The FDA has published the following warning: Consumers worldwide should not use any ByHeart brand infant formula as all ByHeart products are included in this recall. As we know, as of November 26, 2025, a total of 37 infants with suspected or confirmed infant botulism and confirmed exposure to ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula (various […]
In what has hit the dozen mark of raw milk and/or raw milk cheese outbreak and/or recall 2010, this press release landed in my inbox as I was packing to head home to Seattle from Washington D. C. According to a press release by Sally Jackson Cheese of Oroville, Washington, the company is recalling all […]
Being in D.C. this week allowed me both to do my day job of being a lawyer and my other day job of trying to put myself out of business (I do blogging at night). Thanks to the lack of function in politics here, retirement is not yet in the cards for me. I did, […]
It is late here in Washington D.C. (also known as an alternative universe). It snowed all day making getting to meetings with Senate and House Members (and a few reporters) somewhat problematic (except for riding the cool trains between House and Senate offices and the Capitol). In the last two days I have spent my […]
Being in DC for several days can turn nearly anyone into a “policy wonk.” This is even more so when you are meeting with Congressmemebers, Senators, Staff and Reporters on the progress of Food Safety Legislation. With the CDC numbers that came out yesterday, revising the numbers of foodborne illnesses, and this report, there is […]
After long last the CDC released its new numbers on CDC Estimates of Foodborne Illness in the United States and they are still problematic – CDC estimates that each year roughly 1 out of 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases. See, Foodborne Illness Acquired […]
Producing Cheese Safely Unlike fluid raw milk producers who have been the subject of intense conflict with regulators for many years, artisanal and specialty cheesemakers that use raw milk have maintained a relatively good relationship with state and FDA regulators in the US. According to their website, the American Cheese Society (ACS) shares resources to […]
Visit Foodborne Illness Outbreak Database for a search.
Microbiology Johnson (2001) reviewed the microbiology of cheese products and noted the complexity of the subject because of the great diversity in cheese manufacturing and ripening protocols, as well as composition of the different cheese types. The 60-day aging rule is based on the theory that pathogens, if present, will die-off to levels below the […]
Regulation of Raw Milk Cheeses in Other Countries Canada regulates cheeses made from raw milk similar to the US, except for Quebec where raw milk cheeses can be manufactured without 60-day aging if strict rules for milk quality and veterinary inspections of cattle herds are followed. In 1996, following an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 […]
Definitions Before embarking on a discussion of the 60-day curing criteria for cheeses made from raw milk, it is important to understand the definition of cheese styles and differences in regulation. Cheese was originally developed by human societies as a method to preserve milk. In the US, cheeses are usually made from cow’s, goat’s, sheep’s, […]
Introduction Some say raw milk cheeses are being beat-up by US regulators this year. Indeed, if there was a Food Safety Zodiac, 2010 would be the Year of the Cheese (shell eggs a close second). Whatever the underlying explanation, the number of cheese-related illnesses and recalls in 2010 appears unprecedented. While covering these events, my […]
For anyone that does not think that politics can be front and center in decisions on the safety of our food, order your eggs “sunny side up” and sit down with Lyndsey Layton’s front page story in the Washington Post “Unsafe eggs linked to U.S. failure act” at your local diner this morning. You may […]
When I was asked by King 5 anchor, Jean Enersen, to talk about food safety history, I never thought she had video of 18 years ago too:
A few weeks ago I was looking at the 2009 FoodNet data and started thinking about the upcoming release of new numbers on the burden of foodborne illness in the United States. As you might recall in 1999 Mead and colleagues published estimates of the annual burden of foodborne illness in the U.S. These estimates […]