OrganicAuthority.com - Organic Blog » food borne illness

Are the FDA’s Outsourced Inspectors Keeping your Food Safe?

Jill Ettinger — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 08:32:54 +0000

A recent comprehensive article featured in Bloomberg Markets magazine highlights major issues with out nation's food safety programs, mainly the outsourcing done by the FDA because the agency lacks the resources to conduct its own safety inspections.

USDA Says Faster Poultry Inspections are Safer

Jill Ettinger — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:32:44 +0000

A controversial proposal that would increase the number of birds processed at chicken plants from 140 to 175 birds per minute, received support from a USDA spokesperson in a recent statement despite the agency's failure to meet targeted goals for reducing the outbreak of food borne illnesses.

Can A Vaccine Prevent Food Poisoning?

Jill Ettinger — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:00:27 +0000

Researchers at the University of California, Davis may have discovered the building blocks of a vaccine that can protect against the effects of Salmonella, one of the most common food borne pathogens. The study is published in the most current issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and would offer safety for millions of at risk individuals each year.

USDA Investigates Salmonella Outbreak in Beef

Erin Shaw — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 08:00:31 +0000

The USDA is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella that originated with beef products sold throughout the Northeast at Hannaford grocery stores. Tracing the outbreak source up the supply chain is complicated by weak record-keeping standards for grocers' beef products.

Pesticides and Bacteria Cause More Than a Dozen Recent Food-Related Deaths

Jill Ettinger — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 07:00:04 +0000

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.

Website Database Tracks Food Safety Threats

Jill Ettinger — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 13:00:03 +0000

Food borne illness outbreaks have become one of the most common threats to our health in the U.S. in recent years. From small batches of tainted vegetables or the incomprehensibly large scale of the more than half a billion eggs recalled last year for salmonella, to the lethal melamine tainted pet food in 2007, fears are at an all time high.