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Augusta woman sues Fairbank Farms over E. coli infected ground beef

As news broke that more Maine residents may be infected with E. coli from Fairbank Farms ground beef, an Augusta woman severely sickened in the E. coli outbreak has filed suit against the company. The lawsuit was filed in the Maine District Court by the plaintiff’s attorneys, Bill Marler of foodborne illness law firm Marler Clark, and Peter Felmley of the Portland firm Drummond, Woodsum, & MacMahon.

23 Nov 2009

Schoolchildren should eat snail pie to reduce malnutrition and iron deficiency, says nutritionist

A nutritionist in Nigeria says that malnutrition and iron deficiency in schoolchildren could be reduced in her country by baking up snail pie. In a research paper to be published in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, she explains snail is not only cheaper and more readily available than beef but contains more protein.

20 Nov 2009

FDA files for permanent injunction against seafood processor Haifa Smoked Fish

The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction against seafood processor Haifa Smoked Fish Inc. of Jamaica, N.Y., and two of its top officers for violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

16 Nov 2009

Agilent Technologies reports decreased revenues of $1.17 billion for the fourth fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31, 2009

Agilent Technologies Inc. today reported revenues of $1.17 billion for the fourth fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31, 2009, 21 percent below one year ago. Fourth quarter GAAP net income was $25 million, or $0.07 per diluted share. Last year’s fourth quarter GAAP net income was $231 million, or $0.64 per share.

13 Nov 2009

"Make Our Food Safe" coalition urges Senate to enact stronger food safety laws

Over the next several weeks, the U. S. Senate has an historic opportunity to take a major step toward improving food safety for all Americans. That is why a coalition of public health professionals, consumer organizations and groups representing victims of foodborne illness is sending the message that it is time to "Make Our Food Safe for the Holidays!"

13 Nov 2009

Majority of New Hampshire voters support food safety legislation

An overwhelming majority of New Hampshire voters - 90 percent - support food safety legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new authority to ensure the food Americans eat does not make them sick, according to a new poll commissioned by the Pew Health Group and conducted by Hart Research and Public Opinion Strategies.

13 Nov 2009

89% voters support food safety legislation, reveals new poll

An overwhelming majority of North Carolina voters - 89 percent - support food safety legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new authority to ensure the food Americans eat does not make them sick, according to a new poll commissioned by the Pew Health Group and conducted by Hart Research and Public Opinion Strategies.

13 Nov 2009

Exposure to deadly bacteria can result in stillbirths

A new study shows the risk for severe effects of exposure to Listeria monocytogenes among susceptible populations may occur at doses lower than suggested by previous studies.

13 Nov 2009

Updated WHO data finds deaths caused by tainted food are underestimated

New WHO data finds that unsafe food kills an estimated 1.2 million people over the age of five in Southeast Asia and Africa each year, including three times more adults than previously thought, Reuters reports. "It is a picture that we have never had before," WHO Food Safety Director Jorgen Schlundt said. "We now have documentation of a significant burden outside the less than five group, that is major new information."

12 Nov 2009

Obama nominates Senior USDA official to lead USAID

President Barack Obama Tuesday announced the nomination of Rajiv Shah - a medical doctor who is currently a senior official at the Department of Agriculture focusing on food security - to lead USAID, the Boston Globe reports (Smith, 11/11).

12 Nov 2009

Adolescents less likely to wash hands and more susceptible to cross-contaminate raw foods while cooking

A Kansas State University study has shown that when preparing frozen foods, adolescents are less likely than adults to wash their hands and are more susceptible to cross-contaminating raw foods while cooking.

11 Nov 2009

New cookbook from NHLBI

The health of your heart has a lot to do with the foods you eat. To help busy people and families shop for, prepare, and serve healthy meals, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health created and published Keep the Beat Recipes: Deliciously Healthy Dinners. The new cookbook features 75 simple and delicious recipes influenced by Asian, Latino, Mediterranean, and American cuisine that are good for your heart and taste great too.

11 Nov 2009

New FDA Food Code published

The Food and Drug Administration today announced the publication of the new FDA Food Code, a model code and reference document that provides a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the food industry. The 2009 FDA Food Code is a key component of the President's overall public-health-focused food safety framework for maintaining a safe food supply.

10 Nov 2009

Varian launches its 325-MS triple-quadrupole liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer

Varian, Inc. announced today the release of the 325-MS triple-quadrupole LC/MS (liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer) for the efficient detection and identification of chemical compounds in high-throughput laboratories performing environmental, food safety, and toxicology analyses.

6 Nov 2009

FDA and FSIS announce joint public meeting to prevent foodborne illness

A joint public meeting focused on improving the system for tracing of food products and ingredients that are causing illness outbreaks or presenting other risks to the health of consumers was announced today by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

5 Nov 2009

Puricore reports increase in sales of 25% in Q3

PuriCore, the life sciences company focused on developing and commercializing proprietary, green solutions that safely, effectively, and naturally kill infectious pathogens without causing harm to human health or the environment, today issues an Interim Management Statement covering the three-month and nine-month periods ending September 30, 2009.

3 Nov 2009

Response and investigation of the outbreak of foodborne illnesses vary greatly

A survey of state health departments regarding their capacity to track produce-related foodborne illnesses found that the response and investigation of outbreaks varies greatly and can lead to delays in public-health response.

31 Oct 2009

RESPOND program to improve global perspective on emerging diseases

Experts from the University of Minnesota will soon be on the frontlines working to help developing countries better respond to emerging animal diseases that pose a threat to human health.

31 Oct 2009

FDA and WebMD Health collaborate to provide increased access to consumer health information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and WebMD Health Corp. today announced an expansion of their partnership to provide increased access to FDA's consumer health information.

30 Oct 2009

SSSP software to detect spoiled food

Let's start with an example: You have just picked up a pack of cold-smoked salmon from the supermarket chill cabinet to serve for your family lunch on Sunday. On its way from the factory to the lunch table, the salmon product has been exposed to varying temperatures. Now, how can you be sure the product is still good to eat when you take it out of the refrigerator to make sandwiches?

28 Oct 2009