From the CDC: A person has tested positive for avian influenza A(H5) virus (H5 bird flu) in the U.S., as reported by Colorado and confirmed by CDC. This case occurred in a person who had direct exposure to poultry and was involved in the culling (depopulating) of poultry with presumptive H5N1 bird flu. The
New Food Safety Center Just For Kids
It is the unfortunate reality that children are disproportionately affected by foodborne illness. According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of the reported foodborne illnesses occur in children, with the majority of these cases occurring in children under 15 years of age. There are several reasons
New England Journal of Medicine on Nationwide Salmonella Outbreaks
An excellent piece authored by Dennis G. Maki, MD. discussing food safety and seeking lessons learned in recent national Salmonella outbreaks was recently brought to my attention. Dr. Maki’s piece from the March 2009 New England Journal of Medicine looked back over two outbreaks in particular, the 2008 Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak linked to peppers, and
Rep. Dingell Renews Push to Pass Food Safety Bill
There has been a renewed push by Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich) to move the Food Safety Modernization Act through the Senate, reports Caroline Scott-Thomas. Using the recent recalls of Salmonella-contaminated alfalfa sprouts and romaine lettuce linked to human illnesses, Rep. Dingell said in a statement:
It is unfortunate that we find ourselves
Florida Tomato Safety Law Passes House – to Governor
A quick update on a story I posted on before. The tomato food safety bill that passed the Florida.jpg)
State Senate in March has now passed the house, and is now headed to Governor Crist for signature. It was reported that the bill continues to receive virtually unanimous support:
The measure, which was written
Bill Marler Wins 2010 Food Safety Leadership Award
NSF International announced today that Bill Marler is a recipient of a 2010 Food Safety Leadership Award. NSF is an "independent, not-for-profit organization committed to protecting and improving public health and safety." Tomorrow, Marler will be presented the annual award for Innovation in Education, at the Food Safety Summitt in Washington D.C.
NSF created the yearly awards to
Durbin Proposes Food Safety Modernization Act
Senate hearing on food safety legislation (SB 510) (Food Safety Modernization Act) will occur soon, maybe even next week. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and a group of colleagues have proposed the legislation in response to a number of recent outbreaks of food poisoning linked to Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter, and other pathogens.
Meat Trade News Daily misses only a couple
The Meat Trade News Daily misses only a couple major food safety issues (i.e. outbreaks) in yesterdays summary of ten major food stories in 2009. In the blog post, titled "USA – Food Safety a Bloody Disgrace," MTND includes:
1. Stephanie Smith’s E. coli O157:H7 and HUS illness from eating a contaminated Cargill ground beef patty. Stephanie has sued Cargill for
The Pathogenic Dangers of . . . Wooden Shipping Pallets?
Yes, even wooden shipping pallets. These days, it seems that nothing is immune from being linked to an outbreak of foodborne disease. Spinach, lettuce, sprouts, peanut butter, cookie dough, pizza, shellfish . . . everything. And now, a pharmaceutical recall highlights the potential risks posed by something as seemingly innocuous as wooden shipping pallets.
This news
Food Safety Regulators Voice Support for Animal ID System
High-profile food safety regulators recently explained the need for a national animal identification system, according to this report on Drovers.com. The comments were made at the "ID Info Expo 2009" in Kansas City, Missouri.
Proposals for such a tracking system often draw criticism from the livestock industry, centering around concerns over cost and bureaucracy. Speakers at the