9) Impact of US government shutdown
Food safety was at the forefront of concerns when a number of government agencies in the US were hit with staff reductions.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) employees were furloughed at the start of October after the federal government failed to agree a budget deal by the deadline.
More than 12,000 employees were affected at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Some activities continued while others ground to a halt according to the Department of Health and Human Services contingency plan.
The full workforce of the FDA were back on the job by the middle of October.
