Learning Center

November 10, 2015Because of the changing landscape of food ingredients and production, and in direct response to consumers who have requested that the FDA explore the use of the term “natural,” the agency is asking the public to provide information and comments on the use of this term in the labeling of human food products. [...]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local officials are investigating an outbreak of E. coli infections. Update: December 4, 2015 Three additional states have reported people infected with the outbreak strain of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26 (STEC O26) since the last update, Illinois, [...]

Posted on December 1, 2015 by FDA Voice. As my colleagues at FDA can attest, I like to grow tomatoes in the summer. I often bring portions of the harvest to the office each week of the growing season. Though the total volume is modest, I still like to think of myself as an environmentally conscious [...]

Posted November 20, 2015 2:15 PM ETWhat's New?3 additional states have reported people infected with the outbreak strain of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26 (STEC O26) since the last update.45 people infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O26 have now been reported from a total of 6 states: California (2), Minnesota (2), New York [...]

FDA Releases Groundbreaking Food Safety Rules. FDA took major steps to prevent foodborne illness by finalizing rules implementing the bipartisan Food Safety Modernization Act that, for the first time, establish enforceable safety standards for produce farms and make importers accountable for verifying that imported food meets U.S. safety standards. The Agency also issued a rule establishing a program for the accreditation [...]

November 17, 2015The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released a proposed rule to establish requirements for fermented and hydrolyzed foods, or foods that contain fermented or hydrolyzed ingredients, and bear the “gluten-free” claim. The proposed rule, titled “Gluten-Free Labeling of Fermented or Hydrolyzed Foods,” pertains to foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles, cheese, green olives, vinegar, and FDA regulated beers. In [...]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has released new guidelines to assist meat, poultry, and processed egg product producers in properly managing ingredients that could trigger adverse reactions among consumers with allergies or other sensitivities. “Our mission as a public health agency is to protect [...]

11/07/2015Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd. is voluntarily recalling a limited production of Blue Kitty Yums Chicken Recipe Cat Treats that may contain low levels of propylene glycol, which is not permitted by the FDA for use in cat food. Cats reacting to high doses of propylene glycol may exhibit signs of depression and may have a loss of coordination, muscle twitching, [...]

Learn More: Food Environmental Sampling Environmental sampling is a qualitative technique used by the FDA to gain additional information on possible routes of product contamination and is often a preventative measure critical to stopping contamination and reducing foodborne outbreaks. The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in [...]