Blue Bell plant tested positive for listeria as far back as 2013
According to FDA records, the agency found evidence of listeria bacteria at a Blue Bell ice cream manufacturing plant in Oklahoma as far back as March 2013. Blue Bell “continued …
Blue Bell product recall raises food safety questions
The news that Blue Bell Creameries has pulled all of its products off the shelves nationwide has generated questions about listeria, the bacteria implicated in the outbreak of illness that …
Jail time likely for executives who sold tainted eggs
A federal court has sentenced two former egg industry executives to jail for their part in a food safety scandal. The sentencing comes amidst a flurry of high-profile foodborne illness …
Private eyes in the grocery aisle
Food-borne illnesses sicken millions and kill thousands in the United States each year. The annual cost is staggering: $14.1 billion to $16.3 billion, according to a 2013 USDA analysis. Consumers …
USDA awards nearly $19M to enhance food safety research
The USDA announced awards totaling nearly $19M for research projects on food safety. Thirty-six grantees (some with multiple projects) were selected for funding, and all will focus on ensuring the …
U.S. food safety is complex…and has big gaps, critics say
An estimated one in six Americans will become ill this year from a food-borne illness. Despite recent calls to merge America’s food safety oversight functions into a single agency, it’s …
Consumer Reports: pesticides in produce
A recent Consumer Reports study revealed that 85% of those surveyed were concerned about pesticide use. And consumers are also confused about the complex issues of food production and pesticide …
Genome tracking technology boosts food safety efforts
Jill Neimark (@jillneimark) of Scientific American reports on developments in the field. There’s been an enormous focus on food safety in the news, and with good reason: foodborne pathogens sicken millions …
The New York State attorney general’s office has accused four national retailers of selling fraudulently labeled dietary supplements. Some contained unlisted ingredients that are known allergens. Walmart, Walgreens, Target and GNC …
POTUS proposes single food safety agency
The Associated Press is reporting that President Obama’s proposed budget calls for the consolidation of food safety functions into a single agency under the Department of Health and Human Services. …