is just as expected that many U.S. food companies will shift their purchasing to domestic supply chains to save costs. And as those food companies move away from expensive imports, domestic growers and manufacturers may experience demand surges, creating a fundamental safety challenge where production pressures increase faster than the food safety infrastructure.
A total of 8,596 complaints and queries were handled by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Advice Line in 2024. Announcing details today of the complaints and queries last year, the FSAI stated that there were 4,996 complaints from consumers, with 32% of complaints relating to unfit food and 29% to suspected food poisoning.
England saw an increase in Campylobacter and Salmonella reports from 2022 to 2024, according to recently released information.
The data comes from the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) first annual report summarizing infectious disease trends.
Between 2022 and 2024, there was an increase in Campylobacter laboratory reports, with the rate per 100,000 population going up by 27 percent from 96.1 in 2022 to 122 in 2024. During this time Salmonella reports also increased by 24.1 percent from a rate of 14.5 to 18 per 100,000 population.
The majority of people in the Czech Republic trust food sold in the country to be safe but at least a fifth struggle with basic food handling rules.
Findings come from an online survey of food safety on the Czech market with more than 1,500 people in March 2025.
It was part of the #Safe2EatEU campaign organized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and rolled out in the Czech Republic by the food safety department of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Carbapenemase-producing bacteria, once mainly a hospital concern, are now being detected in food animals and food products across Europe. This is one of the findings of EFSA’s latest scientific opinion on the occurrence and spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in the food chain in the EU/EFTA.
As part of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO)’s mission to promote a pro-innovation regulatory system, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has awarded the Food Standards Agency (FSA) £1.4 million to support a new innovation hub. This hub will develop and expand specialist expertise in regulating innovative technologies such as precision fermented foods, making sure these products are safe to eat before they are sold.
Certain food and feed products, known as regulated products, including food additives and flavourings, must be authorised as safe before they can be sold. To do this, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) conduct a thorough safety or ‘risk’ assessment which is included in our recommendations to ministers in England, Wales, and Scotland, who then decide whether the product can be sold.
The Wave 9 report, conducted between April and July last year, shows that more than three-quarters of respondents (76%) would rely on the ‘sniff test’ to assess whether raw meat is safe to eat or cook with. A further 73% of respondents said they would rely on the sniff test for milk and yoghurt, and 65% of respondents said they would do so with fish.
The report also found that many respondents would eat bagged salad (72%) or cheese (70%) after the use-by date, while around six-in-ten respondents would eat yoghurt (63%), milk (60%), or cooked meats (58%) after the use-by date.
As part of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO)’s mission to promote a pro-innovation regulatory system, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has awarded the Food Standards Agency (FSA) £1.4 million to support a new innovation hub. This hub will develop and expand specialist expertise in regulating innovative technologies such as precision fermented foods, making sure these products are safe to eat before they are sold.
Various new and ongoing trade issues were discussed at a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting that also covered the picture of notifications in 2024.
Attendees at the March meeting of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures addressed trade concerns related to food safety and animal and plant health.
Members raised 60 specific trade concerns (STCs), including six for the first time.
More than 50 people fell ill across the United Kingdom as part of a Salmonella outbreak in 2024.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) investigated a cluster of Salmonella Blockley infections identified through the analysis of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data.
The European Union (EU) has a robust food safety system in place. However, food contamination by microorganisms can still occur. In our globalised world, contaminated foods can be traded across EU countries or imported from outside the Union. When people consume these contaminated foods, they may experience mild to severe symptoms of infection. By combining data from human cases and the food sector, EU agencies can determine if local and national incidents might evolve into larger, multi-country outbreaks.
The EFSA Traineeship Programme offers you a unique opportunity to join a team of professionals from all over the world working together in an international and multicultural environment on Science, Safe Food and Sustainability projects at the heart of European Food Safety activities.
Recent surveillance data reveal that resistance to commonly used antimicrobials — such as ampicillin, tetracyclines, and sulfonamides— remains persistently high in both humans and animals for key pathogens including Salmonella and Campylobacter. Resistance in E. coli is also frequently observed in animals, although resistance of Salmonella in laying hens is low. These are the main findings of a report issued today by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Food Safety Consultative Council today held an open meeting to explore the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in food safety. ‘AI in Food Safety: Innovation, Risks, and Opportunities’ brought together leading experts to explore the potential of AI and its real-world applications in reshaping the future of food safety systems .
Over 220 people registered for the event, which took place at the Gibson Hotel in Dublin, with a lineup of Irish and international speakers from the FSAI and representatives from UCD, Kerry Foods, Teagasc, TOMRA, Creme Global, and The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
An audit in Iceland has found the country has strengthened import controls for food of animal origin but there is still room for improvement, according to a recent report.
Iceland is part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) monitors how the country implements European Economic Area (EEA) rules on food and feed safety, animal health, and welfare.
