The Rotten Apple Food Safety Podcast

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Controversial new GFSI auditor requirements

* Food fraud requirements in food safety standards

* Disappearing tequila

* Howling for leftovers

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 212 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Disgusting food fraud trend: waste diversion + organised crime groups

* 4 Surprising truths about food safety training

* Food Safety News and Resources (including high levels of lead in two-thirds of protein supplements)

* Best beef lesson ever

* Food fraud news: horsemeat and beef (the tables turn)

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 211 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Fake Coke follow-up

* Not just shrimp! More radioactive foods found in the U.S.

* Food Fraud 2015 to 2035: Insights from Industry Leaders

* Food fraud news from iComplai’s AI-powered food safety and food fraud intelligence platform

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 210 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Counterfeit Diet Coke in London?

* Horizon scanning explainer

* Food safety news and resources roundup

* Fake food (for real)

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 209 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy foods: current status + new research

* Mystery mass poisoning in the United Kingdom

* Food safety news and resources

* Fashion fraud (just for fun)

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 208 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Food fraud mitigations: a guide (+ templates and examples)

* The flesh-eating bacterium that causes deadly foodborne illnesses

* A new food defence threat: smart glasses

* Quality versus production (just for fun)

* Food fraud: counterfeiting incident with chocolate

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 207 🍏

Cover image: Fabrikasimf on Freepik

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Living dangerously with the latest food trend

* Consumer-derived outbreak data - a fascinating peek

* Frozen veg recalls: can we quantify the risks?

* WTF is high fructose corn syrup

* Food fraud news: berry scandal in Australia

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 206 🍏

Listen to the consumer data webinar here.

Cov...

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this special episode, I talk with John Points the Technical Director of the Food Authenticity Network (FAN) to get an up-to-the-minute perspective on testing for food fraud.

In the conversation, we discuss:

* What are the options for authenticity testing for a medium-sized food business in 2025;

* How to find methods, laboratories and resources, and

* How testing fits into a best-practice...

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Food fraud testing in 2025 and beyond

* Weird: the price of sugar

* Kitchen fails (mostly fun)

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 205 🍏

Listen to the food fraud testing conversation here.

Cover image: DC Studio on Freepik

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

· Webinar invitation: innovation in early warnings for outbreaks

· The scariest food invention of the decade

· Update: radioactive shrimp

· Silliest shrimp memes from the past week 😁

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 204 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

· Consumer-derived outbreak data - a new tool in the toolbox

· Downloadable e-book: Issues 176 to 200

· Rare: a food fraud recall

· Food Safety News and Resources

· Radioactive shrimp unpacked

· Food fraud news: undercover honey investigation + methanol in paprika explained

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 203 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Follow-up: botulism root cause and manslaughter charge

* “I nearly lost him”… a heartbreaking story of food safety failure

* Food Safety News and Resources

* What does cultivated meat really taste like - 15 consumers share their experience

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 202 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Shocking figures for (supposedly) antibiotic-free meat

* Unusual pathogen-food combo: botulinum in avocado pulp

* Global food safety watch: a ‘low and slow’ outbreak from potatoes?

* Cocaine vs olive oil

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 201 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Celebrating 4 years of The Rotten Apple

* Special offer

* Popular post: Tropane alkaloids: plant toxins that kill

* Best of ‘Just for Fun’

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 200 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* A Comprehensive Guide to Glass Policies and Procedures (+ templates and examples)

* Olive crisis update - are we out of the woods?

* 233 children poisoned by cooks at a childcare centre

* Food fraud news, incidents and horizon scanning

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 199 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* Seed oils: food safety issue or beat-up?

* Gritty food fraud

* STEC in flour

* 5 Food Safety Quick Bites

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 198 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

In this week’s episode:

* STEC numbers are up: What you need to know

* Investigation results? What investigation results (Salmonella in cucumbers)

* Food Safety News and Resources

* “It’s very very satisfying” - cotton candy scissor work

* Sugar warning (and more) in this week’s food fraud news

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 197 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode, which celebrates World Chocolate Day 🍏

* Why is chocolate so good?

