Learn how to keep your pets safe this Halloween with tips from veterinarians.org. These Halloween Pet Safety Tips can prevent illness and injury. First, keep Halloween candy out of reach. Dogs and cats should not eat candy. If your pet goes trick or treating with you or your children, you need to be very aware of this danger. Put all Halloween treats in a closed jar to keep them away from your pet. Encourage children to discard the wrappers and get them involved. Consider making cooked pumpkin or peanut butter treats if you want your pet to have a snack. But check all labels first to make sure that the peanut butter is xylitol-free, since it is poisonous to dogs. Raisins, grapes, sultanas, and currents are toxic for dogs and cats. Call your vet immediately if your pet eats … [Read more...]
Win.IT America Violated Child Labor Laws By Employing Children
Win.IT America has entered a federal consent judgment to stop illegally employing children and to not violate federal child labor laws in the future. The court prohibits the Hebron, Kentucky facility from "oppressively" violating child labor laws. The order was entered in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky on September 8, 2023. Investigators with the department's Wage and Hour Division discovered the children working in the distribution center in August 2023. The two children, ages 11 and 13, were employed for months. The violations included employing a child to operate a forklift, which is a hazardous occupation for workers under the age of 18, and told another child to pick orders in the warehouse, which is a prohibited occupation for workers under the … [Read more...]
Monogram Meat Snacks Pays Fine For Child Labor Violations
Monogram Meat Snacks is paying a fine of $140,164 in civil penalties for violating child labor laws, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The company allegedly employed at least 11 children, nine of whom operated hazardous machinery, at its meatpacking and food processing facility that is located in Chandler, Minnesota. The company agreed to pay the penalty as part of an investigation that was conducted by the department's Wage and Hour Division. The investigation started in March 2023. Federal officials determined that during that period, Monogram Meats Snacks employed five 17-year-olds, four 16-year-olds, and two 15-year olds in violation of federal child labor laws. Principal Deputy Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman said in a statement, "As we made clear earlier … [Read more...]
Infants Fed Powdered Infant Formula Get More GI Infections
A study conducted in the United Kingdom found that infants fed powered infant formula contract more gastrointestinal infections than breastfed infants. Part of the problem is contaminated infant feeding equipment. Almost 3/4 of infants in the UK get infant formula in the first 6 weeks. This number rises to 88% by 6 months of age. At least 3000 hospitalizations every year in the UK may be attributed to formula feeding. Breastfed infants have significantly fewer GI infections. The World Health Organization recommends that water used to reconstitute powdered infant formula (PIF) be at least 70°C (158°F) to kill pathogens. Powdered infant formula manufacturers state that they cannot produce a sterile product and that it can contain pathogens such as Cronobacter and Salmonella. For … [Read more...]
Your Kitchen Sink is an Important Part of Food Safety
Your kitchen sink is an important part of food safety and preventing foodborne illness, according to the USDA. Think about everything you use your sink for: rinsing produce, cleaning pots, pans, plates, cups, and utensils, and discarding meat and produce scraps. All of those things can carry pathogenic bacteria. The USDA recently completed a study looking at how consumers handle food and how good they are at preventing cross-contamination. Participants prepared a meal with raw sausage, shell eggs, and a fruit salad made with cantaloupe. That study showed that the kitchen sink was the most cross-contaminated part of the kitchen at 34%. And 26% of samples of cut-up cantaloupe removed from the completed fruit salad was contaminated with bacteria. There are several ways this can … [Read more...]
Preterm Infant Dies After Receiving Evivo with MCT Oil Probiotic
A preterm infant has died after receiving Evivo with MCT Oil probiotic in the hospital. That dietary supplement, produced by Infinant Health, is formulated to contain the live bacterium Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, according to the FDA. The infant developed sepsis caused by that bacterium. The FDA is investigating this death. Genomic sequencing data found that the bacteria that caused sepsis in the infant was a genetic match to the bacteria in the probiotic. The FDA is now warning that preterm infants who are given these dietary supplements are "at risk of invasive, potentially fatal disease caused by the bacteria or fungi contained in probiotics." Medical literature reports state that microorganisms in probiotics have caused bacteremia or fungemia, sometimes with severe … [Read more...]
Surprising Bacteria Source: Wash Your Wrist Bands!
A new study from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of science reveals a surprising bacteria source: your wrist band. If you wear a watch, you should wash your wrist bands regularly. Most people do not clean wristbands. The researchers tested plastic, rubber, cloth, metal, and leather wristbands to see if there is a correlation between the material the wrist bands are made of and the level of contamination. They also clarified the best way to disinfect them. The results of the study, which were published in the journal Advances in Infectious Diseases, suggested that metal wristbands are cleaner. In spite of the fact that 95% of all wristbands tested were contaminated, gold and silver bands had little or no bacteria. Nwadiuto Esiobu, Ph.D., senior author … [Read more...]
FDA Releases Food Safety Guidance For Producing Sprouts
The FDA has released its final food safety guidance for producing sprouts. That ingredient has been linked to many outbreaks over the years, including a Salmonella outbreak earlier this year caused by Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts that sickened at least 63 people in eight states and hospitalized 10 of those patients. The 2023 Final Guidance updates and finalizes these sections of the original draft guidance that was issued in 2017: Cleaning and Sanitizing, Agricultural Water in Sprout Operations, Seeds for Sprouting, Environmental Monitoring, and Recordkeeping. Some sections of the 2017 document have been reissued and one new section is in the revised guidance. The update and new sections are on Equipment, Tools, and buildings, Sampling and Teting of Spent Sprout Irrigation Water, and … [Read more...]
Fast Food Soda Fountains Can Be Contaminated with Coliform
Fast food soda fountains can be contaminated with coliform bacteria, which are found in feces and can be an indication of water contamination, according to a new study. The study was conducted at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California and was published in Water Supply, the International Water Association's peer-reviewed journal. Researchers found the microbial contamination in common sources of drinking water in the Eastern Coachella Valley, including the soda fountains. The findings showed that 41% of the water samples from those fountains contained coliform bacteria. In addition, molecular analysis of the samples found traces of genetic material from bacteria, including Salmonella, E. coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study's authors are advising soda fountain … [Read more...]
USDA Study on Consumer Food Preparation Behavior Highlights Risks
A USDA study on consumer food preparation behavior highlights the risks of not following food safety rules. The five year study looked at how consumers prepare meals in light of the risks of food poisoning. The study was produced by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) as part of their efforts to educate the public about safe food handling practices. USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban said in a statement, "These studies are important for USDA to understand consumer behaviors in the kitchen and it is timely to be releasing the latest findings during Food Safety Education Month. The results allow us to shape food safety communications and help consumers safely prepare food." The three areas the study concentrated on were handwashing, thermometer … [Read more...]
