Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advisory Board
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Submissions
  • Contact Us

  • Get The Newsletter!
  • View The Latest Newsletter
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Friend me on Facebook
  • Connect with me on LinkedIn
  • Subscribe to my RSS Feed

Menu

Skip to content
  • Compliance
  • Food Labs
  • Food Manufacturing
  • Foodservice & Retail
  • FSMA
  • GFSI
  • Sustainability
  • Resource Centers
    • Food Safety Testing  Resource Center
    • Foreign Object Detection Resource Center
    • Food Safety Auditing Resource Center
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Cold Chain Resource Center
    • Digital Rodent Monitoring Resource Center
    • Food Defense Resource Center
    • Food Safety Management System Resource Center
    • Ingredient Quality Resource Center
    • Regulatory & Lab Efficiency Resource Center
    • Transparency & Traceability Resource Center
  • Events & Webinars
    • FST Events & Webinars
  • Library
    • Resource Library
    • FOODFlix
  • Food Safety Consortium

Achieving Goals: Integrating the Fragmented United States Federal Food Safety System into a Food Protection System

By Allen R. Sayler, Benjamin J. Reading, Ph.D., Jason Bashura, MPH, R.S., Mehrdad Tajkarimi, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D.

The white paper, argues that the United States' fragmented federal food safety system—split across more than 15 agencies (primarily FDA and USDA FSIS), 30+ laws, and numerous interagency agreements—creates inefficiencies, duplication, regulatory gaps, and preventable public health harms. Advocating for a unified federal food protection entity integrating safety, defense, authenticity, and infrastructure protection, the authors propose five core reform directives and four prime outcomes: better public health protection, reduced burdens, enhanced resilience against threats, and a modern, science/risk-based 21st-century system.   

Featured Articles

April 1, 2026
Eskin and Mettler

Call For Presentation and Poster Abstracts for the 15th Annual Food Safety Consortium Conference

By Rick Biros

The conference's mission is to elevate industry standards, and the exploration of key scientific and regulatory developments impacting public health and safety and its implications for food production.

April 1, 2026
Collaboration Graphic

The Missing Layer in Food Safety Systems

By Azure Edwards, M.S.

Food safety programs are often evaluated through the strength of their technical controls, yet many organizations still experience instability as systems scale. This article examines the underlying governance conditions that determine whether food safety programs function consistently in real operational environments. Understanding this structural layer can help organizations stabilize food safety systems and support long-term operational resilience.

March 30, 2026
Dollar

Unilever Nears Deal to Create $60 Billion Food Giant With McCormick

The proposed merger between Unilever and McCormick in March 2026 brings both opportunities and risks regarding food safety, largely driven by the complexity of integrating two global supply chains. 

March 19, 2026

UPDATE: Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O157:H7 in Raw Cheddar Cheese. Was it from RAW FARM or Not??

By Rick Biros

Since the last FDA announcement on  March 15, 2026, two (2) additional illnesses have been reported. A total of nine (9) people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli have been reported from three (3) states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from September 1, 2025, to February 20, 2026. Three (3) people have been hospitalized and one (1) person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. No deaths have been reported. Over half of the illnesses are in children under five (5) years old.

March 17, 2026
FDA Logo

FDA Releases the CORE 2024 Annual Report: Investigations of Foodborne Outbreaks and Adverse Events in FDA-Regulated Foods

By Food Safety Tech Staff

The 2024 annual report highlights a few noteworthy outbreaks: a large outbreak of E. coli linked to carrots, a historical outbreak of illnesses associated with cheese, and a novel series of adverse events linked to certain chocolate bars, cones, and gummies.

March 12, 2026

Catalyst Food Leaders Announces 2026 Virtual Leadership Summit for the Food Industry

By Food Safety Tech Staff

Centered on the theme “Reimagining Leadership,” the summit will feature keynote speaker Candice McGlen, author of Engage Us Now!, along with industry panels and leadership discussions focused on building stronger teams and developing leaders across organizations.

March 12, 2026
FDA Logo

FDA Releases Risk Assessment of Foodborne Illness Associated with Pathogens from Produce Grown in Fields Amended with Untreated Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin

By Food Safety Tech Staff

The FDA is releasing a risk assessment that was conducted to evaluate and quantify the risk of human illness associated with consumption of produce grown in fields or other growing areas with untreated biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO), including raw manure. Results of the risk assessment will be used to inform policy decisions regarding appropriate standards for the use of raw manure and other untreated BSAAO when growing produce.

March 11, 2026
Collaboration Graphic

How Rapid Microbiology and AI Are Transforming Modern Food Safety Laboratories

By Wesam Al-Jeddawi, Ph.D.

Food safety laboratories are undergoing a significant shift as the food industry faces increasing pressure for speed, accuracy, and transparency. Traditional microbiological methods remain foundational, but they are often too slow to support today’s accelerated production cycles and complex supply chains. As a result, laboratories are adopting rapid microbiological methods, digital data systems, and artificial intelligence to enhance decision-making and reduce risk.

