The FDA issued Import Alert 25-02 for morel mushrooms imported from a company in France on May 23, 2022 because, in the past, shipments of canned and dried mushrooms were detained because of the presence of Gyromitra esculenta, or false morel. This species can produce monomethylhydrazine (MMH), which is a toxin that can cause severe gastrointestinal illnesses and, in some cases, death. The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) identified another species, Verpa bohemica, or early morel, which can also cause illness in some people. All morel mushrooms imported from that company and false morel mushrooms, also imported from that company, in the form of fresh, canned, and dried, are subject to this import alert until further notice. Morel mushrooms are a distinctive … [Read more...]
Proposal to Declare Salmonella an Adulterant in Breaded Stuffed Chicken
The USDA has released their proposal to declare Salmonella an adulterant at "very low levels" in breaded stuffed raw chicken products. The announcement that a proposal was coming was made in August 2022. These types of products have been linked to many food poisoning outbreaks in the past several years. In fact, since 1998, raw breaded stuffed chicken products have been associated with up to 14 outbreaks and at least 200 illnesses. The last outbreak was in 2021, when 28 people in 8 states were sickened after eating Serenade Foods stuffed chicken products including Kirkwood and Milford Valley brands. This proposal builds on the USDA's proposed regulatory framework to reduce Salmonella infections linked to poultry products. Salmonella causes about 1.35 million human illnesses and … [Read more...]
How do Lead and Cadmium Get Into Dark Chocolate?
A report in Consumer Reports in 2022 said they found lead and cadmium in several brands of dark chocolate. These heavy metals can cause serious health problems. So how do lead and cadmium get into dark chocolate? Toxicologist Michael J. DiBartolomeis, PhD, studied how these metals contaminate chocolate. The metals are found in cocoa solids, which are part of the cacao bean. The levels of cocoa solids in dark chocolate are higher than they are in milk chocolate, which is why dark chocolates have more problems with contamination. The heavy metals get into the cacao bean in different ways. Cadmium is usually in the beans already when they are harvested because the plants take up cadmium in the soil, which accumulates in the beans. But lead gets into the beans after they are … [Read more...]
Food Safety Tips For Passover and Easter
These food safety tips for Passover and Easter will help you celebrate while keeping everyone safe from food poisoning. Every time a group of people gather to eat, food safety rules are very important, especially if the group includes people at high risk for serious complications from foodborne illness. Of course, follow the rules of Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Clean your kitchen before you start and wash your hands and utensils to avoid spreading pathogens. Separate by keeping raw meats, poultry, and eggs from foods that are eaten uncooked such as produce. Cook food to safe final internal temperatures and test with a food thermometer. Chill leftovers within two hours of taking food out of the oven or fridge; one hour if the air temperature is 90°F or higher. Eggs Eggs … [Read more...]
FDA on Food Waste and Food Safety: What About Expiration?
The FDA is offering information on food waste and food safety, or what do you need to know about expiration dates? Most products have a "best by" or "best if used by" date stamped somewhere on the container. What do they mean? And can you eat a food that is past that date? This information is important because food waste is a terrible problem in this country. For instance, 80% of our freshwater is used getting food on the table, along with half of our land. Organic waste, mostly food, is the second biggest component of landfills. And those landfills are the third largest source of methane emissions, a greenhouse gas. Since between 30 to 40% of food in the U.S. goes uneaten, we are discarding $165,000,000,000 in food every year. Food waste and food safety are connected because … [Read more...]
CPSC Report Finds Spike in Child Poisoning Deaths in 2021
A Consumer Product Safety Commission report finds a 37% spike in child poisoning deaths in 2021. Fifty nine children under the age of five years died after gaining access to prescribed or illicit drugs. Nearly 12 children died after ingesting cell or coin batteries from 2017 through 2021. The agency is encouraging consumers to protect their families by taking control of all potentially harmful household products, including medications, drugs, button batteries, laundry packets, and cleaning supplies. National Poison Prevention Week, which was March 20 - 24, 2023 is the 61st year it has been observed. Tough federal laws caused a decrease of 73% in child poisoning deaths since 1972. Laws include the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 and the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act … [Read more...]