Recalls & Food Safety
Company Recalls Stews with Undeclared Allergens
May 13, 2013 12:30 pm | News | CommentsAcadian Fine Foods LLC is recalling 17,000 pounds of pork and chicken stews because labels don't list whey and soy as ingredients. Some people are allergic to those substances. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall Friday.
200 Sickened After Eating at Vegas Restaurant
May 13, 2013 12:27 pm | by MICHELLE RINDELS,Associated Press | News | CommentsA new report shows 200 people who dined at one of Las Vegas' most popular restaurants about a block off the Strip have reported food poisoning symptoms, making it the largest outbreak southern Nevada health officials have seen in at least a decade.
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.
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.
Nestle Recalls California Pizza Kitchen, DiGiorno Pizzas
May 3, 2013 12:19 pm | News | CommentsNestle Pizza Co. of Little Chute is recalling four frozen-pizza products that might be contaminated with plastic fragments. The USDA says one consumer reported a chipped tooth after biting into one of the California Pizza Kitchen products. The problem was apparently related to the spinach in the pizza, so the company is recalling other pizza products that used the same lot of spinach.
Daily Sound Bite: China 'Cannot Tolerate' Rat Meat Sold As Lamb
May 3, 2013 12:14 pm | News | CommentsAfter a new food safety law only vaguely increased food safety regulations in China, a new scandal involving nearly 1,000 suspects is rocking the country. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security has announced that rat and fox meat has been fraudulently sold as lamb.
Mozzarella Recalled for Undeclared Soy
May 3, 2013 9:41 am | News | CommentsAn upstate New York company is recalling a mozzarella cheese product because it contains soy, which isn't listed on the label and could cause allergic reactions. Formaggio Italian Cheese Specialties of Sullivan County says it's recalling about 234 pounds of fresh mozzarella with chorizo and cilantro products sold in New York and New Jersey.
Study: Food Allergies Increasing in Children
May 3, 2013 9:38 am | by MIKE STOBBE,AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsThe CDC survey suggests that about 1 in 20 U.S. children have food allergies. That's a 50 percent increase from the late 1990s. For eczema and other skin allergies, it's 1 in 8 children, an increase of 69 percent. It found no increase, however, in hay fever or other respiratory allergies.
Rat Meat Sold as Lamb in China’s Latest Food Scandal
May 3, 2013 9:34 am | News | CommentsChinese police have broken up a criminal ring accused of taking meat from rats and foxes and selling it as lamb in the country's latest food safety scandal. The Ministry of Public Security released results of a three-month crackdown on food safety violators, saying in a statement that authorities investigated more than 380 cases and arrested 904 suspects.
Photo of the Day: Sniffing Out Allergens
May 3, 2013 9:32 am | News | CommentsIn this Sunday, May 29, 2011 file photo, Jeff Glazer guides his allergy-sniffing dog, Riley, through a dugout of a ball field before his team's baseball game in Middlebury, Conn. Riley accompanies Jeff to ensure there are no peanut products or residue that could trigger his life-threatening allergic reactions.
Refurbish Food Manufacturing Machines for Increased Food Safety
May 2, 2013 12:19 pm | by Bob Shapiro, CEO, GSC Packaging | Articles | CommentsFood processing and packaging equipment is complex and multi-faceted, often with difficult-to-reach areas that can house biofilms and food soils that may result in microbiological hazards. Hidden surfaces lead to inadequate sanitation if not properly addressed, but those are not the only danger zones.
Calif. Lawsuit Claims Lead in Ginger, Plum Candies
May 2, 2013 9:43 am | by JASON DEAREN,Associated Press | News | CommentsCalifornia has filed a lawsuit against Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and other food retailers, manufacturers and distributors, alleging the companies are selling lead-tainted ginger and plum candies without warning labels, as required by state law.
May 2013 - A Cut Above the Rest
May 2, 2013 12:00 am | Digital Editions | 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 products to a growing base of consumers. The company is employing high pressure processing to heighten food safety in its facilities.
Egypt Investigating New Student Food Poisoning Case
May 1, 2013 9:25 am | News | CommentsA security official says that Egyptian authorities are investigating a new case of food poisoning at Al-Azhar, Cairo's centuries-old seat of Sunni Muslim learning. The official says the investigation opened Tuesday. Some 160 university students fell sick after a tuna meal on Monday, sparking protests by colleagues angry over the quality of basic services in the university hostel, the official said.
Posh Vegas Restaurant Shuttered amid Outbreak
April 30, 2013 12:28 pm | by MICHELLE RINDELS,Associated Press | News | CommentsA trendy Las Vegas tapas restaurant that's racked up hundreds of rave reviews on the website Yelp is closed after more than three dozen patrons reported food poisoning symptoms. Southern Nevada Health District officials said the flagship Firefly restaurant on Paradise Road was shuttered Friday and will remain closed while they run tests to try to determine the source of the outbreak.
Europe Rethinks Food Safety After Horsemeat Scandal
April 30, 2013 8:12 am | by Euronews | Videos | CommentsThe Director General of the European Consumers' Organisation discusses food safety and consumer retail fraud in the wake of the horsemeat labeling scandal. She reminds consumers to be vigilant regarding food safety, especially at a time when food processors may be lowering food safety standards as a way to cope with the economic crisis in Europe.
Canadian Beef Industry Seeks Approval of Irradiation
April 29, 2013 9:37 am | by John Cotter, The Canadian Press | News | CommentsCanada's beef industry is about to ask the federal government to approve the use of irradiation in meat-processing plants to kill dangerous E. coli bacteria in a full range of meat products. The Canadian Cattlemen's Association says it is updating an application that was first made to Health Canada in 1998 for ground beef, but was turned down because of public concerns.
Mexican Cucumbers Linked to Salmonella
April 26, 2013 9:27 am | by NBC | Videos | CommentsCucumbers from Mexico have been linked to 73 U.S. cases of salmonella across 18 states, and the FDA has halted imports from the Mexican company thought to be responsible. Though no one has died from this outbreak, 20 people have been hospitalized.
China: Chef Added Pesticide, Not Sauce, to Lunch
April 25, 2013 9:27 am | News | CommentsChina's state news agency says one person died and 20 others were sickened after a chef mistakenly added pesticide instead of a sauce as he was making lunch. Xinhua News Agency said in a brief dispatch Thursday that the chef was among those who fell ill after eating the lunch at a construction site in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Food Defense: Government and Industry Resources
April 24, 2013 2:23 pm | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor | Articles | CommentsAs the Food Safety Modernization Act continues to be implemented, more regulations and guidelines will be focused on food defense and the prevention of intentional contamination events. Many resources are being released by both the FDA and industry to help food manufacturers improve their food defense strategies.
Study: Chicken, Beef Are Riskiest Meats
April 24, 2013 9:30 am | by MARY CLARE JALONICK,Associated Press | News | CommentsAn analysis of more than 33,000 cases of foodborne illness shows that ground beef and chicken have caused more hospitalizations than other meats. The report by the Center for Science in Public Interest says chicken nuggets, ham and sausage pose the lowest risk of foodborne illness.
Unlocking Potential for Greater Productivity & Accuracy
April 22, 2013 1:09 pm | by Bruce Stubbs, Director of Industry Marketing for Distribution Center Operations, Intermec | Articles | CommentsFacing rising operational costs and growing awareness of consumer food safety, growers and companies are under increased pressure to improve efficiency and increase customer satisfaction and safety. Food traceability solutions are particularly imperative to meeting these needs while containing cost.
