Food Safety & Security
Daily Sound Bite: Sunland Stages Comeback
May 24, 2013 11:11 am | News | CommentsThe New Mexico peanut butter processing plant at the center of a massive salmonella outbreak and recall earlier this year has begun operations again after being shuttered by regulators eight months ago. The FDA gave the company approval to restart operations last week.
Protecting Your Brand from the Increasing Threat of Foodborne Pathogens
May 24, 2013 10:57 am | by Mike Rozembajgier, Vice President of Stericycle ExpertRECALL | Articles | CommentsThe threat of foodborne pathogens in supply chains is increasing. According to the ExpertRECALL Quarterly Index, the number of recalls issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) due to the presence of salmonella, E. coli and listeria doubled in the first quarter of 2013.
Sunland Plant Resumes Peanut Butter Production
May 24, 2013 9:56 am | by JERI CLAUSING, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe eastern New Mexico peanut butter plant shuttered eight months ago after a salmonella outbreak is back in production, and the company's officials say their coveted natural and organic butters could be back on store shelves within a month.
Antimicrobial Interventions
May 24, 2013 1:00 am | by Food Manufacturing Staff | Product Releases | CommentsBeefxide®, Porkxide™ and Lambxide™ antimicrobial interventions have received approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for use as a non-food chemical in food processing facilities.
Dutch Meat Processor Arrested in Horse Meat Probe
May 23, 2013 12:33 pm | by MIKE CORDER, Associated Press | News | CommentsInvestigators from the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority on Thursday arrested the director of a meat-processing and wholesale company whose business is at the center of an investigation into undeclared mixing of horse meat with beef.
Rice Contamination Reported in China
May 21, 2013 12:10 pm | News | CommentsAuthorities are investigating rice mills in southern China following tests that found almost half of the staple grain in one of the country's largest cities was contaminated with a toxic metal. Reports say the mills had been operating legally and sourced their rice from local farmers.
Calling All Grill Masters: Is It Done Yet?
May 21, 2013 12:04 pm | by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics | News | CommentsAs part of their award-winning Home Food Safety program, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods encourage all grill masters to equip themselves for the job with a food thermometer — the only way to determine if foods are fully cooked and safe to eat.
National Pork Board Addresses Pork Virus
May 20, 2013 12:19 pm | News | CommentsThe USDA has confirmed that porcine epidemic diarrhea virus has been identified in the United States for the first time through testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory. Producers will need to work with their herd veterinarian if any TGE-like symptoms appear and, as always, maintain strict biosecurity protocols.
Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan Unveiled
May 20, 2013 12:00 pm | News | CommentsThe Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan aims to further improve Canada's food safety system by strengthening food safety rules, implementing more effective inspection and pledging a renewed commitment to service and more information for consumers.
Food Safety at the Grocery Store
May 17, 2013 9:11 am | by NBC | Videos | CommentsFood safety at the plant and consumer levels are much-discussed factors in securing the food supply and ensuring public health. But what about safety in the middle of the supplychain — at the grocery store? Dateline's Supermarket Sweep investigates the food safety standards at food retailers.
Food Safety at OSU
May 16, 2013 9:22 am | by OSU Extension | Videos | CommentsFaculty from the Ohio State University (OSU) Extension introduce the Food Safety program at OSU Extension and explain how it can help train students to become food safety professionals who secure the safety and quality of the U.S. food supply.
Daily Sound Bite: FDA Releases Food Defense Tool
May 14, 2013 12:47 pm | News | CommentsThe FDA has released the Food Defense Plan Builder, a comprehensive, easy-to-use software program designed to help owners and operators of food facilities develop customized plans to minimize the risk of intentional contamination at their plants.
FDA Releases Tool To Help Prevent Intential Contamination
May 14, 2013 12:41 pm | News | CommentsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released a new tool to help bolster the food industry’s defense measures against an act of intentional food contamination. The Food Defense Plan Builder is a comprehensive, easy-to-use software program designed to help owners and operators of food facilities develop customized plans to minimize the risk of intentional contamination at their individual food facilities.
