Food Safety in the News
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S. 425 Food Safety and Tracking Improvement Act
June 22 2009 by Sue Browning, FDA Policy Examiner, www.examiner.com
Sen. Sherrod Brown(D-OH) has introduced S.425 to establish a national traceability system for all food under the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) jurisdiction. This proposed legislation would require, “a traceability system … for all stages of manufacturing, processing, packaging and distribution of food.” The bill further states that, “Electronic records identifying each prior sale, purchase, or trade of the food and its ingredients, and establishing that the food and its ingredients were grown, prepared, handled, manufactured, processed, distributed, shipped, warehoused, imported, and conveyed under conditions that ensure the safety of the food. The records should include an electronic statement with the date of, and the names and addresses of all parties to, each prior sale, purchase, or trade, and any other information as appropriate.”
Major Overhaul of Food Safety Rules Coming
June 22 2009 by By Martha Lynn Craver, Associate Editor, The Kiplinger Letter
Everyone from farmers to retailers to consumers will be affected by the broad changes.
Can Bar Codes for Food Lead to Safer Practices?
June 16 2009 by By Sarah Terry-Cobo, GreenBiz.com
It’s not just the outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella or the popularity of the "locavore" movement among locally-grown food activists that has spawned the creation of more detailed information about the journey from the farm to the dinner table.
The New Scientist reported the flurry of technologies, reporting systems and databases for tracing food origins.
Bar Codes Could Reveal Your Food’s Credentials
June 16 2009 by By: Mason Inman of New Scientist Magazine
WHERE does your food come from? A few years ago, most consumers were satisfied with a sticker showing the country of origin. But concerns about fair trade and the environment, as well as food safety, are now driving a wave of projects aimed at tracking food from farm to shopping basket.
Country-of-origin labeling: Not so COOL?
May 14 2009 by Food Production Daily.com
FoodNavigator-USA.com asks its readers what they think of Canada’s World Trade Organization complaint over US country-of-origin labeling rules.
Canada has said that the US country-of-origin labeling (COOL) hurts its exports and has filed a complaint with the WTO saying that the rules stop its producers from being able to compete fairly on the US market.
If it wins it could impose retaliatory sanctions on American food products.
Data shows no decrease in rate of US food related outbreaks
April 15 2009 by Jane Byrne
Progress in the prevention of foodborne illnesses in the US has stalled, admits the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Food Safety Efforts Have Stalled in Recent Years, CDC Says
April 10 2009 by By Lyndsey Layton; Washington Post Staff Writer
Efforts to reduce the number of food-borne illnesses in the United States have stalled in the past three years, and some illnesses are on the upswing, giving new urgency to efforts to reform the nation’s food safety system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported yesterday.
US: GMA calls for food safety reform
April 07 2009 by just-food.com
A US food industry body has thrown its weight behind calls for reforms to food safety legislation in the wake of a number of high-profile safety scares.
Food safety bill introduced after pistachio recall
April 01 2009 by Kathy Robertson of the Sacramento Business Journal
While federal officials cranked up efforts to trace salmonella-tainted pistachios from a California-based plant, two state lawmakers announced legislation Tuesday to help ensure that foods processed in the state meet rigorous safety standards.
Investigators say food tracing system full of gaps
March 26 2009 by Ricardo Alonzo-Zaldivar, The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The government’s system for tracing foods is riddled with holes, and that could undercut officials’ ability to find the source of a disease outbreak or bioterrorism attack, according to a federal report released Thursday.
U.S. lawmaker blasts China food safety
March 18 2009 by Roberta Rampton and Christopher Doering
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has “serious issues” with food imports from China and needs to do more to prevent contaminated products from entering the U.S. food supply, an influential House lawmaker said on Wednesday.
US: Obama moves to boost food safety
March 16 2009 by just-food.com
President Barack Obama signalled his intention to improve US food safety on Saturday (14 March), with the formation of a Food Safety Working Group and two top appointments at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Checkout alert system for recalled foods sought
March 16 2009 by Marc Lifsher
Consumer advocates say supermarket scanners should be programmed to trigger an alert when shoppers try to buy a recalled product. Some chains already are doing this.
COOL rules on food labeling now fully in effect
March 16 2009 by ConsumerReports.org
The U.S. Department of Agriculture begins enforcing the final rule on country-of-origin labeling (COOL) today. Under the new rule, grocery stores will have to identify the country of origin for muscle cuts and ground beef (including veal), pork, lamb, goat and chicken; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts and ginseng.
