March 18, 2024

Keep Spring Holiday Meals Safe With Tips From the USDA

Keep spring holiday meals safe with tips from the USDA. This year, the three major holidays of Easter, Eid, and Passover are all happening in early spring. USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban said in a statement, "The holiday season is a special time to gather with friends and family and enjoy traditional meals, Whether you’re celebrating your Easter dinner with ham, Eid lunch with lamb, or Seder meal with brisket, remember to keep food safety at the forefront." Food safety is especially important when you have people with varied health statuses and ages at your spring holiday meals table, because some of those people are more susceptible to serious complications from food poisoning. In addition, some foods must be prepared early, which extends the time for … [Read more...]

Vulto Creamery Pleads Guilty In Connection With Listeria Outbreak

Vulto Creamery has pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce in connection to a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to that dairy's cheese in 2016 and 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In that outbreak, the soft raw milk cheese sickened at least eight people in four states, and two people died. Johannes Vulto oversaw operations at the Vulto Creamery manufacturing facility in Walton, New York, including sanitation and environmental monitoring. By entering the guilty plea, Vulto admits that between December 2014 and March 2017, they shipped adulterated cheese. Environmental swabs that were taken at the facility between July 2014 and February 2017 repeatedly tested positive for various Listeria species; … [Read more...]

FDA Announces Qualified Health Claim For Yogurt and Diabetes

The FDA is announcing that it will not object to a qualified health claim for yogurt and diabetes. Danone North America had requested that the agency review the use of the claim about the relationship between the consumption of yogurt and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The agency did say that the qualified health claims must be worded to not mislead consumers, and that other factors for the use of the claim must be met.  There are two kinds of health claims: qualified and authorized. A health claim is the relationship between a substance and a disease or health-related condition. A qualified health claim means that the claim is supported by scientific evidence but doesn't meet the more rigorous "significant scientific agreement" standard that is required for an … [Read more...]

USDA Develops Technology to Reduce Pathogens in Shell Eggs

The USDA has developed technology to reduce pathogens in shell eggs. Raw eggs and egg products can carry Salmonella bacteria and cause illness and outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the pathogen causes about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths every year in this country. Pasteurizing eggs does work, but less than 3% of commercial shell eggs are pasteurized in the United States. Conventional pasteurization is a long process. The eggs are submerged in hot water for more than 57 minutes to inactive Salmonella bacteria. Researchers at the Agricultural Research Service's Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, used a novel thermal technology that has a much shorter processing time. The technique uses … [Read more...]

Family Dollar Store Pays $41.675 Million For Rodent Infestation

The Family Dollar Store pays $41.675 million for having a rodent-infested warehouse and holding consuming products under insanitary conditions, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). This is the largest ever monetary criminal penalty in a food safety matter. Family Dollar was charged with one misdemeanor count of causing FDA regulated products to become adulterated while being held under insanitary conditions. The plea agreement requires the company and Dollar Tree. Inc. to meet robust corporate compliance and reporting requirements for the next three years. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jerome T. Kearney presided over the company's guilty plea and sentencing at the hearing. Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said in a statement, "When consumers go to the … [Read more...]

Learn About Sausages and Food Safety From the USDA

Learn about sausages and food safety from the USDA, with tips on buying, storing, and cooking this type of meat product. Sausages are sold either uncooked or ready-to-eat. This information will be clearly marked on the product package. Types of Sausages There are two broad categories of sausage: ready to eat and uncooked. Ready to eat sausages are dry, semi-dry, and/or cooked. Dry sausages can be smoked, unsmoked, or cooked. Semi-dry sausages are typically heated in the smokehouse to partially dry and fully cook the product. Cooked sausages, such as bologna and frankfurters, are cooked and may also be smoked. Uncooked sausages are raw and must be cooked to a safe final internal temperature before eating. Deciphering the Label The label on all sausage products will give you  the … [Read more...]

Wisconsin is Launching a Food Poisoning Reporting Tool

Wisconsin is launching a food poisoning reporting tool called "Feeling Sick? Report It Quick!" to help identify outbreaks and help the health department announce problems to the public to reduce illnesses. The online questionnaire takes less than five minutes to complete. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services State Health  Officer Paula Tran said in a statement, "By using this tool, Wisconsinites can help other people in their community from getting sick and prevent outbreaks. Ingesting contaminated food and water may cause just a little stomach upset for some, for others it can lead to hospitalization and be life threatening. We're asking people - when you're feeling sick, report it quick." The new tool asks for current symptoms, places the respondent recently visited, and … [Read more...]

Get Super Bowl Delivery and Takeout Food Safety Advice

Get Super Bowl delivery and takeout food safety advice from the USDA to keep your guests safe from food poisoning at your party. There are special rules for handling takeout and delivery foods. If you ordered takeout or Super Bowl delivery foods the day before the game, make sure that someone is available to get the food inside your home and into the fridge in a timely manner. All food that is not going to be eaten immediately should be refrigerated. If you ordered the food for delivery the day of your party, refrigerate cold foods if it's more than two hours before it's time to eat. You may want to reheat foods before serving. If you are serving food to groups, the two hour rule is critical. Perishable foods cannot be in the danger zone of 40°F to 140°F for more than two hours. … [Read more...]

Hepatitis A Exposure at Two Restaurants in Westbrook, Maine

There is a possible hepatitis A exposure at two restaurants in Westbrook, Maine, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). A food worker worked at those establishments while infectious. The restaurants are Legends Rest Taproom and Paper City BBQ, which are both located at 855 Maine Street in Westbrook. The dates where the employee was working are: January 14, January 17 to the 21st, January 24 to the 28th, January 31, and February 2, 3, and 4 in 2024. Anyone who ate there or ordered takeout from those locations during those dates could have been exposed to the virus. Unfortunately, the hepatitis A vaccine is most effective when given within two weeks of exposure. That means that anyone who ate there or ate food prepared at those establishments … [Read more...]

ShopRite Hepatitis A Exposure on Oxford in Northeast Philadelphia

A possible ShopRite hepatitis A exposure on Oxford Street in Northeast Philadelphia has prompted a warning from the Philadelphia Department of Health. A person who worked at that store, located at 6301 Oxford Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was contagious. No more reports of illness have been received by officials to date. Anyone who handled raw beef or pork or who ate undercooked raw beef or pork that was purchased from the store's meat counter between January 4 and January 21, 2024 may have been exposed to the virus. Anyone who has completed the hepatitis A vaccine regimen, or who has had the disease in the past should be protected. The vaccine will protect if it is given within two weeks of exposure. Since the first potential exposure occurred 22 days ago, anyone who … [Read more...]

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