We are doing a series of inservice trainings for the younger lawyers and staff so they have a better understanding of how various parts of Government work on Food Safety. We have already finished a former CDC/PulseNet person (Dr. Bala Swaminathan) and we still have more to do. Today we had the honor to have
Hepatitis A Outbreak leads to $25,000 Illinois Food Safety Scholarship
Hepatitis outbreak leads to new R.I. scholarship
By Nicole Lauer
The law firm that assisted Rock Island and Milan residents in the 2009 outbreak of the Hepatitis A virus traced to a Milan McDonald’s has donated $25,000 to the Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation.
Food safety law firm Marler Clark donated the funds to the foundation
Tester Amendment to Allow FDA Oversight on Farm Sales to Wholesalers
Progress on fixing the Tester Amendment is making slow progress. Here is where it is at as a few moments ago. I am pleased to see that FDA will have oversight over sales between Farmers and Wholesalers. This is a good thing.
Summary of Tester Amendment
Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) has sponsored an amendment to
Senator Reid Steps up on Food Safety – Pass the Linda Rivera Food Safety Act Now
Nevada Senator Harry Reid made the following remarks on the Senate floor this morning to urge swift passage of food safety legislation. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
“No one in America should have to worry if their salad or sandwich is going to kill them. No one in the Senate should prey
“Smoking Gun” Gouda Cheese – E. coli O157:H7 Test Links ill in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada – CDC Reports
Laboratory testing conducted by the New Mexico Department of Health on an unopened (intact) package of Bravo Farms Dutch Style Gouda Cheese purchased from a Costco retail location has identified E. coli O157:H7 matching the outbreak strain. This is the first confirmation from an unopened cheese sample, and is consistent with previous laboratory testing conducted
More Cheese Recalled – this time Queso Fresco with Listeria
All 1- or 3-pound packages of Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese, Queso Panela Fresh Cheese, Requeson Mexican Style Ricotta Cheese and Queso Enchilado Dry Cheese distributed by Del Bueno of Grandview, Wash., because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
The organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children
Great quote from Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan on S 510 – FDA Food Safety Act
“S 510 is the most important food safety legislation in a generation. The Tester Amendment will make it even more effective, strengthening food safety rules while protecting small farmers and producers. We both think this is the right thing to do.” Eric Schlosser & Michael Pollan
This is from Food Safety News this morning:
The
Off in the morning to teach a Torts class
No, it is not a cooking class – That would be Torte. Not to be confused with tort, a civil wrong at law. A torte is a cake made primarily with eggs, sugar, and ground nuts instead of flour. Hopefully, the students in the Torts class already know the difference. Here is a link to
Salmonella Sickens 1.4 Million Americans Yearly – Another Video
Salmonella is a bacterium that causes one of the most common enteric (intestinal) infections in the United States – Salmonellosis. In some states (e.g. Georgia, Maryland), salmonellosis is the most commonly reported cause of enteric disease, and overall it is the second most common bacterial foodborne illness reported (usually slightly less frequent than Campylobacter infection).
President Obama weighs in on S. 510 – The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY S. 510 – The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act – (Sen. Durbin, D-Illinois, and 20 cosponsors)
The Administration supports Senate passage of the Manager’s Amendment in the nature of a substitute to S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. This bipartisan bill addresses longstanding challenges in the Food and Drug