FRI FRESH seminars will resume soon! As always, if you have suggestions for these seminars/webinars, please contact Adam Borger at adam.borger@wisc.edu.
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In the meantime, enjoy this photo that Adam recently found. Pictured soon after FRI’s 1966 move from the University of Chicago to the UW-Madison are Mike Foster (who led the transfer of FRI to UW-Madison), Genji Sakaguchi (visiting botulism expert), and Gail Dack (founder of FRI at the University of Chicago). The building in the background (
which still stands) was FRI’s temporary home on Herrick St. near the UW-Madison veterinary school.
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Last month, FRI’s Adam Borger along with FRI sponsor ChemStation’s Kara Mikkelson instructed 15 UW-Madison students in the FSPCA’s Preventive Controls for Human Foods course. The course was offered to students for free using FRI funds. The students were fantastic, and we are happy to report that they all received their Preventive Control Qualified Individual certificates upon completion of the course.
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Former FRI summer scholar Elly Scheuerell, FRI executive committee member Johanna Elfenbein, and colleagues recently published a report (selected as an Editor’s Pick by the Journal of Bacteriology) exploring how Salmonella
enterica is able to evade reactive sulfites such as those produced by a host’s immune system or as food additives. Their results show the sulfite-binding YeiE protein turns on genes involved in sulfite resistance. Deletion of the yeiE gene reduced Salmonella’s ability to grow in sulfite-containing media; however, deletions in an adjacent gene, yeiH (which is regulated by YeiE), make Salmonella even more sensitive to sulfite. YeiH is highly conserved among bacteria, suggesting that inactivating this protein could block the ability of Salmonella
and other bacteria to withstand sulfites during infection and in food processing.
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FRI 2025 Deibel Graduate Research Fellow (and graduate student poster award recipient) Yuxing Chen and FRI faculty affiliate members Tu-Anh Huynh and Garret Suen are coauthors on a report characterizing the microbiota of wooden cheese boards to help understand why wooden cheese boards inhibit growth of Listeria monocytogenes.
Seven bacterial species isolated from wooden cheese boards were inhibitory to L. monocytogenes, suggesting potential use as biocontrol agents. One isolate, Bacillus safensis, was shown to secrete antimicrobials against L. monocytogenes. Analysis of the genome of this organism identified numerous biosynthetic gene clusters encoding novel antimicrobial peptides.
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Former FRI summer scholar Jared Godfrey was awarded the John A. Penner Fellowship in Hematology, Thrombosis, and Inflammation from the Michigan State College of Natural Science. Before graduate school, Jared completed his undergraduate studies at UW-Madison where he worked as an undergraduate research assistant in FRI director Chuck Kaspar’s lab
. Following graduation, he worked as a technician in FRI faculty affiliate Tu-Anh Hyunh’s lab and as the lab manager in Nasia Safdar’s lab, during which time he authored eight publications.
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FRI affiliate faculty member Brad Bolling was interviewed recently by WMTV about his lab’s development of natural red food colorings derived from pigments in cranberries.
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FRI research professor (and director of the Applied Food Safety Lab) Kristin Schill was interviewed recently by The Associated Press regarding the ByHeart infant formula botulism outbreak and how C. botulinum spores may contaminate food products.
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The next FRI Better Process Cheese School will be held April 14–15 on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Registration is still open.
Registration is open now for IAFP's 2026 Microbial Challenge Testing for Foods Workshop
taking place April 22–23 in Des Plaines (Chicago), Ill. This two-day event is intended for food industry professionals, testing lab personnel, and regulators. Instructors include Kaitlyn Casulli, Ann Charles Vegdahl, and FRI executive committee member (and director of the FRI Applied Food Safety Lab) Kristin Schill.
Save the date for FRI’s 2026 Annual Spring Meeting, to be held on May 12–13, at the Pyle Center in Madison, Wisc.
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The Clostridium botulinum Type A outbreak associated with ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula has not been linked to any new cases since Dec. 10 but remains under active investigation:
- At least 51 infants with suspected or confirmed infant botulism and confirmed exposure to ByHeart formula have been identified. All 51 infants were hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.
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- FDA, ByHeart, and others have tested product and ingredients used in the infant formula for C. botulinum.
- One positive sample identified by FDA was from a closed container of powdered infant formula. The sequence of this strain matched a clinical isolate as well as two isolates found by ByHeart in organic whole milk powder, an ingredient used in its formula.
- C. botulinum was also found in organic whole milk powder sample that FDA collected from a ByHeart supplier. The sequence of this isolate matched a C. botulinum isolate that ByHeart found in its infant formula.
- The supplier of the whole milk as well as the milk powder processor have been identified, but the source of the contamination and contributing factors have not yet been established.
- In response to the outbreak, FDA’s actions include a proposed sampling
assignment for dairy-based ingredients.
