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 The Global Food-source Identifier (GFI) was developed as an international, open, shared, and searchable data catalog of past foodborne disease outbreaks (FBO) (Food Control Volume 121, March 2021, 107623). The system has two objectives: (i) create a collaborative online community of FBO investigators, encouraging the international sharing of data; (ii) to support foodborne outbreak investigation worldwide by providing access to detailed records of past outbreaks, which can convey insight into potential ‘risk foods’ of a detected pathogen. GFI is hosted within a Virtual Research Environment (VRE). The scientists developing the system selected 46 attributes to characterize an outbreak record. The analysis included the relationship between the most frequent causative agents and outbreak food sources. It is envisioned that GFI will contribute to the success of FBO investigations worldwide. The database was populated with records of 102 outbreaks in Denmark from 2005 to 2016, covering the most frequent pathogens and a range of typing methods to demonstrate the system potential. @ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713520305399

Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, wrote about the Anniversary. Ten years ago today, on Jan. 4, 2011, FSMA was signed into law.  Congress’ mandate was that the FDA prevents future outbreaks. The FDA finalized the seven foundational rules outlining the risk-based preventive measures required of those covered by FSMA. FSMA dramatically changed regulatory oversight of produce and food importers, providing standards for growing, harvesting, packing, and holding fruits and vegetables. The FDA worked closely with regulatory counterparts in Canada, Mexico, Europe, China, and other trading partners to strengthen safety oversight of food coming to the U.S.   The regulation gave the FDA authority for mandatory recall when a manufacturer fails to pull unsafe food from the market voluntarily. Further harmonization will happen when the proposed Food Traceability Rule is adopted. FSMA will be enhanced with the New Era of Smarter Food Safety released in July 2020. New Era initiatives will also enhance root cause analysis in cases where preventive control measures fail. Currently, the FSMA requirements are embedded in the global food system and serve as the foundation for the modernization journey into a New Era. @ https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices/fda-food-safety-modernization-act-10-reflecting-our-progress-and-path-forward?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

An article (Nüesch-Inderbinen et al. Listeriosis Caused by Persistence of Listeria monocytogenes Serotype 4b Sequence Type 6 in Cheese Production Environment. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021;27(1):284-288) describes a nationwide outbreak of human listeriosis in Switzerland that was traced to persisting environmental contamination of a dairy with Listeria monocytogenes . Whole-genome sequencing identified L. monocytogenes serotype 4b, sequence type 6, cluster type 7488, in the environment. The prolonged outbreak of L. monocytogenes caused 34 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases and ten deaths. The investigation results implicated a dairy with sanitation shortcomings and persisting environmental contamination throughout the production site. Isolation and WGS typing of L. monocytogenes from a quality-control cheese sample provided crucial information that enabled identifying the contamination origin. WGS played a crucial role in showing close relatedness between the isolates from the cheese item and the environment and linking the listeriosis cases from 2018 to the 2020 outbreak. The outbreak highlights the risk for recontamination of pasteurized cheese products during manufacturing and emphasizes the need for a routine sampling of products, manufacturing equipment, and the production environment. @ https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2701.203266

U CONN, assistant professor of food microbiology and safety Abhi Upadhyay, studied ultra-fine ozone bubbles as antimicrobial. Ultra-fine bubbles are small, spherical, ozone-filled with a diameter of fewer than 100 nanometers. The ultra-fine bubbles can stay in the solution for an extended duration to kill pathogens. The study tested eggs, spinach, lettuce, cucumber, and cantaloupes contaminated with Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, and Listeria monocytogenes. The goal is to find a safe addition to wash water to eliminate food pathogens. @ https://www.wateronline.com/doc/microbiologist-develops-improved-technology-for-poultry-food-safety-0001