Approaches to empower the implementation of new tools to detect and prevent foodborne pathogens in food processing.

Foodborne pathogens cause an important public health burden, which is estimated in 600 million cases and more than 400,000 deaths, globally every year. The most susceptible populations, such as children under the age of five, the elderly and immunocompromised, account for the majority of the deaths. Food safety incidents, outbreaks, sporadic cases, and recalls have recognized economic impact, estimated at 7 billion every year in the US. Food safety has become a priority, and the implementation of preventive controls and monitoring systems has raised the development of new tools to detect and prevent pathogens in the food chain. Detection tools have evolved quickly, from rapid testing methods to application of genomics and metagenomics. Importantly, to reduce food safety hazards at food processing, the food chain needs to be seen from farm to fork. This review summarized the main findings discussed during the 2016 OECD-sponsored symposium on food safety. These include i) trends in food safety that embrace the need to implement new tools in detection and prevention, ii) the very rapid evolution of technologies to detect foodborne pathogens, iii) holistic approaches to prevent pathogens require a whole chain approach, and iv) key pillars to facilitate global implementations of new tools in food safety.

Irradiation in the production, processing, and handling of food. Final rule.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the food additive regulations to provide for the safe use of a carbon dioxide laser for etching information on the surface of fresh, intact citrus fruit. This action is in response to a petition filed by Durand-Wayland, Inc.

Vermouth: technology of production and quality characteristics.

The aperitif wine, known as vermouth, is primarily prepared by adding a mixture of herbs and spices or their extract to a base wine. As such, it could also be called aromatized liquor, or a fortified wine. Various plant parts, such as seeds, wood, leaves, bark, or roots in dry form can be used in flavoring. These additives may be infused, macerated, or distilled in a base white wine, or added at various stages of preparation. The final liquid is filtered, pasteurized, and fortified (by the addition of alcohol). Some vermouths are sweetened, whereas other are left unsweetened (dry vermouth). These tend to have a bitterish finish. The two versions differ in alcohol content as well. Vermouths are most commonly prepared from grape-based wines, but fruit-based wines made from mango, apple, plum, sand pear, and wild apricot may also be used. These possess distinct physicochemical and sensory qualities from standard vermouths. The review gives comprehensive information on the historical developments and technology of vermouth production, the various spices and herbs used in its production, and its quality characteristics. In addition, the chapter also discusses the commercial potential of nongrape fruits in vermouth production.

Current good manufacturing practice in manufacturing, packaging, labeling, or holding operations for dietary supplements. Final rule.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a final rule regarding current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) for dietary supplements. The final rule establishes the minimum CGMPs necessary for activities related to manufacturing, packaging, labeling, or holding dietary supplements to ensure the quality of the dietary supplement. The final rule is one of many actions related to dietary supplements that we are taking to promote and protect the public health.

Petition to request an exemption from 100 percent identity testing of dietary ingredients: Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packaging, Labeling, or Holding Operations for Dietary Supplements. Interim final rule.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing an interim final rule (IFR) that sets forth a procedure for requesting an exemption from the requirement in the final rule "Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packaging, Labeling, or Holding Operations for Dietary Supplements," published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, that the manufacturer conduct at least one appropriate test or examination to verify the identity of any component that is a dietary ingredient. This IFR allows for submission to, and review by, FDA of an alternative to the required 100 percent identity testing of components that are dietary ingredients, provided certain conditions are met and establishes a requirement for retention of records relating to the FDA's response to an exemption request.

The role of the Community Bureau of Reference in harmonizing compliance with the laws of the Commission of the European Communities.

While Community Directives provide the legal basis for the harmonization of national regulations (e.g. food quality, quality of plastics in contact with foodstuffs, etc.), their implementation sometimes requires measurements and analyses which are beyond the capabilities of many laboratories. The BCR Programme of the Commission of the European Communities has undertaken a series of actions in order to help with the implementation of Directive 90/128/EEC for plastics materials intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. The certification of the overall migration characteristics of a polyamide material in aqueous food simulants by total immersion is well advanced. This material will be available through the BCR Programme in 1993 and will allow the laboratories to check their correct application of the normalized method and will provide a basis for laboratory quality assurance. A project is in progress for the preparation of a reference material for the measurement of overall migration by total immersion in olive oil. The preparation of a bank of monomers in the positive list of the above Directive and a handbook of physical and spectroscopic data for these monomers has been supported. Projects are being prepared for supporting the development of methods for the analysis of more than thirty monomers with restrictions in the positive list of Directive 90/128/EEC.