The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently published a summary of a session on Artificial Intelligence, held at their Science and Innovation Forum held on 13^th-17^th October 2025.

The session entitled ‘AI meets food safety: exploring how artificial intelligence can help reshape food safety’ brought together scientists, regulators and innovators to look at how digital innovations are transforming food safety management, from reactive responses to more anticipatory and data-driven approaches.

Discussions ranged from machine learning for pathogen detection to horizon scanning for emerging issues and models that help prioritize inspection resources in data-limited environments.

More information on the session can be found here and a recording of the session can be viewed on demand here: https://youtu.be/TNxX8W_5A68

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and HM Treasury have launched a call for evidence to tell government about regulation which is not fit for purpose and unjustifiably inhibits growth, innovation and investment.

The government has set an ambitious target to reduce the administrative burdens of regulation on business by 25%. Effective regulation provides important protections to consumers, businesses and the wider public. The UK’s regulatory system has many strengths. However, too many instances of outdated or excessive regulation, or poor regulatory practice, are undermining these benefits – and are inhibiting growth, innovation and investment.

This business questionnaire, ‘Unlocking Business: Reform Driven by You’, provides businesses large and small, entrepreneurs, investors and industry experts with the opportunity to drive the next phase of reform – building on measures already announced in March and October 2025. In particular, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) wants to receive evidence about:

• current activity costs. DBT wants you to share examples of specific rules that impose unnecessary costs or burdens on businesses, including both the direct costs imposed by individual regulations and indirect costs resulting from how they’re applied
• opportunity costs. DBT wants you to help them understand how regulations and the way they are applied may delay or prevent future business opportunities being taken up, including compared to other countries

DBT’s aim is to identify the exact aspects of regulations or their implementation that create problems, so they can pinpoint where to make changes. In doing so, you may also wish to highlight examples of good practice, which might be adopted more widely.

If you cannot name a specific regulation or regulatory process, you are requested to describe the issue and its impact on your business as clearly and precisely as possible. DBT urges respondents to read the introductory text in the full downloadable version of the questionnaire before completing it.

Government will use the evidence you provide to help develop further ambitious reforms to the UK regulatory system so that it is fit for purpose and the future, minimising burdens on business without reducing safeguards.

DBT invites responses by 16th December 2025, using one of the methods outlined here.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have recently published a prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) legislation partner toolkit.

To align with the rest of the UK, new legislation was introduced in Scotland in October 2021 which now requires all food businesses to include the product name and full ingredients list on food sold prepacked for direct sale (PPDS).

This legislation sets out to improve information about allergens and other ingredients in food prepared and packed in advance, mainly at the same place where it’s sold, before being offered to consumers.

The toolkit has been updated so businesses can see how they may be affected, and the actions needed to ensure they are compliant. It also highlights a free MenuCal tool which will support businesses across Scotland with providing the required ingredient and allergen information for all food prepacked for direct sale.

Access the toolkit here

At the request of Codex, FAO and WHO recently held a series of expert meetings on the risk assessment of food allergens since 2020. Links to the meeting reports have now been published here, which include:

 

Part 1: Review and validation of Codex Alimentarius priority allergen list through risk assessment

Part 2: Review and establish threshold levels in foods for the priority allergens

Part 3: Review and establish precautionary labelling in foods of the priority allergens

Part 4: Review and establish exemptions for the food allergens

Part 5: Review and establish threshold levels for specific tree nuts (Brazil nut, macadamia nut or Queensland nut, pine nut), soy, celery, lupin, mustard, buckwheat and oats.

 

Also, in response to the request from Codex for scientific advice on reference dose (s) (RfDs) and concentration for cereals containing gluten and gluten, FAO and WHO are convening a consultation between recently recruited experts to provide a recommendation on the level of RfDs and concentration for cereals containing gluten and gluten. The following areas are to be considered:

 

• What is the RDs for cereals containing gluten/gluten below which majority of consumers with coeliac disease would not experience an adverse reaction?
• Is there sufficient data available to establish RDs? If not, what is needed?
• What RDs are associated with low, intermediate or high risk for adverse health reactions?
• Is there an acceptable level of adverse reactions which do not negatively impact public health?
• Review the current level for gluten free depending on the outcome
• How can the reference dose(s) be used by food business operators to determine:
  • Which cleaning procedures remove gluten/cereals containing gluten to a level that prevents or minimises the risk to the majority of consumers with coeliac disease from cross-contact?
  • Whether an ingredient that contains a low level of gluten or a cereal containing gluten (e.g. an ingredient with a PAL) warrants control of its use to prevent or minimise cross-contact.
• What are appropriate analytical methods for testing food and surfaces?

 

The meeting was timetabled to take place in the fourth quarter of 2025. We will keep members updated.

Allergy UK  has reiterated its call for full ingredient labelling on all food products after researchers highlighted additional allergens which they say should be listed, over and above those currently required by UK law.

Food packaging in the UK and EU already lists the most common 14 allergens people should be aware of such as egg, peanuts and milk.

However, at least four more could be added to the mandatory risk list say experts, following a study reported in the Journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy.

Lead investigator Dr Dominique Sabouraud-Leclerc, from the Allergy Vigilance Network, points to evidence of increased reactions to a wider range of foods. Her team has pushed for their findings to be included in the EU’s allergen risk list.

The foods the researchers argue should be added to the list are:

• goat or sheep milk
• buckwheat
• peas and lentils
• pine nuts.

The Allergy Vigilance Network reviewed food-induced anaphylaxis cases reported in Europe between 2002–2023, analysing nearly 3,000 cases, of which 413, including two deaths, are believed to have been caused by one of the eight emerging food allergies. In total, researchers found that emerging food allergies were responsible for 413, (approximately 14%) of reported cases.

Read more about the call for action here

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently published a ‘Literature review on micro- and nanoplastic release from food contact materials during their use’.

 

This structured literature review was carried out on studies published between 2015 and 20th January 2025. It identified 1711 publications of which 122 were selected for data extraction. Eight additional publications were added to provide more context. Most studies concerned microplastics, while data on nanoplastics were almost entirely absent.

 

The objective of the review was to look for evidence of micro- and nanoplastics (MNP) release during the use of Food Contact Materials (FCMs).

 

Whilst reported findings were shown to have been strongly influenced by weaknesses in test conditions or sample preparation, the most robust data suggested that the release of micro plastic is mainly caused by mechanical processes, such as abrasion, friction of FCMs (e.g. opening/closure of caps and of storage, sealing bags, capping, mill grinding), with aging and material structure acting as potential amplifying factors such as embrittlement from UV/sunlight exposure.

 

Additionally, some materials with open or fibrous structures (e.g. woven or non-woven synthetic and natural fibres, such as tea bags) are prone to releasing/detaching fibres or fragments, especially under conditions of temperature-induced ‘softening/swelling’ of fibrous networks and mechanical stress such as agitation.

 

In view of the findings the review concluded that despite the uncertainties, the extent of the actual particle release is much lower than the results presented in many of the reviewed publications. Therefore, there is no sufficient basis at this stage to estimate MNP exposure from FCM during their uses. Several recommendations are also made regarding identified gaps and related future research needs

 

You can read the review in full here