— OPINION —
Leafy greens contaminated with deadly microbial pathogens pose a serious threat to U.S. consumers. Lawsuits against growers and processors over the past two decades have forced the industry to pay tens of millions of dollars in compensation to outbreak victims and to implement extensive food safety measures
Continue Reading It’s time to stop blaming growers and time to start suing feedlot operators
Research published this week shows that animal feeding operations continue to be a problem in terms of E. coli outbreaks linked to leafy greens.
As evidenced by outbreaks from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) from 2009 to 2021, leafy greens growing fields can be contaminated in a variety of ways
Continue Reading Scientists say animal operations near leafy greens fields are a food safety problem
A long-awaited report into one of the largest E. coli O157 outbreaks in the United Kingdom has finally been published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
In the 2022 outbreak, there were 259 confirmed Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157 cases, including seven secondary infections. Another 25 confirmed patients
Continue Reading UKHSA publishes report on major E. coli outbreak in 2022
Genetic testing has shown that an E. coli outbreak thought to be limited to St. Louis, MO, is spread across six other states. Health officials suspect leafy greens are the source of the pathogen.
The outbreak associated with Andre’s Banquets and Catering and Rockwood Summit High School is actually part
Continue Reading Missouri E. coli outbreak now linked to illnesses in 6 states; leafy greens suspected
— OPINION —
In the landscape of food safety, the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) represents a monumental shift towards preventing contamination rather than merely responding to it. A new element of FSMA is the Food Traceability Final Rule (FSMA 204), which is designed to enhance the ability to
Continue Reading Undermining food safety: The threat of legislative rollbacks on FSMA 204
— OPINION —
In response to FDA’s “Southwest Agricultural Region Environmental Microbiology Study (2019 – 2024)” the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association wrote, “Clearly, more scientific data is needed…” (1) . I disagree, there is a plethora of scientific data in the FDA study plus the considerable body of scientific data
Continue Reading Please sir, may I have more data
Researchers from The Ohio State University have conducted a study on the attribution, burden and economic costs of foodborne illnesses associated with leafy greens in the United States. The study, led by Xuerui Yang and Robert Scharff, sheds light on the impact of leafy greens on public health and the
Continue Reading Study finds leafy greens responsible for significant portion of U.S. foodborne illnesses and costs
Researchers have raised questions about the threat Yersinia enterocolitica poses to public health.
The study, involving the Quadram Institute, University of East Anglia, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found diverse populations of Yersinia enterocolitica on foods.
The number of yersiniosis cases is low, but it is likely there
Continue Reading Yersinia findings in UK prompt call for better surveillance
Eight times since 2017, growers of leafy greens, especially those producing Romaine lettuce, have been rocked by outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7. The pathogen associated with the intestines of cows rode in on the greens, causing sicknesses, sending people to hospitals for treatment of kidney ailment, and, oh yes
Continue Reading There’s a break in leafy green outbreaks, but work to eliminate them forever continues
FAO and WHO have published the full report of an analysis looking at reducing the risk of microbiological hazards in fresh fruits and vegetables.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) document covers leafy vegetables and herbs, berries and tropical fruits, melons and tree fruits
Continue Reading FAO and WHO release full report on hazards in produce