Three Peruvian children between the ages of six and ten died earlier this month and 50 more became seriously ill after eating food donated by a school nutrition program that was contaminated with high levels of a toxic pesticide.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to announce a proposed new rule—the Animal Disease Traceability system—that would mandate livestock animal tracking through ID tagging. The agency has proposed similar rules in the past—beginning in the early 1990s and again in 2003 after 3 cases of "mad cow disease," bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) were discovered in the U.S.

If you’re planning to dine out, this story is about to ruin your day.

British researchers have found that more than half of the cleaning cloths used in restaurants and takeout kitchens contained alarming levels of bacteria—sure signs of poor hygiene and cross-contamination.

These cloths must be frequently changed or disinfected to halt bacterial growth that could cause food poisoning, according to the research team at the United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency. Failure to do so means bacteria can spread from the cloths to foodservice workers’ hands, as well as work surfaces and equipment.

Cover enough salmonella or E. coli outbreaks, and you become intimately familiar with the “T” word: traceback.

The term refers to the process federal inspectors use to determine exactly where contamination occurred in the food supply chain.

Recent recalls highlight the critical need for an effective product tracing system, according to the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a Chicago-based organization that represents food scientists and related professionals.

About 8,500 pounds of ground beef have been recalled by Wyalusing, PA-based Cargill Meat Solutions Corp.

This is an E. coli-related Class I recall, which designates “a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

This isn’t Cargill’s first time at the recall rodeo. As I reported in November, the company was forced to recall 5,522 pounds of beef tongues because workers neglected to remove tonsils—a violation of both USDA regulations and my personal “ick” meter.

Modesto, Calif.-based Valley Meat Co. is recalling approximately 1 million pounds of frozen ground beef patties and bulk ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli.

This is a U.S. Department of Agriculture Class 1 recall, which indicates “a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

Affected products are listed here. At press time, seven individuals have become ill.

As I reported in October, eating ground beef is still considered a “gamble.”

Photo: aMichiganMom

My mother, who lives 3,000 miles away, has this weird penchant for using me as a food-safety barometer.

“I made some chicken salad a week ago,” she’ll tell me over the phone. “Do you think I can eat it for lunch?”

“Not unless your life-insurance premium is paid up,” I’ll reply.

Food poisoning is on my official Top 10 List of Unpleasant Experiences, courtesy of a visit to a fish eatery at New York City’s South Street Seaport some years ago. I’m talking about the bona fide nastiness that exiles you to your hotel room for 3 straight days, as you cope with fever, fatigue, cramping and surreal gastrointestinal upheavals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25% of us will contract one of 250 foodborne illnesses each year—a statistic that doesn’t include the headline-making, recall-related salmonella and E. coli outbreaks that seem to occur with increasing frequency. While we cannot control how food is prepared and stored when we dine out, we can take specific steps to prevent problems at home.

 “Despite the spate of recent food recalls, consumers aren’t completely helpless when it comes to feeding their families more safely,” confirms Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart magazine.

In a recent issue, Freeman’s editorial team offered tips on decoding what food product dates really mean. This one’s for you, Mom:

• “Sell” or “pull” date. Grocery stores use this date to determine how long food products should remain on shelves. Properly stored products should be safe to eat 3 to 7 days after the sell-by date.
• “Best if used by” date. This date is set by the manufacturer. Use the product by this date for top quality and flavor.
• Expiration date. Here’s the biggie. Always check this date when shopping because you don’t want to bring an expired—or close-to-expiring—product home. If products in your cupboard have expired, discard them to avoid becoming ill.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a Food Labeling Fact Sheet that offers specific information on baby food, meat, poultry, eggs and prepared foods.

For Your Organic Bookshelf: Food Alert! The Ultimate Sourcebook for Food Safety

If I say “E. coli,” I bet you’ll associate it with contaminated foods—from bagged baby spinach and romaine to steak and ground beef. 

Indeed, the most common sources of E. coli infection, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, are: 

• Eating undercooked ground beef (with a pink interior)
• Drinking contaminated water
• Drinking unpasteurized (raw) milk
• Working with cattle  

But I’d like to bring your attention to a nonfood source of infection: beach sand, on which E. coli can thrive, grow and reproduce. Animals’ (dogs, cats, birds) fecal material is the usual source.

Unwrap your well-packed organic sandwich while soaking up some sun, and you could potentially ingest unwanted microbes. That’s why it’s critical to wash your hands after touching sand.

Colorado based Rocky Mountain Natural Meats has issued a recall of ground bison meat and tenderized bison steaks over possible E. coli contamination.

E. coli is a foodborne bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal infection, bloody diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and pneumonia.

The recall includes 66,000 pounds of six different ground meat and steak products produced in May. The meat is marked with "sell or freeze by" dates in June, said the United States Agriculture Department in a release.

Rocky Mountain Natural Meats bison meat has been linked to five cases of E.coli in Colorado and possibly another in New York.

But despite this blip of bad news, the bison meat market in the U.S. has experienced tremendous growth.

The National Bison Association (NBA) says in 2009, 70,000 bison were slaughtered under federal and state inspection in the U.S. The NBA's website lists bison as a healthier alternative to beef, with bison having 2.42 grams of fat per 3.5 ounces, compared to choice cow meat which as 18.54 grams of fat.

In 2007, a census by Department of Agriculture reported nearly 200,000 bison reside on private ranches and farms in the United States.

Why do we even eat buffalo? Didn't we hunt them to the brink of extinction? And aren't American Bison a national treasure, like the Bald Eagles? As a non-meat eater I don't get it. We raise tons of cows - thats not enough for you!

E. coli scares in the U.S. are all too common, an E. coli-Romaine lettuce outbreak in May sickened people in Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee.