By Darin Detwiler
In reflecting on the evolution of food safety over the past three decades, we observe a landscape marked by significant and escalating legal actions against companies responsible for outbreaks and violations. The effectiveness of these penalties, especially monetary fines, in preventing future lapses in food safety, merits
Continue Reading Anticipating the inevitable: Predicting the next major food safety failure
— OPINION —
As of Nov. 17, this year 43 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from 15 states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from Oct. 17, 2023, to Nov. 6, 2023. Of 30 people with information available, 17 have been hospitalized. No deaths have
Continue Reading Publisher’s Platform: New Salmonella cantaloupe outbreak prompts a memory of the deadly Jensen Farms Listeria tragedy
Former cantaloupe growers, brothers Eric and Ryan Jensen, owed $26,368 in restitution imposed by the U.S. District Court in Denver when they decided to work off their debt by helping with a family hemp growing operation.
Their time as cantaloupe growers in Southwest Colorado did not go so well when
Continue Reading Now growing hemp, not deadly cantaloupe, Jensen brothers face felony charges in Kansas
My friend and former client and I have stayed in touch since the Listeria cantaloupe outbreak took his father. On this Father’s Day I asked him to put some of his thoughts into words:
My name is Paul Schwarz. I am looking down at my father’s tombstone at the Leavenworth
Continue Reading Publisher’s Platform: A Father’s Day without a father
Criminal prosecutions in food cases have been quiet for the last few years.
Outbreak 2: The recent multistate investigation began on April 2, 2019, when CDC’s PulseNet identified the Salmonella Carrau outbreak. As of April 24, 2019, 117 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Carrau have been
Continue Reading Publisher’s Platform: If I was part of Caito Foods, I’d be nervous
Food companies have been at the forefront of technological innovation and scientific research and development for decades upon decades. Cursory attention to the items we eat — how those items are grown, sourced, processed, and packaged – provides ample evidence of scientific research and development and technological innovation in
Continue Reading When is a potato washer not a potato washer? When it’s washing cantaloupes
When I didn’t like the university newspaper I was editor of, I created my own — along with others.
When I didn’t like my higher education, I created my
Continue Reading Another Listeria death recorded; Australian ‘discussion’ is weak
Bill Marler, the founder and publisher of Food Safety News, prominent food safety advocate, and America’s best-known foodborne illnesses attorney arrives in South Africa today to help push back against the largest Listeria outbreak in history.
Marler will speak Thursday at the Food Focus Listeria Conference in Johannesburg, where South
Continue Reading Food Safety News publisher on the ground in South Africa
The deadly and record-setting listeriosis outbreak in South Africa isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
Food is the suspected cause, but health officials have not yet identified a specific source.
Since the new year began, the country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has confirmed six more listeriosis deaths
Continue Reading South Africa hit by deadliest listeriosis outbreak in history
The European Food Safety Authority issued a report last week that European experts have noted an increasing trend in Europe of listeriosis since 2008, but they highlight that the number of affected people stabilized from 2014 to 2015.
Infections were mostly reported in people over 64 years of age. Listeriosis
Continue Reading Publisher’s Platform: Listeria kills – especially the elderly
