Food safety experts breathed a sigh of relief last week when the FDA announced the proposal of two highly anticipated additions to the Food Safety Modernization Act, which went into effect in early 2011.

A lawsuit filed Wednesday against the FDA alleges that the agency has repeatedly missed mandatory deadlines to implement and enforce regulations established by the Food Safety Modernization Act, which was passed in 2011. The plaintiffs claim that the law, when properly enforced, will save thousands of American lives from foodborne illnesses.

A controversial proposal that would increase the number of birds processed at chicken plants from 140 to 175 birds per minute, received support from a USDA spokesperson in a recent statement despite the agency's failure to meet targeted goals for reducing the outbreak of food borne illnesses.

A new report released by the Government Accountability Office finds measures to reduce outbreaks of serious foodborne illnesses in the U.S. are not meeting the nation's safety goals, and the systems employed to catch and prevent outbreaks are in need of significant strengthening.

After news spread that the USDA was planning on feeding 7 million pounds of the controversial meat product nicknamed "pink slime," the department announced that school districts participating in the government's school lunch program could refuse the ammonium hydroxide treated meat and request "filler-free" options instead.

Reacting to criticism over the use of beef scraps—including tissue and other parts of cows usually designated for pet food—nicknamed 'pink slime' by plucky British chef and healthy food advocate, Jamie Oliver, beef industry producers say the attacks and name-calling are unwarranted, and moreover, the product is not a health risk.

In a suspect move coming on the heels of major efforts to improve the quality of food fed to the nation's children, the USDA has made arrangements to purchase some 7 million pounds of the controversial "pink slime" meat for use in the national school lunch program, reports The Daily.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis may have discovered the building blocks of a vaccine that can protect against the effects of Salmonella, one of the most common food borne pathogens. The study is published in the most current issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and would offer safety for millions of at risk individuals each year.

Taco Bell has been named as the source of a Salmonella outbreak that affected individuals in ten states including Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio and Michigan, and reportedly sickened nearly 70 people.