March 5, 2026
FDA Logo

FDA and Partners in the Central Coast Agricultural Region of California Share Findings from Multi-year Environmental Study

By Food Safety Tech Staff

This study sought to identify environmental factors that significantly contribute to the introduction, persistence, and spread of foodborne pathogens that could contaminate produce prior to harvest. Increasing FDA's understanding of the ecology of this growing region as it pertains to foodborne pathogens is to the benefit of consumers, producers, academia, and food safety officials as it allows for continued improvement in best growing practices to enhance food safety.

March 4, 2026

Food Safety Tech Announces New Advanced Strategic Root Cause Analysis & CAPA Online Training for Food Safety Professionals

By Candace Taylor

The course, developed and facilitated by Dr. Mehrdad Tajkarimi, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D., blends science-driven methodologies with real-world application. It equips quality directors, HACCP coordinators, operations managers, technical staff, compliance officers, and other food safety leaders with the skills to conduct rigorous root cause determinations, design robust corrective and preventive actions, and justify investigations with defensible documentation.

Columns

April 3, 2026
FST Soapbox

Harnessing AI can help to ensure safe food for consumers across the US and beyond

By Wesley Wilson
Food fraud

The food sector is already using AI to optimize its supply chains, reduce waste and improve demand forecasting. Now, pioneering food and beverage companies are also using AI for food safety processes.

March 16, 2026
Beltway Beat

Achieving Goals: Integrating the Fragmented United States Federal Food Safety System into a Food Protection System

By Allen R. Sayler, Benjamin J. Reading, Ph.D., Jason Bashura, MPH, R.S., Mehrdad Tajkarimi, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D.

The white paper, argues that the United States' fragmented federal food safety system—split across more than 15 agencies (primarily FDA and USDA FSIS), 30+ laws, and numerous interagency agreements—creates inefficiencies, duplication, regulatory gaps, and preventable public health harms. Advocating for a unified federal food protection entity integrating safety, defense, authenticity, and infrastructure protection, the authors propose five core reform directives and four prime outcomes: better public health protection, reduced burdens, enhanced resilience against threats, and a modern, science/risk-based 21st-century system.

January 29, 2026
Ask The Expert

Food Safety 4.0: Defining the Next Era of Food Safety Performance

By Shahram Ajamian

Food Safety 4.0 represents a new operating philosophy, not simply a new set of tools. I introduce this term intentionally and for the first time, recognizing that language shapes action. What an organization names, it prioritizes; what it prioritizes, it invests in; and what it invests in, it ultimately leads.

January 20, 2026
Women in Food Safety

Past Progress, Future Promise: Women in Food Safety for the Year Ahead

By Kim Ring

Though historically underrepresented, women have played a critical role in protecting public health, advancing sustainability, and driving change. Their legacy continues to guide and inspire the work ahead.

December 31, 2025
Ask The Expert

Summary of the Six Article Series on Listeria in Food Plants

By Bob Lijana
Listeria

Over the past six months we have published a series of articles on many practical aspects of managing Listeria in Food Plants. This last article is a summary along with links to each of article in the series.

November 6, 2025
Beltway Beat

Politics has no place in the USDA’s mission or leadership

By Rick Biros
USDA Logo

"Government departments and agencies serve all citizens - republicans and democrats. This type of partisan rhetoric undermines trust in government and may violate the law." Sandy Eskin, former Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA

Upcoming FST Events & Webinars

April 15, 2026 – 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
The Visibility Gap: Why Fragmented Food Safety Systems Leave You Exposed

This webinar examines how fragmented tools and manual processes quietly increase your exposure to food safety risk and what it takes to close the gaps. With regulations increasingly demanding real-time documentation, audit-ready records and evidence of continuous improvement, the gap between how many food safety teams currently operate and what's now expected of them is widening.

April 20, 2026 – 8:30 am – April 22, 2026 – 12:00 pm
Food Safety Hazards Conference

The Food Safety Hazards Conference will take place April 20-22 in St. Louis MO. The Program is two and a half days of high-level panel discussions and educational presentations focused on the detection, mitigation, control and regulations of food safety hazards through technology, best practices and data analytics. The Hazards addresses in the program include Listeria, e-Coli, Salmonella, Allergens, Chemicals and Foreign Matter.

October 21, 2026 – October 23, 2026
Food Safety Consortium Conference

Plan to attend the Food Safety Consortium Conference in Washington DC. This year's program will include the rise of AI in food safety and quality management, risk management and FSMA 15 years, later, where is food safety going? The event will focus on the convergence of policy, science, and best practices. With the conference being held near Washington, D.C., the program continues to emphasis on policy discussions, reflecting the growing need to address regulatory and legislative issues. The program will also prioritize the sharing of best practices, offering attendees the chance to learn from one another and engage in collaborative problem-solving on hot-button issues.

