The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially named Taylor Farms onions served at McDonald’s as the source of the recent Escherichia coli outbreak, and has reported 90 illnesses, 27 hospitalizations, two cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, and one fatality.
In an effort to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides, researchers at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) are developing a tool to help farmers choose the most effective and sustainable crop protection approaches for their unique operations.
Testing has shown no sign of Escherichia coli contamination in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder beef patties, and traceback and epidemiological data have ruled out beef as the cause of the ongoing E. coli outbreak. Quarter Pounders have returned to the menu at affected McDonald’s locations—without slivered onions.
Temperature monitoring is more than writing numbers on a form or entering data into a spreadsheet. Personnel must be properly educated on not only how to do the work, but also why it is important—as well as the ramifications of failing to properly do the work.
Amid the ongoing E. coli outbreak, Taylor Farms has been confirmed as the onion supplier to the affected McDonald’s locations. As a result, national restaurant chains are proactively pulling onions from their menus. FDA is still investigating whether onions are the vehicle of illness.
A foodborne illness outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders contaminated with Escherichia coli has caused 49 illnesses, ten hospitalizations, and one death in ten states. Slivered onions used on the sandwiches are the probable vehicle of illness.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Purdue University are launching a multi-year environmental study of Salmonella in the Southwest Indiana agricultural region to answer questions raised by recent outbreaks linked to cantaloupe and to inform food safety strategies.
On November 12–13, the Penn State Extension is offering a virtual course to help produce growers comply with Produce Safety Rule requirements under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The option to receive a certificate of completion is available.
Trace Register’s TR5 seafood traceability platform has successfully passed the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability’s (GDST’s) capability test, and also maintains backward compatibility with older systems.
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and the University of Maine recently held a workshop convening researchers, state partners, and other experts to identify research needs and solutions for per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination on farms.
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