The NARMS retail meat surveillance program is a joint effort of the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and health departments in 11 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. Its goals include providing information to promote steps for reducing resistance in foodborne bacteria.
Schnucks E. coli Outbreak – should pay more attention to my romaine supplier?
On March 23, 2012 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its final update of the multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce.[1] The outbreak investigation was assigned outbreak code 1110MOEXH-2. Genetically, the outbreak strain was identified by Pulsenet pattern designations EXHX01.0047/EXHA26.0015. At the completion of the investigation
Norovirus Class Action Filed Against Golden Corral
Customers of the Casper, Wyoming Golden Corral filed a class action lawsuit against the restaurant today, alleging they were part of a norovirus food poisoning outbreak that was traced to food served at the restaurant in December. The lawsuit was filed in Federal District Court in Wyoming (Case Number 3CV-024-J) by The Ochs Law Firm
Raw Milk Cheese – 50 to 160 Times Greater Risk of Listeria
On Friday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a draft quantitative assessment of the risk of listeriosis from soft-ripened cheese consumption in the United States and Canada. The risk assessment is a joint effort between FDA and Health Canada. View the Federal Register Notice for the assessment.
The new FDA/Health Canada draft risk
The Sequester’s Impact on Food Safety – Less Inspections and No Meat for Two Weeks
According to the White House Press Office, unless Congress acts by March 1st, a series of automatic cuts – called a sequester – will go into effect to cut $85,000,000,000 across all government programs.
As for the impact of food safety, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could be forced to conduct 2,100 fewer inspections
Under the Headline: “No good deed goes unpunished”
You need a subscription to the National Law Journal to read: “Effort to help out gets plaintiffs firm booted from E. coli case,” but I will give you a bit of the flavor of the back story (here is the PDF).
The bottom line is that we frequently get calls from people (including
Tuna Scape – Hard Rock Salmonella – The Sick Tour
Today, our global food supply is a long one. The lengthening of the supply chain allows more opportunities for problems to occur.
Chris Fronzak, my client and lead singer for the heavy metal band Attila, consumed a spicy tuna roll containing Nakaochi Scrape at a Metairie, Louisiana restaurant while his band was on tour –
Casper Wyoming Golden Corral Source of Norovirus Outbreak – 31 Ill Employees Likely Made It Worse
The Wyoming Department of Health epidemiologist Kelly Weidenbach-Vigil, MPH, published a through and well-reasoned report on the cause of the Restaurant-Associated Outbreak of Norovirus Gastroenteritis Natrona County, November – December 2012 (Download Report). The entire report is worth a read and underscores the real hazard of allowing ill employees to work. Here is a
2006 was a Very Bad Year for E. coli and Leafy Greens
This is another it what will be a long – too long – series of outbreak investigations where we have represented consumers in what I hope will be a cautionary tale, and a learning experience, for manufacturers of food.
It was not that outbreaks linked to leafy greens had not happened before – 2006 was
You can get Salmonella Food Poisoning even at a Fancy Country Club
In the summer of 2002 I received a phone call one morning from a fellow who had been up all night with diarrhea and vomiting. He had learned too that several others who had attended a wedding the prior weekend were sick as well. Thus started our investigation into the Brook-Lea Country Club Salmonella outbreak.