The hottest Food Safety Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Food & Drink Topics

Food Safety News and Resources | January

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Recalls 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.

The Incredible, Edible Egg Yolk

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 39 implied HN points • 19 Dec 19
🍲 Food & Drink Nutrition Health Benefits Food Safety Cooking methods Sustainability
  1. Egg yolks are packed with important nutrients like vitamins and essential fatty acids, while egg whites contain fewer nutrients, making yolks a more nutritious choice.
  2. Egg yolks can help resolve common nutrient deficiencies in Americans, as they contain essential nutrients like copper, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and E.
  3. Select pastured eggs for higher nutritional quality, especially in the yolk, as they offer essential nutrients and are a source of carotenoids and fatty acids for overall health.

163 | How to Ace a Food Safety Audit | Making Melons Safe Again |

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud Food Regulations
  1. To prepare for a food safety audit, it's important to know the specific requirements and standards you will be audited against. Familiarize yourself with these standards to ensure a smoother audit process.
  2. Conducting a self-assessment before the audit can help identify areas that need improvement. This way, you can address any gaps and be better prepared when the auditors arrive.
  3. Creating an organized documentation system makes audits easier and shows that you value the auditor's time. Having everything accessible reduces stress and makes you appear more professional.

162 | What's New in Food Safety Culture | Haphazard Analysis | Hairy Hot Dogs |

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud Food culture Food Industry
  1. Food safety culture is evolving, with new best practices to help organizations improve their systems. It’s important for everyone involved in food safety to stay updated on these practices for better compliance.
  2. Hazard analysis needs to be taken seriously and done correctly. It should not just be a box-ticking exercise, but a thorough evaluation to protect public health.
  3. Data and evidence should guide food safety decisions. Using actual data can help assess risks better than arbitrary scoring methods.
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Food Safety Culture: Fresh Tips and Ideas

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Nutrition Culinary culture
  1. A good food safety culture means everyone works together to keep food safe, from top management to visitors. It's important that anyone can speak up about issues.
  2. Measuring and monitoring food safety culture can help identify areas for improvement. Surveys and questionnaires are useful tools for this.
  3. Rewarding good food safety behaviors encourages everyone to participate. Management buy-in is also key to creating and maintaining a strong food safety culture.

Food Safety News and Resources | October

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 27 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food recalls Food Regulations Food Fraud
  1. A recent E. coli outbreak linked to onions in fast food has caused at least one death and multiple hospitalizations. Many restaurants are now avoiding fresh onions to prevent further cases.
  2. In India, over 150 people were hospitalized due to mass poisoning from buckwheat flour suspected to be adulterated with harmful substances.
  3. Food safety practices suggest that cooling cooked foods in shallower containers and at lower temperatures is better for preventing harmful bacteria growth.

161 | Auditing Outcomes - a Lost Art? | Learnings from a Salmonella Outbreak | Competition Winner |

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Nutrition Food culture Food Fraud Food Regulations
  1. Food safety audits have shifted from checking outcomes to also focusing on root causes. This means companies now need to prove not just that food is safe, but also that they have systems in place to ensure safety.
  2. A recent Salmonella outbreak linked to bahn mi sandwiches highlights the importance of proper food handling practices. Many people got sick because raw and cooked foods were not kept separate, and hygiene practices were not followed.
  3. Swift action from health authorities during the outbreak helped limit the number of affected individuals. Being able to quickly investigate and test food items played a crucial role in understanding how the outbreak happened.

Food Safety Escape Room Solution

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Cooking tips Recipes Nutrition
  1. The post explains the solutions to a food safety escape room puzzle. This includes detailed answers and explanations for each part of the challenge.
  2. It emphasizes the importance of food safety in a fun and interactive way, engaging readers through the escape room concept.
  3. The author encourages participation and includes a section for paid subscribers to access more content and insights.

160 | Special Edition | Food Safety Competition |

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 14 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud Recalls Webinars Competitions
  1. There's a fun food safety escape room competition happening, where teams solve puzzles to win prizes. It's a great way to learn about food safety while having fun.
  2. Recent food safety news includes a huge recall of 10 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry. Staying updated on these recaps is important for everyone.
  3. The edition highlights issues like food fraud, particularly with ginseng supplements, showing the need for awareness in food quality and safety.

