A video that appears to show pigs being abused at an Oklahoma hog farm has prompted investigations by its owners and the Hormel Food Co., which it supplies. Hormel, makers of Spam, bacon, chili and other products, is looking into the Oklahoma facility, which is owned by The Maschhoffs LLC, large a hog production company…
EPA nominee had little to do with ‘busload of lawyers’ case
Oklahoma’s famous “busload of lawyers” case is back in the news because of president-elect Donald J. Trump’s nomination of Scott Pruitt to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Pruitt is Oklahoma’s Attorney General. Environmental groups are saying Pruitt did not pursue a pollution case against the Arkansas poultry industry because he received $40,000 in…
Two state Salmonella outbreak blamed on Kansas sprout farm
Five Kansas residents and three Oklahomans were stricken with Salmonella illnesses earlier this year that are now being blamed on sprouts. The two-state Salmonella outbreak is believed to have originated with sprouts grown at Sweetwater Farms in Inman, KS, according to the findings of an investigation involving the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE),…
Solicitor General Opinion Favors Colorado’s Marijuana Industry
The Solicitor General of the United Sates says that recreational marijuana is Colorado’s business and there is no need for the U.S. Supreme Court to review claims from Nebraska and Oklahoma that they are owed something because the legal weed is being trafficked beyond the Centennial State’s borders. Nebraska and Oklahoma sued Colorado a year…
Blue Bell Lays Off Hundreds of Workers Because of Recall
Blue Bell Creameries announced Friday that because of the “extended timeline” required for cleaning up its four manufacturing plants before resuming ice cream production, the company will cut hundreds of employees from its workforce. On April 20, the company recalled all products made in all four plants due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. CEO and…
Blue Bell Agrees to Listeria Testing and Reporting Regime for Plants in Texas and Oklahoma
The president and CEO of Blue Bell Creameries signed voluntary agreements on Thursday with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry holding the company to a detailed Listeria testing and reporting regime before selling any ice cream made at its headquarters plant in Brenham, TX,…
Egg-Producing States File Appeal Over California’s Proposition 2
States that, until recently, sold a total of 2 billion shell eggs a year in California clearly don’t intend to give up on that lucrative Golden State market without a fight. After first getting tossed from federal court, they’ve now returned with bulked-up arguments to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The…
Oklahoma Issues Food Safety Advice After Tornadoes
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’…
Oklahoma to Eliminate Ban on Horse Slaughter
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin is expected to sign House Bill 1999, which will bring an end to the state’s 50-year ban on slaughtering horses. The bill passed the Oklahoma Senate on a 32-14 vote on Tuesday after being approved 82-14 in the House a month earlier. HB 1999 is now on the Governor’s desk for …
Oklahoma Mexican Restaurant Was Source of Salmonella Outbreak
A Mexican restaurant in Grady County, Oklahoma has been pinpointed as the source of a Salmonella outbreak that sickened six people over the last two months. The Oklahoma State Department of Health announced Friday that Temazcal, an eatery located in Chickasha, was the most likely origin of the Salmonella Enteriditis that caused the outbreak, reported…