In this Food Safety Insights column, we continue to explore processors' near-term priorities for food safety programs, as well as the regulations and issues they are watching that will have the most impact on their programs in the future. Food safety culture, microbiological control (including environmental monitoring), and sanitation and hygiene are three of processors' indicated top priorities for the near term.

Ongoing research funded by the Center for Produce Safety aims to fill knowledge gaps about the efficacy of sanitizers and wash techniques used on peaches.

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.

Madison Chemical has introduced its new ProClean® DEGREASER, a liquid, moderately alkaline, multi-purpose detergent for general purpose cleaning and degreasing in food and beverage plants.

A recent study carried out environmental monitoring programs (EMPs) for Listeria monocytogenes at three food production facilities in Japan with the aim of developing EMPs that are relevant to Japanese food businesses and to encourage more widespread adoption of EMPs.

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. 

A recent study of the microbiological profiles of disposable gloves intended for ready-to-eat (RTE) food handling found the presence of bacteria to be much higher on gloves with visible damage than intact gloves, underlining the importance of regular glove changes, especially when damaged.

On October 10–12, 2023, Penn State University will offer a course, titled, “Food Safety and Sanitation for Food Manufacturers” designed for those who are developing in-house food safety programs.

A project funded by the Center for Produce Safety has collected information about, validated, and evaluated the efficacy of the cleaning and sanitation practices for harvest equipment among blueberry harvesters and packers.