Tag: pathogen
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Botulism Cases Lead to $40 Million Lawsuit Against Factory Equipment Maker
Bumble Bee Foods, LLC has filed a complaint in federal court against the company that made the food-sterilization system used to process Castleberry hot dog chili sauce that, in 2007, was contaminated with Clostridium botulinum and led to a nationwide recall of under-processed products. Bumble Bee Foods, LLC v. Malo, Inc., No. 09-042 (S.D. Ga.,…
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Pistachio Recall Linked to Salmonella Risk
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers to avoid eating all pistachio and pistachio-containing products after a California-based processor issued a voluntary recall for its entire 2008 crop due to suspected Salmonella contamination. Meanwhile, the agency has praised Kraft Foods Inc. for demonstrating how the country should handle food safety issues. Kraft voluntarily notified…
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Study Finds Houseflies Near Poultry Farms Spread Drug-Resistant Bacteria
A Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study has reportedly found evidence that houseflies living near poultry operations could contribute to the spread of drug-resistant bacteria among humans. Researchers collected flies and poultry-litter samples from farming operations in the coastal regions of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, which has “one of the highest densities of…
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New York Times Columnist Addresses Purported Link Between Pork Production and MRSA
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof recently published two op-ed pieces claiming that high-density pig farms have contributed to an increase in methiciliin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in rural communities. A March 12, 2009, article titled “Our Pigs, Our Food, Our Health” examines the case of a family physician in northwestern Indiana, where patients reportedly began contracting…
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Michael Moss and Andrew Martin, “Food Safety Problems Slip Past Private Inspections,” The New York Times, March 6, 2009
“An examination of the largest food poisoning outbreaks in recent years – in products as varied as spinach, pet food, and a children’s snack, Veggie Booty – show that auditors failed to detect problems at plants whose contaminated products later sickened consumers,” claims this article exploring the role of private inspectors in the current food…
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Wild Bird Food Company Sues Supplier for Selling Tainted PCA Peanut By-Products
Seeking “substantial damages,” a company that makes wild bird food has filed a lawsuit against a supplier that allegedly sold it peanut by-products originating from the Georgia facility linked to the Salmonella contamination outbreak. The Scotts Co., LLC v. Cereal Byproducts Co., No. 09-108 (S.D. Ohio, filed February 17, 2009). According to the complaint, the defendant…
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South Korea Claims French Baby Formula Tainted with Meningitis Bacteria
South Korean regulators have reportedly detected a bacteria associated with infant meningitis and enteritis in a shipment of organic baby formula imported from France. The Korean National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS) identified Enterobacter sakazaki in formula originating with the Bordeaux-based manufacturer Vitagermine, which stated that its products passed EU standards before shipment. The…