* Chocolate and food safety

* Chocolate supply chain challenges

* Chocolate and food fraud

* Food fraud news: recent incidents

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 196 🍏

Cover image: Cocoa bean processing and fermentation from Gutierrez-Rios, et. al (2022)

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Help a researcher out - 2 short surveys

* More on Listeria in pasta meals (what the experts say)

* Shall we chat? Let me know what you think about community chat for The Rotten Apple

* Packaging Corner

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 195 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Unusual: a deadly Listeria outbreak and recall unpacked

* Downloadable training exercise

* The weirdest kitchen induction video ever

* Food fraud news: The Food Industry Intelligence Network launches a SME hub

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 194 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Addendum

* Fish parasites and the small changes that create new risks

* Latest food cyberattack

* Food Safety News and Resources

* Lab-made butter

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 193 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Photo competition winners

* Melamine adulteration (still a thing)

* The toxic pea that causes lameness

* Toolbox talk: Record-making 101

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 192 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Member-only archive unlocked!

* Photo Competition: win prizes for World Food Safety Day

* Leafy greens and STEC, latest research

* Tariffs and food fraud - is this the first Liberation Day fraud?

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 191 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* 5 Compelling food fraud pictures

* Food safety news roundup

* Packaging corner: risks from epoxidised soybean oil and updated EU regs

* My friend ate fugu!

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 190 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Webinar recording: AI in food fraud prevention;

* Bystander intervention in food safety culture;

* The role of money laundering in food fraud;

* Meanwhile, somewhere in Washington…;

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 189 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Webinar this Thursday;

* Food safety freakishness: the weird and wonderful world of food safety and food fraud;

* Food safety news roundup;

* AI-generated science ‘facts’ are real now.

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 188 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Bacillus velezensis, a pathogen you’ve probably never heard of

* Food defence case study: Cleaning contractor commits cyber-sabotage

* Throw-back: the 2024 cyber attack that put allergic consumers at risk;

* Food safety news and resources;

* Bacteria (just for fun).

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 187 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Allergen management - a complete guide;

* What (exactly) is precision fermentation?

* Ozempic users buy fewer high-calorie foods (new research);

* Reminder: submit your questions for the upcoming webinar.

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 186 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Announcement: AI for food fraud protection - a webinar;

* Food Safety Treasure Hunt: Answers and Winners;

* From the archives.

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 185 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Competition: Food Safety Treasure Hunt;

* Food fraud news, including a lab allegedly smashed for its role in revealing honey fraud.

🍏 For a transcript and sources, see Issue 184 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* What is Codex (exactly)?;

* AI-assisted food safety insights for fats and oils;

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* Cauliflower ice cream (yum?)

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 183 🍏

Cover image: Trending hazards in fats and oils by FoodAkai

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Self-peeling bananas;

* Food defence for fresh produce;

* Strawberry wars;

* Blue cheese moulds and mycotoxins;

* A humorous history of fruit and veg breeding.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 182 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Animal welfare claims and food fraud;

* What is regenerative agriculture, actually?;

* The guy who decides Use-by dates;

* Food fraud news special: EU Agri-food suspicion reports unpacked.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 181 🍏

Cover image: Author

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Food fraud in potatoes;

* Training: Animal feed safety;

* The surprising link between illegal gold mining and chocolate;

* An Irishman reviews St Patrick’s Day food (just for fun);

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 180 🍏

Cover image: Freepik.com

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* How to design a food authenticity testing plan;

* Common Mistakes in Recalls;

* Out now: The Rotten Apple e-book, Issues 151 to 175;

* Food fraud in ‘organic’ ricotta.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 179 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Global Food Fraud Trends (2024);

* Follow up: Honey rules;

* Animal Feed Safety Webinar 13th, 14th March;

* Future food policy in Europe.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 178 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Honey fraud fight (including insights from the trenches);

* Save the date: Feed Safety Webinar 13th, 14th March;

* A guide to colour coding for food businesses;

* Did the USDA really accidentally fire its bird flu experts?

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 177 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Crisis management in the food industry;

* Rice fraud - more common than you might imagine think;

* Follow-up: South Africa poisonings;

* Spicy food eaten fast (just for fun).

