The Rotten Apple

The Rotten Apple Substack focuses on exposing and analyzing food safety issues, food fraud, and supply chain vulnerabilities. It discusses the ramifications of food adulteration, contamination, and mislabeling on consumer health, and highlights the importance of proper regulatory, testing, and hygienic practices in the food industry.

Food Safety Food Fraud Supply Chain Vulnerabilities Contamination and Adulteration Regulatory and Testing Practices Hygienic Design and Practices Consumer Health Impacts

The hottest Substack posts of The Rotten Apple

And their main takeaways

121 | When Food Fraud Goes (Horribly) Wrong | Sniffing Supplements |

283 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Fraud Food Safety Recipes Health Impact
  1. Food fraud perpetrators do not aim to harm consumers, as that increases the risk of getting caught.
  2. Accidental harm can occur from food adulteration, like plaster of Paris being mistakenly used instead of a harmless substance.
  3. Allergen cross-reactivity can lead to serious consequences for allergenic individuals and cause issues in food testing.

122 | Microplastics in Food | Introduction to Hygienic Design | Silly Food Claims |

231 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🍲 Food & Drink Safety Microplastics Food Fraud Nutrition Contamination
  1. Hygienic design principles are crucial for food safety and preventing contamination.
  2. Research on microplastics in food raises questions about the amount we consume and potential health impacts.
  3. Reader survey results show that paying subscribers support the newsletter and enjoy its current focus and format.

120 | Heavy Metal Takeaways | King Canute in Food Safety | $5m Food 'Fraud' |

241 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Food Safety Food Fraud Verification Validation
  1. Contaminated cinnamon had lead levels over 2000 times the safe limit, prompting food fraud vulnerability assessment recommendations
  2. Ecuadorian cinnamon supply chain was affected by contamination, possibly due to adulteration with lead chromate
  3. Understanding verification vs validation in food safety: Check procedures vs. ensuring procedures deliver the required results

126 | Is Alzheimer's a Foodborne Illness? (incredible new research) | Corruption in Food Supply Chains | Who ya Gonna Call...

73 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Food Safety Mental health Nutrition Research Disease Prevention
  1. Alzheimer's disease may have a link to foodborne pathogens, such as _Helicobacter pylori_, found in raw milk, vegetables, and meat, potentially transmitted through contaminated food practices.
  2. Corruption in food supply chains poses serious risks to consumer safety and the environment, illustrated by cases like the China melamine milk scandal and the Brazil 'weak meat' scandal.
  3. Corruption in food supply chains comes in various forms like bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of functions, impacting food safety compliance and fair trade practices, highlighting the importance of transparency and strong enforcement measures.

130 | Food Safety Training Exercise | FSSC Updates | When Flies Eat |

21 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Packaging Food Fraud Food news
  1. Food safety training exercise available for front-line workers to enhance food safety practices.
  2. Updates on FSSC version 6 standards include focus on food safety culture, quality control, and reduction of food loss and waste.
  3. Packaging industry updates: PFAS phase-out in the US, impact of packaging colors on consumer perception, sale of a packaging factory confiscated from a Russian oligarch.
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129 | The Mysterious Case of Bacon Brain | Chocolate Crisis |

21 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Food Safety Nutrition Medical Research Allergies Diseases
  1. Downloadable back issues are available for readers to catch up on past content.
  2. Improper handwashing and contaminated food led to a man in the US developing tapeworm larvae in his brain, highlighting the importance of food safety practices.
  3. The chocolate supply chain is facing a crisis due to rising cocoa prices caused by global supply pressures from climate change, impacting chocolate production and potentially leading to product frauds.

125 | Global Recall Report Card | 5 Mini Case Studies | Floor Salmon | Chlorates in Food |

31 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud
  1. Food safety breaches and frauds are being detected and individuals or companies involved are facing prosecution, sentencing, and significant fines.
  2. The business allegedly involved in lead contamination of cinnamon is no longer operational, showing the severe consequences of such actions.
  3. The global report on food recalls provides insights into the main causes of recalls in different regions such as the USA, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, and New Zealand.

123 | Case Study: Tiramisu Allergen Death | Food Contact Packaging |

31 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Packaging Food Fraud
  1. The tragic case of a person dying from an allergic reaction to a 'vegan' dessert highlights the importance of food safety regulations and diligence in manufacturing processes.
  2. Some food businesses do not adequately communicate allergen risks, leading to preventable deaths and possible legal actions.
  3. Confusion between 'vegan' and 'allergen-free' labeling poses risks for allergic consumers and highlights the need for clearer regulations and diligent practices in food production.

128 | Food Safety Roadmap | Insect Proteins: High Risk? |

10 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud News Resources
  1. Insect-based foods face high food fraud risks due to complex supply chains, high prices, and potential adulteration with allergenic or non-nutritive substances.
  2. Stay updated and navigate changes in food safety audit standards by following a roadmap that includes gap analysis, action lists, internal audits, and incorporating extra resources if needed.
  3. Attend food safety meetups, like the one on March 14th, to engage with industry professionals, discuss emerging issues, and stay ahead in the food safety field.

