“Washing is not enough to mitigate E.coli when processing leafy greens”

Recently, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the United States disclosed the founding of a multistate outbreak of E. coli 0151:H7 investigation: the outbreak was linked to leafy greens. However, this is not the first time an outbreak involving…

FDA: ‘Foreseeable hazard’ if leafy greens are still grown near cattle or dairy farms

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it would take ‘two important steps to advance the safety of leafy greens’. These steps will impact the way leafy…

"Awareness about quality food consumption poses a challenge for Indian horticulture"

“When the pandemic has passed, we do not want to go back to normal,” says Kunal Kasera. “We definitely think we could go to some better place.” Kunal is the founder of Trufarm Co., an agtech company that has recently begun operations in the city of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, India. They currently own a…

Nanoelectronics to build smarter packaging for safer food

Michigan State researchers are working to develop smart packaging to improve the world’s food safety and security with the support of new grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “The motivation for this work is really strong,” said the grant’s principal…

FDA warns all California Central Coast entities involved in leafy green production

On April 6, the Food and Drug Administration fired an unmistakable warning shot at the leafy greens industry. "Hopefully, this will be a call to action that gets to the root…

Two new ToBRFV-contamination in the Netherlands

There are two new tomato companies contaminated with the Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) in the Netherlands, as became apparent from a new status update from the NVWA…

NL: Tomato and bell pepper seed import checks begin on 1 April

As of 1 April, inspection services in the Netherlands must sample imported tomato and bell pepper seeds. That's per instruction from the Dutch Food and Consumer Goods Safety…

Coriander suspected as origin of 2018 UK Shigella outbreak

New research indicates that an outbreak of Shigella in England in 2018 was likely caused by contaminated coriander. The national food poisoning outbreak highlights the…

Researchers discover how to improve zinc content in plants

More than 2 billion people worldwide suffer from malnutrition. Not because they are getting too few calories, but because their food contains insufficient essential minerals like zinc and iron - the phenomenon of ‘hidden hunger’. Together with colleagues from Denmark and Portugal, researchers from…

More Azerbaijani enterprises cleared for Russian tomato imports

Russian phytosanitary service Rosselkhoznadzor has lifted the ban on tomatoes imports for four more Azerbaijani enterprises. In order to remove the existing import…

Uzbekistan tightens control over supply of tomatoes to Russia

Uzbekistan’s State Plant Quarantine Inspection under the Cabinet of Ministers has held a videoconference with the Rosselkhoznadzor. The parties discussed the measures…

FDA partnership with Mexico’s regulators strengthens Food Safety Protections

As the food supply becomes increasingly global, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s partnerships with our regulatory counterparts and food producers in other nations are more important than ever. The work that the FDA has done in collaboration with the government and food industry in Mexico shows how…

Report "prohibition on patenting conventional breeding" is being circumvented in Germany

No Patents on Seeds! is today handing over a new report on patent applications for conventionally bred plants to the German Ministry of Justice in Berlin. The organisation calls on the German Minister of Justice, Christine Lambrecht, to take measures against the patenting of plants and animals - as…

E.Coli on the rise: "lettuce explain"

The CDC estimates that 48 million people in the United States become sick with a foodborne illness each year. Some of the most common of these illnesses include norovirus,…

Mainichi / Issei Takizawa

Seeds from quake-hit Japan areas to travel to space in bid to revitalize region upon return

On the approach of the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, a project is underway to launch seeds of crops and plants associated with disaster-hit areas to the International Space Station in a bid to use the returned seeds to revitalize the region and pass on memories of the disaster. The…

Ukrainian phytosanitary inspectors find pests in batch of Turkish tomatoes

During a phytosanitary inspection of some 8.39 tons of imported tomatoes from Turkey, officials found the regulated quarantine organism that is known as the South American…

Rijk Zwaan introduces squash with ‘New Delhi’ resistance

The New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) has been causing serious problems for squash growers in the Mediterranean region for close to a decade. The plant virus can attack the foliage and the fruits in any stage of cultivation, resulting in smaller, misshapen fruits and ultimately a lower yield. Following years of…

Study shows that ultrasonic cleaning of salad could reduce food poisoning

Salad and leafy green vegetables may be contaminated with harmful bacteria during growing, harvesting, preparation and retail leading to outbreaks of food poisoning which may…

Half of Sicilian companies report Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus infections

A convention discussed the spreading of ToBRFV in Sicily. TBRFV symptoms on leaves  "It is difficult to detect the disease, as symptoms are almost invisible, so it is important for qualified personnel to perform tests. Plants can in fact remain asymptomatic until the temperature suddenly changes making the…

Photo by Yanni Yacial

Israel-UAE agriculture and water conference: "Desert agriculture can be the answer to food security"

As climate change continues to impact agriculture worldwide, a conference aimed at advancing technological cooperation in agriculture and water was held in Tel Aviv this week with senior government representatives from Israel and Africa along with investors from the United Arab Emirates and Israeli…

