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
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For 10 years, dedicated teams of FDA experts, as well as many stakeholders, have been working to implement FSMA.
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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
A nationwide outbreak of human listeriosis in Switzerland was traced to persisting environmental contamination of a cheese dairy with Listeria monocy…
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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
One Friday evening in the spring of 2019, Abhi Upadhyay, assistant professor of food microbiology and safety in the Department of Animal Science, found himself watching a video showing microbubbles for pet care and grooming. He started thinking about using this technology for food safety and spent the weekend researching its potential, current state of the field and appropriate grant opportunities.
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A study comparing the effectiveness of a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and the Crystal Diagnostic Xpress (CDx) immunoassay for detecting Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in air samples collected from abattoirs in Texas was published in J Food Prot (2021) 84 (1): 31–38 (Zahra et al., 2021). After 36 h enrichment, qPCR, and CDx assays, 37.5 and 57.1% of the samples, respectively, were positive for Salmonella (P < 0.05) and 65.0 and 60.7%, respectively, were positive for STEC (P > 0.05). Recovery of Salmonella and STEC increased 16 and 47%, respectively, when enrichment was extended from 18 to 36 h. Detection rates for samples from larger plants were higher for both pathogens. Salmonella detection was higher with the CDx assay than with the qPCR assay, but no differences were found in STEC detection. Detection rates for pathogens in the air are enhanced by using two methods simultaneously. @ https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-abstract/84/1/31/442605/Comparison-between-the-Real-Time-PCR-and-Crystal
