The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirms that exposure to inorganic arsenic in foods poses health risks, including skin cancer. According to EFSA’s risk assessment, the increase in skin cancer associated with exposure to inorganic arsenic is considered the most significant adverse effect. EFSA experts concluded that providing protection against skin cancer would simultaneously be protective against other potential effects. It was determined that individuals are commonly exposed to inorganic arsenic through rice, rice-based products, and cereals.

A team consisting of scientists from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), universities, and the industry has identified a new genetic vulnerability to the herbicide tolpyralate in 49 varieties of corn. This marks the first report indicating that weed control could be problematic for a major crop. The discovery offers farmers the opportunity to choose a variety tolerant to tolpyralate or prevent crop losses by using a different herbicide. Tolpyralate belongs to a class of herbicides known as HPPD inhibitors and was registered in 2017. This finding reveals that the corn plants’ rapid metabolism of this herbicide is dependent on specific genetic factors. This information can assist farmers in developing more effective weed control strategies.

EFSA has identified the most relevant bacterial food safety hazards for public health as Listeria monocytogenes (in the meat, fish and seafood, dairy, and fruit and vegetable sectors), Salmonella enterica (in feed, meat, eggs, and low-moisture food sectors), and Cronobacter sakazakii (in the low-moisture food sector). When persistence is suspected in a facility, a ‘seek and destroy’ approach is often recommended, involving intensified monitoring, implementation of control measures, and continued intensified monitoring. It is reported that these interventions can be effective if appropriately validated under industrial conditions, correctly applied, and validated.

The Israeli company, Mediterranean Food Lab (MFL), led by Gullspång Re:food and with the participation of investors such as PeakBridge, Arancia International, FoodBridge, and others, has successfully raised $17 million in a Series A funding round. MFL is committed to creating clean-label flavor components by combining solid-state fermentation technology with an AI-supported computational platform. The goal is to impart meaty taste and aroma to a variety of dishes, ranging from legume-based meals to plant-based meat alternatives. While solid-state fermentation has been employed for centuries, MFL has transformed this process from an art into a science through machine learning. By fermenting plant material in this manner, the initiative aims to develop flavor formulations with incredible meaty, cheesy, fatty profiles and enhanced sensory characteristics.

The Israeli venture SeeTree has successfully concluded its Series C funding round, securing $17.5 million. SeeTree digitizes the process of monitoring tree health by offering services and products that include military-grade drones, ground sensors, artificial intelligence, multispectral imaging, and on-field data collection, tailored for use in fruit orchards and forestry operations. The funds from the Series C financing will empower SeeTree to expand its product range and facilitate its growth in key regions such as Latin America, North America, Ukraine, and the Asia-Pacific, enhancing its presence in tree health monitoring solutions.

Following a recently released report shedding light on the country’s consumer preferences in alternative meat options, the Japanese Government has granted a total of $19.6 million in funding to two alternative protein ventures. One of these initiatives is Umami United, based in Tokyo, focusing on the production of plant-based egg products. The other is IntegriCulture, a cultured meat producer that received a larger grant of $13.1 million.