Author: Kit Redwine

The World Health Organization (WHO) Food Safety Strategy 2030 provides a comprehensive global framework to significantly reduce the burden of foodborne diseases (FBDs). This strategy acknowledges that unsafe food causes an estimated 600 million illnesses and 420,000 deaths annually worldwide, disproportionately affecting children under five and vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries. Its core objective is to strengthen national and international food safety systems through collaborative, evidence-based actions. The strategy is structured around five interconnected strategic priorities: Implementation relies on mobilizing resources, fostering multi-sectoral collaboration (One Health approach), leveraging technological innovations, and establishing robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track…

The consumption of raw fish in sushi and sashimi presents inherent risks of parasitic infections, primarily from nematodes (e.g., Anisakis spp.) and cestodes (e.g., Diphyllobothrium spp., or fish tapeworm). These parasites can cause gastrointestinal illness, allergic reactions, or systemic complications in humans. Rigorous mitigation strategies are employed throughout the supply chain to minimize these risks, focusing on freezing, sourcing, inspection, and regulatory compliance. Freezing is the most effective and widely mandated method to kill parasites. Regulatory standards globally require specific time-temperature combinations: This process destroys parasite larvae embedded in fish muscle tissue. Commercial “flash freezing” at ultra-low temperatures preserves texture while ensuring safety. Note…

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety alert advising consumers and food establishments to avoid frozen, raw, half-shell oysters potentially contaminated with norovirus after an outbreak investigation linked illnesses to the imported shellfish. Wang Globalnet of Vernon, California initiated a recall on July 21, 2025, for frozen oysters bearing lot code B250112. The affected products were harvested from Designated Area No. 1 in South Korea on January 12, 2025, and processed by JBR KR-15-SP in Tongyeong-si, Republic of Korea. Distribution occurred across Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, and Utah, with potential spread to additional states. The Utah Department of Agriculture…

A recall first initiated on June 9, 2025 by Gedney Foods Product, LLC, based in Bloomington, Minnesota, for 3,520 cases of dill pickles due to product and container damage remains ongoing. A defective container could lead to microbial contamination with pathogens like Clostridium botulinum, or others, that could potentially cause foodborne illness or damaged pieces of the container which have the potential to cause severe harm, including choking, injury, illness, damage to teeth, or even death. Background The recall notice said that the damaged product was to be destroyed but was accidentally released to market. Distribution The recalled item was only…

Toronto Public Health has confirmed a case of Hepatitis A in a staff member at Earls Kitchen + Bar prompting health authorities to recommend immediate vaccination for customers who dined at the restaurant during specific exposure periods. The infected employee worked during four separate shifts when transmission could have occurred. Potential exposure dates include Friday, July 11 from 4 p.m. until closing, Saturday, July 12 from 4:30 p.m. until closing, Tuesday, July 15 from 4:30 p.m. until closing, and Wednesday, July 16 from 7 p.m. until closing. Health officials say that patrons who consumed food or beverages during these specified time periods…

Pregnant women face unique vulnerabilities to foodborne pathogens due to physiological immune suppression, increasing risks of bacteremia (bacterial bloodstream infection) and severe dehydration when infections go untreated. These conditions can trigger cascading effects on fetal development and survival. Bacteremia’s Direct Assault When bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella invade the maternal bloodstream, they can cross the placental barrier. This transplacental transmission often leads to fetal sepsis, causing systemic inflammation, tissue damage, and organ failure in the developing fetus. Early-onset listeriosis, frequently acquired from unpasteurized dairy, deli meats, or smoked seafood, manifests as respiratory distress, circulatory collapse, and a 7 to 29% mortality rate in neonates. …

For decades, conventional food safety wisdom warned against wooden cutting boards, claiming porous surfaces harbored dangerous bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli, while nonporous plastic boards were deemed more sanitary. Recent scientific reappraisals, however, challenge this long-standing assumption. The Bacterial Survival Test A pivotal 1994 study inoculated wood and plastic boards with bacteria including E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria. Bacteria applied to plastic boards survived for hours and multiplied if left overnight. On wood, bacteria rapidly diminished: 99% died within 3 minutes when applied in low concentrations (10³ to 10⁴ CFU), and even high concentrations (≥10⁶ CFU) saw reductions of 98% to 99.9% within 12…

Trichinosis (trichinellosis) is a foodborne parasitic infection caused by nematodes of the Trichinella genus, most commonly Trichinella spiralis. Humans contract this disease exclusively through consuming raw or undercooked meat containing encysted larvae. While domestic pork was historically the primary source, modern agricultural practices have reduced this risk in commercial pork. Today, most U.S. cases stem from wild game like bear, walrus, wild boar, and cougar. Globally, trichinosis affects approximately 10,000 people annually, though U.S. incidence has plummeted from 400 cases per year in the 1940s to just 16 annually by 2015. The Parasite’s Journey Infection begins when digestive enzymes release larvae from…

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has confirmed that one adult has died from Listeriosis, as health officials investigate an extensive outbreak linked to contaminated ready-made meals, according to multiple media sources. The Health Service Executive’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre is conducting an investigation into the death, though no additional details can be released due to medical confidentiality requirements. This fatality comes amid confirmation of nine total Listeriosis cases connected to the current outbreak. In response to the outbreak, authorities have initiated a voluntary precautionary recall affecting 141 ready-made food products distributed across major Irish retailers including Tesco, SuperValu, Centra, and Aldi. The…

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Saginaw Enterprises Ltd, based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, have issued a voluntary recall notice for 7 – Select Bake Shoppe-brand chocolate fudge brownie due to possible contamination with pieces of plastic. Food contaminated with foreign objects, like plastic, has the potential to cause severe harm, including choking, injury, illness, damage to teeth, or even death. Background The recall notice did not say how the presence of plastic was found in the impacted food. Distribution The recalled item was distributed to a retail audience only in the Canadian province of Ontario. Product Details…