You can’t see, taste or smell them but aflatoxins can be present in everyday dried staples. And with COVID-19 and global warming impacting crop production and storage, they are on the rise. During the month of April 2021, there were 22 RASFF (Rapid…
Producers and their supply chains are all aware of the global trend that is being driven by consumers around wellbeing. Those in the food and drink industry play a significant role in responding to it. Consumers have cultivated a deeper understanding…
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a proposed rule to establish traceability recordkeeping requirements for certain foods. The proposal applies to those who manufacture, process, pack or hold foods designated for inclusion on the Fo…
After months of COVID-19-related delays, the FDA has just released its “New Era of Smarter Food Safety: Blueprint for the Future.” Part of that blueprint focuses on recall modernization – a process that actually has been ongoing even without FDA’s cl…
News about Blue Bell Creameries’ guilty plea and $19 million in federal fines linked to a deadly 2015 listeria outbreak that led to a series of ice cream recalls serves as a cautionary tale for all food companies operating in today’s punishing media …
Food means joy, comfort – and frankly, employment – for many. But these days, food has too often become synonymous with uncertainty, stress, and fear. As coronavirus began to spread in the U.S., consumers rushed to supermarkets to stock up on food…
As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase worldwide, numerous questions and a tremendous amount of misinformation cloud the issue. Many remain confused about how the virus is transmitted, how dangerous it is, and what treatments for it ma…
Consumers around the world are fearful about the latest novel coronavirus (currently named “2019-nCoV”), which has so far infected tens of thousands of people and killed hundreds more. As with any major viral outbreak, concerns arise over the safety …
In the aftermath of widespread romaine lettuce, flour, and chicken-strip recalls in 2019, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund is calling for upgrades to food-safety regulation in the 2020 edition of its food safety report, “How Safe is Our Food?” In most c…
Four countries have flagged food poisoning concerns in consignments of oysters this week. France, Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom notified authorities and withdrew thousands of oysters from the market after they tested positive for norovirus…
FDA started issuing draft industry guidance related to Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) in January 2018, but the 16 chapters are still a work in progress. Most recently, the FDA alerted the industry in the fede…
When it comes to OTC pharmaceuticals and most personal care products, we’ve become accustomed to breaking layers of plastic bands, packaging seals and shrink-wrapped liners, whether opening a new bottle of ibuprofen or a fresh jar of moisturizer. …
Most people have heard of blockchain technology as it relates to cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. In fact, blockchain was initially developed specifically to record and track bitcoin transactions. As the technology becomes more widely adopted, however,…
Advances in technology tend to be mixed blessings for product recalls. They often introduce new product safety vulnerabilities while, at the same time, may offer new capabilities that improve recall efficacy. The impact of technologies like artifici…
In October, the FDA released new draft guidance for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) on how to meet its seven key rules for ensuring the safety of our food supply. A month later, the nation was hit with yet another major food-borne outbreak –…