Tag: pathogen
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Researchers Present Rapid Salmonella Test at ACS Meeting
Researchers from Jackson State University in Mississippi have reportedly developed a rapid test for detecting Salmonella on food that uses popcorn-shaped gold nanoparticles. Presented March 27, 2012, at the 243rd National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the application relies on antibodies attached to gold nanoparticles that then transfer to Salmonella bacteria if…
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Cantaloupe Importer Withdraws Tort Claims Against Epidemiologist and Oregon Public Health
Del Monte Fresh Produce has reportedly informed Oregon Public Health and state Senior Epidemiologist William Keene that it will not act on its notice to sue over their identification of the company’s imported cantaloupes as the source of a 2011 Salmonella outbreak. Additional details about the litigation threat appear in Issue 408 of this Update.…
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Insurer Agrees to Pay $11 Million to Settle Coverage Dispute in Salmonella Outbreak
A company that insured Basic Food Flavors Inc. has asked a court to approve its settlement in a coverage dispute concerning a 2010 Salmonella outbreak involving hydrolyzed vegetable protein, a flavorings ingredient used in processed foods. Employers Fire Ins. Co. v. Basic Food Flavors Inc., 10-1109 (D. Nev., motion to approve settlement filed March 21, 2012).…
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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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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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Federal Court Narrows Claims in Tomato Recall Suit Against FDA
A federal court in South Carolina has dismissed three of four claims in a lawsuit filed by a family farming operation that claims the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) 2008 tomato recall, which later proved unnecessary as the agency conceded that tomatoes were not the source of the Salmonella contamination, caused the farm substantial economic harm.…
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FDA Releases Guidance on Veterinary Medicines
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the availability of industry guidance concerning drugs for veterinary care. The guidance provides “recommendations on what documentation to submit to support the CMC [Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls] information for fermentation-derived intermediates, drug substances, and related drug products for veterinary medicinal use.” Noting that a variety of products are…
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FDA Issues Industry Guidance on Testing Procedures for Salmonella
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released industry guidance addressing the testing procedures for Salmonella species “in human foods and direct-human-contact animal foods.” Applicable to firms that manufacture, process, pack, or hold these products for distribution to consumers, institutions or food processors, the guidance also discusses the interpretation of test results when the presence…