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Health Law

Food Safety News

Daily online newspaper dedicated to reporting on issues surrounding food safety.
By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

Post Frequency: 48.1/day

Last Entry: May 21, 2013 at 10:47:10

BBQ Shack in Toccoa, GA Likely Source of E. coli Outbreak

Posted on May 21, 2013
Seven previously reported cases of E. coli O157:H7 in Stephens County, GA have become 11, and 10 of those reported eating at the BBQ Shack in Toccoa over the weekend of May 2-4, local health officials say. Georgia District 2 Public Health spokesman Dave Palmer said 10 of the victims are residents of the Peach...

USDA?s Poultry Proposal Endangers Eaters, Not Just Employees

Posted on May 21, 2013
Ever hear the one about how the well?dressed accomplice caused a scene at the front door of the bank, while the masked robbers snuck in through the back and made off with the loot? Let that be a lesson to us: when we all train our eyes in one direction, we may miss the real...

Press Conference on Brazos E. coli Outbreak Set for Today

Posted on May 21, 2013
At a press conference today, the Brazos County Health Department is expected to name both the restaurant and beef supplier involved in the April E. coli outbreak that sickened ten people, including two local boys. On Monday, the department report the source of the E...

Brownie, Cookie, and Other Food Mixes Recalled for Salmonella

Posted on May 21, 2013
Eco-Cuisine of Boulder, Colorado is recalling all lots of several types of food mixes, including: Basic Brownie Mix, Betty Brownie Mix with Vanilla, Ground Beef Style Quick Mix, Sausage Style Quick Mix, Chocolate Cookie Mix, Lemon Muffin Mix, English Scone Mix, Basic Cookie Mix (25 lb...

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NY Fish Manufacturer Faces FDA Injunction

Posted on May 20, 2013
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it was seeking a preliminary injunction against New York City Fish, Inc. and several of the company’s employees on Friday for allegedly manufacturing and distributing ready-to-eat fish products under unsanitary conditions...

Vilsack Promises to Grow U.S. Organic Industry

Posted on May 20, 2013
At its recent policy conference in Washington, D.C., the Organic Trade Association (OTA) heard from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack about the future of organic farming. Vilsack told OTA members that he views organic as “its own separate commodity,” and he is committed to treating it that way...

Canadian Family Brings E. coli Suit Against U.S. Lettuce Supplier

Posted on May 20, 2013
The family of a Canadian woman who died from an E. coli infection filed suit against producer grower Tanimura & Antle last week in U.S. District Court in California, alleging her death was caused in part by the consumption of contaminated lettuce sold by the company...

How the Vernon Hershberger Food Licensing Trial Could Shift Views on Food Safety

Posted on May 20, 2013
On its face, the upcoming trial of Vernon Hershberger, which starts today, is about food and dairy licensing and the Wisconsin farmer?s refusal to seek out certain permits. Hershberger is accused of four criminal misdemeanors. The first three include failing to have a retail food establishment license,�operating a dairy farm as a milk producer without...

Improving Meat Traceability in the U.S.

Posted on May 20, 2013
Without necessarily knowing the term ?traceability,? consumers have been calling for it in their food system for a long time.� The evidence of that comes from the food industry itself, with its increased emphasis on where food came from. Many companies now highlight certain locations or farmers in brand names, commercials, or through packaging and...

Patent-Protected Technology Ended Up on FDA Website, Companies Charge

Posted on May 20, 2013
Two small Maryland companies have launched a campaign to publicize their allegations that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stole their patented technology. The two small businesses, FoodQuestTQ, LLC and Projectioneering LLC are charging that FDA took patent-protected computer automated risk management tools they developed and are now making them available on the government?s...

NC Holiday Inn Salmonella Outbreak Hits 70

Posted on May 20, 2013
At least 70 people have likely fallen ill with Salmonella after dining at two restaurants within the Holiday Inn Bordeaux in Fayetteville, N.C., according to the Cumberland County Department of Public Health. Five people have been hospitalized. Twelve of those reporting illness were visiting from out of state...

Unpasteurized Mexican Cheese Sickens 25 in Minneapolis

Posted on May 20, 2013
The number of Minnesotans sickened with Salmonella poisoning after eating unpasteurized, homemade queso fresco – a Mexican-style cheese – more than doubled before the outbreak ran its course. �Health officials said Monday that the number of illnesses in the outbreak have reached 25, up from the 12 cases originally reported two weeks ago...

Letter From The Editor: Catfish

Posted on May 19, 2013
Last week I told my colleagues that I did not want to hear anything more about the damn ?Farm Bill.? It?s taken up more time than the Korean War did, and I was sick of hearing about it. �Then they caught my attention by telling �me about the catfish amendment...

NM Apple Cider Maker Not Achieving 5-Log Reduction

Posted on May 17, 2013
A juice maker in Carrizozo, NM must prove to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it can achieve a 5-log reduction of ?the pertinent microorganisms? for the shelf life of its apple cider. FDA only recently released a Feb. 20 warning letter sent to James P...

Nevada Senate Committee Serves Up Raw Milk to Vegas

Posted on May 17, 2013
Gamblers in Las Vegas taking advantage of all those free drink offers might soon be ordering up a nice cold glass of raw milk. With only two dissenting votes Thursday afternoon, the Nevada Senate?s Committee on Health and Human Services gave a ?do pass? recommendation to Assembly Bill (AB) 209, making raw milk sales legal...