- The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) is looking to identify experts to contribute to the work of JEMRA in the area of microbiological risk assessment on powdered formulae for infants and young children
, with particular focus on toxigenic Clostridium and Bacillus cereus, and updating current assessments on Salmonella and Cronobacter. In addition, FAO and WHO are calling for relevant published or unpublished data to assist in the assessment.
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In the other big infant formula story elsewhere in the world: Other companies, including Danone, Lactalis, and Hochdorf have joined Nestlé in recalling formula products due to contamination of ingredients with a bacterial toxin: cereulide, which is produced by
B. cereus.
- The cereulide was detected in an ingredient (arachidonic acid oil mix) used in the formula that was obtained from a third-party supplier in China.
- Numerous infants are suspected of having been sickened from consuming these formulas, include 36 infants in the UK and others in the EU.
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- None of these infants in the UK have died; however, the deaths of two infants in France who consumed recalled infant formula are being investigated.
- The report of a UK baby hospitalized with meningitis after consuming a recalled product
has been discounted because cereulide is not known to cause meningitis.
- In response to this outbreak, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted a rapid risk assessment
on cereulide in infant formulas. The risk assessment included the establishment of an acute reference dose (ARfD) for cereulide in infants of 0.014 µg/kg body weight. EFSA said that infant formulas containing cereulide at levels > 0.054 µg/L for infant formula or > 0.1 µg/L for follow-on formula could exceed the ARfD and should be recalled.
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A new, ongoing U.S. outbreak of Salmonella (Typhimurium and Newport) that has sickened 65 people in 28 states has been linked to moringa leaf powder.
- No deaths have occurred, but 14 hospitalizations have been reported.
- Traceback work by FDA identified a common supplier of the moringa leaf powder ingredient used in two products associated with this outbreak (Live it Up Super Greens supplement powders and Why Not Natural moringa powder capsules).
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- The two companies who make the products associated with this outbreak have issued recalls for the products.
- If you are experiencing deja vu, you might be thinking of this 2025 outbreak of Salmonella Richmond that was associated with a different company’s moringa leaf powder product.
- Why, you may be asking, do people take moringa leaf? Many bioactive compounds are present in the leaves of the tropical Moringa oleifera tree, and the tree has a long history of traditional medicine uses. Plus, there are HUNDREDS of
over-the-top videos out there that claim moringa leaves solve almost every health problem that exists!
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No new HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in dairy herds have been reported since Dec. 13 (which corresponds to the lone herd infected in Wisconsin). However, 17 commercial poultry flocks in eight states had confirmed infections in the last 30 days, and wild bird infections
have been reported in many states this past month.
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A new report describes the ability of the avian influenza virus to survive in yogurt made from non-heat-treated raw milk
spiked with avian influenza virus at ~6.6 log EID50/mL. Following 7.3 hours of fermentation at 42°C with a commercial starter, the pH dropped from 6.7 to 4.4, and the levels of infectious avian influenza virus dropped to below the limit of detection. Although milk used to make yogurt is usually heat-treated, this study concludes that properly fermented yogurt, even if made from raw milk, is not a risk for AIV transmission.
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Government & Regulatory News
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- FDA will issue:
- A proposed regulation will be published to require the submission to FDA of GRAS notices for all new substances claimed to be GRAS.
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- Final guidance to inform industry of the safety and identify information required for new dietary ingredient notifications.
- Guidelines for caffeine labeling
- Updated Food Code
- A federal definition of ultra-processed foods
- A formal evaluation of FDA’s Phase I voluntary sodium reduction targets
- Research priorities will include heavy metal and PFAS exposure, consumer knowledge of food safety and nutrition, and methods to analyze microplastics in human foods.
- FDA will begin modernizing existing requirements for dietary supplements, infant formula, and recall processes.
- Increase reliance on state partners to carry out routine food safety inspections.
- Establish a national coordination center to implement consistent training standards for accessible learning for federal and state regulatory and laboratory staff.
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FDA will allow companies to claim that their products contain “no artificial colors” if they do not contain petroleum-based colors. Previously, only foods that contained no added colors, even if naturally derived, could make that claim.
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FDA issued a request for information related to a citizen petition’s request to require that all ingredients that contain gluten be listed by name in the ingredient list and by requiring cross-contact controls with gluten-containing grains.
Comments are due by March 23, 2026.
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Based on immediate input following the Jan. 14 FSIS public meeting to explore practical strategies to reduce Salmonella in poultry products, FSIS extended the public comment period until March 4. USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Mindy Brashears suggested that other commodities such as pork and beef might be included in a new strategy, but that “real-world operational realities” will be considered rather than “one size fits all” approaches. You can view the slides or read a transcript of the meeting
here.
