Almost 5 years old now, Kendall Paciorek is right on track. She can walk, run, talk and say her ABCs. And while that normal progression of abilities common to many children her age might not seem all that impressive, to her mother and father Michelle Wakley-Paciorek and Dave Paciorek, it’s
Continue Reading Victim warns expectant moms about food safety complications
Publisher’s Platform: A Bit(e) of history of outbreak criminal prosecutions
I thought it might be helpful to see a few cases where a food borne outbreak brought the attention of the US Attorney’s office. “Forwarded is Forearmed.” 
Odwalla: In 1998 in what was the first criminal conviction in a large-scale food-poisoning outbreak, Odwalla Inc. pleaded guilty to violating Federal food
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Publisher’s Platform: Time for More Criminal Prosecutions in Food Poisoning Cases?
It has been a busy past several weeks for public health investigators (and lawyers) and uncomfortable (and sometimes deadly) for food poisoning victims, as well as for the management of several companies. Here are just a few of the outbreaks hitting the news: 
Salmonella Cucumbers: As of Nov. 18, 2015,
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Letter From the Editor: They’re Not Thinking About It
Back from Portland, OR, where the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) annual meeting was held this year, it’s natural to be thinking about the big things. This time of year, one that comes to mind is the safety of all the fresh fruit and produce we are scooping up.
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The Top 10 Food-Safety News Stories of 2014
The top 10 food-safety news stories for 2014, as chosen for the sixth consecutive year by the editors of Food Safety News, were announced today. According to the Internet news site, here are this year’s most important food-safety stories: 1. The U.S. Department of Justice backs up federal food-safety agencies,
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Letter From the Editor: Week Eight of the PCA Trial
Two months ago, at the start of the criminal trial of three former Peanut Corporation of America executives, we decided to use this Sunday space to comment on the comings and goings in the federal courtroom in Albany, GA. We’ll wrap that up now. If you still need to catch
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Auditor Gave Positive Food Safety Reviews to Farms Later Linked to Outbreaks
The third-party food safety auditor that gave a passing review to Jensen Farms just weeks before its cantaloupe caused a deadly Listeria outbreak in 2011 also gave a positive audit to the farm that shipped romaine lettuce implicated in a more recent E. coli outbreak tied to Trader Joe’s branded
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Process and Substance in Third-Party Food Safety Audits
As the result of numerous national and international outbreaks of foodborne illness, food industries worldwide have come under increasing pressure to ensure that their products are safe, wholesome and meet government standards. FDA and USDA have the primary authority for our food supply nationally, while individual states typically regulate local
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Publisher’s Platform: Three Years Since People Died From Cantaloupe
It has been almost three long years since dusty Holly, Colorado, became the epicenter of a Listeria monocytogenes human tragedy. Many are painfully aware that litigation has been ongoing since the fall of 2011. The litigation stems from one of the deadliest foodborne illness outbreaks in U.S. history. At least
Continue Reading Publisher’s Platform: Three Years Since People Died From Cantaloupe
Kroger Claims Primus Has Primary Liability for Deadly Listeria Outbreak
It was called an unusual move last year when the Colorado cantaloupe growers who relied upon the Primus Group sued their third-party food-safety auditor, claiming that the inspector the company sent them provided misleading advice and “erroneously” represented himself as having “professional” expertise. Last week, however, a third-party auditor being
Continue Reading Kroger Claims Primus Has Primary Liability for Deadly Listeria Outbreak