Reintroduced to U.S. Congress on February 3, the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act seeks to grant FDA the authority to collect microbial samples from concentrated animal feeding operations, also referred to as “factory farms,” during foodborne illness outbreak investigations.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we discuss the top food safety stories of 2024 and their implications, including high-profile foodborne illness outbreaks, the ongoing avian flu outbreak in poultry and dairy cattle, FDA’s Human Foods Program restructuring, rising concerns and evolving legislation around food additives and chemical contaminants, and other topics.
Boar’s Head has responded to a letter from 22 members of Congress probing the company about the recent, fatal listeriosis outbreak linked to its products. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who signed the letter, called Boar’s Head’s response “not credible” and “a classic corporate dodge.”
FDA has declared the outbreak of Escherichia coli infections linked to Grimmway Farms carrots to be over. Although the outbreak strain of E. coli did not match the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strain found in environmental samples, traceback evidence implicates the recalled carrots as the vehicle of illness.
After a second Listeria monocytogenes strain related to clinical isolates was discovered through environmental and product testing, the patient count in the foodborne illness outbreak linked to Yu Shang ready-to-eat meat and poultry products has risen to 19, including an additional infant death.
CDC has announced that the Escherichia coli outbreak linked to yellow onions distributed by Taylor Farms and served at McDonald’s restaurants to be over, and FDA has closed its investigation. However, the outbreak strain was not confirmed in any product or environmental samples.
This Food Safety Five Newsreel episode discusses a fatal Escherichia coli outbreak that recently swept the U.S., as well as a decision by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to raise the acceptable daily intake for artificial sweetener saccharin.
A Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to Mexican-grown cucumbers has caused 68 illnesses and 18 hospitalizations in 19 states. A recall has been initiated by distributor SunFed Produce LLC.
A multistate foodborne outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections spanning more than two years has sickened 11 people and resulted in the death of an infant. The outbreak is linked to ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products from Yu Shang Food Inc.
Following a fatal Escherichia coli outbreak linked to organic carrots that has sickened people in multiple U.S. states, the Government of Canada is warning consumers not to eat recalled products distributed by California-based Grimmway Farms.
