Category Government Agencies

Attorneys representing the Center for Science in the Public Interest sued USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in 2014 because the agency would not declare the most dangerous Salmonella strains as adulterants. But after only about 60 working days, the same attorneys cited Civil Procedure Rule 41 A to get the U.S. District Court for... Continue Reading Read More

Opinion A recently announced interpretation of authority on mandatory recalls weakens food safety. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision late last year not to order a mandatory recall of yellowfin tuna that sickened at least 50 people in 11 states threatens to undermine a crucial tool of last resort to protect consumers from hazardous food.... Continue Reading Read More

A study on Campylobacter in Norwegian broiler flocks older than 50 days at slaughter has indicated age and outdoor access are important risk factors. The research work in 2018 shows that 43.3 percent of flocks tested positive for Campylobacter jejuni when sampled at slaughter. Broilers more than 50 days of age at slaughter were last... Continue Reading Read More

Environmental factors impacting the risk of produce becoming contaminated in the Yuma growing region of Arizona are the subject of a new study. University of Arizona (UA) Cooperative Extension scientists are partnering with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Yuma growers, local irrigation districts, and the Arizona Department of Agriculture on a multi-year study of... Continue Reading Read More

At least 100 people have fallen ill in the past three years after eating British eggs, with almost half of them stricken this year. Public Health England (PHE) has recorded 45 of the Salmonella patients in the United Kingdom this year, according to an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) and newspaper The... Continue Reading Read More

An agreement between the U.S. Department of Commerce and Mexican tomato growers is now in effect. It means the U.S. border is again open to Mexico’s $2 billion tomato export market. While just about everyone is praising the agreement, there is some confusion about what it means for food safety. The pro-trade Fresh Produce Association... Continue Reading Read More

Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials say they’re already using the agency’s new power to assess “Administrative Monetary Penalties” of up to $15,000 against food businesses for for violations that threaten food safety and market access for Canadian goods. The government says it is committed to maintaining a strong food safety system, which now includes the... Continue Reading Read More

Its critics say the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has “doubled down” on the active ingredient in Roundup, the popular weed killer. But that’s probably an overstatement. On April 30 the EPA changed Roundup’s label requirements with suggested application measures to reduce glyphosate drift and disclosure about herbicide resistance. New instructions will advise against spraying Roundup... Continue Reading Read More

Opinion We have a romaine E. coli case in Idaho of a young man who suffered a severe case of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), was hospitalized for a month and incurred nearly $250,000 in medical expenses and lost wages. He has a risk of future kidney complications, (including a transplant), but not likely to meet... Continue Reading Read More

The European Commission says that no measures against Poland are envisioned “for the time being” as a Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs continues to grow. Almost 1,500 people have been sickened by Salmonella Enteritidis with a link to Polish eggs in the outbreak that has lasted more than six years and affected 18 countries. In an update... Continue Reading Read More