House Ag Committee Votes to Repeal USDA Catfish Inspection

Posted on May 17, 2013
The House Agriculture Committee voted to repeal a controversial catfish inspection program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture late Wednesday night ? a sign the program, which was mandated by the 2008 farm bill to help protect U.S. catfish farmers from cheap imports, may be headed for the chopping block...

Best Public Relations Money Can Buy ? A Guide to Food Industry Front Groups

Posted on May 17, 2013
Last month, the International Food Information Council Foundation�released�the third edition of its report:�Food Biotechnology: A Communicator?s Guide to Improving Understanding.�What sounds like a reasonable and helpful document is in fact the product of a well-oiled PR machine whose�board of trustees�includes executives from such food giants such as Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods, and Mars...

Illnesses Tied to NC Holiday Inn Salmonella Outbreak Rise to 51

Posted on May 17, 2013
At least 51 people are now known to have fallen ill in a Salmonella outbreak linked to a North Carolina Holiday Inn, reported the Cumberland County Health Department Friday. That number is up from the 44 illnesses reported by the Department just one day earlier...

Two Infants Ill in Salmonella Tahini Outbreak

Posted on May 17, 2013
Two Minnesota children under the age of 1 are reported ill in a Salmonella outbreak linked to nationally recalled Krinos brand tahini sesame paste, according to the Minnesota Department of Health�(MDH). The illnesses have been associated with a small cluster of Salmonella Mbandaka illnesses in other states, MDH spokesman Doug Schultz told�Food Safety News...

How a Food Store Inspection Turned Into a Hazmat Emergency

Posted on May 16, 2013
Two food safety emergencies in College Station, TX – an E. coli outbreak and a fumigant problem in a grocery store – �do not have anything to do with one another. ?At this time, the two incidents do not appear to be related,? Sara Mendez of the Brazos County Health Department told Food Safety News...

After Latest Scandals, Chinese Premier Urges Tighter Food Safety Controls

Posted on May 16, 2013
During a nationwide teleconference on Monday Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged “strict market supervision and harsh penalties” to improve food safety and assure costumers that something like the melamine milk scandal will never happen again...

Too Many Repeat Violators in Hog Slaughter, IG Report Says

Posted on May 16, 2013
Too many repeat violations are occurring at federally inspected pig slaughter plants, and the problem lies with inadequate enforcement, according to USDA?s Inspector General.�The IG ?s conclusion is found in a recently released audit report on USDA?s Food Safety and Inspection Service?s (FSIS?s) inspection and enforcement activities at the nation?s swine slaughter plants...

Institute of Medicine: Low Salt Intake May Be Unhealthy

Posted on May 16, 2013
Health experts have long promoted one simple, consistent message when it comes to salt intake: cut back. Now, a review from the Institute of Medicine suggests that a diet too low in sodium may actually be unhealthy for those at risk for heart problems...

7 E. coli Cases in Stephens County, GA

Posted on May 16, 2013
At least seven people in Stephens County, Ga.,�have fallen ill with E. coli in the last several weeks, leading health officials in the area to begin investigating the source of the outbreak, local radio station WNEG reports. Two of the patients were hospitalized and are now recovering...

NC Holiday Inn Salmonella Outbreak Climbs to 44 Cases

Posted on May 16, 2013
Update (5/16, 4:00 p.m. EST): Health officials in Cumberland County have updated the case count from 18 to 44 individuals sickened. The story below has been amended to reflect the updated numbers. At least 44 people have fallen ill with symptoms of Salmonella infection in an outbreak connected to the Holiday Inn Bordeaux in Fayetteville,...

Center for Food Safety Lists ?Food Industry Front Groups?

Posted on May 15, 2013
After a 40-year absence, enemies lists are making a comeback in Washington D.C. The ordinarily mild-mannered Center for Food Safety (CFS) Tuesday put out a list of what it called ?food industry front groups? that it charged with being guilty of deceptive practices...

Listeria in Onions, Salmonella in Mangoes Topped Last Year?s Reportable Foods List

Posted on May 15, 2013
Onions recalled for potential Listeria contamination and mangoes recalled for the possible presence of Salmonella were the foods most commonly reported by their manufacturers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between September of 2011 and September of 2012, according to a new report from the agency...

Senate Agriculture Comittee Clears Farm Bill

Posted on May 15, 2013
The Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday marked up and approved a new farm bill 15-5. While this mega-legislation that sets farm policy for five years is mostly focused on nutrition programs like SNAP and commodity programs like crop insurance and conservation, there are a couple notable food safety mentions in the bill: Under a section...

Boil Water Order Temporarily Closes Two Poultry Plants

Posted on May 14, 2013
Five Mississippi counties this year have seen water quality or quantity levels deteriorate to the point where Boil Water orders had to be issued. In the latest instance in Jones County, spikes in total coliform bacteria levels required a Boil Water alert Sunday...

WA Dairy Recalls Improperly Pasteurized Products

Posted on May 14, 2013
A Washington state dairy is voluntarily recalling certain milk and cream products because they were not adequately pasteurized. Pure Eire Dairy�of Othello, WA issued a recall of its organic pasteurized non-homogenized skim, reduced fat 2% milk, and whole and heavy cream milk products bearing the expiration dates of� 5/15/13, 5/18/13 and 5/20/13 Monday...

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