Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. Paul Schwarz likely should have died during his service of his country, but he survived and became a father, grandfather, great-grandfather and a productive member of our country. In all respects he was an American
June 14th – Food Seminars International – Producing Food is Risky Business: The Legal Consequences of Poor Food Safety
Bill Marler has been litigating foodborne illness cases for nearly two decades. The key to his success has been to find a quick, reliable method of distinguishing between legitimate food poisoning claims and suspect ones. In his experience, the food industry—from farmer to retailer to restaurant—tends to overemphasize the specious claim and undervalue the legitimate
Trouble with Imports: Why the Tempeh Salmonella Outbreak is a larger Problem
When Smiling Hara Tempeh Managing Executive Chad Oliphant began buying starter culture used to make the popular bean product tempeh from Maryland-based Tempeh Online, he surely did not expect it to be contaminated with Salmonella (or anything else, for that matter). And, why should he? Like most people in his position, I imagine Mr. Oliphant
California Cantaloupe Growers Adopt Food Safety – Its Past Time
After 146 people were sickened (with 36 dead) by Listeria-tainted cantaloupe grown in Colorado, the California Cantaloupe Growers finally charged/backed into action. They are now in the process of adopting the “California Cantaloupe Program.” You have to wonder why it took 36 dead and a total of 146 sickened to wake them up? It
Public Health – Time to stop hiding the ball
Public Health’s job is the Public’s Health and that includes telling us the truth.
Last week I was perplexed when Director Catherine Templeton of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced that a “Spartanburg-area Mexican restaurant” was to blame for a recent E. coli O157:H7 outbreak where at least 10 have
It is past time for transparency in public health
Lynne Shackleford and I likely did not make friends in South Carolina public health today. She for even writing an article – “State agency criticized for refusal to name Spartanburg restaurant linked to E. coli.” And, me for criticizing a South Carolina Health Department during a break today speaking on last years cantaloupe Listeria outbreak
“Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak and Recall: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”
Korean War veteran Clifford Tousignant served the United States of America for 22 years, earning three purple hearts along the way. In 2009, he died from eating Salmonella contaminated peanut butter.
Mr. Tousignant was one of nine people who died and 714 who were sickened in a 2008/2009 Salmonella outbreak linked to Peanut Corporation of
CDC Webinar: Foodborne Illness Outbreaks and Law
I have the honor and pleasure of giving an one hour webinar tomorrow sponsored by the CDC. Here are the slides:
CDC Webinar: Foodborne illness Outbreaks and Law with Attorney Bill Marler
View more presentations from Bill Marler.
You will note that one of the slides is blank. I have embedded a video on
Retail Pathogen Testing Works – How Random Testing Found a Salmonella Outbreak
Diamond Pet Foods still has some unanswered questions.
The CDC announced yesterday that a total of 14 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Infantis have been reported from 9 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Connecticut (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3)
Meat Glue, or, How to make a “Frankensteak” or “Fake Steak”
It is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) here in the U.S.
Thrombian, or Transglutaminase (TG), otherwise known as Meat Glue is an enzyme that catalyzes covalent bonds between free amine groups and gamma-caroxminid groups of protein or peptide bond gluatamine. Meat Glue is composed of thrombin and fibrogen, obtained from blood plasma. It has been