Good morning! It’s Wednesday, April 9th, 2025. We’re here with the midweek food safety update you don’t want to miss.

Today’s Wednesday Weigh-In asks: Should the FDA eliminate the self-affirmed GRAS pathway for food ingredients?

Scroll down to cast your vote and share your thoughts!

What to know: A research team at New York University has come up with a way to fund FDA food programs, including food safety, without using government money.

The team suggests that user fees be implemented — as they already are for the medical and tobacco programs of the Food and Drug Administration. Such fees come from businesses using services of the agency, not from Congress.

Foodborne illness typically traces back to contaminated meat or greens, but intentional contamination has a grim legacy that stretches across human history — from ancient poisonings to modern malice.

Deliberate food contamination persists, spanning cases from razor blades in pizza dough to cleaning solution slipped into coffee. Though rare, these food crimes expose motives of revenge, chaos, or even financial gain — using adulterated food to sicken, kill, manipulate, intimidate, or destabilize entire communities.

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With cutting-edge research, engaging sessions, and a dynamic exhibit hall, this is the premier event for advancing your expertise and expanding your professional network. Attending gives you a chance to be part of the global conversation shaping the future of food safety.

The majority of people in the Czech Republic trust food sold in the country to be safe but at least a fifth struggle with basic food handling rules.

Findings come from an online survey of food safety on the Czech market with more than 1,500 people in March 2025.

Norway has reported the lowest rate of Campylobacter positive broiler flocks since 2009.

In 2024, 70 out of more than 2,000 broiler flocks tested positive for Campylobacter as part of a food safety surveillance program.

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Both 6-month positions offer competitive compensation ($20-30/hour), professional mentorship, and the chance to build your portfolio while making a meaningful impact on global food safety awareness.