Gretchen Goetz

Gretchen is a Seattle-based reporter covering issues ranging from child nutrition to local agriculture to foodborne illness outbreaks and global food safety issues. In June of 2011 she reported from Hamburg on the European E. coli outbreak. Gretchen

Study: Chlorine Dioxide Gas Offers Hope for Sprout Sanitation

Chlorine dioxide gas may be an effective tool for combating Salmonella on sprouts, according to a new study. Researchers at Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 1 Dec 2014

Chicken ‘Juice’ Helps Campylobacter Thrive in Kitchens, Study Finds

The liquid that comes off of a defrosting chicken provides a safe harbor for Campylobacter, according to a new study. Chicken “juice” from a defrosted bird turns a surface into

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 24 Nov 2014

Pharmacopeial Convention Publishes Guidance for Combatting Food Fraud

The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) Monday released a comprehensive plan to combat food fraud for monetary gain. The USP said the new guidance is designed to help food manufacturers

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 19 Nov 2014

GAO Finds Fault With Government Tests for Pesticide Residues

Government agencies in charge of monitoring food for pesticide residues must step up their testing programs, said the Government Accountability Office in a new report. While data collected by these

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 10 Nov 2014

Nonprofits Sue FDA Claiming Agency Hasn’t Proven Safety of Animal Growth Drug

A trio of food safety and environmental advocacy groups Thursday filed suit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, saying the agency has not sufficiently proven that ractopamine, a

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 7 Nov 2014

Berkeley Puts First Soda Tax on the Books

The city of Berkeley, CA became the first municipality in the country to approve a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages Tuesday. Measure D, a proposal to levy a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 6 Nov 2014

FDA Establishes Definition of 'Gluten-Free' for Food Labels

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued a set of standards for food manufacturers wishing to label a product “gluten-free.” The agency set a limit of 20

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 5 Aug 2013

Preventive Controls: Daunting for Some, Standard Procedure for Seafood

The concept of “preventive controls” is an anxiety-producing one for many FDA-regulated food companies right now as the agency prepares to issue a final rule that will make hazard-prevention measures

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 5 Aug 2013

Cyclospora Case Count Rises to 418

At least 418 people in 16 states are now known to have been sickened with cyclospora infections between mid-June and mid-July, according to updated numbers from state health departments as

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 1 Aug 2013

FDA Lifts Ban on Mexican Cucumbers Linked to 2013 Salmonella Outbreak

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will no longer detain cucumbers from the Mexican growers whose products were linked to an outbreak of Salmonella earlier this year. The agency

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 24 Jul 2013

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to N.C. Holiday Inn Sickened 100, Final Report Says

The Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to a Holiday Inn in North Carolina ultimately sickened at least 100 people this May, the North Carolina Division of Public Heath reported this week.

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 23 Jul 2013

FDA to Evaluate Risk of Salmonella in Tree Nuts

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Wednesday announced its plan to assess the risks of Salmonella contamination associated with tree nuts. The aim of the risk assessment, described in

By Gretchen Goetz

/ 18 Jul 2013

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Gretchen Goetz

Study: Chlorine Dioxide Gas Offers Hope for Sprout Sanitation

Chicken ‘Juice’ Helps Campylobacter Thrive in Kitchens, Study Finds

Pharmacopeial Convention Publishes Guidance for Combatting Food Fraud

GAO Finds Fault With Government Tests for Pesticide Residues

Nonprofits Sue FDA Claiming Agency Hasn’t Proven Safety of Animal Growth Drug

Berkeley Puts First Soda Tax on the Books

FDA Establishes Definition of 'Gluten-Free' for Food Labels

Preventive Controls: Daunting for Some, Standard Procedure for Seafood

Cyclospora Case Count Rises to 418

FDA Lifts Ban on Mexican Cucumbers Linked to 2013 Salmonella Outbreak

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to N.C. Holiday Inn Sickened 100, Final Report Says

FDA to Evaluate Risk of Salmonella in Tree Nuts