Sunland, Inc., the New Mexico peanut processor recently shut down for its connection with a nationwide Salmonella outbreak linked to its peanut butter, may be permanently shut down if an injunction requested by the FDA is allowed, reports Food Safety News.

A production license being revoked from a New Mexico peanut processor responsible for processing 90 percent of the organic peanut harvest this year could lead to a massive shortage of the popular spread.

A new report released by the Government Accountability Office finds measures to reduce outbreaks of serious foodborne illnesses in the U.S. are not meeting the nation's safety goals, and the systems employed to catch and prevent outbreaks are in need of significant strengthening.

Cargill Beef has announced that it is voluntarily recalling more than 29,000 pounds of ground beef that may contain a harmful strain of salmonella. The USDA reports that more than 30 people have become sick, and two cases involved hospitalization from eating the tainted meat sold in states including Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia and Vermont.

After news spread that the USDA was planning on feeding 7 million pounds of the controversial meat product nicknamed "pink slime," the department announced that school districts participating in the government's school lunch program could refuse the ammonium hydroxide treated meat and request "filler-free" options instead.

Reacting to criticism over the use of beef scraps—including tissue and other parts of cows usually designated for pet food—nicknamed 'pink slime' by plucky British chef and healthy food advocate, Jamie Oliver, beef industry producers say the attacks and name-calling are unwarranted, and moreover, the product is not a health risk.

In a suspect move coming on the heels of major efforts to improve the quality of food fed to the nation's children, the USDA has made arrangements to purchase some 7 million pounds of the controversial "pink slime" meat for use in the national school lunch program, reports The Daily.

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.

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.

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