Antimicrobial solutions are used to reduce contaminants on raw foods such as meats, vegetables and fruits. This is analogous to washing food prior to using it in one’s own kitchen, although these compounds enhance the washing action, says Martha Ewing, director of technical services at Sanderson Farms Inc. of Laurel, MS. 
Antimicrobial solutions have proven…
Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Bill to Increase Data Collection on Antibiotics
Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Susan Collins (R-ME) on Wednesday introduced a bill that would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to collect more data on exactly how antimicrobial drugs are used in food animal production. The Antimicrobial Data Collection Act calls for increased data collection by the Food and Drug…
Resistance to Important Antibiotic May Develop in Soil, Study Shows
Over the past two decades, scientists have been tracking a concerning rise in bacterial resistance to cephalosporins – a class of antibiotics used to treat a variety of human infections. Now, a study out of Washington state reveals that the solution to this problem might lie in the way farmers treat animal waste. The research,…
Common Germ Agent Might Weaken Heart and Other Muscles
Americans and Europeans have been slathering triclosan on ever since hospitals began using it in antibacterial soaps and sanitizers 40 years ago. But that era may be passing, especially after the release this week of a University of California, Davis and University of Colorado study showing that the widely used chemical impairs muscle functions, including…
FDA Seeks Input on Potential Changes to Antimicrobial Drug Reporting
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking comments on a proposal to make changes to the reporting requirements for antimicrobial sales and distribution. The agency said in a Federal Register notice that it is considering revisions to the regulation to incorporate the requirements of section 105 of the Animal Drug User Fee Amendments of…
O104:H4 Genome Sequencing Used to Kill the Bug
The deadly pathogen known as E. coli O104:H4, which devastated northern Europe last year, can itself be killed, San Francisco-based AvidBiotics Corporation announced Wednesday.
Dean Scholl, who leads a team of scientists from AvidBiotics and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the group has created a highly targeted bactericidal protein to kill the life-threatening foodborne …
Resistant Bacteria Remains Problem for Meat
Antibiotic resistance remains common among meat-borne pathogens, according to the annual National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System report released late last week.
NARMS, which is coordinated between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and some state laboratories, is meant to serve as a “reference point identifying and analyzing trends …
Could Orange Peels Make Meat Safer?
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are conducting promising research looking at the role citrus byproducts could play in reducing pathogens in cattle.
And, luckily, cows seem to really like orange peels.
“Who knew? Those thick, sharp-tasting orange peels that people would never dream of eating are ‘snack heaven’ for cows,” reported the latest …