Food Safety: Majority of Americans Feel Industry Doesn’t Do Enough
March 11 2009 by ASQ
ASQ Survey: Majority also feel recall process is only poor or fair
Milwaukee, Wis., March 11, 2009 — On the heels of the largest product recall in U.S. history, an ASQ survey reveals that although the majority of the food industry may be following safe production procedures, the majority of the public doesn’t feel it does enough. Food safety is still igniting widespread concern according to the survey of U.S. adults conducted by Harris Interactive® on behalf of ASQ.
California bill proposes grocery scanners assist in recalls
March 11 2009 by IFT Webpage 'The Weekly'
Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) has introduced legislation —”Senate Bill 550”— that would require California grocery stores that use programmable check-out scanners to program them to notify the employee and customer when a recalled product is scanned.
Bipartisan bill proposes more power for FDA
March 06 2009 by Source of Article: http://www.ift.org/news_bin/news/news_home.shtml
Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Judd Greg (R-N.H.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) introduced a bill on March 3 that would expand FDA funding and give the agency more power to recall food, according to a Reuters article.
Senators push to boost FDA food safety system
March 04 2009 by Julia Malone, Cox News Service
Democratic and Republican senators got behind comprehensive legislation Tuesday to increase food inspection and oversight in the wake of a national scandal over salmonella-tainted peanut products.
Extending existing technologies to tackle food-borne illness
March 03 2009 by Caroline Scott-Thomas
Several controversial measures are needed to "stop reliving history" and ensure the safety of the US food supply, says a leading professor of medicine.
China adopts law to strengthen food safety control, vows to punish offenders
February 28 2009 by By Xinhua writers Yuan Ye and Wu Jing
BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua)—China’s top legislature approved the Food Safety Law on Saturday, providing a legal basis for the government to strengthen food safety control “from the production line to the dining table.”
Obama healthcare budget includes FDA reform
February 26 2009 by Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama’s new budget includes more than $1 billion to help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration strengthen its food safety efforts, $6 billion for cancer research and a program to send nurses to the homes of new mothers to check their babies.
Official calls for ‘country of origin’ food labels
February 18 2009 by Associated Press
If meat industry does not comply, Obama administration will draft new laws WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is calling for stricter labels on fresh meat and other foods that would show more clearly where an animal or food came from.
Vilsack Calls for Stricter Food Labels
February 18 2009 by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is throwing out food labeling rules proposed by the Agriculture Department just before George W. Bush left office, saying it wants labels for fresh meat and other foods that would show more clearly where an animal or food came from, according to consumer groups who’ve been briefed on the issue.
US: Peanut scare fuels food concern - survey
February 13 2009 by just-food.com
Almost half of US mothers worry about the foods their families eat following the peanut salmonella outbreak that has sickened over 600 people, according to a recent survey.
Fresh Fruits And Vegetables Are Increasingly Recognized As A Source Of Food Poisoning Outbreaks
February 13 2009 by Science Daily
Raw fruits and vegetables are good for you but may also send you to the doctor, according to research published today by Cambridge University Press in the journal Epidemiology and Infection.
Smart label can indicate product freshness, says developers
February 11 2009 by Jane Byrne
A ‘smart’ barcode for food packaging can inform consumers and retailers whether refrigerated food products such as chicken, milk and beef are no longer fresh, says the development team.
US: Lawmaker proposes food safety reform
February 05 2009 by just-food.com
Legislation designed to address "systematic problems" in the US food safety regime through the establishment of a separate Food Safety Administration was unveiled in Washington DC yesterday (4 February).
Sen. Bulloch Proposes Crackdown on Food Testing
February 03 2009 by Georgia Senate Press Office >> Blog Archive
ATLANTA (February 3, 2009) State Sen. John Bulloch (R-Ochlocknee) is launching a bill to impose stricter guidelines on food testing for processing plants in response to the nationwide salmonella outbreak that was linked to a South Georgia peanut butter plant in Blakely, GA. Senate Bill 80, the Food Safety Testing, Reporting & Record Keeping bill, dropped this week
Nut so good - tainted US food system needs revamping
February 02 2009 by Jane Byrne
E. coli in ground beef, melamine in infant formula, and salmonella in peanut butter - what is next? Isn’t it about time the slices of the US food safety pie were taken back from the multiple federal agencies involved and surveillance placed under one roof?
