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NFID to host 15th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research from May 7–9

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases will host the 15th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research, May 7–9, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD.

5 May 2012

E coli detection in contaminated meat to be ‘sped up’ says USDA

The government is gearing up to speed up the process for tracking E. coli in meat, a move that will help authorities more quickly find the source of bacteria outbreaks and hasten recalls of contaminated food.

3 May 2012

3M Health Care honored with Silver Edison Awards

Today, 3M Health Care announced it has been honored with a Silver Edison Award for Quality of Life in the Lifestyle and Social Impact category for its 3M™ Kind Removal Silicone Tape and a Silver Edison Award for Analytic Systems in the Science/Medical category for its Aerobic Procedure for Lactic Acid Bacteria with 3M Petrifilm Aerobic Count Plate. The Edison Awards, established in 1987, recognize the most innovative products in the world.

2 May 2012

Mad cow disease raises concern but safety nets are in place says USDA

Four sick cows ever discovered in the U.S., the one announced Tuesday being the first since 2006, and no human version of the illness linked to eating U.S. beef, is not enough to worry about. “From simply a public health issue, I put it very, very low,” Cornell University food safety expert Martin Wiedmann said of the level of concern about mad cow disease. Maintaining confidence in exports fuels the nation's monitoring of the beef supply as much as continuing safety concerns, he said.

26 Apr 2012

Study of lean finely textured beef's fall from grace

The process for producing what has become known as "pink slime" actually seemed like a triumph of technology in an industry haunted by the specter of food poisoning and, at one point, even got rave reviews in the news media, according to an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News. C&EN is the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

26 Apr 2012

Thermo Fisher Scientific first quarter revenues increase 14% to record $3.10 billion

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 25 Apr 2012

Scientists identify hypervirulent Salmonella bacteria

UC Santa Barbara researchers have discovered Salmonella bacteria that are up to 100 times more capable of causing disease. Their findings may help prevent food poisoning outbreaks that continue to plague public health and the food industry.

19 Apr 2012

Bruker launches novel AVANCE III HD NMR spectrometer

At the Experimental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Conference (ENC) 2012, Bruker introduces the novel AVANCE III HD NMR spectrometer.

17 Apr 2012

Food safety lawyer warns of fast-growing tuna sushi Salmonella outbreak

Food safety lawyer and Salmonella expert Fred Pritzker said the fast-growing tuna sushi Salmonella outbreak now under federal investigation has undoubtedly sickened thousands of consumers -- not just the 93 people whose illnesses have been confirmed in lab tests. Pritzker said the actual number of outbreak victims is likely to be more than 2,700 based on a multiplier of 30.3 unreported or unconfirmed illnesses for every stool-confirmed infection counted by CDC.

7 Apr 2012

People consuming energy drinks while not exercising put themselves at risk

Researchers have found that more people are making themselves vulnerable to health problems by downing sports energy drinks that are meant to be used with intense exercise – while sitting around.

5 Apr 2012

Phenomenex, AB SCIEX announce new solution to ensure food safety in India

AB SCIEX, a global leader in life science analytical technologies, and Phenomenex, a global leader in separation science techniques, today announced a new workflow solution specifically tailored for laboratories in India to ensure the safety of spices, teas, fruits, vegetables and other food products for domestic and export markets.

5 Apr 2012

InstantLabs receives PTM certification for Salmonella Species Food Safety Kit

InstantLabs Medical Diagnostics Corporation, developer of the portable Hunter Accelerated Real-Time PCR system, today announced that its Salmonella Species Food Safety Kit has been certified as Performance-Tested Methods (PTM) No. 031202 by the AOAC Research Institute.

3 Apr 2012

Democrats offer optimistic take on court's health law decision

Appearing on the Sunday talk shows, Vice President Joseph Biden and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., defended the health law and predicted it would be upheld by the high court.

2 Apr 2012

Biden, Schumer expect court to uphold health law

Biden attacked Romney and the GOP broadly for only staking out a position against what the Obama administration has done, and not offering an alternative. Biden used the healthcare reform law as an example. "What is the Romney answer? There's nothing. All they argue is cut, get rid of that," he said. Biden said that there are "millions of people" benefiting from the law already, and that he was confident the Supreme Court would uphold it when it rules in June.

2 Apr 2012

FDA responds to bisphenol A petition from NRDC

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to respond by March 31 to a petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to ban the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from food-contact materials. Shatter-resistant polycarbonate plastic and durable epoxy resins, both made from BPA, are approved by the FDA and commonly used in reusable containers and food packaging.

31 Mar 2012

Risk of botulism at California fish processing company

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in a complaint filed by the Department of Justice, is seeking to stop the processing and distribution of fish products at a California company because of a risk of botulism and other food hazards.

30 Mar 2012

Identity of probiotics a key factor in determining safety, efficacy of popular ingredient

Regulators, manufacturers and academic researchers from around the world will convene for a two-day workshop on the scientific and regulatory challenges posed by the use of probiotic ingredients in food products. Discussions will focus on how public standards can assist in supporting transparency, consistency and competitiveness of ethical industry players as health claims surrounding probiotic products undergo increased scrutiny.

28 Mar 2012

New method uses E. coli bacteria to engineer human therapeutic glycoproteins

Escherichia coli - a bacteria considered the food safety bane of restaurateurs, grocers and consumers - is a friend. Cornell University biomolecular engineers have learned to use E. coli to produce sugar-modified proteins for making pharmaceuticals cheaper and faster.

27 Mar 2012

Ripeness of fruit determines how food-poisoning bacteria grow on them

The ripeness of fruit could determine how food-poisoning bacteria grow on them, according to scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin this week. Their work could lead to new strategies to improve food safety, bringing many health and economic benefits.

27 Mar 2012

More supermarkets shun “pink slime”

Supermarket chains Kroger Co. and Stop & Shop announced Thursday that they would no longer sell beef that includes an additive with the unappetizing “pink slime.” Federal regulators say the ammonia-treated filler, known in the industry as “lean, finely textured beef,” meets food safety standards. But critics say the product could be unsafe and is an unappetizing example of industrialized food production.

25 Mar 2012