Over the last week both the CDC and FDA, along with various State Departments of Health and Agriculture, have been investigating two Listeria outbreaks linked to the consumption of various leafy greens. Using Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), product testing and clinical (human) sampling, health authorities have both determined that the source of the infection is
FDA: An Independent Review of FDA’s Foodborne Outbreak Response Processes
This review is part of FDA’s “New Era of Smarter Food Safety: FDA’s Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan” that also requires a hard look and the support by those concerned about improving the safety of our food and driving the numbers of ill consumers down.
Thanks to the deep dive by Craig Hedberg. Here
FDA steps up to help better investigate Foodborne illness outbreaks and find root causes
FDA Issues Improvement Plan Focused on Modernizing Foodborne Illness Outbreak Responses
The following is attributed to Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response,and Stic Harris, D.V.M. director of the FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a longstanding commitment to strengthening food safety and better
First talk in public in 18 months on Food Safety
Since early February 2020, I have continued to do talk on “why it is a bad idea to poison your customers,” but all have been by Zoom or some other video platform. Today I had the honor to hang with one of my food safety heroes – Craig Wilson – from Costco. I have known
Guess what ruins Thanksgiving – you guessed it – Salmonella
Volume 28, Number 1—January 2022
Dispatch
Salmonella Serotypes Associated with Illnesses after Thanksgiving Holiday, United States, 1998–2018
Here is the CDC’s conclusion:
Salmonella Reading was the serotype most strongly associated with illness during the Thanksgiving holiday. Given the dramatic increase in turkey consumption around Thanksgiving, one might expect that serotypes we identified are primarily associated
This Holiday Season, let’s help those that produce our food and provide for shelter – Farmworker Justice and Mary’s Place
Goodness, it has been a crazy few years. When the pandemic hit, Marler Clark went all in to help food banks, food service workers and first responders. As the pandemic has continued (please 40% of our friends and neighbors, please get vaccinated), we have looked to other places to help. Here is were we are
Hey Salmonella, put me out of business – Please
Some, I am sure are a bit tired of my ranting about the FSIS doing its job and deeming Salmonella that causes human illness an adulterant in meat.
Fact, after E. coli O157:H7 was deemed an adulterant in ground beef in 1994, it took about a decade for E. coli illness cases to drop. During
Did you know that USDA has a zero tolerance for Salmonella in beef served to school kids, but not for the rest of us?
Essentially, USDA/FSIS is treating Salmonella as an adulterant in this situation.
I mean, it is not a bad idea to protect school kids, but why the differences?
While you all were sleeping off your “turkey coma,” I was thinking about why Salmonella is not an adulterant by reading, Michael Ollinger, John Bovay, Casiano Benicio, and
Let’s talk Turkey about Salmonella being an Adulterant
Remember this as you prepare Thanksgiving for your family and as you read this post – it is Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Mission Statement: Protecting the public’s health by ensuring the safety of meat, poultry, and processed egg products.
USDA/FSIS has the authority to deem Salmonella and other pathogens adulterants – they just
Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Intent to Nominate Jose Emilio Esteban, Ph.D. to Serve as Under Secretary for Food Safety
Well, my flight to DC was delayed – no pilots – and this press release landed in my inbox. I have known Dr, Esteban for a long time and look forward to his leadership.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2021 — “Dr. Esteban has a deep understanding of USDA’s commitment to protect the health of the public