In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we talk with Michael (Mike) R. Taylor about the regulatory changes that have occurred since the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak of 1992–1993. He served as Administrator of UDSA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) during a time of great transformation within the agency, and is currently a board member for Stop Foodborne Illness. Mike talks about how his previous work at FDA informed his work at USDA; what it was like to negotiate with industry on new Salmonella and E. coli standards, as well as HACCP regulations; the evolution of food safety culture and the concept of taking accountability for prevention; and the personal impact of the stories of foodborne illness outbreak victims.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded its internal review of the agency’s response to the U.S. infant formula supply crisis, which details key findings and recommendations that will allow the agency to respond more quickly during food safety emergencies.
There are two big game-changers for improving food allergen safety: more effective food labeling, as well as risk assessments to understand the severity and frequency of allergic reactions. Identifying, prioritizing, and standardizing the list of major food allergens across global borders will help protect people everywhere living with allergies.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with prominent foodborne illness attorney Bill Marler about the deadly 1993 E. coli outbreak in ground beef served by Jack in the Box restaurants along the U.S. West Coast. Marler defended Brianne Kiner, the most seriously injured survivor of the outbreak, as well as hundreds of other victims in a class-action lawsuit. The story of this outbreak—which led to regulatory changes by USDA to declare E. coli an illegal adulterant in ground beef—and its ensuing legal and industry battles, is told in the book Poisoned by author Jeff Benedict. As the central figure in Benedict's book, Marler tells his story of the 1993 outbreak, as well as his outlook on the future of food safety legislation in the U.S.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned an independent review of the national food control systems of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S., which has revealed significant differences in how each country regulates food safety.
A study has demonstrated the economic impacts of foodborne illness outbreaks on supply chains by observing the damages caused by the 2018 Escherichia coli outbreak that was linked to romaine lettuce grown in California.
Researchers from the USDA’s Economic Research Service and CDC developed a model that can be used to assess the value of state and federal foodborne illness outbreak investigations and subsequent recalls. The researchers demonstrated the replicability of the model using a 2018 Salmonella outbreak as a case study.
Food companies are struggling with recall execution and communication, stemming from a patchwork of regulations. Three key issues confront industry due to this fragmentation of the recall system. The path to more effective recalls, in simple terms, is to standardize and streamline the existing system and utilize modern technology to circulate pertinent information.
For National Food Safety Education Month 2022, the National Environmental Health Organization (NEHA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (USDA's) Food and Nutrition Service are offering educational webinars and informational resources.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is encouraging countries around the world to adopt e-notification systems to bolster food safety, and has released a publication to support such efforts, titled, Technical Guidance for the Implementation of E-Notification Systems for Food Control.
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