On Demand Events & Webinars

April 8, 2026 – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Touchless, Continuous Pathogen Control: Introducing DHP®, a Novel Method for Enhancing Sanitation Programs
March 26, 2026 – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Foreign Material Contamination: How CT Inspection Unlocks New Visibility
April 8, 2026 – 2:00 pm – May 27, 2026 – 4:00 pm
Advanced Strategic Root Cause Analysis (RCA) & Corrective Action and Preventive Action (CAPA) Online Training Course
December 18, 2025 – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
GFSI: Preparing for the Future
December 2, 2025 – 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
The Link between Food Safety and Cybersecurity Webinar









Join the Food Safety Tech Community

Stay engaged the way you want to!

  • Subscribe to FST's free weekly eNewsletter
  • Join the LinkedIn group
  • Follow FST on LinkedIn
  • Follow FST on Twitter
  • Follow FST on Facebook
  • Subscribe to Food Safety Tech's RSS feeds

Topic Archives

  • Compliance
  • Food Labs
  • Food Manufacturing
  • Foodservice & Retail
  • FSMA
  • GFSI
  • Sustainability

Column Archives

  • RC – Food Protection
  • Allergen Alley
  • Beltway Beat
  • Biros’ Blog
  • Bug Bytes
  • Food Fraud Quick Bites
  • Food Genomics
  • Food Safety Attorney
  • Food Safety Culture Club
  • Food Safety Think Tank
  • From the Editor’s Desk
  • FST Soapbox
  • In the Food Lab
  • Retail Food Safety Forum
  • Women in Food Safety

Contact Us

  • Advertising Opportunities
  • Editorial Submissions
  • General Inquiries
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Sign Up for Newsletters

Features

  • Food Safety Resource Library

Innovative Publishing Company, Inc.

  • FoodSafetyTech
  • Food Safety Consortium Conference & Expo
  • MedTech Intelligence
  • Cannabis Industry Journal

© Copyright 2015 - 2026 Innovative Publishing Co. Inc., All Rights Reserved

css.php

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .

FoodSafetyTech
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookies should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for these cookie settings.

We use tracking pixels that set your arrival time at our website, this is used as part of our anti-spam and security measures. Disabling this tracking pixel would disable some of our security measures, and is therefore considered necessary for the safe operation of the website. This tracking pixel is cleared from your system when you delete files in your history.

We also use cookies to store your preferences regarding the setting of 3rd Party Cookies.

If you visit and/or use the FST Training Calendar, cookies are used to store your search terms, and keep track of which records you have seen already. Without these cookies, the Training Calendar would not work.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

Cookie Policy

A browser cookie is a small piece of data that is stored on your device to help websites and mobile apps remember things about you. Other technologies, including Web storage and identifiers associated with your device, may be used for similar purposes. In this policy, we say “cookies” to discuss all of these technologies.

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect and use information from and about you when you use This website and certain other Innovative Publishing Co LLC services. This policy explains more about how we use cookies and your related choices.

How We Use Cookies

Data generated from cookies and other behavioral tracking technology is not made available to any outside parties, and is only used in the aggregate to make editorial decisions for the websites. Most browsers are initially set up to accept cookies, but you can reset your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent by visiting this Cookies Policy page. If your cookies are disabled in the browser, neither the tracking cookie nor the preference cookie is set, and you are in effect opted-out.

In other cases, our advertisers request to use third-party tracking to verify our ad delivery, or to remarket their products and/or services to you on other websites. You may opt-out of these tracking pixels by adjusting the Do Not Track settings in your browser, or by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative Opt Out page.

You have control over whether, how, and when cookies and other tracking technologies are installed on your devices. Although each browser is different, most browsers enable their users to access and edit their cookie preferences in their browser settings. The rejection or disabling of some cookies may impact certain features of the site or to cause some of the website’s services not to function properly.

Individuals may opt-out of 3rd Party Cookies used on IPC websites by adjusting your cookie preferences through this Cookie Preferences tool, or by setting web browser settings to refuse cookies and similar tracking mechanisms. Please note that web browsers operate using different identifiers. As such, you must adjust your settings in each web browser and for each computer or device on which you would like to opt-out on. Further, if you simply delete your cookies, you will need to remove cookies from your device after every visit to the websites. You may download a browser plugin that will help you maintain your opt-out choices by visiting www.aboutads.info/pmc. You may block cookies entirely by disabling cookie use in your browser or by setting your browser to ask for your permission before setting a cookie. Blocking cookies entirely may cause some websites to work incorrectly or less effectively.

The use of online tracking mechanisms by third parties is subject to those third parties’ own privacy policies, and not this Policy. If you prefer to prevent third parties from setting and accessing cookies on your computer, you may set your browser to block all cookies. Additionally, you may remove yourself from the targeted advertising of companies within the Network Advertising Initiative by opting out here, or of companies participating in the Digital Advertising Alliance program by opting out here.