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Category Archives: food safety training
Research – The best way to freeze and defrost your food, according to the experts
For many of us, freezers serve as a sort of black hole for our leftovers and miscellaneous food items. Everything from half-eaten cartons of ice cream to Thanksgiving leftovers tend to find a home in the freezer—sometimes indefinitely.
Though it’s a convenient catch-all for extra food, the freezer can also be a source of some confusion and even, if used improperly, food-borne illness. You might wonder, for instance, whether it’s OK to put steaming-hot leftovers directly in the freezer. Also: Is that partially crystallized muffin still safe to eat? And what should you do with unidentifiable red sauce that’s been thawed and refrozen a few times?
Experts weigh in on frozen food safety and tips for best freezer hygiene.
Research – Systematic risk ranking of microbiological hazards in infant foods
Abstract
Ensuring food safety, particularly for vulnerable groups, like infants and young children, requires identifying and prioritizing potential hazards in food chains. We previously developed a web-based decision support system (DSS) to identify specific microbiological hazards (MHs) in infant and toddler foods through a structured five-step process. This study takes the framework further by introducing systematic risk ranking (RR) steps to rank MH risks with seven criteria: process survival, recontamination, growth opportunity, meal preparation, hazard-food association evidence, food consumption habits of infants and toddlers in the EU, and MH severity. Each criterion is given a semi-quantitative or quantitative score or risk value, contributing to the final MH risk calculation via three aggregation methods: semi-quantitative risk scoring, semi-quantitative risk value, and outranking multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). To validate the criteria and ranking approaches, we conducted a case study to rank MH risks in infant formula, compared the results of the three risk ranking methods, and additionally evaluated the ranking results against expert opinions to ensure their accuracy. The results showed strong agreement among the three methods, consistently ranking Salmonella non-Typhi and Cronobacter spp. and Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli as the top MH risks in infant formulae, with minor deviations. When MHs were ranked after an initial hazard identification step, all three methods produced nearly identical MH rankings, reinforcing the reliability of the ranking steps and the selected criteria. Notably, the risk value and MCDA methods provided more informative MH rankings compared to the risk scoring method. The risk value and risk scoring methods were implemented into an online tool, called the MIcrobiological hazards risk RAnking decision support system (Mira-DSS), available at https://foodmicrobiologywur.shinyapps.io/MIcrobial_hazards_RAnking/. In conclusion, our framework enables the ranking of MH risks, facilitating intervention comparisons and resource allocations to mitigate MH risks in infant foods, with potential applicability to broader food categories.
Research – Shopping at the Farmers Market with Food Safety in Mind
Going to the farmers market is a weekly staple for many, and markets are available across the country both seasonally and year-round. Farmers markets offer a wide variety of fresh local products like fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses and beverages. When shopping at the farmers market, it’s important to keep food safety in mind to avoid foodborne illness from tagging along.
Read more at the link above.
Research – Bacterial Persister Cells in the Food Industry
The food industry plays a crucial role in global health and economy, offering a wide range of products that sustain human populations. However, ensuring food safety and preventing foodborne illnesses remain significant challenges. A critical issue is the presence of bacterial persister cells – dormant cells within bacterial populations that exhibit remarkable tolerance to various stressors, including antibiotics and sanitizers. This dormancy state allows them to survive unfavorable conditions and potentially become active again if under favorable conditions.
Persister cells are implicated in recurrent contamination and outbreaks within food production environments. Unlike antibiotic resistance, which involves genetic changes, persistence is a phenotypic adaptation that poses unique challenges for detection and control. Understanding the mechanisms of persistence, its triggers, and implications in the food industry is essential for developing effective strategies to mitigate food safety risks.
This Research Topic aims to consolidate current knowledge on bacterial persister cells in the food industry, including the fundamental mechanisms that underlie bacterial persistence, their role in foodborne diseases, and innovative approaches for detection and management.
The Use Of Predictive Models In Food Safety Through The Processing Chain
One of the food industry’s most pressing challenges is providing safe and nutritious food for all. Microbial growth in the food supply or processed food products can reduce shelf life. On the other hand, foods’ composition and physicochemical characteristics can allow the growth and distribution of foodborne pathogens. The response of microorganisms to food composition, processing, or storage conditions will determine their growth capacity. The development of microbial growth models in food product environments differs from traditional growth models used in fermentations or lab cultures due to restrictions or advantages provided by the food environment. In predictive microbiology, the growth of pathogenic or food-spoilage microorganisms is determined under controlled conditions and used to predict their behavior in food systems.
