Late 2025 has seen a sharp rise in highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds, triggering outbreaks in poultry and detections in some mammals. Despite this spread, the risk to the general public remains low.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has issued updated guidance on managing infant botulism notifications, outlining how suspected cases should be reported, assessed, and treated. The document highlights key risk factors, including food-related sources such as honey, alongside clinical signs and public-health response protocols.

The government has published Ireland’s Sixth NAP, building on the measures introduced in the Fifth Programme and adding a new mix of regulatory and non-regulatory actions.

Changing diets and an ageing population may be driving a rise in serious Listeria infections across Europe, according to the new EU One Health Zoonoses Report from EFSA and ECDC.

Cell-cultivated products are novel foods produced without traditional farming, such as raising animals or growing crops. They are created by taking plant or animal cells and cultivating them into edible material. The FSA and FSS’s CCP Sandbox Programme focuses specifically on products made from animal cells.

Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs are long-lasting toxic chemicals that build up in the food chain, particularly in the fatty tissues of animals. Their levels in food and feed have steadily decreased since the 1970s due to sustained efforts by public authorities and industry.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly supporting food safety through data analysis, predictive modelling, and real-world applications such as pathogen detection, import-sampling prioritisation, and regulatory data processing. While AI offers major opportunities to improve efficiency and resilience, its success depends on strong data governance, ethical oversight, and collaboration among authorities, industry, academia, and international organisations.

A recent review shows what’s working well and what still needs improvement in the food safety systems of five countries hoping to join the EU. It assesses progress over the past year in Ukraine, Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, and Serbia.

Delta-8 THC is a psychoactive compound found in some hemp products, including leaves, seeds, and oils. It has also been detected in foods like sweets and dietary supplements sold as hemp products.

The FSA has published updated Food Law Codes of Practice and Guidance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, marking a key step toward a more modern, flexible approach to food law enforcement.

The Department of Agriculture has confirmed several avian influenza outbreaks in poultry flocks in Ireland, and measures are in place to prevent its spread. The FSAI states there is no evidence of risk from eating poultry, but reminds consumers to thoroughly cook it and follow good hygiene when handling raw meat.

Safefood invites expressions of interest from food chain experts to provide professional services to the Safefood Knowledge Network Programme 2025–2028.