bites News

Blame the consumer – French style; 18 kids with E. coli O157 in burgers, 2011; just cook it

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:04:15 +0000

In June, 2011, eight children in Northern France were initially diagnosed with E. coli O157 after eating beef burgers bought from German discount retailer, Lidl.
The current bulletin from Institut de veille sanitaire has a research paper summarizing the outbreak, and reveals 18 children were sickened, 16 from E. coli O157-O177 and 1 due to E. coli O157-O26.

Sticky balls slay Buddhists; why I never eat food service rice

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:03:36 +0000

Sticky rice balls are the suspected culprit behind a Mother’s Day outbreak of foodborne illness that sickened dozens who attended a Mother's Day garden party and food fair at a Buddhist monastery in Carmel.

Rural romanticism and “natural” foods

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:02:59 +0000

The proliferation on our grocery shelves of foods with “natural” claims shows no sign of abating. With the growing recognition that organic food is not any safer, tastier, more nutritious or more sustainable, in spite of the higher price, consumers now want foods that are produced the old fashioned way on the small family farm.

CANADA: Ottawa to allow slaughterhouses to process already dead animals

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:02:04 +0000

OTTAWA -- The federal government wants to allow the carcasses of already dead animals to be processed in slaughterhouses for human consumption, a move that is raising concerns about the safety of Canada’s food system.
The Conservative government is pitching the change as a way to cut red tape and provide greater flexibility to slaughterhouse operators.

AUSTRALIA: Exclusive: World food safety expert on challenges in delivery food safety in a global food chain

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:01:15 +0000

In an exclusive interview with Australian Food News, internationally acclaimed authority on consumer protection and food security, Associate Professor Patrick Wall, discusses the current challenges in delivering food safety in a global food chain.

US: Meat processors need improved crisis communications: expert

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:00:12 +0000

With more and more scrutiny around recalls and other crises that befall meat processors, companies need to have in place plans to not only correct the immediate problem associated with their products but also to better communicate their actions to the public.

US: The LFTB challenge

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:59:24 +0000

As I read the headlines “Meat glue: Move over 'pink slime,' some beef stuck together with transglutaminase”, I was struck by how the exposés on the meat industry’s “dirty little secrets” have become highly formatted. They aren’t likely to stop until the meat industry stops being such an easy target.

MINNESOTA: Salmonella illnesses prompt recipe fixes

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:58:36 +0000

A St. Paul restaurant tightened its food safety procedures shortly after diners at two parties, held three days apart earlier this year, tested positive for salmonella infection, according to city inspection reports recently obtained by Whistleblower.

ILLINOIS: Foodies rely on social media more than any other source

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:57:45 +0000

An article in the May 2012 issue of Food Technology magazine takes a look at how social media is changing food culture by influencing how consumers think about, talk about, and experience food.

CALIFORNIA: Bill creates safeguards for restaurant playgrounds

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:57:09 +0000

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Fast-food restaurants in California could face new sanitation and safety requirements for the playgrounds they install to attract children.
The Assembly on Monday approved a bill that would expand food safety laws to cover the indoor and outdoor playgrounds.

UK: Food hygiene training videos online

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:56:27 +0000

The Food Standards Agency has published 10 short videos to help caterers produce food safely. Each video is about a minute long and covers specific food hygiene practices.

Scientific opinion on public health risks represented by certain composite products containing food of animal origin

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:55:44 +0000

Abstract

Incidence, growth and enterotoxin production of Staphylococcus aureus in insufficiently dried traditional beef ham “govedja pršuta” under different storage conditions

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:54:40 +0000

Abstract

Detection and enumeration of viable Listeria monocytogenescells from ready-to-eat and processed vegetable foods by culture and DVC-FISH

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:54:00 +0000

Abstract

’What if it weren’t called pink slime?’ Still would’ve been shown the door

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:52:53 +0000

People want to know about their food. Where it was grown, how, what’s been added and if it’s safe.
The N.Y. Times, as usual, gets that little bit right in a commentary yesterday, but wrongly thinks right-to-know is something new, that media amplification is something new because of shiny new toys, and offers no practical suggestions on what to do.

Buddhists barf too: Visitors to NY Buddhist festival fall ill

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:51:43 +0000

At least 150 people who attended a Mother's Day garden party at an upstate New York Buddhist monastery have fallen ill with food poisoning.
Eric Gross, spokesman for the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services, says about 700 people were at the festival at Chuang Yen Monastery in Kent Cliffs, 55 miles north of New York City. About 500 of them came on buses from Chinatown.

SC Dept of Health and Environmental Control doesn't name outbreak restaurant; Facebook lights up

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:50:21 +0000

With at least 11 E. coli O157:H7 illnesses (and 2 HUS cases) linked to an unnamed Spartanburg Mexican restaurant, social media speculation and outrage has commenced.
From the WSPA-TV (Spartanburg) Facebook page:

Distributor of Salmonella-contaminated tempeh starter named; Tempeh Online website shut down

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:49:34 +0000

The investigation into the source of Salmonella Paratyphi B linked to Smiling Hara Tempeh now focuses on a Maryland company who distributed a fungal starter culture used to make the product. According to the Citizen-Times, North Carolina Dept of Agriculture and Consumer Services identified the distributor as Tempeh Online of Rockville MD.

MAINE: Farmington restaurant's closure sheds light on inspection agency

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:48:44 +0000

FARMINGTON -- The recent closure of the Fortune Fountain Chinese restaurant for at least 30 days because of repeated health code violations highlights how the state agency overseeing inspections enforces food safety regulations.

INDIA: Passengers fall ill after taking food in Rajdhani Express

bites News — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:47:59 +0000

Exposing yet another time the poor standards in Railway service, passengers fell prey to food poisoning while traveling in the Ranchi Rajdhani Express. Passengers traveling in the New Delhi bound Rajdhani Express complained pain in abdomen after consuming food provided in the train. Meanwhile, an official said that food samples have been collected to carry out further investigation.