Food Safety News
GFSI panel buzz – coronavirus, sustainability and technology
When it came to panels at the Global Food Safety Initiative conference there were plenty of questions about the coronavirus, and how it will impact food safety. The CEOs of the various companies and food safety experts said they are in a “wait and see” mode. When asked to speculate, they said they imagine the largest impact will be on maintaining shipping schedules in the food industry… Read full article
Breaking food safety news courtesy of foodsafetynews.com
Major meat companies count on health protocols and incentives to keep employees on job
Most days during the coronavirus crisis, the parking lot at the big JBS beef plant in Greeley, CO, is full, a sign of normalcy. The exception was this past Monday when the union president claimed 1,000 of the people who slaughter and process beef at the plant walked out because of fear that as many… Read full article
Vibrio increase concerns lead to risk assessment
There has been an increase in Vibrio outbreaks and presence in seafood has been known to disrupt trade, according to FAO and WHO. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) noted a rise in outbreaks and cases of foodborne disease attributed to pathogenic Vibrio species. As a… Read full article
Consumer Reports suggests USDA take action to address COVID-19 risks
Consumer Reports Tuesday sent out some suggestions for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to ensure the safety and availability of meat, poultry and other food products during the COVID-19 pandemic. CR’s sent the advice to FSIS just as a number of meat and poultry processing plant employees reported having symptoms or testing positive for… Read full article
Salmonella outbreak traced to food ordered online
Ten people were sickened by Salmonella from chicken legs in a Chinese city after eating food ordered online in mid-2018, according to a new report. Researchers said the investigation highlights the role of online food delivery platforms as a new mode of foodborne disease transmission. Collaboration between public health agencies and online food delivery platforms… Read full article
Coronavirus stops FDA from conducting foreign food safety inspections
The FDA isn’t conducting food safety inspections overseas through at least April because of the coronavirus, but the move has more to do with the federal government’s travel restrictions than it does food. Although the Food and Drug Administration is referring to the action as a postponement of inspections, it amounts to a suspension of… Read full article
FDA reveals 2020 plan to increase food safety of leafy greens
Step by step, FDA officials are tackling the link between E. coli outbreaks and leafy greens. They released their new plan today with many steps repeating their walk thus far, but new footprints are planned to leave the mark of improved food safety. Announced in a Voices Blog entry from the Food and Drug Administration,… Read full article
Infamous poultry case is finally going to get an ending
Unlike Han Solo, the Star Wars character played by Harrison Ford, federal Judge Gregory K. Frizzell was not frozen in carbonite as a wall ornament for Jabba the Hutt. Nor has his honor been in a coma. He just has not ruled in the State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods Inc. et al, a civil… Continue ReadingRead full article
FSA outlines controls for producers in raw milk guidance
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has developed a guidance document for producers of raw drinking milk in England and Wales. The guidance has been produced in response to increasing sales and outbreaks related to unpasteurized milk. Between 2015 and 2017 there were five outbreaks linked to raw milk. These included 103 reported cases, 40 of… Read full article
U.S. beefs up border inspections with more agricultural, food safety expertise
Annual hiring of an additional 240 agricultural specialists to strengthen U.S. borders and ports of entry and 200 agricultural technicians for administrative and support functions along with 20 new K-9 teams is now authorized by law. President Trump has signed The Protecting America’s Food & Agriculture Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation authorizing the annual new… Read full article
Sobeval partially reopens after covert video investigation
French authorities have partially lifted suspension on a veal abattoir after an investigation into an undercover video from an animal welfare charity. Sobeval, part of the Van Drie group, had slaughtering activities halted on Feb. 28 by officials in the Dordogne region of France after an inspection report by the Directorate General for Food (DGAL)…. Read full article
Discussions on building consumer trust probably should involve consumers
Opinion In his welcoming remarks at the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) conference last week, Peter Freedman, managing director of the Consumer Goods Forum, which convenes the annual conference, asserted that building consumer trust is at the very foundation of GFSI. Curiously, a perusal of the conference agenda would reveal that none of the plenary… Read full article
Microbial recalls up but overall alerts down in Australia
Undeclared allergens and microbial contamination were responsible for the majority of recalls in Australia this past year. Undeclared allergens caused 32 of the 87 recalls in 2019 while 30 were due to microbial contamination. In 2018, 46 recalls were because of allergens and 20 due to microbial contamination out of 100. Food Standards Australia New… Read full article
French outbreaks linked to shellfish closed 30 harvest sites
More than 30 harvest sites were closed over a two month period in France as part of outbreaks linked to eating oysters, according to recently released data. Because of confirmed norovirus contamination, 31 harvest sites were closed between Dec. 21, 2019, and Jan. 10, 2020, affecting more than 400 companies. This compares to 11 in… Read full article
