USDA's fresh produce chief will join FDA to help develop new food safety rules as part of a cooperative initiative between FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Members of Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) met in Chicago this month to discuss food safety during FPSA's annual operations conference.

We’ve all the seen newspaper headlines: “Man finds XXX in his hamburger” or perhaps it’s  “Woman bites into XXX.”

How should refrigerated food processors respond to a government proposal about Listeria limits? Here’s one expert’s view.

The Food and Drug Administration says processors will need "pre-market approval" before allowing food to come into contact with plastic pallets and/or storage totes that contain decabromodiphenyl. 

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacterium that can contaminate foods and cause a mild illness or, in some cases, a severe life-threatening disease. Some of the foods that have been implicated in listeria outbreaks have been ready-to-eat foods (RTE), which sometimes can support the growth of the organism to high numbers.

When processors apply a pre-cooling solution to produce stored in plastic pallets, is there a danger of decabromodiphenyl in the pallet interacting with the pre-cooling solution and compromising food safety? 

Researchers at Hormel Foods Corp. and Dole Fresh Vegetables were among six honorees in NSF International's 2009 Food Safety Leadership Awards.