Food Safety News and Resources | March

10 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Guidance Webinars Food Fraud
  1. Probiotic supplements containing Clostridium butyricum should be prescribed carefully especially for hospitalized patients to avoid blood poisoning.
  2. Be cautious of food recalls like meat contaminated with non-food grade mineral oil and consider their implications on public health.
  3. Raw cheese recalls should be taken seriously as they can be linked to severe illnesses like E. coli infections, even if recalls are lifted prematurely.

What's Wrong With This Picture (Team Training Exercise)

10 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Training Hygiene Risk Assessment Team Building
  1. The post discusses a team training exercise for front-line workers in food service to identify food safety issues.
  2. The activity aims to get team members thinking about food safety, engage in a risk assessment, and learn about food safety principles such as hygienic design and hand hygiene.
  3. The exercise involves showing an image of someone slicing bacon and asking team members to identify potential food safety problems, errors, or non-conformities.

127 | Listeria Risks: New Insights | Food Safety Snapshot | Reusing Plastic Food Packaging |

10 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  1. Quantitative risk assessments for Listeria in meat products suggest that properly controlled refrigerator temperatures are more effective at reducing risk than shorter storage durations.
  2. Reusing plastic food packaging poses challenges like hygiene risks, chemical migration, and microplastic generation, highlighting the importance of proper cleaning processes.
  3. New methods like paper spray mass spectrometry help detect contaminants like PFAS in food packaging, emphasizing the need for advanced detection techniques in food safety.

Food Safety News and Resources | January

10 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Webinars Food Fraud
  1. Recalls of contaminated food products like spinach due to _Listeria_, and moth larvae in crispbreads show the importance of food safety in preventing health risks.
  2. New resources from the FAO provide valuable insights into the impacts of contaminants like pesticide residues and microplastics on the human gut microbiome.
  3. Upcoming webinars offer opportunities to learn about topics like allergen risk assessment, food import regulations, and FSSC 22000 compliance for enhancing food safety management.

Issue #92 | Mystery Toxin Solved? | Food Scientists are 'Baddies'? (Join the Conversation) | Sanitising Harvest Equipment |

42 implied HN points • 12 Jun 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Industry Food Fraud
  1. Mystery toxin in tara flour was possibly identified by toxicologists after causing numerous illnesses.
  2. Food scientists may contribute to making highly processed foods addictive, but the blame lies with the profit-driven food industry.
  3. Cleaning and sanitizing harvest equipment, especially for raw vegetables, is crucial for preventing foodborne illness outbreaks.

Issue #95 | 3 Cases of Document Fraud | How to be a Good Auditor | How Bakers Yeast is Made |

31 implied HN points • 03 Jul 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Fraud Food Safety Food production Food news Auditing
  1. Food document fraud comes in different categories and can have serious consequences for food safety.
  2. Key attributes of a good food safety auditor include appropriate training, experience, and a detail-oriented mindset.
  3. Commercial bakeries, wineries, and breweries rely on specialized yeast suppliers to provide pure yeast products for their production processes.

Issue #85 | Risk Management Science vs Politics | Wasabi Fraud | Synbio and HFSS Foods Explained | Goats Eating Tomatoes |

42 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud Risk management Food Industry
  1. Risk management in food safety is more of a political process than a scientific one.
  2. Most wasabi paste we consume is fake, made with horseradish, but still has antibacterial properties.
  3. Synthetic biology in food production and the term HFSS (high in fat, salt, sugar) are emerging concepts in food science.

Issue #87 | Meet the Food Fraud Perpetrators | Good Mould versus Bad Mould | Child Labour in Food | Cotton Candy in the Shower |

31 implied HN points • 08 May 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud Supply Chain
  1. Some molds are safe to eat and even deliberately added to certain foods for their desirable properties, while others can produce harmful mycotoxins and are considered unsafe for consumption.
  2. Food fraud perpetrators can be categorized as opportunistic or organized, with organized criminals often operating across different industries and committing more complex and long-term frauds with significant impacts.
  3. Child labor violations in the food industry are a major ethical concern, even in developed countries like the USA, where violations have been increasing, and companies within the food industry are found to be the main offenders.

Issue #79 | Botulism: the Putin of pathogens | Cacao or Cocoa - what's the difference | DNA barcoding for food testing |

31 implied HN points • 13 Mar 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud
  1. Botulism is a deadly foodborne illness caused by toxins, challenging to detect but with severe symptoms and potentially fatal outcomes.
  2. Cacao and cocoa are terms often used interchangeably in the food industry, but have slight differences in meaning and implications.
  3. DNA barcoding is a powerful tool for food safety and fraud investigations, offering a quicker and cost-effective method for species identification and verification.