Research – Reimagining Sushi Safety: A Collaborative Approach to Food Standards
The National Fisheries Institute’s newly established Sushi Council aims to enhance food safety standards in the sushi industry through collaboration and implementation of rigorous guidelines
The sushi industry has witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity worldwide, captivating the palates of millions with its unique flavors and convenience offerings. Originating from Japan, sushi has transcended cultural boundaries to become a beloved culinary delicacy enjoyed by consumers globally.
The sushi industry experienced a major surge in sales during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and is valued at over $10 billion annually, with over $3 billion from to-go sushi and $7 billion from restaurants as of 2023.1 Sushi data is not frequently broken out in supermarkets, but is consolidated in the seafood department or prepared foods department sales. A more realistic industry estimate is that the supermarket sushi-to-go market alone is worth over $5 billion annually.
USDA Proposes New Policy to Reduce Salmonella in Raw Poultry Products
WASHINGTON, July 29, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today issued a comprehensive proposed rule and determination to more effectively reduce Salmonella contamination and illnesses associated with raw poultry products. This is the culmination of FSIS’ three-year effort to re-evaluate their strategy for controlling Salmonella rates in poultry and protect American consumers from foodborne illness linked to consumption of poultry products.
Salmonella bacteria cause over 1 million human infections in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Food is the leading source of Salmonella infections and poultry is among the leading sources of foodborne Salmonella illnesses. FSIS estimates that there are 125,000 chicken-associated and almost 43,000 turkey-associated foodborne Salmonella illnesses per year. Despite FSIS data indicating that Salmonella contamination in poultry products has been decreasing, there has not been an observed reduction in Salmonella illnesses.
USA – Research – FDA Releases Summary Report on Fresh Herbs Sampling Assignment
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released findings from a sampling assignment that collected and tested both domestic and imported fresh basil, cilantro, and parsley. The assignment sought to estimate the prevalence of Cyclospora cayetanensis, Salmonella spp., and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in these herbs as part of the FDA’s ongoing effort to help proactively ensure food safety.
From September 2017 to September 2021, the FDA collected and tested a total of 1,383 samples of fresh basil, cilantro, and parsley. The agency detected Salmonella spp. in 17 out of 1,358 samples, detected C. cayetanensis in 18 out of 812 samples, and detected STEC in 1 out of 1,350 samples. The FDA worked closely with the firm to quickly remove the contaminated products from the market. The sampling assignment took longer than anticipated, due to a nine month pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fresh herbs contaminated with Salmonella spp., C. cayetanensis, and STEC can present a significant public health risk. From FY2000 through FY2016, cilantro was potentially linked to at least three outbreaks in the U.S. And since 2017, the U.S. has experienced at least six additional outbreaks involving basil, cilantro, and parsley. More than 1,200 illnesses and 80 hospitalizations were tied to these outbreaks. Thus, the FDA determined that sampling may help the agency assess the prevalence of pathogens in the commodities and identify common factors among contaminated samples, with the goal of helping to protect consumers.
Given the findings of the assignment, the FDA encourages industry to ensure its compliance with the agency’s Produce Safety Rule, Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule, and FSMA Final Rule on Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods, as applicable. Importers of fresh herbs should ensure their compliance with the agency’s Foreign Supplier Verification Programs Rule.
This sampling assignment was the agency’s first largescale field activity to focus on fresh basil, cilantro, and parsley. This data will help the agency develop guidance and update program priorities, including future sampling assignments and the prioritization of surveillance inspections. The FDA will continue to sample these fresh herbs for pathogens as warranted to protect consumers.
Ireland – FSAI provides precautionary advice on uncooked or raw bean consumption
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today states that it has been highlighted at EU level that there have been a low, but persistent, number of foodborne illnesses related to the consumption of raw or uncooked beans. These foodborne illnesses relate to the presence of naturally occurring lectins, which are found in some varieties of fresh and dried beans.
Lectins are proteins found in many plants such as tomatoes, potatoes and whole grains. However, legumes (green beans, lentils, peas, kidney beans, French beans, sugar snap peas, etc.) contain the highest amounts of lectins. Properly prepared legumes are a low-cost source of nutrients which are important in maintaining good health. They are considered a source of good quality protein and soluble fibre and are low in fat and calories. However, it is the consumption of uncooked or insufficiently prepared legumes that can cause illness in some consumers due to the presence of lectins.
The FSAI recommends that consumers take the precautions in the link above to reduce or eliminate the harmful properties of lectins, thereby making legumes safe to eat:
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