Helena Bottemiller

Helena Bottemiller is a Washington, DC-based reporter covering food policy and politics for Food Safety News. She has covered Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court, and several high-profile food safety stories, including the half-billion Salmo

Weak Food Safety Culture Led to XL Foods Recall, Review Finds

Company and Canadian Food Inspection Authority (CFIA) staff at XL Foods had a lax approach to food safety leading up to the massive beef recall last fall, according to an

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 7 Jun 2013

Health Professionals Ask Obama to Take Stronger Action on Antibiotics in Ag

Citing the growing threat from antibiotic resistant infections, nearly 800 health care professionals signed onto a letter sent to the Obama administration on Tuesday urging more limits on antibiotics used

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 5 Jun 2013

Smithfield Sale Raises New Questions About the Future of Ractopamine

The sale of Smithfield Foods, the United States’ largest pork producer, to Shuanghui International, China’s largest meat company, raises new questions about the future of ractopamine, a controversial growth-promoting

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 4 Jun 2013

Putting Food Traceability at Consumers' Fingertips

Imagine that you’re in the produce section at the grocery store. You pick up a container of leafy greens with a QR (quick response) code on the label and

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 28 May 2013

Merrigan Expresses Worry About FSMA's Impact on Agriculture

Kathleen Merrigan, who recently left her role as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said this week she is concerned about the negative impact the

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 24 May 2013

As Canada Moves Forward, Rule to Label Mechanicallly Tenderized Meat in U.S. Still Stuck at OMB

A U.S. Department of Agriculture proposal to require labeling for mechanically tenderized meats, which can be risky if pathogens are pushed into the cut beyond the exterior and the

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 22 May 2013

House Ag Committee Votes to Repeal USDA Catfish Inspection

The House Agriculture Committee voted to repeal a controversial catfish inspection program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture late Wednesday night – a sign the program, which was mandated by

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 17 May 2013

After Latest Scandals, Chinese Premier Urges Tighter Food Safety Controls

During a nationwide teleconference on Monday Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged “strict market supervision and harsh penalties” to improve food safety and assure costumers that something like the melamine milk

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 16 May 2013

USDA, FDA Issue Major Report on Reducing Deadly Listeria in Deli Products

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have released a detailed draft risk assessment aimed at reducing

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 14 May 2013

Democrats Urge White House to Release FDA Guidance on Arsenic in Juice

Nearly two years after Consumer Reports and Dr. Oz sparked national concern after finding arsenic in popular brands of children’s apple juice, a handful of Democrats in the House

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 13 May 2013

Food Safety Inspections Dodge the Sequester

Just two months after the White House warned that across-the-board budget cuts, known as the sequester, could have dire consequences for the country, in part because they could weaken food

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 8 May 2013

Hagen, Taylor Urge Public to Engage in Lengthy Policymaking Process

The public should not hesitate to be more involved in the food safety policymaking process, Dr. Elisabeth Hagen and Michael Taylor, the nation’s two leading food safety officials, told

By Helena Bottemiller

/ 7 May 2013

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Helena Bottemiller

Weak Food Safety Culture Led to XL Foods Recall, Review Finds

Health Professionals Ask Obama to Take Stronger Action on Antibiotics in Ag

Smithfield Sale Raises New Questions About the Future of Ractopamine

Putting Food Traceability at Consumers' Fingertips

Merrigan Expresses Worry About FSMA's Impact on Agriculture

As Canada Moves Forward, Rule to Label Mechanicallly Tenderized Meat in U.S. Still Stuck at OMB

House Ag Committee Votes to Repeal USDA Catfish Inspection

After Latest Scandals, Chinese Premier Urges Tighter Food Safety Controls

USDA, FDA Issue Major Report on Reducing Deadly Listeria in Deli Products

Democrats Urge White House to Release FDA Guidance on Arsenic in Juice

Food Safety Inspections Dodge the Sequester

Hagen, Taylor Urge Public to Engage in Lengthy Policymaking Process