According to press reports, an FDA requested panel says food safety in particular is in crisis. (Full Report) Questions about the FDA’s effectiveness have been underscored by alarming headlines in recent years — including E. coli in spinach, deadly chemicals in pet foods, toxic toothpaste and the heart-damaging side effects of drugs. The report says
Topps – Lessons America Forgot from Upton Sinclair’s “Jungle”
In October Topps Meat Company, founded in 1940, went out of business. That was after Topps had recalled nearly 22 million pounds of frozen hamburger contaminated with E. coli and 40 people across the U.S. had become ill.
Tort deformers decried the “tragedy” that is this Topps’ collapse – that a business went under
Topps files for bankruptcy after massive beef recall
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Jeffrey Gold, AP’s "E. coli guy," in New Jersey filed the story that had been rumored about for weeks about Topps Meat Company’s Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Topps has up to 10,000 creditors (including several of my clients) and liabilities of up to $100 million, according to its Chapter 7 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy
USDA – you must be kidding – No test and hold?
Robert Roos, CIDRAP News Editor caught the USDA ones again saying that it is interested in public safety, but when no one is looking changes the rules. Mr. Roos’ article entitled, “USDA modifies E. coli testing rules for Canadian beef,” is frankly shocking. According to the story, the “USDA has modified its program
E. coli quote of the day
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Late last night Christopher Doering of Reuters quoted USDA/FSIS head guy, U.S. Agriculture Undersecretary Richard Raymond, in an article entitled – USDA says has enough legal authority to do recalls – Dr. Raymond testified that the U.S. Agriculture Department does not need additional authority to conduct meat recalls and would oppose any move to make
Off To The “Big Apple” – YUM
I leave in the morning (a few hours away actually) to NYC in part to meet several new clients from the Topps E. coli outbreak, but also to meet with representatives of YUM Brands to try and resolve several E. coli cases stemming from the Taco Bell E. coli outbreak of 2006. Interestingly, today,
Topps, Cargill E. coli Recall and ConAgra Salmonella Too
Beef recalls raise concerns about food safety
Jeffrey Gold, AP Business Writer (a.k.a. “E. coli Guy”) interviewed the husband and father of two of my clients in the Topps E. coli case:
‘Food is being pushed out at such a rapid pace to keep up with demand, the product is not as safe as it
When is a Recall not a Recall? When you still can buy contaminated meat on your store shelves.
Jeff Gold, AP Business Writer in New Jersey, has continued to dig into the complete failure of the “voluntary recall” system to get this E. coli – contaminated Topps hamburger off store shelves. I posted nearly a week ago when reports first surfaced that the product was still being sold a month after Topps issued
The Canadian Government Sends E. coli Contaminated Meat South?
I had a nice chat with Neil Waugh of the Edmonton Sun yesterday about the twisted trail of E. coli from Canada. I am hurt (not really) that he called me a “legal vulture.”
Fallout from ‘dirty’ Alberta beef plant felt on both sides of the border
According to Mr. Waugh:
Ranchers Beef Ltd. of
I guess I do not speak Canadian
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I’m a bit confused. Yesterday it was reported that Ranchers Beef Ltd (now out of business) was both the source of an E. coli outbreak in the United States that had sickened at least 40 tied to the consumption of Topps Meat (also out of business) AND 44 ill persons and 1 death in Canada.