Campylobacter cases in humans on the rise, EFSA
January 20 2009 by Jane Byrne
Campylobacter infections still topped the list of zoonotic diseases in the European Union while the number of cases of Salmonella infections in humans fell for the fourth year in a row, according to a report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Food terrorism tops 2009 safety scare list
January 05 2009 by Sarah Hills
Economic terrorism and deadly strains of E. coli are among the main food safety issues that manufacturers could face in the US in 2009, according to a law firm which represents victims of food-borne illness outbreaks.
Meat processor pays out in listeriosis lawsuit
December 19 2008 by Staff Reporter at Food Production Daily
Canada’s largest food processor, Maple Leaf Foods, has settled consumer lawsuits filed in the wake of an outbreak of listeriosis in August to the tune of CAN$27m (US$22.5m).
US report urges better foodborne disease monitoring
December 17 2008 by Jane Byrne
A new US report concludes that major gaps remain in many critical areas of preparedness for health emergencies, including foodborne disease reporting.
CR Poll: Two-thirds of Americans want FDA to inspect domestic, foreign food supply
December 17 2008 by Consumers Union
Overwhelming majority of consumers want country of origin labeling loopholes closed; GE and cloned animals labeled
Consumers expect more from the government in monitoring the food supply
US report urges better foodborne disease monitoring
December 17 2008 by Jane Byrne
A new US report concludes that major gaps remain in many critical areas of preparedness for health emergencies, including foodborne disease reporting.
Harmonization urged to improve food supply chain
December 04 2008 by Staff Reporter at Food Production Daily
A US conference looked at ways to improve food safety through harmonization of global third party food safety audit criteria.
US: FDA looks to beef-up safety regs
December 02 2008 by just-food.com
The US Food and Drug Administration has indicated that it is seeking broader regulatory powers, proposing increased food safety restrictions and the hiring of third-party inspectors in a bid to enhance safety across the food supply chain.
New technology driving US food safety sales
November 24 2008 by By CHRIS JONES Foodproductiondaily.com
“Smart labels that report product exposure to adversly high temperatures during transport and storage are providing information that simply was not previously available to either the retailer or consumer,” said Gangloff.
“From a food safety standpoint, smart labels and tags are considered important if they provide traceability, or some indication of a condition change that would affect the safety of the food.”
Probiotics may protect against food poisoning
March 20 2007 by By Stephen Daniells
Irish scientists report that a combination of five probiotic strains may reduce food poisoning by salmonella, if results of their pig study can be translated to humans.
State taking a hard look at food safety
March 20 2007 by By DAWN WITHERS The Salinas Californian
MONTEREY - State Sen. Abel Maldonado on Monday said it’s important for the Senate Agriculture Committee, which he chairs, to scrutinize food-safety legislation that will protect consumers and keep the state’s agriculture industry viable.
“Trust us, it’s safe”
February 08 2007
Food security is high on the agenda of modern consumer concerns, but are shoppers right to be worried? Bernice Hurst investigates instances where a growing culture of fear is more than justified and claims confidence in food security is being undermined by sloppy practice.
Food Safety 101
January 30 2007 by CBS News, Jan. 30, 2007
More On How To Keep Your Food FreshHow Can I Eliminate Harmful Bacteria From Produce?
Vigorously washing produce under cold running water - minus the soap - is the best way to reduce or eliminate bacteria. Soaking produce in warm water won’t help. And washing it in very hot water isn’t any more effective because it’s impossible to get the temperature high enough to kill harmful organisms and still be able to put your hands in the water.
What Is The Safest Temperature Setting For Your Fridge?
Food-borne pathogens thrive and grow the most rapidly between 40 and 140 degrees. So make sure your refrigerator is set at or below 40 degrees. Keep a refrigerator thermometer in the fridge and check it often. Your freezer should be below 0 degrees. Here, too, it pays to invest in a thermometer.
Asia Pacific ready meals market heats up
January 23 2007 by Emily Woon
For cultural reasons, the ready meals category remains virtually undeveloped in certain Asia Pacific countries, but elsewhere in the region sales are growing, spurred by changing lifestyles and retail promotion in markets such as Japan and Taiwan. Emily Woon of Euromonitor International reports.
However, the ready meals sector is gaining momentum within Asia Pacific, with changing consumer lifestyles, the development of new products that cater to local tastes and aggressive promotions by retailers the main driving forces behind the growth.
