Posts from the "Topics" category
NZ: Hepatitis scare: Calls for mandatory country of origin labelling on food
New Zealand Herald: Opposition parties are calling for mandatory country of origin labelling on New Zealand foods after four cases of hepatitis A were linked to frozen, imported berries.
But Minister for Food Safety Jo Goodhew says the Government has no plans to do so.
Read Article →US: E. coli from Costco chicken salad traced to tainted celery
Reuters: A multi-state E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 19 people who ate rotisserie chicken salad sold at Costco Wholesale Corp’s stores has been traced to a celery-and-onion mix used in the salad, prompting its California maker to recall the product.
Read Article →AU: Is double-dipping a food safety problem or just a nasty habit?
The Conversation: What do you do when you are left with half a chip in your hand after dipping? Admit it, you’ve wondered whether it’s OK to double dip the chip.
Maybe you’re the sort who dips their chip only once. Maybe you look around the room before loading your half-eaten chip with a bit more dip, hoping that no one will notice.
Read Article →US: Projects follow Salmonella‘s route through irrigation water
Center for Produce Safety: A pair of research projects that focus on Salmonella and its relationship to irrigation water are designed to help Southeastern producers better understand associated risks and steps they can take to address them. The first one, led by George Vellidis, Ph.D. and a professor in the University of Georgia’s Crop and Soil Sciences Department, looked at whether Salmonella moves through irrigation systems of Southeastern produce farms. Part of the project … examined water sampling methods.
Read Article →US: Multistate outbreak of Salmonella Poona infections linked to imported cucumbers
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:As of November 18, 2015, 838 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona have been reported from 38 [US] states. Among people for whom information is available, illnesses started on dates ranging from July 3, 2015 to November 1, 2015. Ill people range in age from less than 1 year to 99, with a median age of 18. Fifty-seven percent of ill people are female. Among 601 people with available information, 165 (27%) report being hospitalized. Four deaths have been reported.
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US: Managing ‘Black Gold’: animal manure and antibiotic resistance
Food Safety News: Many farmers refer to manure as “black gold†and rightly so because it adds nutrients to the soil, which helps crops grow and be more productive.
In earlier times, before the advent of synthetic fertilizers, crop farmers would often buy a cow solely for the manure it would produce and use the manure for fertilizer. In modern times, many farmers still rely on manure — oftentimes raw manure — to improve their soil and boost productivity.
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US: Reusable plastic containers are difficult to clean
Food Safety News: New research continues to demonstrate that typical cleaning doesn’t actually sanitize the reusable plastic containers (RPCs) used to transport fruits, vegetables, poultry and other foods.
In a study publicized earlier this year, Steven Ricke, director of the University of Arkansas Center for Food Safety, and his team grew Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli O157:H7 on RPC surfaces and then subjected them to cleaning and sanitizing practices typical in the industry. They found that bacterial biofilms could still survive on the surface of RPC material.
Read Article →NZ: Is your business high or low risk?
Ministry for Primary Industries:Â The new Food Act could mean changes for your business if you make or sell food. To help you work out where you fit in with the changes, a new online tool Where Do I Fit? is available from the Ministry for Primary Industries.
The Food Act covers businesses that make, serve, sell or trade food commercially.
With the online Where Do I Fit? tool, by answering a series of yes/no questions, you can find out what you’ll need to do to comply with the law.
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US: Sick employees insist on serving up food
Food Safety Magazine: More than half of food industry workers go to work sick, according to the annual Mind of the Food Worker study conducted by the Center for Research and Public Policy and commissioned by Alchemy Systems.
A few highlights from the poll:
· 51 percent of workers say they “always or frequently†go to work when sick.
· More than 45 percent say they go to work because they can’t afford not to.
· More than 46 percent said they don’t want to let their fellow coworkers down by not showing up for their scheduled shift.
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