August 2010

usms-seal-300.jpgU.S. Marshals, acting under a court order sought by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, today seized packaged food products from a rodent-infested warehouse in Athens, Ga. A variety of products, including crackers, cookies and potato chips, were intended for sale to jails and prisons throughout the southeastern United States.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia issued a warrant for the seizure of all of the food in the warehouse from Mid-States Services Inc., that the FDA and the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) determined to be susceptible to contamination by rodents.

Investigators found 14 live rodents, seven dead rodents, 23 gnaw holes on multiple food containers, multiple containers of food containing rodent pellets, four rodent nests, and apparent rodent pellets too numerous to count, on and around food packages, as well as finding structural defects making the facilities accessible to rodents.Continue Reading U.S. Marshals act to prevent distribution of food from a rodent-infested warehouse in Athens, Georgia

I just could not stay awake late enough to watch Colbert have fun with Pat Boyle the other night.  To me it looks like Pat “meat” his match.  Interestingly, the President just made a “recess appointment” of the person who will be part of making the adulterant decision:

Elisabeth Hagen, Nominee for Under Secretary for Food Safety, Department of Agriculture

Dr. Elisabeth Hagen is currently the USDA’s Chief Medical Officer, serving as an advisor to USDA mission areas on a wide range of human health issues. Prior to her current post, she was a senior executive in the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), where she played a key role in developing and executing the agency’s scientific and public health agendas. She has been instrumental in building relationships and fostering coordination with food safety and public health partners at the federal, state, and local level. Before joining the federal government in 2006, Hagen taught and practiced medicine in both the private and academic sectors, most recently in Washington, DC. She holds an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and a B.S. from Saint Joseph’s University. Dr. Hagen completed her specialty medical training at the University of Texas Southwestern and the University of Pennsylvania, and is board certified in infectious disease.

Below the video is the AMI’s position on non-O157’s as adulterants and mine.  I would love to hear your comments.

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Better Know a Lobby – American Meat Institute
www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election

Fox News

Continue Reading Despite being on Colbert the AMI opposes making non-O157:H7 STECS adulterants

Eggs-Salmonella.jpg

AP reports a moment ago that “[h}undreds of people have been sickened in a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs in three states and possibly more, and health officials on Wednesday dramatically expanded a recall to 380 million eggs.”  Goodness!

Earlier today I was reading Philip Brasher’s Blog (yes, in part because he mentioned me and our lawsuit against Wright County Egg) and was somewhat shocked that Wright County Egg is “[a] livestock industry giant with a long history of immigration and environmental problems is now connected to a nationwide recall of eggs that the government blames for an outbreak of salmonella poisoning.” Ouch! Mr. Brasher went further:

The elder DeCoster, a Maine native who set up business in Wright County in the 1980s, pleaded guilty to federal immigration charges in 2003 and paid a record $2.1 million in penalties. In 2001, the state Supreme Court ruled that DeCoster, a repeat violator of state environmental laws, could finance, but not build, hog confinement operations for his son. Earlier this year, the elder DeCoster paid a fine to settle animal state cruelty charges against his egg operations in Maine.

Ouch! Again.Continue Reading Wright County Egg seems to be in some hot water – too bad it is not 160 degrees

UmpquaDairy.jpgOregon Public Health officials have recalled Umpqua Dairy brand Milk, half and half, cream and buttermilk as well as Umpqua Dairy brand gallon orange juice and fruit drinks. Umpqua Dairy Products Co., are sold in Oregon, southwest Washington and northern California.

All Umpqua Dairy products are pasteurized.  Recent testing at the Roseburg Dairy, however, identified Salmonella on several different surfaces. The recall comes after 23 people, all in Oregon, have been laboratory-confirmed with matching DNA patterns of Salmonella Braenderup. Two people have been hospitalized.Continue Reading Umpqua Dairy recalls pasteurized milk and juice due to 23 Salmonella Braenderup cases

Screen shot 2010-08-18 at 2.18.15 PM.pngScreen shot 2010-08-18 at 2.19.05 PM.pngIn the middle of yet another nationwide recall of food (228,000,000 eggs to be exact) and an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis linked to those eggs that appears to have begun in the Spring and announced in August, I had memory of House Bill 2749 (passed Jul7 2009), Sec., 121 and Senate Bill 501 (to be voted on shortly) Sec., 205. I know, I know, I need to get a life.

Interestingly these Sections have received little attention, but IMHO, have the greatest opportunity to fundamentally change how food is produced in the United States. Overstatement? Perhaps.

Of course, if SB 510 passes, it will need to be reconciled with the language of HB 2749. And, Congress will need to provide adequate funding and the President will need to sign it. Then of course the agencies impacted will need to promulgate Regulations – so, not a quick fix.

Read those sections above for yourself. However, here is my take on them:Continue Reading Foodborne Illness Surveillance in the time of HB 2749 and SB 510

pickles.jpgAccording to press reports, contaminated pickles have been linked by the Cook County Illinois Department of Public Health to an outbreak of Salmonella poisoning (no serotype announced).

According to public health officials, six confirmed cases of Salmonella have been linked to pickles purchased from the Assi Market in the Chicago suburb of Niles. Five people…

Wright County Egg Recall Tied to Salmonella Illnesses Nationwide

Salmonella Lawyers.jpgAn outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) at a restaurant in Kenosha, Wisconsin has been linked to the recall of 280,000,000 eggs and nearly 300 illnesses in the rapidly widening nationwide outbreak tied to Wright County Egg company. A lawsuit originally filed against the restaurant was filed…

AP reported a few moments ago that California Health officials report that Salmonella Enteritidis (SE)-tainted eggs have sickened at least 266 Californians with salmonella, despite a multi-state recall. Seven cases of salmonella were linked to the same recall in Minnesota.

salmonella egg.jpgThe FDA announced that since May 2010, CDC has identified a nationwide, four-fold increase in…