Food Safety News (FSN) was created in 2009 by food safety attorney Bill Marler to fill a void in public health media coverage. Since its inception, FSN has provided dedicated journalism addressing critical food safety concerns. As FSN marks its 14th anniversary, the extent of our expansion and influence encourages
Continue Reading 14 Years of Food Safety News
Writer Cookson Beecher has won two first place awards in the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW)’s annual contest for articles published by Food Safety News.
To win the first-place awards on the national level, she had to win first-place awards in the organization’s At-Large division, which included about
Continue Reading FSN contributor honored for reporting
Writer Cookson Beecher has won two awards in the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) at-large communications contest for articles published by Food Safety News.
Beecher’s article “Global push critical to prevent, fight pandemics; food safety one key factor” won first place in the Science/Technology category.
The
Continue Reading Food Safety News writer Cookson Beecher wins two NFPW awards
Many farmers refer to manure as “black gold” and rightly so because it adds nutrients to the soil, which helps crops grow and be more productive.
In earlier times, before the advent of synthetic fertilizers, crop farmers would often buy a cow solely for the manure it would produce and
Continue Reading Managing ‘Black Gold’: Animal Manure and Antibiotic Resistance
Waging a successful battle against the foodborne pathogens that can sicken people — or even kill them — takes some creative strategizing on the part of small- and mid-size farms, primarily because they’re so different from large farms and even from one another.
With that in mind, about 25
Continue Reading Learning to ‘Bridge the GAPs’ for Small and Mid-Sized Farms
There was a lot of hand-washing going on during the Northwest Washington Fair last week in Lynden, WA. Yes, there were the usual farm exhibits, carnival rides, food booths, music, talent shows, and much more. But the 24 hand-washing stations placed around the animal barns, along with a team of
Continue Reading Fair Lesson: Spread Soap and Water, Not E. Coli Infection
While summer often conjures up mouth-watering thoughts of pig roasts, if you’re actually contemplating tackling this culinary feat, some homework is in order. And that includes some homework about food safety. You certainly don’t want to sicken your guests, which can be avoided if you play it safe. When you
Continue Reading Before Roasting a Pig, the Pros Advise Food Safety Homework
Food Safety News writer Cookson Beecher won five awards — all of them in the daily news category — at the 2015 Washington Press Association awards banquet held on May 9 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Four of the awards came in first place, and one came in
Continue Reading FSN Writer Beecher Wins Five Washington Press Association Awards
Bucking the headwinds of an 81-19 vote in the West Virginia House of Delegates (18-16 in the Senate) for legislation that would have allowed dairy farmers to provide raw milk through herdshare arrangements, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed the bill on Thursday. Raw milk is milk that hasn’t been pasteurized
Continue Reading West Virginia Governor Vetoes Raw Milk Herdshare Bill
As you read this, please keep in mind that back in the 1970s and 80s, my family — ma, pa, and the kids — had a 20-acre place in northern Idaho. We raised sheep, goats, chickens and rabbits, and put in an orchard, several acres of hay, and a
