FOOD SAFETY NEWS SCAN: Top 10 risky foods, ground beef vulnerabilities

Foodborne Disease
E coli
Salmonella

Oct 6, 2009

Leafy greens top food safety watchdog's risky list
The food safety watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) today released a report on the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Drawn from the CSPI's database of outbreaks confirmed by the official postings between 1990 and 2006, the list includes leafy greens, eggs, tuna, oysters, potatoes, cheese, ice cream, tomatoes, sprouts, and berries. At a media briefing today, Carolyn Smith DeWaal, CSPI's food safety program director, said tuna and oysters made the list, even though producers are required to have "hazard analysis and critical control point" (HACCP) plans. She said the findings of the study add urgency to the passage of a key food safety bill, which passed the US House of Representatives but awaits action in the Senate. She said HACCP plans don't work unless they're enforced. Peter Hurley, the father of a young Oregon boy who was sickened in a recent peanut butter Salmonella outbreak, said 50 victims of foodborne illnesses and their families will gather in Washington, DC, on Oct 10 to meet with legislators and ask them to forward the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
Oct 6 CSPI press release
CSPI report on 10 riskiest foods regulated by the FDA
http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/cspi_top_10_fda.pdf

News investigation finds safety gaps in ground beef production

Despite several Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreaks linked to ground beef over the past few years, the product is still vulnerable to contamination, because packers grind meat from different sources into their hamburger but aren't required to test the samples for E coli, the New York Times reported on Oct 4. The Times traced the burger eaten by a Minnesota woman who was sickened by contaminated ground beef in the fall of 2007 but is still recovering. The investigation also found that big companies, to avoid the possibility of recalls, sometimes agree to sell only to companies that won't test their products. The probe also found that the company didn't follow its own safety rules. In response to the story, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press release yesterday that the events in the story are "unacceptable and tragic" and that the nation needs to do more to protect Americans. He said the USDA has been active in its contributions to President Obama's Food Safety Working Group, which has launched several measures to make ground beef safer, such as requiring inspectors to test additional trim components that go into ground beef. He said the USDA is also exploring ways to enhance traceback methods.
Oct 4 New York Times story
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33164820/ns/health-food_safety/
Oct 5 USDA press release
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/10/0491.xml

This week's top reads

  1. FDA significantly limits COVID-19 vaccine recommendations

    Critics said today’s announcement is more evidence of the current administration’s willingness to undermine public trust in vaccines.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    FDA building

  2. 'A national scandal': US excess deaths rose even after pandemic, far outpacing peer countries

    The United States has been in a "protracted health crisis" for decades, the researchers say.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Grave markers with flowers

  3. Moderna pulls licensing submission for combo flu-COVID vaccine

    Moderna's combination vaccine was intended for adults 50 and older. 

    Stephanie Soucheray

  4. FDA vaccine advisers recommend sticking with JN.1 strain for next COVID vaccines

    The group weighed considerations about newer variants and raised concerns that a strain recommendation might interface with the FDA's new proposed COVID vaccine framework.

    Lisa Schnirring
    woman vaccinated

  5. WHO adds NB.1.8.1 as SARS-CoV-2 variant under monitoring

    Experts say illnesses don't seem more severe and more studies are needed to further assess the risk of antibody escape.

    Lisa Schnirring

  6. WHO warns of rising COVID activity in 3 global regions

    The increase in activity is seen in the Western Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Mediterranean regions.

    Stephanie Soucheray

  7. Viewpoint: Making key COVID vaccine decisions without input, transparency is a public disservice

    Newly announced rules that limit the use of COVID vaccines suggest that federal officials are opposed to open discussion and transparency.

    Vaccine Integrity Project Staff and Advisers
    COVID vaccine vial and syringe

  8. Iowa, Nebraska announce first measles cases

    Iowa's patient is an unvaccinated adult, and Nebraska's is a vaccinated child who had not traveled outside the state.

    Lisa Schnirring
    measles torso

  9. FDA approves formula for fall COVID vaccines

    The agency told vaccine makers that COVID-19 vaccines used in the US starting in fall 2025 should be based on JN.1 lineage strains, preferably the LP.8.1 strain.

    Chris Dall

  10. Family likely infected with histoplasmosis in bat-colonized cave

    They reported seeing bats and coming into contact with bat droppings while crawling through tight spaces during the 2-hour tour.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Bats in cave

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