— OPINION —
This is not just another editorial. This is a thank you letter, an acknowledgment, and a rallying cry.
For decades, people have stood quietly between us and harm — heroes who safeguarded every bite we take, every meal we share. They kept food safe and public health
Continue Reading Our food safety guardians deserved capes, not pink slips
— OPINION —
Thirty years ago, I wrote a New York Times op-ed titled “Tragedy Wasn’t Enough”, in the wake of the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak that killed four children —including my own son.
I wrote that piece believing — hoping — that this time
Continue Reading Unsafe at any speed — again: The meat industry’s looming crisis
— OPINION —
Sixteen years ago today, on March 14, 2009, President Barack Obama addressed the nation with a clear and urgent message: Food safety is not just an individual responsibility — it is a fundamental duty of the government.
“We are a nation built on the strength of individual
Continue Reading The legacy of leadership in food safety: A call to keep moving forward
The recent decision to eliminate the USDA’s National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and their National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) should alarm every American. This isn’t just about disbanding committees. It’s a clear signal that food safety — at the federal level —
Continue Reading Loss of USDA food safety committees is a loss for everyone in America
— OPINION —
I remember exactly where I was on Feb. 10, 1993. I was in the audience of President Bill Clinton’s nationally televised town hall from the studios of WXYZ-TV in Detroit. He fielded questions from the studio audience as well as studio audiences in Miami and Seattle, where
Continue Reading A legacy of loss and leadership: What America’s presidents teach us about food safety
— OPINION —
The toxic baby food crisis is not just a failure in public health. It is a defining moral challenge for an industry entrusted with the most sacred responsibility: nourishing our children.
For years, warnings about heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium, coupled with pathogens such as
Continue Reading Leadership, accountability and the toxic baby food crisis
— OPINION —
I grew up in the Los Angeles area and have been living here again for the past few years. The multiple wildfires are devastating in so many ways and the past week has shown an overwhelming amount of community donation sites, volunteering and engagement to support those
Continue Reading Ethics, food safety and donations during the Los Angeles wildfires
This year’s resurgence of Listeria outbreaks is not just a food safety failure; it is a costly indictment of systemic leadership shortcomings. Despite advances in science, education, and policy, Listeria continues to thrive in environments where proactive measures have been neglected. For leaders in the food industry, this should be
Continue Reading Listeria doesn’t happen overnight; this year’s outbreaks are a wake up call
— OPINION —
Boar’s Head’s deadly Listeria outbreak serves as a stark reminder that the food safety issues Upton Sinclair exposed over a century ago in “The Jungle” still persist. The impact of Sinclair’s work, which revealed the hidden dangers of food production, resonates today as modern food safety lapses
Continue Reading Lessons lost
— OPINION —
In the landscape of food safety, the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) represents a monumental shift towards preventing contamination rather than merely responding to it. A new element of FSMA is the Food Traceability Final Rule (FSMA 204), which is designed to enhance the ability to
Continue Reading Undermining food safety: The threat of legislative rollbacks on FSMA 204