Data showing the scale of pesticide residues on food have been published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
110,829 food samples were collected in the European Union in 2022. Results show that 96.3 percent were within legally permitted levels. Of these, 65,374 samples did not contain quantifiable residues, while 37.3 percent had residues not above the limits.
EFSA is looking for passionate scientists to ensure the provision of scientific advice regarding the following domains:
-Food/Feed microbiology: biological hazards related to food safety and foodborne diseases, including foodborne zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance, food/feed microbiology, food/feed hygiene, and waste management.
The latest wave of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Food and You 2 survey, conducted between April and July 2023, shows that respondents’ concerns over food affordability continued to rise to the highest level since the survey began.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) organised the first in a series of four international workshops on horizon scanning in plant health. Held at ANSES headquarters in Paris on 9-10 April 2024, the event marked a step forward for plant health by bringing together global expertise, fostering collaboration and shaping the future of horizon scanning for possible emerging risks.
The European Commission has published a draft amendment to the Listeria monocytogenes microbiological criterion laid down under Food Category 1.2 in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. The reason for the proposed amendment is to align the criterion with the international Codex Alimentarius guidelines for Listeria monocytogenes. In the Codex guidelines, there is a criterion of L. monocytogenes not detected in 25 g while placed on the market for foods able to support growth.
Certain food and feed products called regulated products, which include food additives and flavourings, need to be authorised as safe before they can be sold. To do this this, the FSA and FSS carry out a robust risk analysis process and provide advice to ministers in England, Wales, and Scotland, who decide whether the product can be sold.
The UK inherited the current authorisation process from the EU, and it is clear significant change is needed to modernise the system. This is so we can bring benefits to consumers through a wider choice of safe food, as new, innovative products come to market more quickly.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and food manufacturer Mars have renewed their partnership on food safety.
Maximo Torero, FAO’s chief economist, and Dr. Abigail Stevenson, chief science officer for Mars, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote better understanding and application of Codex Alimentarius food standards.
FAO and Mars will work on enhancing mycotoxin management in maize value chains through modeling approaches and strengthen information-sharing on emerging food safety threats, technologies, and trends.
This paper reports a simple screening method for vegetable oil adulterants (corn, sesame, soy, sunflower, almond, and hazelnut) in olive oil. It is based on a multispecies DNA sensor that can be read with the naked eye. It is the first report of a DNA sensor for olive oil adulteration detection with other plant oils.
Bacterial populations remain stable despite cleaning efforts in ready-to-eat food facilities, according to researchers.
Scientists from the Quadram Institute and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are working on how Listeria persists in ready-to-eat (RTE) food production environments.
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Then look no further and apply for a 12 month-traineeship at European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)!
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.
Representatives from the poultry meat sector in Poland have responded to reports in the United Kingdom about the risk of Salmonella in products.
Broadcaster ITV and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism said UK food safety chiefs were considering banning some poultry products from Poland because of Salmonella.
The number of hygiene and safety complaints received by the Irish food agency in 2023 was higher than previous years, according to statistics recently released.
A total of 7,732 complaints and queries were handled by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Advice Line in 2023.
There were 4,395 complaints from consumers, with more than 1,400 relating to poor hygiene standards, almost 1,200 to unfit food and 1,175 to suspected food poisoning. Overall, complaints rose 8.3 percent in 2023 compared with 4,058 in 2022, which continued an upwards trend over the past decade.
Approaches to food safety inspections are similar between five countries but personal preferences could be responsible for some of the differences, according to a study.
Research identified how environmental health practitioners (EHPs) from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Ireland perform food safety inspections. Data was collected via an online survey disseminated by environmental health professional bodies.
Officials in the United Kingdom are looking into an E. coli outbreak linked to chili sticks that has affected five people.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are investigating the outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157 with five cases. Four sick people live in England and one in Scotland.
The number of Cryptosporidium outbreaks involving an agency of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) increased in 2023.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) assisted with investigations into seven Cryptosporidium parvum outbreaks linked to an animal origin. Five were in England and two were in Wales. One outbreak of cryptosporidiosis was epidemiologically linked to a milk vending machine.
Proposed changes to the levels of checks on a range of products, including sesame seeds from India and Turkey for Salmonella, have been put forward by UK food agencies.
The plans cover official controls and special conditions on imported high-risk food and feed that is not of animal origin. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) are consulting on the changes.
A recent review assessed how technology can play a role in early warning and emerging risk identification systems.
The review covers the existing applications of artificial intelligence, big data, and internet of things (IoT) in developing early warning and emerging food safety risk identification tools and methods. Information comes from 40 original studies and 57 reviews published from 2013 to 2022.
According to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008[1], food additives which were permitted for use in the European Union before 20 January 2009 need to be re-evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The programme for this re-evaluation is defined by Regulation (EU) No 257/2010[2]. The programme for the re-evaluation of food additives should have been completed by the end of December 2020, however this deadline could not be achieved and a number of food additives remain to be re-evaluated.
Among the food additives that remain to be re-evaluated in accordance with the above regulations, EFSA is interested in collecting any documented information that could support the re-evaluation of gluconic acid (E 574) and related food additives (E 575-579).
World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2024 will draw attention to food safety incidents. This year’s theme underlines the importance of being prepared for food safety incidents, no matter how mild or severe they can be.
Levels of residues from veterinary drugs and other substances found in animals and animal-derived food remain low in the European Union, according to the latest report from EFSA.
