Carl Custer

Carl Custer is an independent consultant for food safety microbiology. He retired from USDA FSIS in 2007 after over 34 years as a bench and a desk scientist. The food safety issues he worked on include: Inhibition of Clostridium botulinum, Inhibiting

Consumer fault is a red herring; Salmonella should be an adulterant in poultry

Opinion Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part opinion piece. In recent days the CDC and FSIS updated information on a continuing salmonellosis outbreak connected to raw

By Carl Custer

/ 12 Nov 2018

Consumer fault is a red herring; Salmonella should be an adulterant in poultry

Vinegar can help home cooks battle bacteria on leafy greens

The most recent outbreak from Escherichia coli O157:H7 in romaine lettuce spurred me to pull up an old draft, trim it and post it in an attempt to promote

By Carl Custer

/ 16 Apr 2018

Slaughter practices more significant than poultry line speeds

Editor’s note: This opinion column offers a differing view from that presented by guest columnist Brian Ronholm in “Eschewing obfuscation on poultry slaughter line speed.” Poultry slaughter would flunk

By Carl Custer

/ 15 Jan 2018

Controlling Pathogens: Options and a Recommendation

My previous articles have outlined that certain strains of Salmonella are virulent and pathogenic to humans. As such, they are adulterants by definition of the Meat and Poultry Inspection Acts,

By Carl Custer

/ 28 Mar 2014

Controlling Salmonella Would Cost Producers

Controlling Salmonella or other pathogens would cost producers, and the cost would be expected to be transferred to processors and consumers. For animal pathogens, the USDA’s APHIS bears some

By Carl Custer

/ 5 Mar 2014

Controlling Salmonella in Raw Foods

One of the arguments against attempts to control Salmonella is that it is naturally occurring and impossible to eradicate. According to several scientific studies, that is not true. During 1978-1981,

By Carl Custer

/ 27 Feb 2014

Salmonellosis Prevention: The Warning Labels Are Enough

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) labels are not always informative. The warning label prescribed in 9 C.F.R. 317.2(l) and 381.125(b) has faded into

By Carl Custer

/ 17 Feb 2014

Salmonellosis Prevention: ‘Just Cook It’

When Michael Taylor declared Escherichia coli O157:H7 an adulterant in ground beef, there were howls of, “Just cook it,” from the industry and from within FSIS. For example, two

By Carl Custer

/ 4 Feb 2014

Salmonella: The Bacterium

The genus Salmonella is diverse. Currently there are three recognized species: S. enterica, S. bongori and S. subterranean, with S. enterica the most important specie affecting human and food animal

By Carl Custer

/ 21 Jan 2014

Salmonellosis: The Problem

In 2013, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that more than 500 people were sickened by seven strains of Salmonella Heidelberg linked to chicken. However,

By Carl Custer

/ 14 Jan 2014

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Carl Custer

Consumer fault is a red herring; Salmonella should be an adulterant in poultry

Vinegar can help home cooks battle bacteria on leafy greens

Slaughter practices more significant than poultry line speeds

Controlling Pathogens: Options and a Recommendation

Controlling Salmonella Would Cost Producers

Controlling Salmonella in Raw Foods

Salmonellosis Prevention: The Warning Labels Are Enough

Salmonellosis Prevention: ‘Just Cook It’

Salmonella: The Bacterium

Salmonellosis: The Problem