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 176 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Legume poisoning;

* Best back catalogue ever: Announcing our new and improved index;

* What I’m reading (misinformation, authenticity and smoked meat);

* I poisoned my family.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 175 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* What is a food safety risk assessment (really?);

* Outbreak root cause: Staph toxin in salad;

* Follow up: Food Waste Reduction.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 174 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Mystery Food Poisonings Stalk Citizens;

* Bongkrekic acid outbreak insights;

* 14 rules for bad quality managers.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 173 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Emerging Food Safety Risks (2025 update);

* How to reduce your food waste;

* Mr Bean at the restaurant (just for fun);

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 172 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Follow-up: Outcomes from the E. coli in slivered onions outbreak;

* The food fraud that wasn’t - a fruit juice story;

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* How to eat string cheese snacks.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 171 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Sequelae: The Mysterious Long-term Outcomes of Foodborne Illness;

* What’s next for The Rotten Apple;

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* Spotify for food safety nerds;

* Food fraud news, emerging issues and recent incidents.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 170 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Special offer: upgrade for one year and get a second year free, saving $100 (Get the special offer here)

* What changed in food safety in 2024?

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* What I learned: the worst and weirdest of the year;

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 169 🍏

Cover image: K. Hall (2024...

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Tomato fraud by big name retailers? - a BBC investigation leaves more questions than answers;

* Throwback: Bananas in Peril;

* That’s interesting: sugar taxes actually work?

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 168 🍏

Cover image: An AI image maker imagines tomato puree production

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* The Great Tuna Scam (and what was going on with my salad in New York?);

* Packaging corner: drinking straws and hazards in plastic alternatives;

* Peek inside a mustard mill.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 167 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* How Salmonella works;

* Anatomy of a food crime;

* Revenge of the turkeys (just for fun).

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 166 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Food defence case study: cyberattack threatens allergic consumers

* 7 Food safety risks for 2025 and beyond

* How crackers are made (just for fun)

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 165 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Verification for food fraud prevention systems

* What does a food fraud team look like (and what to do if you can't get one)

* Are underweight ingredients a food fraud issue?

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 164 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* How to ace your next food safety audit;

* Food safety champion makes melons great again;

* Insight: Loud and jumbled food innovations.

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 163 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* What’s new in food safety culture systems;

* Haphazard analysis - we can do better

* Food crime or fun recipe, you decide (just for fun);

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 162 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Winner of the Food Safety Escape Room competition;

* The lost art of auditing outcomes;

* Salmonella outbreak unpacked;

* Worst fast food launches (just for fun).

🍏 For a transcript and sources see Issue 161 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Special edition for World Food Day;

* Competition: Food Safety Escape Room.

🍏 To view the original post, see Issue 160 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Spotlight on Shigella;

* Superweeds (super bad);

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* Why people knowingly buy fakes;

* Food fraud news, emerging risks and recent incidents.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 159 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Boar’s Head Criminal Investigation?

* How millions of tonnes of organic produce were affected by years of fraud in the fertiliser industry;

* AI Mushroom Guidebooks (what could possibly go wrong?);

* What I’m reading;

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 158 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Four quick bites: Reader response to intrinsic versus extrinsic hazards | Boar’s Head Sanitation Manager spills the dirt | Wurst pun | PFAS in pesticides |

* Emerging trends in food fraud (2024);

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* How rainbow sprinkles are made (just for fun).

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 157 🍏

Cover image: Tokyo fish mar...

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Global insights from the UK Food Crime Report;

* E. coli in leafy greens - a root cause analysis;

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* Dodgy doctor’s diet advice almost kills baby (not for fun!).

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 156 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Reader insight: Intrinsic versus extrinsic hazards;

* Emerging trends in food safety (2024);

* Yersinia mystery solved - a case study;

* Out now: The Rotten Apple e-book, Issues 126 to 150;

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 155 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Food safety trend: Freezer temperatures to increase?

* Sanitation failures and death toll increases in Listeria deli-meat outbreak;

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* Space beer = good beer.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 154 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* A Guide to Listeria Controls and Environmental Monitoring Programs;

* Bird flu in cows: “This could go pandemic”;

* 3 Weird food fraud moments from the past year;

* A history of the German cockroach (just for fun).