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The Institute for the Advancement of Food & Nutrition Sciences published an article outlining principles that governments and other organizations should use when defining ultra-processed foods. The principles are intended to allow for reproducibility, reflect “
biological plausibility,” and be able to “support meaningful interpretations and informed actions.”
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Applications for the Wisconsin Association of Food Protection Student Travel Award are due Feb. 28.
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You can read here about the career path and commitment to mentorship of one successful food safety professional (Takiyah Ball of Sargento Cheese, who serves on FRI’s Board of Visitors and was a past president of WAFP).
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Two recent papers offer insights into controlling Salmonella spp. in food facilities:
- General strategies for Salmonella control for meat, egg, and dairy processing were reviewed in one paper.
Individual interventions (including preharvest activities implemented outside of the processing facility) proven to be effective in each type of processing environment are described. Although differences in strategies for each food type may be utilized, important commonalities (food safety training, plans, verifications, and management practices) are also highlighted.
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- The response of different Salmonella serovars and cellular states (biofilm vs. planktonic) to sodium hypochlorite and peractic acid treatments are explored in a new research paper. For biofilms, sodium hypochlorite at 100 ppm for 1 or 2 minutes reduced most serovars by about 90% or 99%, respectively, although smaller reductions (<90%) were observed for S.
Enteritidis and S. Kentucky at both time points. Planktonic cells showed greater inhibition than did biofilm cells against sodium hypochlorite, with no statistically significant differences between serovars. Peracetic acid was more effective than sodium hypochlorite for both biofilms and planktonic cells. PAA efficacy was also influenced by serovar, with lower reductions for Kentucky and Infantis serovars under most PAA conditions tested. In general, longer treatment contact times improved efficacy across all treatment conditions.
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The following contributions to eNews were written by Andrew Wilcox, a UW-Madison microbiology graduate student with an interest in science writing:
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Fermented food products such as cheeses, wines, and salami sometimes contain biogenic amines (BA), toxic bacterial metabolites that can cause diarrhea, low blood pressure, and headaches. Numerous studies have tested the use of probiotic bacteria to combat BA accumulation in cheeses. A recent meta-analysis
consolidated results of these studies to identify combinations of probiotic strains and cheese-related factors that are effective against BA formation. The use of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum produced up to an 80% reduction in BA levels in various cheese types. Factors that facilitated probiotic-mediated BA reductions were a ripening temperature of ~15°C, pH 5.0 to 5.4, higher salt levels, and a shorter (£3-4 months) ripening period. This work provides a foundation for mechanistic studies and future investigations of BA control in specific cheese varieties.
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Two new reports highlight ways that machine learning can be used to address the ever-present threat of microbial food contamination.
- To optimize sanitation procedures, one study developed predictive models to assess E. coli O157:H7 contamination risk in chlorine-washed lettuce for different chlorine concentrations and immersion times. Machine learning models
were trained using real data and then asked to predict contamination risk under different conditions. The team’s Gaussian-progression and support-vector regression algorithms (publicly available to a user-friendly MATLAB application on GitHub) showed a ~25% improvement in predictive accuracy compared to a traditional model.
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- Another study reviewed the use of microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) as reporters for food spoilage, real-time fermentation, and pathogen presence in foods,
highlighting how machine learning and other advanced analytical methods are being used to interpret complex mVOC datasets. Such methodology promises to circumvent invasive and time-intensive microbial culturing procedures, facilitating quick and easily interpretable monitoring of foods.
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Constipated? Maybe you are deficient in Vitamin B1 (thiamine), according to a recent publication. Genetic data from ~270,000 European and East-Asian individuals were analyzed
to identify genetic polymorphisms associated with stool frequency. Surprisingly (since a relationship of thiamine with gut motility was not known before), two single nucleotide polymorphisms involved in thiamine availability/activation were linked to reduced stool frequency. To further solidify a link between thiamine and gut motility, a strong positive correlation between dietary thiamine percentiles and human stool frequency
was found based on a dietary dataset from the UK Biobank project. The authors propose that the identified polymorphisms result in a deficiency in the bioactive form of thiamine, leading to slower traffic time in the gut and associated symptoms of constipation. Future research is still needed to assess whether thiamine supplementation might be useful intervention for constipation.
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UW–Madison and Wisconsin News
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University of Wisconsin-Madison’s resident candy expert Rich Hartel answered a question you eventually ask if you somehow resist the urge to eat your Valentine’s Day candy: Why does chocolate turn white, and is it safe to eat? Read more here for the answers (and to find out if Rich Hartel would eat a 30-year-old chocolate Santa.
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Upcoming training opportunities on the UW-Madison campus include the following:
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Did this email land in your Spam folder? Add foodresearch@explore.wisc.edu to your Contacts/Safe Senders List to help all FRI emails make it to your Inbox.
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