Dung beetles and soil bacteria on farms could help suppress E. coli and other harmful pathogens, according to research.
The study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology found improved food safety may be enhanced by on‐farm biodiversity and the current view that farm simplification helps may undervalue natural resistance
Continue Reading Reduced on-farm biodiversity may have negative food safety impact
(U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, was co-author of the Tester-Hagan Amendment to the Food Safety Modernization Act, which exempted certain small, local producers from regulation. He sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee and also on its Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.)
Continue Reading The Government’s Role in Food Safety
It is spring planting time for farms, and, if hybrid seeds are being planted, chances are some might be genetically engineered (GE) and technically genetically modified organisms (GMOs), according to a growing movement in organic agriculture. High Mowing Organic Seeds, an organic seed company based in Wolcott, VT, bans
Continue Reading Organic Mutagenic/Cell Fusion Hybrid Seeds are Genetically Engineered
Organic growers are among those sighing in relief now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the comment period for its proposed produce and preventive-control rules until Nov. 22. The proposed rules are part of the historic Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which was signed into law
Continue Reading Organic Growers Urged to Comment on FDA's Draft FSMA Rules
This article is part one of three in a series on organic foods published by Food Sentry. This entry was originally published on Feb. 6, 2013. Over the past decade, it’s apparent that a lot of the country, if not the world, has been making a push toward a
Continue Reading The Low-Down on Organic Foods
Because Food Safety News holds an important perspective in the industry, I was surprised to see the website publish a commentary by Mr. Mischa Popoff. Mr. Popoff has spent the last few years promoting his self-published book, Is It Organic. He has made irresponsible and unsupported claims that
Continue Reading Organic vs. Conventional: Pundits Are Welcome to Their Own Opinion, But Not Their Own Facts
At its recent policy conference in Washington, D.C., the Organic Trade Association (OTA) heard from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack about the future of organic farming. Vilsack told OTA members that he views organic as “its own separate commodity,” and he is committed to treating it that way. He wants
Continue Reading Vilsack Promises to Grow U.S. Organic Industry
We know it usually costs more, but is organic meat and produce any healthier — or safer? A new review of the science suggests that the answer may be no.
According to a study, conducted by scientists at Stanford, the market for organics in the United States was worth
Continue Reading Organic Food Not Proven Healthier or Safer, Study Finds
A man who misrepresented chemical fertilizer as organic has pleaded guilty in federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.
Peter Townsley, owner of California Liquid Fertilizer in the Salinas Valley, admitted to defrauding his organic farmer customers by saying his fertilizer, Biolizer XN
Continue Reading ‘Organic’ Fertilizer Maker Pleads Guilty to Fraud
I am interested in how major foodborne outbreaks and their investigations are interpreted and analyzed: to prevent future outbreaks, minimize the harm from outbreaks that occur, and frame the debates on regulating food safety on farms.
When I was asked by a small organic farmer in California what the implications
Continue Reading An Outbreak Like Germany’s Could Happen Here
