Affidia’s editorial policy is to provide insights into topics that are often neglected by other journals. Every article in this issue is relevant and interesting, but I first want to direct your attention to the article by Francois Bourdichon and Anett Winkler, “Analytical laboratories in the food industry: in-house or third-party? (Or [...]

In the last 20 years, aflatoxin M1 has been found in milk in southern Europe at unprecedented levels on several occasions. Is it the result of climate change? What do experts think about the risk for consumers, both now and in the future? Is the best approach to move from an M1 limit in milk to a “total aflatoxin metabolites” limit in m [...]

Organic food is promoted as “better” food. But what does “better” mean? And do industrialised processes mean organic production encounters the same pitfalls as conventional agriculture?     Introduction Consumer cotestncern over the quality and safety of conventional food is one of the drivers of the increasing dem [...]

The EU 2019 One Health Zoonoses report is a hefty document that summarizes relevant and (sometimes) comparable data on zoonoses and foodborne outbreaks. Here is the CliffsNotes version.         Introduction Infectious diseases originating from animal reservoirs (zoonoses) are a constant threat to public health, with effects on h [...]

Overcoming the bottlenecks slowing rapid methods, looking beyond the speed of qPCR     Microbiological quality and safety of food, feed and water is a major global concern. Many people suffer from illnesses through consumption of food products contaminated by a variety of foodborne pathogens. In addition, food contamination by spoilage m [...]

With Campylobacter infections on the rise and treatment options disappearing because of growing antimicrobial resistance, how should the food industry respond? The first author and all co-authors are members of the global Network of AMR Insights Ambassadors. For more information about this network: www.amr-insights.eu/about-us/ambassadors. The AMR [...]

Next generation genetic manipulation techniques provide research groups tools for deep modification of different organisms. How do different countries regulate these technologies? Are current regulations rational or are they driven by illogical fears?   Introduction   From the beginning of human history, tribes and populations have strive [...]

India’s food safety system is complex and continually evolving to support five million food business operators and to share responsibility for a safe global food supply.         Introduction   India is the leading global producer of a number of foods and has the potential to be the food basket of the world. This poten [...]

Russian authorities and businesses have yet to achieve a consensus on how best to improve the domestic food market laboratory testing system.   The Russian government is set to strengthen the state laboratory diagnostic system in order to ensure that all products of the Russian-origin landing on the domestic and foreign markets have sufficient [...]

There is a temptation - and a risk - to externalizing internal activities like laboratory diagnostics. Is an internal lab always necessary? Is an external lab always better? The answer lies somewhere in between.        Introduction   Monitoring processes for product composition, for process control and variability, or to de [...]

Validation of a new and novel Patulin ELISA kit   Background   The presence of toxic chemical contaminants in food, particularly those intended for children's consumption, is a matter of great concern to consumers and health authorities. Mycotoxins in food, animal feed, and beverages have been recognized as a potential threat to human and [...]

Food fraud (FF) that generates monetary gains is also known as Economically Motivated Adulteration (EMA). It is a widespread practice that undermines not only food authenticity, but also food safety due to the potential presence of toxic or undeclared adulterants. Increasingly accurate and sensitive authentication methods, including a variety of sp [...]

Four years ago the EU food market was hit by the fipronil scandal. The epicenter was in the Netherlands, the EU’s largest egg exporter. Contaminated eggs were found in almost every European country. In this issue, we will revisit this case because there is still much to learn from it. The US perspective was enlightening: “The case appea [...]

European consumers spent years unknowingly eating eggs contaminated by a banned pesticide. Was it really unpredictable? Could it happen again?     A brief history On 22 July 2017, Dutch consumers read in their newspapers that the eggs in their markets may be contaminated by a pesticide. In a few days, the alarm spread and became a Europe [...]

Dietary supplements: how natural contaminants may turn botanical remedies into a Pandora’s box.       Food supplements: a growing market trend  According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA 2009), food supplements are “concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological e [...]