The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Commission have joined forces to release a new communication toolkit designed to help farmers and anyone coming into contact with farms to safeguard poultry, other animals and people from avian influenza.
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CBD is a non-controlled cannabinoid extracted from the cannabis plant. It is found within hemp and cannabis plants and can be produced synthetically.
CBD products are being sold as foods, often as food supplements, in the UK and may include but not limited to:
- oils, capsules and gummies
- sweets and confectionery
- drinks
The consultation focuses on three applications (RP07, RP350 and RP 427) that are the first to have successfully progressed through the initial safety assessment stages. The FSA is consulting on their draft recommendations to Ministers in England and Wales to authorise these applications with clear labelling requirements that provide information about safe and appropriate use to help consumers make informed choices about CBD products. If approved by Ministers, products attached to the applications would become the first fully regulated CBD food products available on the UK market, subject to meeting the specifications of the authorisation.
An analysis of UK border controls has revealed several problems, including importers taking advantage of varying port inspection rates.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said the commercial animal and plant imports system is “inadequate.”
A report from the committee highlights several problems with the effective operations of commercial border controls.
French officials have warned of a suspected case of foodborne botulism linked to a product sold at local markets and online.
National health authorities were informed of a clinically suggestive case of botulism following the consumption of garlic confit sold by the company Le Tapenadier at the Sommières market in Gard. Confit is the process of cooking food in a liquid at a low temperature.
Anthony Fear, sole director of a business known as Fears Animal Products Ltd was sentenced to 42 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud by placing food not fit for human consumption on the market, and disqualified from acting as a company director for six years.
Mark Hooper, a manager at Fears Animal Products Ltd, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years, for conspiracy to defraud by placing food not fit for human consumption on the market and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
More than 20 E. coli infections have been reported in two regions of Germany with six children seriously ill.
Information was provided by the State Office for Agriculture, Food Safety and Fisheries (LALLF) and the State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LAGuS) on the situation in the districts of Vorpommern-Rügen and Vorpommern-Greifswald.
Almost 50 confirmed E. coli infections and several deaths have been reported in eight nursing homes in a region of Belgium.
In Flanders, it has been confirmed that 48 patients and seven deaths were caused by the same strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157. Infections in the eight nursing homes were first reported on Aug. 17, and the peak was between Aug. 20 and 22. At least one staff member has also fallen sick.
Iceland has reported a record high number of E. coli cases, driven by a large outbreak in 2024.
A total of 79 people were diagnosed with confirmed or probable Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection. Patients ranged in age from less than 1 to 84 years old and included 36 males and 43 females. In 2023, only 14 cases were noted.
The safety of food products is being put at risk by a rise in people using trucks to enter the United Kingdom, according to a report.
Oakland International said the report, developed with market analysis company Analytiqa, shows the urgent need for coordinated action, particularly in the food supply chain.
Two people have died in a Listeria outbreak in France linked to cheese.
French health authorities reported 21 cases of listeriosis caused by bacterial strains with similar characteristics, including 18 cases since the beginning of June. Patients range in age from 34 to 95.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring element that can inhibit tooth decay. In the EU, fluoridating public drinking water is done only in very few Member States but approximately 90% of toothpastes sold contain fluoride. The correct use (i.e. surface only) of fluoridated oral care products does not contribute to exposure, hence only their ingestion was assessed.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) advised today that a food recall of various branded spinach and mixed leaves products produced by McCormack Family Farms is underway due to the detection of Listeria monocytogenes. To date, there are no cases of listeriosis associated with the spinach and mixed leaves products that are the subject of this recall.
The Agricultural Outlook 2025–2034 is a collaborative effort of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It brings together the commodity, policy, and country expertise of both organisations, as well as input from collaborating member countries, to provide an annual assessment of the prospects for the coming decade of national, regional, and global agricultural commodity markets.
The company behind a deadly Listeria outbreak in the Republic of Ireland has resumed production.
Ballymaguire Foods said it had received approval from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to restart operations. Products will return to retail shelves beginning Aug. 12.
The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) reported nine confirmed cases of listeriosis and one death related to food from the company. No demographic details about patients have been released.
Nature Of Danger:
Symptoms of Listeria monocytogenes infection can include mild flu-like symptoms, or gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications. Some people are more vulnerable to Listeria monocytogenes infections, including pregnant women, babies, and people with weakened immune systems, including the elderly. The incubation period (time between initial infection and first symptoms appearing) is on average 3 weeks but can range between 3 and 70 days.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) annual report has revealed a rise in food incidents, recalls, and enforcement but a decline in sampling.
In 2024, the food incidents team dealt with 796 incidents, which is up from 733 in 2023. Almost 500 were in the most serious category. Incidents of significant public health concern included Salmonella Hessarek in duck eggs, norovirus in oysters, three outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), and peanut contamination of mustard powder imported from India via the UK.
A large Yersinia outbreak in France caused by raw milk cheese has prompted scientists to highlight the risks associated with unpasteurized dairy products.
In March 2024, French surveillance of yersiniosis picked up a cluster of Yersinia enterocolitica isolates, corresponding to bioserotype 2/O:9.
An unauthorized meat operator from Brazil and illegally extending the shelf life of beef were among potential food fraud cases discussed recently in Europe.
Reports in Europe reached 129 in May 2025, which is down from the 235 alerts in April and 281 in May 2024. May 2025 saw a new methodology used around pesticide residues so figures should not be compared to previous months.
Issues listed are potential frauds. Non-compliances may lead to investigations by authorities in EU member states. Details come from a monthly report published by the European Commission.
Recent data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows Salmonella and Campylobacter infections in England are continuing to rise.
There has been an increasing trend in the number of confirmed laboratory reports for both Campylobacter and Salmonella from 2023 to the first quarter of 2025.
