China has banned food imports from eleven United States-based companies whose products have been tainted with peanut butter or paste that contain salmonella bacteria, Wednesday’s China Daily reported.

The blacklisted eleven food manufacturers include the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), considered the source of the contamination, and also the breakfast cereal maker Kellogg, according to…

Interview with Tom Karst of the Packer.com

In Bill Marler’s view, the case is closed.‚Ä®‚Ä®

In the wake of yet another long running salmonella investigation – this time linked to peanut butter – the Seattle-based food safety lawyer said he believes there is more than enough proof that federal and state governments need to increase…

This full interview with Mr. Jolly should be up on www.cattlenetwork.com shortly.

Did you know that the government needed permission from the Peanut Corporation of America before they could announce a huge recall of its products? Even after the feds began looking into felony charges against PCA management? Legally, the wording of the recall statement had to be approved by the company before the Food and Drug Administration could publish it.

A few days ago, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said president Obama will soon announce a new F.D.A. commissioner. Gibbs said the new commissioner would conduct a review of FDA procedures and put in place a “stricter regulatory structure.”

The New York Times suggested the review is “sure to examine whether the requirement for the peanut company’s approval caused delays in warnings about its products once public health officials became aware of significant problems at its plant in Blakely, Ga.”

Ya’ think?

Michael R. Taylor, a former top official at the food agency, said “F.D.A. negotiates communications about recalls with companies and that sometimes leads to delays. Changing that dynamic when people are getting seriously ill and dying is something that ought to happen.”

Bill Marler, the Seattle food safety lawyer who is the subject of this interview, said the agency had neither the authority nor the courage it needed to keep the food supply safe.

Judy Leon, an F.D.A. spokeswoman, following a time-honored Washington public relations technique known as ‘duck-and-cover,’ refused to comment.

Review the food recalls of the past two years and you’ll quickly understand why that hoary old saw “We have the safest food supply in the world” is quickly becoming a choke point among American consumers. No matter how often those of us in the food business try to reassure ourselves with that phrase, the public is not buying it anymore. At best, the phrase rings as hollow as a politician’s promise.

I wanted to find out more about the fed’s shortcomings when it comes to assuring the safety of our food supply and what the never-ending drum beat of bad news might mean to the future of the cattle business. The one man who has consistently been at the center of every sizable recall since the Jack-in-the-Box case over 15 years ago is Bill Marler.

Several months ago, Marler, often called the “litigious scourge of the food industry,” told us we’re losing the fight against E. coli. He could have just as easily added most of the other food pathogens, too. New and more virulent bacterial and viral strains joined by an overwhelmed and confused inspection system have led to some incredibly embarrassing headlines.

I called Marler to ask a few pointed questions. You’ll find just two themes in this interview. (1) What the hell is going on? And (2) What will be the effects on the cattle industry.

To fully understand Marler’s outrage on the current peanut recall, read his response to an FDA Globalization Act bill just introduced by John Dingell (D-MI):

“With the onslaught of reports of contaminated spinach, tomatoes, beef, pet food, and now peanut butter, it is clear increased funding and authority is needed at the FDA like Congressman Dingell’s legislation provides,” said Bill Marler, a food safety attorney and member of the American Association for Justice’s Foodborne Illness Litigation Group.

“However, the revelation the peanut manufacturer responsible for the salmonella outbreak knowingly endangered consumers by selling product they knew was harmful shows why FDA enforcement is not enough,” added Marler. “The increased inspections and civil justice penalties provided by this legislation go hand-in-hand with the right to hold wrongdoers accountable for the food they sell and profit from,” added Marler. “We are glad Congressman Dingell included language to protect the right of consumers to seek justice on these issues in the court system.”-AAJ

Full Interview BelowContinue Reading Jolley: Five Minutes with Bill Marler, Well-known Lawyer, Food Safety Activist – Cattlenetwork.com

The Georgia State Legislature will consider amending Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to adulteration and misbranding of food:

so as to change certain provisions relating to prohibited acts; to provide requirements for testing of samples or specimens of foods by food sales establishments for

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