With a focus on fresh-cut produce in the U.S./North America, this article explores critical questions related to the improvement and modernization of the microbial outbreak investigation process.

Following a lead poisoning outbreak linked to adulterated cinnamon fruit puree pouches that affected hundreds of children, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to Dollar Tree, Inc. due to its failure to remove the recalled products from stores.

The infant formula shortage of 2022 was precipitated by FDA’s delayed response to whistleblower complaints about contaminated product—a delay caused by the agency not having the necessary policies and procedures in place to address the issue at the time—according to a new report published by the U.S. DHHS’ Office of the Inspector General.

Celebrating the sixth annual World Food Safety Day, this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters features foodservice industry leader Mark (Mick) Miklos, CP-FS, who shares his past experience building Waffle House’s renowned emergency operation protocols, and why it is critical to “Prepare for the Unexpected.”

According to the latest recall data published by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), from 2019–2023, undeclared allergens were the leading cause of food recalls in Australia. FSANZ has identified the root causes for these recalls.

The theme of the sixth annual World Food Safety Day (WFSD), taking place June 7, 2024, is “Prepare for the Unexpected.” This article provides a history of FAO/WHO’s involvement in global food safety emergency preparedness and its historical intersections with WFSD, and shares resources to help build resiliency against incidents.

A total of 313 food product recall announcements were issued in 2023 by FDA and USDA, which the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG) Education Fund analyzed in its Food for Thought 2024 report to identify recall trends. 

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Robert Manning, recall management expert, author, and CEO of Liquid, about how to prevent, prepare for, and recover from food product recalls.

After hundreds of children across the U.S. contracted lead poisoning after eating fruit puree pouches containing contaminated cinnamon, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified six additional ground cinnamon products that were found to contain elevated levels of lead. The agency has issued a recall.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has published data on recalls and public health advisories issued in the case of a food safety incident in 2023.