Researchers led by Jinru Chen, Ph.D., with the University of Georgia, are using an anonymous survey to better understand the current cleaning and sanitation methods used on blueberry harvest containers and machine harvesters. Based on the survey results and with the help of a blueberry industry advisory board, the researchers hope to identify cleaning and…
– Opinion – Editor’s note: The following is attributed to Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, and Stic Harris, D.V.M. director of the FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a longstanding commitment to strengthening food safety and better protecting consumers, as part of…
The Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements in Arizona and California, which exist to promote food safety for lettuce and leafy greens, report that they have conducted an initial review of FDA’s new rule for agricultural water and they’ve found LGMA’s current requirements “meet and exceed” what is in the proposed new rule. LGMA growers in California…
E. coli was behind a large-scale food poisoning outbreak that involved about 3,000 school students and staff in Japan this past year, according to a study. The investigation found the 2020 outbreak was caused by red seaweed used in a salad contaminated with E. coli O7:H4. The seaweed had been imported in 2017. E. coli O7:H4 carrying…
In a public health notice, officials report a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak of unknown origin is continuing to grow, with patients spread across five Canadian provinces. As of Dec. 9, there were 16 new confirmed patients, bringing the tally to 79, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Four people have been hospitalized. No deaths…
The Coca Cola Company is recalling certain Minute Maid products because of the potential of foreign objects, specifically metal bolts or washers. The recalled products were distributed in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Maine and New Jersey, according to the Food and Drug Administration. There is concern that consumers may still have…
A decade after the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law, the FDA’s final rule on Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF) for a laboratory accreditation program for the testing of food in certain circumstances is becoming a reality. Under the LAAF program, the Food and Drug Administration will recognize accreditation bodies (ABs)…
Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) provides new opportunities for improving bacterial food safety but also brings with it some concerns, according to Belgian experts. An opinion by the Scientific Committee of the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) made several recommendations about implementing the technology in Belgium. Different foodborne pathogens including Salmonella,…
Federal officials have opened an investigation into an outbreak of E. Coli O157:H7 infections suspected to be linked to ground beef. Other than the fact there is an open investigation, no other published information is available from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The FSIS has not indicated what producers or what brands…
A seven-minute abs workout may seem too short to effectively smoke your core. But guess what? With the right exercises, you can absolutely strengthen your core muscles in that amount of time—and we have a prime example of a seven-minute abs routine that you can add onto any workout (or perform on its own)!First, though,…
