By Ben Chapman and Don Schaffner
We spend a lot of time talking about food safety risks to various stakeholders, including consumers. As co-hosts of “Risky or Not”, we know food safety issues are rarely that simple, although we do our best. Explaining complexities, putting risk into context
Continue Reading KISS and other tips for communicating about food safety discussed at AFFI forum
By Jennifer McEntire, Founder, Food Safety Strategy
“I am confident in the safety of the food I eat.” Five years ago, only one-third of U.S. consumers strongly agreed with this statement. While they held the government primarily responsible for food safety, followed by food companies and farmers, when it came
Continue Reading Risk communication with consumers: Lessons needed to earn trust, motivate change
TORONTO – Using crowdsourced data for foodborne outbreak investigations can work but poses a number of challenges, according to a session at the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) conference.
Jennifer Beal, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Laura Gieraltowski, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Continue Reading Experts discuss use of crowdsourced data in outbreak investigations
Researchers have found that tara flour was the culprit in an outbreak of hundreds of illnesses associated with Daily Harvest French Lentil & Leek crumbles.
The researchers from the University of Mississippi discovered that a component of tara flour, which is made from the seeds of a plant grown in
Continue Reading Scientists say tara flour was behind Daily Harvest outbreak that sickened hundreds
Editor’s note: Ben Chapman, associate professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University, has posted this tip sheet for dining outside the home during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We thank him for his diligence and service.
Continue Reading Risk factors, safety precautions for carry out foods during pandemic
The change of seasons can bring a chance of snow for some and a chance of viruses for even more. Sharing time, meals and close spaces from Thanksgiving weekend through New Year’s Day all too often means sharing bugs, which don’t discriminate.
Although they’re the last living creatures on any
Continue Reading Vomit machine reaffirms need for deep clean after noro ‘event’
Growers are enthusiastically helping a team of scientists researching how cantaloupes pick up and pass on pathogens in a first-of-its-kind project, but retailers have not stepped up.
The two-year
Continue Reading Researchers need retail help with cantaloupe safety project
Editor’s note: Ben Chapman, a food safety researcher and holiday meal enthusiast, originally published this column in the North Carolina State University News.
As a Canadian in the U.S., I’ve fully embraced the
Continue Reading Get stuffed — just use a thermometer before you unstuff
The food safety of food pantries is a fairly new arena for researchers, but with 14 percent of American households insecure about food at some point during 2014, it’s drawing more attention. The latest bit of research on the subject finds that there is “much room for improvement,” particularly when
Continue Reading Study: Food Pantries Have ‘Room for Improvement’ in Food Safety
Our recent article about why thermometers are important for food safety may have gotten you thinking about getting one or using the one you have more often. If so, here’s some advice on how to select and use one. If you’re in the market for a new food thermometer, there
Continue Reading How to Choose and Use a Food Thermometer
