Veteran journalist with 15+ years covering food safety. Dan has reported for newspapers across the West and earned Associated Press recognition for deadline reporting. At FSN, he serves as Senior Editor and covers foodborne illness policy.
Government attorneys want to know what The Hartford Insurance Company knew about the Peanut Corporation of America’s distribution of peanut products that were contaminated with deadly Salmonella. Hartford wrote
A few years ago, I was in Portland investigating an E. coli outbreak at a local restaurant. By happenstance, I met one of the recovering victims. He was a strapping
The federal court in New Mexico next Friday will hear the motion for a preliminary injunction against USDA granting inspections to equine meat packing houses that are close to opening
In the weeks after the February grand jury indictment of four former Peanut Corporation of America executives, it seemed to be all about the former chief executive officer, Stewart Parnell.
The draft guidance for free range chickens coming out today might also have a calming effect on nervous fruit and vegetable growers, says Mike Taylor, who runs the food side
USDA’s meat inspectors are stepping up enforcement for humane treatment of animals, especially by smaller plants. In its last quarterly enforcement report for the second quarter of the federal
It’s a rare Sunday that I think I might be able to settle something, right here and right now. An interesting incident occurred recently, mostly in the skies over
Seventeen years ago, an outbreak of the protozoan parasite cyclospora was quickly blamed on California strawberries — but these would later turn out not to be the source. What was missed
Extension agents — usually associated with helping farmers behind the scenes — sometimes do get out front on public policy. And when they do, it’s with such a light touch it’
Governors in Maine and Wisconsin are using or threatening to use their big veto pens on bills to liberalize raw milk sales in their states. In Maine, it’s over.
Nobody is calling it “Little GMO” after California’s “Big GMO” yet, but Initiative 522 in Washington State looks like it is on the same track as the Golden State’
States have farm bills too, and North Carolina’s 2013 edition shows they can be significant. Senate Bill 638, known as the NC Farm Bill of 2013, takes a big
