The hottest Food Safety Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Food & Drink Topics

Food Defence-Related Posts

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  1. The Rotten Apple shares articles on various food-related topics, including food safety and fraud. This helps readers learn more about important issues in the food industry.
  2. It features content on sustainable and ethical supply chains, highlighting their importance to consumers today. This shows a commitment to responsible food practices.
  3. The site encourages engagement by allowing users to search articles easily. This makes it user-friendly for anyone interested in specific topics.

Food Supply Chains (General)-Related Posts

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  1. Food supply chains affect how safe and reliable our food is. Understanding these systems can help us avoid issues like food fraud.
  2. Sustainable and ethical supply chains are important for a healthier planet. Choosing food that supports these practices can make a big difference.
  3. There are many topics related to food supply chains, including food safety, regulations, and new technology. Staying informed can help consumers make better choices.

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

The Rotten Apple • 42 implied HN points • 12 Jun 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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.
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168 | What's Going on With Italian-Chinese Tomato Puree? | GM to the Rescue |

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 09 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  1. Some Italian tomato purees sold in the UK and Germany might contain Chinese tomatoes, raising questions about food labeling and consumer trust. It's not clear if this is legally fraudulent or just a complicated supply chain issue.
  2. There are concerns that tomato suppliers from China may use forced labor, which complicates the legal responsibilities for retailers. Supermarkets need to be aware of their suppliers' practices to avoid compliance issues.
  3. Sugar taxes in some American cities have shown to effectively reduce purchases of sugary drinks, especially among lower-income households. This indicates that financial incentives can change consumer behavior.

PFAS in non-stick pans: how fast does it migrate to food?

Molecular Spectacular • 21 HN points • 03 Apr 24
🏥 Health Politics Food Safety
  1. PFAS can move from non-stick pans to food while cooking. Research shows that this transfer can vary widely, depending on how often the pan is used.
  2. Cooking multiple meals with a non-stick pan can lead to higher levels of PFAS in your food. Studies suggest that even cooking just 4 meals a day might put people over the safe limit for PFAS exposure.
  3. Using salt in food can increase the amount of PFAS that transfers from the pan to the meal. Additionally, reusing the same pan seems to boost PFAS levels in each successive meal.

Food Safety News and Resources | December

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 01 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  1. There have been cucumber recalls in the USA and Canada due to salmonella cases, affecting many people. It's important to stay updated on food recalls to stay safe.
  2. A previous recall of green onions was canceled because it was a lab error. This shows how crucial it is to confirm results before acting on food safety alerts.
  3. Recent tests found harmful substances like PFAS in fish and cadmium in tomatoes. These findings highlight the need for ongoing monitoring of our food sources.

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

The Rotten Apple • 42 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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.

166 | Salmonella Deep Dive | Anatomy of a Wine Theft |

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  1. Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause sickness by invading the intestines after being consumed, often through contaminated food or water.
  2. There is a rising trend of food thefts where criminals use fake identities to trick food businesses into giving away valuable products without payment.
  3. Food safety is important; businesses should verify new buyers and suppliers to prevent buying stolen goods or falling victim to scams.

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

The Rotten Apple • 21 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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.

129 | The Mysterious Case of Bacon Brain | Chocolate Crisis |

The Rotten Apple • 21 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Food Safety
  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.

Food Safety News and Resources | November

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  1. There has been a deadly outbreak linked to McDonald's raw onions, resulting in many cases of illness. This highlights the importance of safe food handling practices.
  2. New studies found harmful substances in bottled and tap water, especially in the UK and China. This raises concerns about water safety for consumers.
  3. Recent research links peanut allergies in children to air pollution exposure. This suggests that environmental factors can play a role in food allergies.

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

The Rotten Apple • 31 implied HN points • 03 Jul 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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 #87 | Meet the Food Fraud Perpetrators | Good Mould versus Bad Mould | Child Labour in Food | Cotton Candy in the Shower |

The Rotten Apple • 31 implied HN points • 08 May 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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 |

The Rotten Apple • 31 implied HN points • 13 Mar 23
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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.

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

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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)

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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 |

The Rotten Apple • 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.

The Incredible, Edible Egg Yolk

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 39 implied HN points • 19 Dec 19
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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.

Food Safety News and Resources | January

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

Food Safety Escape Room Solution

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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
  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
  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
  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.

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
  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.

Index of Topics and Posts 2025

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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.

Competitions-Related Posts

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 12 Jan 25
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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.

Food Safety News and Resources | October

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 27 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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.

Food Safety Culture: Fresh Tips and Ideas

The Rotten Apple • 0 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety
  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.

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
  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.

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
  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.