In the wake of the tornadoes that devastated many Oklahoma communities this week, state health officials are reminding residents and rescue workers that food is more likely to be contaminated after a natural disaster, and should be handled safely. The Oklahoma State Health Department praised the recent outpouring of support for victims in the storms’…
Hurricane Food Safety 101
As Hurricane Sandy hits the Mid Atlantic, causing widespread damage in the form of flooding and downed trees, it also poses an invisible threat in the form of food spoilage. More than five million people have already lost power due to lines downed by the storm, and millions more are expected to be without electricity…
USDA Offers Post Wildfire Food Safety Tips
Following a series of recent wildfires across the western United States, the government is reminding people that fire can compromise the safety of foods in the home. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Monday issued a warning to the estimated 2 million Americans whose homes will be affected by fires…
Fraud Followed Hurricane Irene Food Safety Program
Fraud was the price of food safety in Connecticut after Hurricane Irene.
Over the past weekend, an angry Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the state was investigating “multiple incidents of possible fraud” by state residents, including some state employees, who took money intended for low-income people to replace food spoiled in the aftermath of …
Letter From The Editor: 'Emergency Alerts'
I wish I could say that I was surprised that the so-called first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) was a bust.
During my past life doing public affairs work, one of my successes was helping a great family-owned station in the Pacific Northwest increase its signal to the 50,000-watt maximum for …
FDA Issues Advice on Flooded Food Crops
In the aftermath of Irene, the hurricane/tropical storm that battered the East Coast in August, the Food and Drug Administration has released updated advice on how growers can judge the safety of their crops when flood waters have come in contact with the edible portions, and when they have not, as well as when to …
Food Crop Safety After Irene's Floodwaters
Last Friday and Saturday, the crew at Roxbury Farm in New York’s Hudson Valley prepared for the hurricane by stowing machinery and hay bales above the floodplain. Jean-Paul Courtens and his workers harvested ripe delicata squash, secured tomato plants against the wind, and pulled irrigation equipment from the Kinderhook Creek. However, there was no way …
In Wake of Irene, Rivers Tested for E. coli, Pesticides
In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, federal officials are actively sampling water from six East Coast rivers to check for E. coli, pesticides and other hazards that may have washed into waterways.
The U.S. Geological Survey announced Monday it has dispatched field crews to respond to the hurricane-turned-tropical storm, which, while less severe than predicted, …
USDA Offers Food Safety Tips as Hurricane Irene Nears
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing recommendations for residents in states that might be affected by Hurricane Irene to minimize the potential for foodborne illnesses in the event of power outages, flooding, and other problems that could be associated with the storm.
“Hurricanes not only pose dangers to …
Too Much Fresh Water May Kill Gulf Oysters
Coming a year after an oil spill and six years after a hugely damaging hurricane, the Gulf oyster industry fears too much fresh water coming down the Mississippi River could be its final strike.
The Gulf lost half its oyster harvest last year, and is far from recovery now.
“The Louisiana and Mississippi oyster industries …
Letter From The Editor: River Rising
When it was built just before the Civil War, the Nottoway Plantation House had about 80 acres of front yard between it and the Mississippi River. Today a dike that protects Nottoway from the Mighty Miss fills most of that area.
Nottoway has not changed much since slaves built it in 1857. It survived the …