John Munsell

After graduating from Montana State University in Bozeman, John worked for Continental Oil in Oklahoma. He also worked in Target Stores Data Processing Center in Minneapolis, until Uncle Sam claimed him in the midst of the Viet Nam conflict. He then

Should all raw food have warning labels?

– OPiNION – I am writing this in response to Dan Flynn’s raw milk article which appeared in Food Safety News on April 28. Mr. Flynn’s article reported on raw

By John Munsell

/ 30 Apr 2022

Should all raw food have warning labels?

And . . . What role does pathogen testing play in true HACCP?

Opinion This is a followup on my response to Brianna Leach’s opinion essay published by Food Safety News on May 26. My initial response focused on HACCP. In order

By John Munsell

/ 1 Jun 2020

And . . . What role does pathogen testing play in true HACCP?

Letter to The Editor: Is contributing author HACCP trained?

Opinion Editor’s note: We want to hear from our readers. Letters to the Editor can be submitted via the Contact Us link on our website. Dear Editor, I am

By John Munsell

/ 28 May 2020

Letter to The Editor: Is contributing author HACCP trained?

Living a lie behind a miniskirt of science — free speech can be medicinal

Opinion At the time FSIS required all federal plants to implement HACCP, our family-owned slaughter/processing plant had been in existence for 49 years, 24 years of which I had

By John Munsell

/ 13 Feb 2019

Living a lie behind a miniskirt of science — free speech can be medicinal

Check Murano’s record again before naming Ag Secretary

I am writing this in response to the article appearing in Food Safety News on Dec. 27 regarding Elsa Murano’s being considered for Secretary of Agriculture. The article refers

By John Munsell

/ 29 Dec 2016

A Turning Point for E. Coli Testing?

We just might be witnessing a watershed change in USDA attitudes regarding testing for E. coli O157:H7, corrective actions subsequent to adverse lab test results, and tracebacks to the

By John Munsell

/ 23 May 2012

Why Do Beef Trimmings Need to be Sanitized?

A central focus in the controversy over the use of ammoniated hydroxide to sanitize beef trimmings are the claims that the source meat may be highly pathogenic, otherwise destined for

By John Munsell

/ 22 Mar 2012

Does High Risk Meat Get USDA Endorsement?

On February 2, I wrote a commentary that appeared on Food Safety News entitled “USDA Inspected and Approved High-Risk Meat.” One sentence in the editorial stated “USDA has concluded that

By John Munsell

/ 6 Feb 2012

USDA Inspected and Approved High-Risk Meat

The Hannaford chain of grocery stores in the Northeast recently recalled ground beef products which were laced with an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella. Like most other retail chains, Hannafords purchases

By John Munsell

/ 1 Feb 2012

Will Closing 5 FSIS Offices Impact Food Safety?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that it would close 5 of its 15 Food Safety and Inspection (FSIS) District Offices as part of a consolidation that will

By John Munsell

/ 10 Jan 2012

Tracebacks and USDA: Mutually Exclusive?

On Aug. 3, 2011, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack gave a speech in Milwaukee that included the following statement: “In 90 days, I expect the agency [FSIS] to announce

By John Munsell

/ 11 Dec 2011

Should FSIS Publish Plant Inspection Reports?

The National Research Council (NRC) recently suggested that FSIS release of establishment-specific data could benefit food safety. Pertinent excerpts of media reports include the following statements: “Substantial benefits can be

By John Munsell

/ 4 Dec 2011

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John Munsell

Should all raw food have warning labels?

And . . . What role does pathogen testing play in true HACCP?

Letter to The Editor: Is contributing author HACCP trained?

Living a lie behind a miniskirt of science — free speech can be medicinal

Check Murano’s record again before naming Ag Secretary

A Turning Point for E. Coli Testing?

Why Do Beef Trimmings Need to be Sanitized?

Does High Risk Meat Get USDA Endorsement?

USDA Inspected and Approved High-Risk Meat

Will Closing 5 FSIS Offices Impact Food Safety?

Tracebacks and USDA: Mutually Exclusive?

Should FSIS Publish Plant Inspection Reports?