Don’t Give in to Bird Activity at Your Facility
May 14, 2013 9:18 am | by Patrick T. Copps, MS, B.C.E., Technical Services Manager, Orkin, LLC | Articles | CommentsBirdwatching is an activity that fascinates people; it gives avid fans a chance to relax outdoors while watching birds react with each other in their natural habitats. But around your facility, there should be little to no bird activity, as birds can wreak havoc on your property and products.
Consumer Trends: Celebrating National Egg Month
May 13, 2013 12:00 pm | News | CommentsIn honor of National Egg Month this May, Safest Choice™ Eggs is partnering with popular cookbook author and founder of Weelicious.com, Catherine McCord, to encourage families to cook wholesome, healthy meals together and ‘Make the Safest Choice’ while doing so.
UN: Eat More Insects
May 13, 2013 9:31 am | by FRANCES D'EMILIO,Associated Press | News | CommentsThe U.N. has new weapons to fight hunger, boost nutrition and reduce pollution, and they might be crawling or flying near you right now: edible insects. The Food and Agriculture Organization on Monday hailed the likes of grasshoppers, ants and other members of the insect world as an underutilized food for people, livestock and pets.
Company Orders Ice Cream Recall
May 10, 2013 9:38 am | News | CommentsA dairy company is voluntarily recalling ice cream produced in Winston-Salem and distributed to 10 states that don't identify possible allergens because the product is packed in the wrong containers. Dairy Fresh said Thursday it's recalling some IGA Brand Vanilla and Chocolate in a 1.75 quart package because it's really Heavenly Hash ice cream that may contain almonds, coconut and soy.
Daily Sound Bite: Wrigley Removes Alert Gum from Shelves
May 9, 2013 12:58 pm | News | CommentsA Food and Drug Administration investigation into the safety of caffeine-added foods has prompted Wrigley to take its new caffeinated gum off the market for the time being. Wrigley said Wednesday that it will temporarily halt sales and marketing of Alert caffeinated gum after discussions with the FDA.
Nitrofuran Screening Kits
May 8, 2013 1:00 am | by Food Manufacturing Staff | Product Releases | CommentsCompany has dramatically improved the analysis of nitrofurans in feed, fish, shrimp, meat, honey and milk with its line of MaxSignal® ELISAs.
A Cut Above the Rest
May 7, 2013 12:11 pm | by Krystal Gabert, Editor | Articles | CommentsTucked away in Pascoag, R.I., Daniele, Inc. is using innovative technology to extend shelf-life, ensure food safety and expand the reach of its sausage and cured meat products to a growing base of consumers. The company has been making sausages in the region for nearly 40 years. But its roots stretch much farther.
FDA Announces Guide to Help Ensure Safe Seafood
May 7, 2013 9:47 am | News | CommentsFDA is announcing the availability of an updated guide designed to help ensure that raw oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops offered in the U.S. market are safe to eat. The guide, entitled the National Shellfish Sanitation Program Guide for the Control of Molluscan Shellfish: 2011 Revision, was developed by the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference with FDA concurrence.
Campylobacter on the Rise
May 7, 2013 9:16 am | by Krystal Gabert, Editor | Blogs | CommentsAccording to new reports released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), incidences of campylobacter, commonly contracted from poultry and raw milk, are on the rise.
Manda Meat Products Return to Shelves After Recall
May 6, 2013 12:41 pm | News | CommentsManda Fine Meats' deli and specialty meat products are returning to store shelves this weekend. The Baton Rouge meat packing company said in a news release that it expects distribution to be near normal within a few weeks, The Advocate reported.
Turkey Group Refutes Consumer Reports Study
May 6, 2013 12:34 pm | News | CommentsIn its first-ever lab analysis of ground turkey products, Consumer Reports found potential disease-causing organisms in most of the samples it tested, many of which proved resistant to more than three antibiotic drug classes. Consumer Reports tested 257 samples purchased from stores nationwide. NTF refuted what it called numerous misleading claims, and challenged the methodology in the report.
Report: Many Causes for Dramatic Bee Disappearance
May 3, 2013 12:20 pm | by SETH BORENSTEIN,AP Science Writer | News | CommentsA new federal report blames a combination of problems for a mysterious and dramatic disappearance of U.S. honeybees since 2006. The intertwined factors cited include a parasitic mite, multiple viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition, genetics, habitat loss and pesticides.