159 | Spotlight on Shigella | Superweeds (Super Bad) | Loving Fakes |

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 07 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud Agriculture Health Risks Consumer behavior
  1. Shigella bacteria can cause severe foodborne illness and mainly spreads through contaminated hands. Proper handwashing and careful food sourcing are crucial to prevent its spread.
  2. Superweeds are plants that have become resistant to common herbicides like glyphosate. They are a growing problem for farmers, leading to higher costs and reduced crop yields.
  3. Consumers sometimes buy counterfeit food products as a way to challenge social inequality. They may feel that buying fakes helps them reject expensive brands and achieve a sense of equality.

Food fraud prevention strategies: Building an effective verification ecosystem (Manning, et. al. (2024) - A Review

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Fraud prevention Verification Research Consulting
  1. Food fraud is a big problem, and understanding the latest research can help businesses protect themselves better. Keeping updated with new methods to prevent fraud is important for food safety professionals.
  2. Creating a strong verification ecosystem is key to preventing food fraud. This means having reliable checks and balances in place to ensure the integrity of food products.
  3. The research emphasizes practical strategies to combat food fraud. Using these strategies can make a real difference in how businesses manage food safety and trust.

Index of Topics and Posts 2025

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud Supply Chains Food Defence Packaging
  1. The index includes articles organized into six main topics related to food safety and supply chains. This makes it easier for readers to find information on specific subjects.
  2. Users can search for specific topics or keywords quickly using the Ctrl + F function. This saves time when looking for certain articles.
  3. Each topic covers various aspects of food, such as fraud, sustainability, and regulations, offering a broad range of insights on the food industry.

Food Fraud Incidents 2025 (Searchable List)

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud Consumer Awareness Sustainability Data Management
  1. There is a searchable list of recent food fraud incidents from 2025. This can help people easily find information on specific cases.
  2. Incidents before September 2022 are stored in a database on Trello for reference. It's good to have a place to look for older information too.
  3. New insights about food vulnerabilities are still being added to this database, showing that the issue of food fraud is ongoing. Keeping up with this information is important for everyone's safety.

Competitions-Related Posts

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud Supply Chains Packaging Competitions
  1. The Rotten Apple covers a wide range of topics related to food and safety. This includes things like food fraud and supply chain ethics.
  2. There is a section dedicated to competitions where readers can find linked articles. This allows them to easily explore past issues on the topic.
  3. Subscribers can get a 7-day free trial to access all posts and articles. This is a good way to explore the content before committing.

🐿️ Leap of Faith - The IPT Newsletter

Squirrel Squadron Substack • 0 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Software Food Safety Engineering Podcasting Expertise
  1. We rely on many experts to prepare our food safely, from farmers to shippers, but we often overlook the importance of software engineers who also play a crucial role in this process.
  2. It's important to question and verify the work of those who create our tech products, just like we do with food safety. Ignoring potential issues could lead to serious problems later on.
  3. The speaker plans to host a podcast focusing on asking tough questions to industry experts, aiming to encourage others to do the same in their own workplaces.

Food Safety News and Resources | March

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 03 Mar 25
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food recalls Nutrition Food Industry Food technology
  1. There was a huge recall of eggs in Norway due to too much vitamin D in chicken feed. This mistake could lead to health problems if the contaminated eggs are consumed.
  2. A mystery Listeria outbreak in the U.S. has been traced back to nutritional shakes, leading to numerous illnesses and deaths. This highlights the importance of investigating foodborne illnesses.
  3. A global withdrawal of guar gum is happening because it was found to contain harmful substances. It's a reminder to keep an eye on food safety standards around the world.

A Guide to Colour Coding in Food Businesses

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 24 Feb 25
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Industry Culinary Arts
  1. Colour coding in food businesses helps to keep tools and areas safe and clean. It prevents mistakes that could lead to health issues.
  2. Using different colours for different tasks makes it easier to find the right tools and keep things organized. This can make work faster and reduce errors.
  3. Implementing colour coding can greatly reduce the chances of food recalls, which are expensive for companies and can happen due to cross-contamination or allergens.