"Mad cow" disease has caused a fourth death in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lab tests confirmed that a patient in Texas who recently died had Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, a fatal brain disorder linked to eating beef from cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
The United Fresh Produce Association (United Fresh) yesterday announced that it has collaborated with international standards body IFS to offer fruit and vegetable producers and packers a streamlined solution to achieve GFSI-benchmarked certification with IFS Food and the United Fresh Harmonized Standard, as well as a one-stop approach using GLOBALG.A.P. for primary production.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have developed a Web resource about the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC). The site highlights the collaboration's work and creates a vehicle for sharing information with the public.
U.S. and Canadian health agencies continue to report increases in the number of cases of salmonellosis linked to sprouted chia seed products, with current totals at 27 in Canada and 17 in the U.S. Two strains of Salmonella — Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Hartford — have been associated with the outbreaks in both countries.
Michigan State University Extension scientists on May 31 published an article urging consumers and foodservice employees to "open your vacuum packed fish before thawing." The reason? Both Clostridium botulinum and Listeria monocytogenes can survive in reduced oxygen packaging at refrigerator temperatures, and thawing the fish before opening the package may promote the growth of those pathogens.
The FDA on June 2 published the final version of “Compliance Policy Guide Sec. 100.250 Food Facility Registration – Human and Animal Food,” which provides guidance for FDA staff on enforcing the food facility registration provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. They include the requirement that certain food facilities register with FDA, the requirement that registered facilities biennially renew their registrations with FDA, and FDA’s authority to suspend a food facility’s registration.
Iowa-based Quality Egg has agreed to pay $6.8 million in fines for crimes that include selling the tainted eggs that caused a nationwide Salmonella outbreak in 2010.
The UK's Food Standards Agency last week unveiled MyHACCP, an online tool designed to guide UK food and beverage companies — especially small businesses — through the process of developing a food safety management system based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, as required by EU Food Hygiene rules.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced May 29 that it is investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections linked to organic sprouted chia powder distributed by Navitas Naturals of Novato, CA. On Twelve cases have been reported in seven states, and one of those people has been hospitalized.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced May 27 that it has received reports of 50 new Salmonella Heidelberg infections likely related to Foster Farms chicken since April 9. The agency said it is continuing its investigation of this outbreak, in which 574 persons infected with Salmonella Heidelberg have been reported from 27 states and Puerto Rico since March 1, 2013.
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