‍Measles News:

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• Measles in adults is getting more attention as cases pass 3,000 this year. 37% have been in people over 20. (Medscape)
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• CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) is administering preventative antibody treatments to babies in their NICU after a likely measles exposure. (WHYY)
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• PA has now reported four measles-associated deaths this year. The state’s outbreak is up to 731 cases, the most in the country. (PA DOH)
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• St. Louis County confirmed its very first measles case in twenty years. (St. Louis Press)

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Health News:

• The FDA released its 2026 Food Code, and some familiar food safety rules are getting an update - our Best Question has all the details. (FDA)
  
  
  
• Air sampling in four US airports in 2023 and 2024 detected airborne COVID in 98% of samples and flu in 17%. (CIDRAP)
  
  
  
• Psychedelic drugs could have a bigger role in mental health treatment. Nearly 80 speakers backed their therapeutic use at an FDA hearing this week. (MedPage Today)
  
  
  
• September is National Food Safety Month, and this year’s theme is “Food Safety Starts with You.” It’s a good time to remind your team that the everyday basics matter. (QA Mag)
  
  
  
• Robots can draw blood now. The first one cleared for use gets it on the first try 94.5% of the time and won’t even attempt if it can’t find a vein, plus one phlebotomist can keep an eye on three stations at once. (Medscape)
  
  
  
• There’s still time to weigh in on how federal vaccine recommendations are categorized and communicated. Public comments are open through September 20th if you have thoughts you want to share. (Federal Register)

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• Some good news...a promising new blood test accurately detects pancreatic cancer at its earliest and more treatable stages. (Medical Express)
  
  

Best Question:

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The FDA released a new Food Code, but has anything actually changed?

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There’s actually a lot in the new 2026 Food Code, but the employee illness changes are pretty important. The Code now more clearly says you need to have a written employee illness policy that’s maintained and “available upon request.” Plus, the FDA’s model inspection report now includes illness documentation, so it’s something an inspector can actually ask to see. The rules about employees reporting symptoms and specific illnesses along with when they need to be restricted or excluded from work aren’t new, but the need for a written policy is.

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There’s another change here that we are paying attention to. The old language for clearing certain employees to return to work required two negative stool tests. This new Code allows two negative results from a validated lab test instead. That opens the door for the possibility of using newer testing methods for employees diagnosed with STEC, Shigella, or non-typhoidal Salmonella.

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There are many more changes to look out for. It adds another option for cooling food, talks about allergen cross-contact and food defense more directly than before, and allows double gloving in certain situations. There are smaller changes, too, like requiring covered trash cans in all bathrooms. Some of these won’t actually be new everywhere. As an example, Indiana already requires restaurants to have a written employee illness policy. 

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But the most important thing before you start changing or adding policies, remember, the FDA Food Code is just a model. It doesn’t automatically become law when the FDA publishes it. States and local jurisdictions decide whether they want to adopt it, when and how to adopt it, and then whether they make their own changes to the policies. So nothing changes overnight. But this is probably a good time to figure out what you already have in place. If you’re a ZHH client and want us to take a look at what you have or help put a written policy together, shoot us an email.

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Sources: FDA - Summary of Changes, FDA

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Best Read:

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This article does an excellent job of helping assess your personal risk for measles as we continue to see the case count grow. Since it came out just a few days ago, there’s been an additional measles-related death in Pennsylvania.  As measles continues to spread, this gives good, common-sense guidance on how and when to protect yourself, your families, and your team.

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Newsweek:  As Measles Cases hit a 30-year high - How worried should Americans be?

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