December 2006

A recent editorial commentary by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette addresses the recent incidents of food-borne disease, particularly those involving produce in restaurant chains such as Taco Bell.

Despite more than 12,000 food-processing plants in the United States, says the editorial,  the budget of a key federal watchdog, the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food

Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, commented in a recent TomPaine.com editorial in regards to the need for Americans to eat for fresh fruits and vegetables, and how the recent food poisoning outbreaks are hindering that message.

“Contaminated foods kill about 5,000 Americans each year

Almond Board of California’s proposal to create a mandatory pasteurization program to eliminate the potential for salmonella bacteria in California almonds is one step closer to reality.

After two years of research and consultation involving California’s annual $2.5 billion almond industry, the plan is designed to negate future chances of California almond-caused salmonella outbreaks.

For

The consumption of raw sprouts has been linked to more than 30 outbreaks of foodborne illness throughout North America in the past 15 years, affecting tens of thousands of people.

The first consumer warning about sprouts was issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in 1997. By July 9, 1999, FDA had advised all

Eighty-three percent of chicken sold in U.S. grocery stores may contain bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses, a consumer group said on Monday. That number is 34 percentage points higher than the rate it found three years ago.

Consumer Reports said tests on 525 chickens – including samples from leading brands Perdue, Pilgrim’s Pride Inc. and

After 15 students at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, visited the emergency ward, they tested positive for the same strain of Salmonella. A link was made to raw bean sprouts, and the city decided on Nov. 23, 2006 to warn the public, according to Douglas Powell of the Food Safety Network.

As part of