Ultrasonic cleaning of salad could reduce instances of food poisoning

A new study has shown that gentle streams of water carrying sound and microscopic air bubbles can clean bacteria from salad leaves more effectively than current washing…

"Disconnect between consumers and food production cannot be solved with urban farming"

Reducing food miles seems to be a no-brainer. Why produce food in one part of the world and then ship it to another? The truth is complicated, as is explained below. Godfrey Dol with Glasshouse Consulting has written a blog about the complex issue of reducing food miles, explaining why in his view,…

Photo by Jaime Green

Wichita considers plan to encourage urban farming and reduce food insecurity

If there are three things Kansans like to do, it’s raise food, eat and make money. And the Wichita City Council was given an outline on Tuesday of a plan to make it easier for residents of the city to do all of the above. The need is profound, said council member Becky Tuttle, who presented the plan to…

"The urban farms transforming how America’s most vulnerable communities eat"

The microwave plays a significantly more important role to urban farming in Baltimore than you might first imagine. “Our butternut squash comes from a seed which makes it…

Tomatoes sent via Azerbaijan banned for import into Russia

Inspectors from the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance on the returned three batches of fresh tomatoes from the Republic of Daghestan -with…

Clean eating: good news from a recent USDA survey

Lists like “The Dirty Dozen” or click-bait articles telling you “How to Avoid Eating Pesticides” would have American consumers believe that they’re feeding their families…

Study on the consumption of stained tomatoes in Uganda

Tomatoes are consumed daily. Unfortunately, abuse of pesticide application by vegetable growers in Uganda increases risks of exposing consumers through the pesticide residues,…

Politics in the City: Councilors push for partnership with hydroponic nonprofit

2Gether We Eat, a new youth-focused nonprofit in the city, seeks to address issues of "food deserts" and food insecurity here in Worcester through promoting hydroponic farming. Co-founder Charles Luster spoke to the City Council this week about the possibility of forging a partnership to encourage…

Australian coorperation provides better seed system for Solomon Islands

About 2,000 farming households in the Solomon Islands will now access a stronger seed system following a partnership launch between Kastom Gaden Association (KGA) and the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus program (PHAMA Plus). The collaboration aims to address food and nutrition…

Ozone against fungi, bacteria and viruses in the fruit and vegetable sector

Ozone has been used for over 18 years to combat fungi, bacteria and viruses in water and air; however, it is less well known that ozone also breaks down ethylene, which substantially extends the shelf life of fresh fruit and vegetables. The fact that, at the same time, the environment is purified from…

PMA comments on FSMA traceability rule

The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) submitted comments on the proposed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule ‘Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for…

New plastic film "deactivates Coronavirus in just 15 minutes"

A scientific collaboration including the companies Nanox, AplFilm, Braskem and the UFSCar (Brazil) and Jaume I of Castellón (Spain) universities has presented a plastic film…

Top solutions for fresh cut produce

With labor and food safety concerns more important than ever, more and more grocery retailers are looking to commissaries, central kitchens and other offsite facilities to…

FDA announces new sampling plan for Romaine from the Yuma, Arizona growing region

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is launching an assignment to collect romaine lettuce samples from commercial coolers in the Yuma County, Arizona growing region during…

Higher quality seeds can help beat hunger in Africa

Vaccination efforts across the globe encourage hope of an imminent end to the COVID-19 health crisis. But the food security crisis that the pandemic has deepened cannot be alleviated quickly and will require lasting solutions. Well-adapted and nutrient dense crops like millet, sorghum, groundnut,…

"Greenhouses improve food security in Nigeria"

Greenhouse farming has continued to gain traction in Nigeria as the country continues its search for solution to the food crisis and unemployment in the nation. Nigeria like…

New Covent Garden Market predicts fruit and vegetable trends for 2021

New Covent Garden Market, from which more than 100 wholesale traders supply fresh fruit and vegetables to London’s restaurants, has predicted that yuzu fruit, avant garde…

Outstanding food safety standards in solar greenhouses in southern Europe

4.5 million tons of fruit and vegetables are grown in the 35,000 hectares of solar greenhouses located in Almería and the coast of Granada, mainly tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, melons and watermelons. 75% of this production is exported to countries of the European Union; consequently,…

Dole Fresh Vegetables announce limited voluntary recall of Dole™ Endless Summer Salad Kit

Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. is voluntarily recalling a single lot code of Dole™ Endless Summer Salad Kit. This recall is due to possible undeclared allergens (fish and egg) in Dole™ Endless Summer Salad Kit. The dressing and topping kit (masterpack) designed for a different Dole product was…

Study details UK investigations into outbreak of Listeria

Researchers have expanded knowledge of the UK’s involvement in a multi-country Listeria outbreak. Twelve patients were detected in the UK between 2015 and 2018; contaminated…