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 153 🍏

Cover image: AI imagines cockroaches

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Three things I’ve learned in 3 years with The Rotten Apple;

* What it feels like to be injured by food ;

* WGS: the game-changing tech for solving mystery outbreaks;

* Learn about food smuggling;

* Food fraud news, emerging issues and recent incidents.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 152 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Postcard from the Aussie food science conference;

* Olympic Sport and Contaminated Food;

* Lead in Cinnamon, an overview;

* The Best Normal Dish For Getting Screwdrivers Out Of Your Food (AI recipes).

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 151 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Save the date: Meet-up on Thursday 15th August;

* Herbs and botanicals food fraud overview;

* What it’s like to have an E. coli gastric infection;

* Take Three for the Sea;

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 150 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Call for data on lead in spices and tropane alkaloids in foods;

* The Curious Case of the French Mineral Water Scandal;

* What are carbon-negative foods?;

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* Chocolate mayonnaise.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 149 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Food fraud 2024 - what the experts say;

* Cyclospora, a growing food safety threat (or not?);

* Highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy foods;

* Did you know… (facts and quotes from IAFP).

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 148 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

·        Microorganisms on disposable gloves, a new food safety hazard?;

·        Packaging corner: hazardous chemicals found in plant-based packaging;

·        Anatomy of an alcohol fraud;

·        How to make a pickle sandwich.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 147 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Meetup (in person!) at IAFP next week;

* Crisis Management Resources;

* Everything you need to know about hepatitis E;

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* How to fake a mushroom.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 146 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* (US) FDA’s comments regarding an ineffective recall of dangerous children’s food (what the?!);

* Auditor perspective: Key non-conformances in food safety culture implementation (and how to prevent them);

* Food Fraud Quick Bite: Frothy Milk;

* How Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are Made (just for fun);

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 145 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Postcard from America;

* Housekeeping: managing your subscription, special lifetime offer;

* Learn About Seafood Fraud;

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 144 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Microplastics in seafood - where do they come from, what do they look like?;

* Fallout from an allergen mistake;

* Quality Managers and the Art of Influence;

* Dietary advice from the 1950s (just for fun).

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 143 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Food Safety Scorecard;

* Food Fraud in a Global Context;

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* When Oysters Were a Poor Man’s Food (just for fun);

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 142 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Join us at our June meet-up on Thursday/Friday this week;

* What food safety means to you (competition winners);

* Unexpected Food Safety Incidents: 3 Case Studies;

* Packaging Corner: Updates to the BRC Packaging Standard;

* The BEST (funny) food safety video for your team;

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 141 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Competition: win a mug for Food Safety Day;

* Food fraud disasters, will insurance save your food business?;

* New words to know in 2024;

* Expect the unexpected for Food Safety Day;

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 140 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Mistake proofing in food systems;

* Tara flour declared ‘unapproved’, but not ‘unsafe’ by the US FDA 🤔;

* Why one man put lettuce down his pants;

* A very brief history of gravlax;

* The best crab joke in the universe.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 139 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Erratum (Paprika fraud);

* The world’s most dangerous cheese;

* Palm oil, cocoa, coffee and soy supply shakeup;

* Truly Disturbing Foods (just for fun).

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 138 🍏

Cover image: Wikimedia Commons

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Case study: Paprika adulterated with carcinogenic dye;

* Plastic safety news: nanoplastics in bottled water, disease costs from plastic and BPA in spandex clothes;

* Egg and sandwich puns (Just for fun);

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 137 🍏

Cover image: Thomas Tarantelli

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Save time by listening, now on your favourite podcast app;

* E. coli in leafy greens, new knowledge;

* Salmonella in salmon;

* On fire extinguishers and cookies, fries and breast implants (just for fun)

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 136 🍏

Cover image: Freepik

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Crustacean-related food safety risks in new foods;

* Food defence 101;

* Top 5 food safety non-conformances;

* Crabs, Crabs, Crabs.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 135 🍏

Cover image by Rod Long on Unsplash

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* A Rare, Deadly Food-borne Illness Strikes Diners;

* Learnings from the UK meat scandal (one year on);

* Tropane alkaloid poisoning from leafy greens - new insights;

* Job Done! WHO/FAO Food Allergen Risk Assessments Completed.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 134 🍏

Cover image: Street food in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, us...

