Category: Issue 431
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Polish Authorities Recall Food Tainted with Road Salt
Polish officials have reportedly withdrawn from commerce more than 500,000 pounds of food possibly contaminated with industrial salt intended for de-icing roads in winter conditions. According to media sources, Poland’s Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested five individuals accused of selling road salt to food processors for use in dairy, fish, meat, and baked goods.…
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CDC Claims Outbreaks Linked to Imported Foods on the Rise
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released an analysis showing that disease outbreaks linked to imported foods apparently increased in 2009 and 2010. CDC experts reviewed data collected by the Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System from 2005 to 2010, finding that 39 outbreaks and 2,348 illnesses were tied to imported foods from…
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FDA Warns Office Supply Company About Sanitary Conditions Near Stored Foods
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning letter to Staples, Inc. concerning inspections conducted at its California facility where food products are stored. FDA apparently discovered “serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.” Among other matters, rodent excreta pellets were found on or near “at least 11…
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GAO Report Urges Preslaughter Inventions to Reduce E. Coli
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a March 2012 report urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adopt several measures to reduce Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in cattle before they are slaughtered. According to GAO, USDA currently recognizes bacteriophages, probiotics, vaccines, and sodium chlorate as preslaughter interventions able to control STEC,…
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Lawmakers Sign Petition Urging FDA to Label Genetically Engineered Foods
Fifty-five members of Congress have sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in support of a legal petition demanding the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods. Signed by 10 senators and 45 representatives, the March 12, 2012, letter urges FDA “to protect a consumer’s right to know, the freedom to choose what…