Food safety risks stick with consumers long-term, survey
January 08 2007 by Lorraine Heller
Food safety scares could result in a long lasting impact on purchasing decisions, with new research revealing that 15 percent of consumers stop eating a product entirely after a food safety incident. The findings come as the industry is already battling to recover from several cases of food poisoning in recent months, which resulted in serious illness and severe market consequences. According to a new survey conducted last month, over one in ten adults say they or someone in their household have been affected by food poisoning, although only a third of these incidents were reported.
Food Safety Takes Spotlight
January 06 2007 by Jake Henshaw, The Salinas Californian Capitol Bureau Sacramento
State lawmakers have begun 2007 with a wide range of views on how to increase food safety following the late-summer E. coli outbreak linked to Salinas-area spinach. Sen. Dean Florex, D-Shafter, who chairs the Senate Governmental Organization Committee. "It’s clear there is a market failure here," Florez said. "Government needs to step in in these cases… when industries do not step in to police themselves".
Food safety ripe for oversight change: lawmakers
December 11 2006 by Christopher Doering
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers vowed on Monday to make food safety a top priority when the new Democratic-led Congress convenes in January following a recent series of high-profile illnesses caused by the potentially deadly E. coli bacteria. “We’ve just got to go in and have, really, a top to bottom look at what is going on,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, said in an interview. The food safety system “appears to have broken down when you have these outbreaks almost every single week,” she added. DeLauro, who will be in charge of the House agriculture appropriations subcommittee starting in January, said her first hearing will focus on food safety.
US: Survey finds consumers concerned with food safety
November 20 2006 by just-food.com
An online survey among a national sample of 2,357 adults aged 18 or over showed that more than half of US consumers are concerned with the safety of food purchased at the grocery store.
The survey found that 63% of all US adults are extremely or very concerned with the cleanliness of restaurants they eat at, translating to approximately 140m adults. In addition, 52% were concerned with the safety of food purchased in the grocery store, 51% to the quality of drinking water in their community, 44% to the healthiness of ingredients in the foods they eat and 41% to the origin of the fresh produce they consume.
“Food safety has been a growing concern for the past ten years and it continues to be an important issue to consumers,” said Parker Hurlburt, vice president of Harris Interactive’s Consumer Packaged Goods Research Practice. “Although the E coli outbreak was due only to affected spinach, many consumers took a ‘better safe than sorry’ attitude and stopped eating lettuce as well. We also have seen this concern translate itself into increased interest in organic and locally grown foods.”
British Eaters Who Like Rare Meat Sign Disclaimers
November 01 2006 by London (Reuters)
Some restaurants in Britain are forcing customers who like their meat rare to sign a disclaimer form before eating due to fears of the risk of E. coli and salmonella poisoning, the Sunday Times newspaper reported. It said that restaurants including food chains Planet Hollywood, All Bar One and Shoeless Joe’s were prepared to serve rare hamburgers, sausages or minced beef only if diners complete forms giving up rights to take legal action.
Public underestimates risks posed by common pathogens
February 02 2006 by Ahmed ElAmin
The public’s understanding of food risk issues is skewed towards under estimating the danger from common pathogen contamination, according to a research survey. "The findings indicate that most experts surveyed have little confidence in the public’s understanding of food risk issues, their assessment of food risks, their ability to deal with scientific information and their food safety practices," according to an abstract of the paper. "Experts are of the view that the public under-assesses the risk associated with some microbiological hazards and over-assesses the risk associated with other hazards such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy."
Traceability laws a force of good, says KPMG
March 15 2004
Greater traceability in the food chain is a political issue that could add significantly to manufacturers’ expenses and even claim some casualties. But the industry should still benefit in the long run, KPMG analyst Mark Baillache told Anthony Fletcher. By the end of the year, food manufacturers in the EU will be required by law to prove that they can trace all their processes along the supply chain. This could have a dramatic impact on the industry. Escalating costs could drive some out of business, force some smaller companies to merge with larger ones and complicate the issue of EU accession for those countries whose systems are not yet up to scratch. But despite this, Baillache, a partner at consultancy firm KPMG responsible for the UK food sector, believes that the move towards greater traceability in the food chain is something that, by in large, should and will be welcomed by the industry.
Baillache accepts that cost is likely to be a factor, and that some smaller companies might suffer financially as a result of having to install means of tracing their production processes. But he thinks that if any company goes under, the cost of ensuring traceability will be just one of a number of causes.
“Where we end up, no one knows,†said Baillache. “But the operating landscape is going to change. Most food companies recognise their responsibility to consumers, and recognise that if they fail on this, it will be difficult for them to recover. In the end, the consumer decides.â€