Without necessarily knowing the term “traceability,” consumers have been calling for it in their food system for a long time. The evidence of that comes from the food industry itself, with its increased emphasis on where food came from. Many companies now highlight certain locations or farmers in brand names,
Continue Reading Improving Meat Traceability in the U.S.
Digging Into the FDA's Proposed Rules for Produce
Food Safety News examines the potential impact of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s newly proposed produce rules, mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011. Part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which has the goal of reducing the incidence of foodborne illness in the U.S., is an
Continue Reading Digging Into the FDA's Proposed Rules for Produce
Peanut Corp. Hearings: What Happens Now?
Four years after a Salmonella outbreak was processed, packaged, and delivered to customers around the country, the Department of Justice charged five Peanut Corporation of America executives and employees with an array of federal crimes, but with a criminal justice system that presumes innocence — and with the potential for
Continue Reading Peanut Corp. Hearings: What Happens Now?
Catfish Industry Flounders Despite Congressional Support
Earlier this month Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran sent a letter to Rebecca Blank, the acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, asking that the Department “vigorously enforce the antidumping order against frozen fish fillets from Vietnam.” The fish Cochran is concerned about is catfish, and his concerns are not
Continue Reading Catfish Industry Flounders Despite Congressional Support
Policy Changes in the Wake of the Jack in the Box E. coli Outbreak
In 1993, 623 people in the western U.S. fell ill with a little-known bacteria called E. coli O157:H7. Ultimately, four children would die from their infections; many others suffered long-term medical complications. The bug was later traced to undercooked hamburger served at Jack in the Box restaurants. This outbreak thrust
Continue Reading Policy Changes in the Wake of the Jack in the Box E. coli Outbreak
Food Ingredients: Many Routes to Safety Approval
The Nutrition Facts label can be the conscious consumer’s best friend, but it often leaves shoppers more confused than informed. It may be comforting for someone to find a list of common and easily recognized ingredients on the label. For instance, Triscuits crackers were named and marketed for only including
Continue Reading Food Ingredients: Many Routes to Safety Approval
Foodborne Illness Investigations: What Does the Public Have a Right to Know?
It seems safe to assume that most consumers want to know if the restaurant they’re about to eat at or the food they’re about to buy was recently the source of a foodborne illness outbreak. What’s less certain, however, is whether the government wants them to know this information. Deciding
Continue Reading Foodborne Illness Investigations: What Does the Public Have a Right to Know?
Court Rulings Halt Production at Food Supplement Companies
FDA announced this week that two food supplement companies have recently halted production in response to claims and court orders. Truman J. Berst, doing business as Alternative Health and Herbs Remedies, was ordered on Sept. 20, 2012, by permanent injunction in an Oregon Federal District Court, to stop selling its
Continue Reading Court Rulings Halt Production at Food Supplement Companies
FDA’s Power to Prosecute
More than a year after the deadly Listeria outbreak that stemmed from Jensen Farms’ cantaloupes was first detected, criminal charges have yet to be filed against the company, but the Food and Drug Administration’s website says its outbreak investigation is still open. FDA’s report was last updated on January 8,
Continue Reading FDA’s Power to Prosecute
Food Facility Registration Under FSMA Delayed
The Food Safety Modernization Act’s biennial food facility registration requirement was intended to go into effect Oct. 1, 2012; however since that day a yellow box has been posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website indicating that the agency is not currently accepting registration renewals.
The food facility
Continue Reading Food Facility Registration Under FSMA Delayed