FDA Human Foods Program Sets Priorities for 2025
FDA announces 2025 Priority Deliverables and pledges to learn from those who grow, produce, manufacture and sell foods to appreciate the challenges on the ground and listen to industry coalitions, consumer advocacy groups, government co-regulators and academia to understand the potential impact of their decisions. https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-human-foods-program-fy-2025-priority-deliverables
FDA Announces New Environmental Study
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a new study in partnership with Purdue University and members of the produce industry in Indiana to better understand the ecology of human pathogens in the environment of the Southwest Indiana agricultural region. Following multiple Salmonella outbreaks linked to this region, this multi-year study will focus on assessing risks related to how Salmonella is distributed and survives in the environment in Indiana in order to identify and implement practical and cost effective mitigation strategies.
The FDA will work in partnership with water quality, food safety, and agricultural experts from Purdue University and other agricultural stakeholders to form research teams that will collect and examine samples from the environment such as surface waters, soil, and dust. The team will also collect scat samples to assess the impact that animal intrusion and native wildlife may have on the growing environment.
The study is being initiated following outbreaks linked to cantaloupe grown in Southwest Indiana where a specific source or route of contamination was not found; but other varieties of Salmonella were identified, some which were genetically similar to clinical, environmental, and food isolates collected in relation to the region over the last decade. These findings suggest that Salmonella is a reoccurring issue in the region and that multiple reservoirs for Salmonella spp. may exist. The outbreak investigations have shown that that there are complex environmental survival, proliferation, and dispersal mechanisms of pathogens in this region that need to be better understood.
This study is intended to help the FDA and the local growing community better understand the source of pathogens, their persistence, and how they transfer through the growing environment to help inform food safety practices. The FDA is looking forward to this collaboration with Purdue University and the local Indiana agricultural community to enhance the safety of food produced from this region.
FDA and Partners in the Southwest Growing Region Share Findings from Multi-year Environmental Study
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its website to share initial findings from a multi-year environmental study within the Southwest growing region conducted in partnership with the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District, and in conjunction with the Arizona Department of Agriculture and members of the leafy greens industry.
The study sought to better understand the ecology of human pathogens in the environment in the Southwest agricultural region, particularly how pathogens survive, move, and possibly contaminate produce prior to harvest.
The research team is continuing to analyze data from this study, however preliminary findings have been updated on the longitudinal study webpage and are summarized within the full announcement which can be found here, FDA and Partners in the Southwest Growing Region Share Findings from Multi-year Environmental Study.
This effort was initiated in 2019 following an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from the southwest growing region. From May 2019 through April 2024, environmental samples were collected from irrigation and other surface waters, soil, sediment, air/dust, animal fecal material, wildlife scat, plant tissue, and other sources across approximately a 54-mile area within the Southwest growing region.
The Southwest agricultural community would like to express our appreciation and admiration for the FDA-CFSAN research team. These top-notch scientists were central to the development and execution of this study which represents one of the largest environmental microbiology research efforts to date.
The preliminary results of this study stress the interconnectedness between people, animals and the environment. With over 100 sampling events at 55 sites totaling greater than 5000 analyses the research team observed pathogen variability over time in the region with potential influencing factors such as seasonality, weather conditions, and animal activities on adjacent and nearby land.
The Industry Advisory Group closely involved with the initial research effort aims to reconvene under the Desert Food Safety Coalition, fostering ongoing collaboration among stakeholders including fresh produce growers, livestock managers/producers, academia, extension, retailers and federal, state, and local government partners to implement future food safety practices informed by the key findings of the research to benefit both animal and crop producers alike.
While noteworthy progress has been made, there remains much to be done to develop regionally appropriate food safety solutions that involve all stakeholders across the agricultural industry. Desert Food Safety Coalition members share a common commitment to public health through research, science, and continuous improvement to promote science-informed food safety decision making and practices.
Desert Food Safety Coalition Members
Arizona Cattle Feeders’ Association
Arizona Department of Agriculture
Arizona Farm Bureau
Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement
California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement
University of Arizona
USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services
Wellton Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District
Western Growers
Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association
Yuma Safe Produce Council