With such a devastating disaster to deal with — and even to comprehend — food safety was not at the top of the list of concerns. At least not right away.

But it didn’t take long for people to start worrying about the fish and other seafood that could be affected by the radiation in the water — and even some agricultural crops due to radiation in the air — particularly from the Fukushima region.

What to know: Health inspectors shut down a Whole Foods Market in Cupertino, CA, earlier this month after finding widespread vermin violations, including live rodents in multiple parts of the store.

This was the store’s third closure in two weeks, with no reopening date announced.

The Nassau County Department of Health has announced a confirmed case of hepatitis A virus in a food handler who worked at Jersey Mike’s Subs, located at 24 Atlantic Avenue, Oceanside. 

Patrons who consumed foods and drinks prepared on-site, or used the restrooms, between April 5 and April 19 may have been exposed to hepatitis A.

Almost 100 people fell sick in a Clostridium perfringens outbreak in China in 2024.

In May 2024, an elderly care center in Beijing reported dozens of acute diarrhea cases. The local Center for Disease Control and Prevention opened an epidemiological investigation to identify the outbreak’s source and implement control measures.

The European Commission has proposed a change to tuna freezing rules to clamp down on food fraud and the risk of consumers getting sick.

Current rules require vessels to have freezing equipment with sufficient capacity to freeze as quickly as possible in a continuous process and achieve a core temperature of no higher than -18 degrees C (-0.4 degrees F).