The recently released findings of a five-year study on consumer meal preparation practices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has highlighted the importance of National Food Safety Education Month.

Many people are unaware of the threat that foodborne illnesses pose in their own homes, with gaps seen between best practice and actual behavior. However, we can reduce risks in our home kitchens by providing people with solid science, education, and communication about home food safety.

Researchers from Kao Corporation have developed a long-lasting skin coating agent that kills pathogens on the hands, paving the way for new hand hygiene solutions that could potentially help food handlers prevent cross-contamination. 

On June 27–28 in Chicago, Illinois, national and international nut industry leaders convened for the Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association’s (PTNPA) annual Operations and Technical Food Safety Summit.

MenuTrinfo’s “Certified Free From” (CFF) seal can support brands’ food safety and boost sales by indicating third-party validation of allergen-free claims on a product label.

Traditional dairy processors have begun to develop various milk alternatives alongside their standard product lines to adapt to shifting consumer demand. To effectively analyze and test traditional product lines while overcoming the difficulties of testing novel plant-based milk, they must have access to adaptable instruments and accommodate specific food safety concerns.

New uses for existing technologies are being deployed in foodservice establishments to prevent persistent pathogens like Salmonella, and viral pathogens like norovirus and Hepatitis A, on surfaces where continuous sanitation and disinfection is needed. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) for FDA staff on the agency’s enforcement of major food allergen labeling and cross-contact. In response to FDA’s statement about the inclusion of sesame in foods that did not previously contain the allergen, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) expressed its dissatisfaction.

Risk-based approaches for food allergens offer a path forward for both allergen management and precautionary allergen labeling decision-making. After many years of research, a clearer picture has emerged of the population-level, threshold-dose distributions for major food allergens using data generated in double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge studies. If the food allergen management field is headed for a shift toward quantitative, risk-based management strategies, however, then several method considerations and important data gaps must be addressed.

SmartWash Solutions has announced its new EPIC Panel Sterilight, a patent-pending product designed to safely and automatically kill Listeria monocytogenes and other pathogens inside control panels, which is an often-overlooked source of cross-contamination in the food industry.