The fifth annual meeting of the International Head of Food Agencies Forum (IHFAF) convened in Singapore from April 16–20, 2024, bringing together food safety officials from 18 countries and representatives from international food safety and public health organizations.

In a letter addressed to key U.S. congressional leaders, the Safe Food Coalition (SFC) expressed its opposition to the DIRECT Act, the PRIME Act, and the New Markets Act, which would lift prohibitions on the interstate sale of meat and poultry from state inspected facilities and allow commercial sales from uninspected “custom” slaughter facilities.

The Alliance for a Stronger FDA has published its “ask” for Fiscal Year 2025 funding for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is $214 million more than the Presidential budget request submitted by FDA for FY 2025.

On April 18, 2024, Illinois Senate Bill 2637, also known as the Illinois Food Safety Act, passed the state Senate and was progressed to the House.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated two types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)—as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA Act, also known as the Superfund Act).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published testing results for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in foods collected as part of its Total Diet Study (TDS), and has provided an update on the agency’s activities to better understand and address PFAS in the U.S. food supply, including an updated analytical method to measure the chemicals. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is partnering with the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) to present upcoming Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards Self-Assessment and Verification Audit (SAVA) Workshops at industry events taking place during summer 2024.

On May 3, 2024 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a webinar featuring representatives from the State of Iowa and Richmond County, North Carolina who will discuss how their jurisdictions achieved conformance with all nine of FDA’s Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.

Allergen-related food recalls have increased since the introduction of FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011. This article shares the fundamentals of conducting an allergen gap assessment to help companies comply with new FDA guidance on allergen management.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an order regarding maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides in spices and culinary herbs, in alignment with Codex Alimentarius guidelines and the MRLs adopted by the U.S., the EU, Japan, and Australia/New Zealand.