A list was recently compiled of the 10 foods, under the regulation of the FDA, most often associated with food poisoning. The FDA does not have jurisdiction over poultry or beef, so those foods are excluded from possible exclusion. The list is based on data compiled over the past 20 years – 1990 to present. The
Food poisoning
BP Blames Illnesses in Clean-Up Workers on Food Poisoning
Officials at BP are saying that a group of illnesses among oil spill clean-up workers resulted from food poisoning, according to reports. A group of people working to clean the massive spill reported nausea, headaches and chest pain. The workers were apparently using chemical dispersants to counter the spill.
BP CEO Tony Hayward was quick to place the…
Food Poisoning Cost 3 Billion Annually – Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 Alone
The USDA, on a new website on May 13, unveiled a cost of food poisoning calculator. To date, the only two pathogens with reported yearly costs estimates are Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. The combined cost estimate for those two? In excess of $3 Billion.
According to the USDA, the estimates "include assumptions about disease incidence…
Food Poisoning May Rise With Global Warming
Incidences of food poisoning are likely to rise with increased global temperatures, according to a report from the WHO and Malta’s Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit. According to the report, a study on the health effects of climate change in the Maltese islands warns that rising temperatures increase the likelihood of food-borne diseases like…
Haifa Smoked Fish, Inc. Recall
The FDA has announced the recall of Haifa Smoked Fish brand vacuum packaged Whole Schmaltz Herring with the lot number 20, because the product was found to be uneviscerated. The risk to consumers is that, due to the errors in production, the fish may be contaminated with clostridium botulinum.
The lot being recalled is…
USA Today Reports Sweeping Changes in Beef Acquisition for School Lunches
Blake Morrison and Peter Eisler report in today’s edition of the USA Today:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced sweeping steps Thursday to "assure the safety and quality of food" purchased for the National School Lunch Program.
The measures include tightening requirements on companies that supply ground beef to schools, testing the beef more
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Food poisoning causes plane to make emergency landing
WESH.com reported that a Delta Airlines flight headed to Atlanta from Ecuador made an emergency stop in Orlando today after three passengers’ food poisoning symptoms became severe and they required medical attention. According to WESH, two of the three passengers were transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center for treatment for food poisoning, while the third…
Death by Shopping Bag?
I received this article today from Steve Whybrew, the father of a college-age girl we represent who became infected with E. coli O157:H7 in a lettuce outbreak last year. Steve’s daughter, Heather, was hospitalized for 3 weeks. She was also interviewed recently in an article for the New York Times about food safety.
But…
Prison Anyone?
Where is Dave Thomas when you need him? Jacob Zachariah, owner of a Wendy’s franchise restaurant in Ukiah, California, could use a dose of the late Mr. Thomas’s intelligence and simple charm. Zachariah’s Ukiah Wendy’s restaurant was recently shut down, not by the health department, but by the Wendy’s corporation for failure to adhere to…
A Point Well Taken
Once again, the Perishable Pundit has managed to give, and get, some excellent commentary on sprouts and other food safety issues. I particularly enjoyed the statement by Devon Zagory, Ph.D, an industry leader in produce safety science, discussing the proper role of FDA regulations. If I may be so bold, and speak for Dr.