Sunday Edition: Reflecting

Today we revisit some of the topics we’ve covered in the past months.

Quick bites from around the food safety arena this week

• The World Health Organization (WHO) said this week that more countries need to improve their ability to monitor populations for foodborne diseases. Although gradual progress is evident, at the current rate international targets will not be reached by 2030. Next month WHO will publish updated estimates on the burden of foodborne infections.
• A European Union committee has signaled its intent to bar import of animals and animal products from Brazil beginning in September. The decision, which “surprised” Brazilian officials, stemmed from an audit finding that some beef carcasses had been treated with estradiol before being shipped to the EU market. That substance is banned for use in EU animals kept for food production. Brazil hopes to reverse the decision before it takes effect by clarifying how it uses antimicrobials in food production.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has initiated an investigation of a new outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium without disclosing what food it is tracing or where victims are located. This is another example of an outbreak investigation being launched by the FDA with minimal public disclosure of the scope and nature of the problem. Meanwhile, veterinarian Donald Prater has been named the acting commissioner for the food side of the FDA. He was the deputy associate commissioner for human foods. Kyle Diamantas, who had been serving as food commissioner, is currently the interim head of the FDA.
• A report obtained from the Montana Department of Health and Human Services through an open records request is the basis for a legal challenge to Montana’s “food freedom” law. The report concerns a patient affected by foodborne botulism. A former food safety official in the state claims the so-called “food freedom” lacks sufficient protections for consumers because it allows the use of ingredients from any foreign or domestic source without any checks to determine whether they are unsafe or adulterated. The Montana Supreme Court will now consider the case.

Hello members,

We are not producing a fresh Sunday Edition newsletter this week because of the Memorial Day holiday weekend. But we want to revisit some of the topics we’ve covered in the past months. As our membership continues to grow, here are some highlights of the great work the FSN team does each week for our newest subscribers. Thank you for your continued support!

Morgan Holm
Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief

The risks of Salmonella contamination in poultry is a frequent topic for Food Safety News. One of our first Sunday Edition newsletters in December took a deeper look at the subject.  What’s happened since then?

• No new measures to reduce the risk of Salmonella contamination have been introduced in the United States even as multiple outbreaks are reported around the world (Italy, Germany, just to cite a couple of recent reports). 
• The FDA has been tight-lipped about the source and scope of several recent outbreaks including one involving unknown food, and another traced to cantaloupe. 
• And with the prospect of a strong El Niño weather phenomenon emerging this year, it’s worth considering research done in Australia which indicates that rising temperatures may increase the risk of Salmonella infections.  

This will continue to be a subject that Food Safety News follows closely.

In January, we looked at the history of GRAS, substances generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA. The list of substances approved by the FDA has come under scrutiny with the rising influence of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. Here’s the latest development:

• On May 12, the FDA issued two requests for information to assess the use and safety of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and azodicarbonamide (ADA), both of which are on the GRAS list. 

In February, we looked at the “F” in FDA, or how much attention food gets as part of the Food and Drug Administration. Our publisher, Bill Marler, has called for a separate food agency because of the complexity and impact of food safety matters. Here’s the latest:

• This month, FDA commissioner Martin Makary resigned, apparently over concerns about approval of fruit-flavored vapes. The FDA’s deputy commissioner for food, Kyle Diamantas, has stepped in as acting FDA commissioner. While Diamantas is known for his work with the FDA’s Human Foods Program, his interim assignment likely means less attention to food-related FDA matters in the short run.
• If the midterm elections later this year result in Republicans losing their majority in the Senate, the path to confirmation for the next FDA commissioner could be rocky.

Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions for future coverage? Click here to give us your feedback. 

Morgan Holm

Veteran journalist and media executive who spent 35 years at Oregon Public Broadcasting, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer. He leads FSN’s transition to a nonprofit, membership-first publication.

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