In this article we welcome guest author and industry expert, Alec Kyriakides, to explore some of the food safety developments, recalls and incidents that have happened recently.

 

Food Safety Developments

Third party certificate assurance

Voluntary third-party assurance certification (vTPA) has become a mainstay of product safety assurance programmes over the last two decades. An overview of vTPA programmes including those recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has recently been published. Alongside increased product safety certification has come the risk of certificate fraud and a recent development by BRCGS (DirectoryPro) aims to eliminate this risk whilst also providing efficient management of certificated supply chains.

 

Nitrates, nitrites, nitrosamines and links to cancer

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned a report to review published evidence on the safety of safety of nitrates and nitrites in food. Nitrates and nitrites are used in foods for their antimicrobial properties and also to maintain certain organoleptic properties. The majority of nitrates and nitrites that we consume come naturally from vegetables, like spinach, lettuce, celery, and beetroot. A small proportion (circa. 5%) comes from their use as food additives. Plant-based foods were reported to contribute significantly to dietary nitrate intake with processed meats being a major contributor to dietary nitrite intake. Higher cooking temperature, longer cooking times and curing with nitrite salts were associated with elevated levels of nitrosamines and N-nitroso compounds. The review showed that “dietary nitrates and nitrites are rapidly absorbed, nitrates are metabolised into nitrite, nitric oxide and N-nitroso compounds, and largely excreted in urine. Oral bacteria drive nitrate to nitrite conversion, influencing systemic nitrite exposure and nitrosation, and in the acidic environment of the stomach lead to the formation of N-nitroso compounds. There was inconclusive evidence for a relationship between the intake of these additives and health risks such as cancer”.

 

WHO Hand Hygiene Guide

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF have released the first ever global Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Community Settings to support governments and practitioners in promoting effective hand hygiene outside health care – across households, public spaces and institutions. Although not directed at food establishment per se, the guidelines, published on Global Handwashing day, serve as a useful reminder of the importance of hand hygiene in any setting for preventing the spread of infectious disease.

 

CODEX Guidance for Risk Assessment of Allergens

In response to a Codex request for scientific advice on guidance for food allergen risk assessment, FAO and WHO convened an expert consultation to provide recommendations on food allergen risk assessment. The summary document highlights a number of considerations in relation to risk assessment for allergens in food.

 

Norovirus outbreaks

A report by the UK Health Security Agency of foodborne norovirus outbreaks in England between 2015 and 2023 highlighted that there had been 67 outbreaks affecting 4018 individuals, with a food vehicle being implicated in 58% outbreaks. The most commonly reported food categories were composite/mixed foods (18 outbreaks, 26.9%) and crustaceans/shellfish/molluscs (14 outbreaks, 20.9%). Oysters were the most frequently implicated single food item, associated with 1,117 cases across 13 outbreaks. 83.6% (n=56) of reported outbreaks were associated with catering settings (restaurants/food service establishments, takeaways or fast-food outlets), accounting for 52.1% (n=2,093) of the total affected cases.

 

Novel foods taste trials

The UK FSA issued guidance to help companies conduct taste trials for novel foods or foods produced by novel processes, supporting the design of trials for research and development purposes that are safe and ethical. The guide follows the principles of the guidelines produced by the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) with a key consideration being the need to conduct a risk assessment with a particular focus on microbiological contamination, allergenicity, acute toxicity and genotoxicity.

 

Artificial Intelligence in Food Safety and Authenticity

The UK FSA Science Council has published a report on a project exploring the likely applications of AI in food safety and assurance. Four case studies were examined encompassing AI-driven safety and regulatory compliance evaluation for manufactured foods, AI-supported data pack generation for third-party certification and assurance, AI-assisted detection of infections and other pre/post-mortem pathologies in UK abattoirs and AI-powered document inspection at UK ports of entry. Key recommendations included the need for the FSA to publish guidance on responsible use of AI to assure food safety and regulatory compliance; to establish ongoing monitoring of AI systems and potential impacts; promoting data assurance, validation, and standards alignment; supporting the development of standards and an Industry-led code of practice for assuring AI in food safety; engaging with broader regulatory and policy perspectives; and commissioning research on human behaviour and interaction with AI in food safety contexts. The increasing use of AI in public health scenarios has also prompted the publication of a guide for designing Artificial Intelligence instructions in public health by the Pan American Health Organization. Broader considerations in relation to the use of Artificial Intelligence in the scientific landscape have been captured in three documents published by the International Science Council (ISC) exploring the practical applications, environmental implications, and data governance challenges of AI in science.

 

Foodborne disease outbreaks

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) caused an outbreak implicating raw milk and unpasteurised milk cheeses in the USA. Three infections of E. coli O103 were reported across two states. The large STEC outbreak caused by E. coli O45:H2 in Germany continues to grow in size with cases now increasing to 351 with three deaths. The cases have mostly affected young children with the median age of 4 years. The source remains unknown. The outbreak of listeriosis implicating pasta ready meals has now resulted in 27 cases, 25 of which have been hospitalised with 6 deaths across 18 states in the US. A salmonellosis outbreak caused by Salmonella Richmond and affecting 11 people with 3 hospitalisations was reported by the US FDA to be associated with the consumption of moringa leaf powder, a herbal supplement from the leaves of the moringa tree. A report of a prolonged outbreak of salmonellosis implicating small tomatoes was published by the European Centre for Disease Surveillance (ECDC). A total of 437 cases have been reported across 17 European countries between January 2023 and September 2025 with the unusual strain, Salmonella Strathcona. A report by Italian researchers and public health officials into the large multicountry salmonellosis outbreak in 2024 (over 200 cases with one death) caused by Salmonella Umbilo and implicating rocket salad and organic leaf spinach (bay leaf spinach), identified a mismanaged manure tank in the locality where the crops were grown and where three buffalo farms were located. An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in Denmark causing 11 cases has implicated flat leaf parsley imported from Italy.

 

Food Recall Highlights

The data used for this food recall highlights review is sourced from open access recall databases covering different countries and continents including the USA (Food & Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture), the UK (Food Standards Agency), Germany (Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety) and Australia (Food Standards Australia New Zealand).

 

Microbiological recalls were dominated by Listeria monocytogenes once again, being driven primarily by the issue with pasta containing prepared meals. An unusual food, fresh peaches, has been recalled in the US as a result of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes in the food processing environment.

 

Allergen recalls were spread evenly across the different allergens although multiple allergen recalls dominated.

 

Physical contamination recalls were dominated by plastic contamination but there were also a large number of recalls due to metal and glass.

 

Chemical recalls were varied this month although lead and Caesium-137 continued to feature. Indeed, the recalls in the USA due to excessive levels of lead have now implicated 18 brands and the investigation into the Caesium-137 recalls in the USA from Indonesian shrimp has revealed widescale contamination at 22 facilities in the same locality in Indonesia leading to suspension of production and relocation of local residents. The levels of contamination in shrimp were not considered to be unsafe in relation to short term exposure.

  

   

Author

Alec Kyriakides

Independent Food Safety Consultant