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* ATP testing in food safety - an introduction;

* Top 10 root causes of allergen-related recalls;

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* Mac n Cheese Ice Cream (Just for fun).

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 133 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Is ChatGPT getting dumber?;

* Snails and sloths - food labelling changes by the USDA;

* Fools Foods for 1st April;

* Two long reads for your holiday pleasure.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 132 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Case study: How massive quantities of soybeans and corn turned “organic” in the blink of an eye;

* Banana extinction - a new hope;

* Are egg shells weaker than before?;

* The raw chicken challenge;

* 🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 131 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Food safety training exercise, What’s Wrong with This Picture?;

* Packaging Corner: PFAS phase out, red colours on packs, wanna buy a Russian oligarch’s factory?

* FSSC version 6 - what you need to know;

* When Flies Eat (Just for Fun);

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 130 🍏

Cover image: wirestock...

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Case Study: Contaminated food + handwashing failures cause brain infection;

* Chocolate supply chains in crisis;

* That’s Interesting: Race and Allergies;

* A bacon pun (just for fun);

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 129 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Save the date: Meet-up on Thursday 14th March;

* Stay Ahead of the Curve: A Road Map for Implementing New Audit Standards;

* Insect-based Foods and Food Fraud;

* Photo competition winners;

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 128 🍏

Cover image: pvproductions on Freepik

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Listeria risks and controls: new insights;

* Packaging corner: PFAS testing and plastic reuse risks;

* Food safety snapshot: labelling errors and chemical contamination;

* What’s wrong with this picture?

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 127 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Is Alzheimer’s a foodborne illness?;

* Corruption in food supply chains;

* Who ya Gonna Call (just for fun);

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 126 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Recalls: 2023 by the numbers;

* Chlorate and perchlorates in food;

* 5 food crime mini case studies: floor salmon, disappearing poultry meat and more;

* February meetup report.

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 125 🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* The Victim and the Food Safety Team, Daily Harvest Mystery Poisonings > 1 year on;

* A Bird’s Eye View of Global Food Fraud;

* Food Safety News and Resources;

* How Bubblegum is (Really) Made;

🍏 For a transcript and links to all sources, see Issue 124 🍏

This three minute video explains how to

* navigate The Rotten Apple’s website;

* find the resources you need;

* access the site from emails;

* sign in;

* problem-solve sign-in issues.

🍏🍏🍏🍏🍏

The Rotten Apple is an inside view of food safety, food fraud and supply chains for professionals, policy-makers and purveyors. Subscribe for weekly insights, latest news and emerging trends.

🍏 In this episode 🍏

* Erratum(s);

* Save the date: Meet-up on Thursday 8th Feb (Friday for AU, NZ);

* What’s Coming for The Rotten Apple for 2024 - a podcast, more meetups and…;

* Packaging Corner;

* Case study: Tiramisu Allergen Death - What Went Wrong?

* An important letter from the US embassy;

🍏 For a transcript and links to all source...

Audio versions of The Rotten Apple Newsletter have only been available to paid subscribers up to now. Now they’re available to everyone!

Each episode is 15 to 20 minutes, and nothing fancy…. Just me, Karen, reading out this week’s email, dodgy Aussie accent and all.

Get links to extra information, the food safety news roundup and sources for everything from the online version of each issue.

And don’t forget to ‘like’, ‘follow’ and tell your friends about this podcast.

Episodes drop every Monday. See you then!

Every newsletter publishes a gift guide at this time of year. Here’s my collection of food safety and food fraud-related gifts, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Ultimate food fraud gift: turmeric coconut drink mix

Want to expose your friends and loved ones to almost-guaranteed food fraud? Make them this wholesome ‘Golden Milk Mix’ as a gift. It has seven ingredients, six of which are high risk for food fraud, hooray!

Ultimate food scientist gift: hangover-free wine

Celebrate the wonders of food science, and order your hangover-free wine now (available in the...