Every hour of every day people around the world are living with and working to resolve food safety issues. Here is a sampling of current headlines for your consumption, brought to you today with the support of Alchemy Systems.


They chew on everything like it’s food
With holiday shopping season in full swing, anyone with children, especially infants, on their lists should be aware of the risk of lead in some toys. You cannot see or smell lead and gifts from unknown origins pose a threat.

Lead exposure happens when toddlers and young children put toys in their mouth, or even their hands after handling or playing with the hazardous item. At-home detection kits do not provide the known amount of lead if present, and are likely to miss low levels. Ultimately, a blood test is the only way to identify lead exposure in a child.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issues recalls of toys that put children at risk for expose to lead. It is important to note that some toy jewelry poses a lead hazard for children lead risk, through handling, playing, or biting.


Register now for foodborne illness webinar
The FDA recently announced that on Friday, Dec. 15, the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) will host a webinar from noon to 1 p.m. EST about a recent report that includes updated foodborne illness source attribution estimates using outbreak data for 2013 for Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter.

Experts are scheduled to discuss results from the report, and the approach the IFSAC’s approach in analyzing outbreak data in order to estimate which foods are the source of foodborne illnesses related to specific pathogens.

Attendees who previously registered for the original Oct. 20 webinar must re-register if they wish to attend the Dec. 15 web presentation.

As space is limited, participants are encouraged to register for the webinar by Wednesday, Dec.13.


Food safety for people with AIDS
Food safety was in the mix Friday on World AIDS Day as public health officials stressed the heighten dangers that foodborne pathogens present for those with suppressed immune systems.

The risk for longer, and more severe, illness emphasizes knowing which foods harbor more harmful bacteria and viruses. Vegetables and fruits are just as dangerous as meats, fish, shellfish and animal products can be.

Cleaning, separating, cooking and chilling food are each (and all) essential steps for fighting against the chance for foodborne illness.

Understanding the range and timeline of symptoms, and the importance of taking action, are necessary components of identifying the sources, symptoms and potential impact of a foodborne pathogen.

For more information on how to reduce the danger of foodborne illnesses for people with who are HIV positive, please click here.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)