The times, they are a-changin’! The EU’s farm to fork strategy is to reach 25% organic farming by 2030; there’s a clamor for climate change strategies for sustainable ag and food security, and upswings in self-sufficiency ratios are likely as trade constricts. And food safety compliance? Time will tell.
FAO Asia & Pacific office–new report on food fraud. Global industry cost of food fraud estimated yearly @ 30 billion EUR. E-produce in China found highly vulnerable; DNA barcoding of fishery products sold on-line showed 85% of fish mislabelled. Vulnerability assessments with new tech helps; surveillance helps enforce compliance. Honesty & transparency would also help!
Food borne pathogens are borderless, thanks to global supply chains. An outbreak of Yersinia in Sweden has ended with iceberg lettuce as the suspected source of infection. From January until the beginning of February this year, twice as many people fell ill with Yersinia infection as did during the same period in a normal year.https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/03/yersinia-outbreak-linked-to-imported-iceberg-lettuce/
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/02/foodborne-outbreak-illnesses-deaths-increase-in-europe/?utm_source=Food+Safety+News&utm_campaign=b1c2b2906f-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f46cc10150-b1c2b2906f-40399215: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) annual report–illness and death rates in EU countries up in 2019 from food pathogens. Risks highest in nursing homes and at home. Wonder what 2020 report will show?!!
Fewer inspections and thus fewer recalls due to COVID. Agencies are relying more on technology for surveillance and efficiency gains for food safety tracing under FDA’s food traceability rule. FDA comment period still open on the rule. The key is to encompass critical tracking events in the supply chain.
We at GFSF applaud the 10th anniversary of FSMA. There are new challenges unforeseen on Jan.4, 2011 but the machinery and expertise is there to find solutions.
Roll-out for COVID vaccines, but food safety lagging behind. GFSF’s roll-out is food safety impact investment platform, FSRP (Food Safety Rating Platform). Membership application open.
