The CDC reports: Shigellosis is a nationally notifiable diarrheal illness caused by gram-negative bacteria. Shigella infection is spread through fecal-oral transmission and sexual contact. Although most infections are self-limited, antibiotics are indicated for severe illness or to reduce transmission in settings with high risk for spread. Since 2015, a growing proportion of cases has been caused by […]
Yesterday afternoon I asked, “Will the CDC name Taco Bell as the “Mexican-style fast food restaurant chain” associated with some Salmonella Hartford and Baildon illnesses?” I asked that because we have been tracking several of the cases over the last several weeks. However, one confirmed case became ill only two weeks ago. And, today we […]
OK, I finally gave in to the social media thing. I have been tweeting for several months now, but my three daughters kept bugging me about joining Facebook. So, here it goes. I have set up both a personal page (so I can find you and you can find me) and a “fan” page. Rather […]
In a not-so-well published press release, DuPont and the USDA have agreed to collaborate on the development of a new test for detecting hard-to-identify (allegedly) strains of toxin-producing E. coli that are not currently regulated and have been causing increased instances of food contamination and illness. In the release FSIS admits that “in recent years, […]
The CDC is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) to investigate two multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections, each involving a different Salmonella serotype: Hartford and Baildon. Both of these Salmonella serotypes are rare, and […]
A few weeks ago I spoke to the CMAJ for the story that they published this morning – "Report calls for overhaul of US food safety system:" … A 500-page report by a committee of the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council recommends, among other things, that the US Food and Drug Administration […]
It has been a bit of a quiet summer when it comes to food poisoning outbreaks – that is a good thing – but not so in Colorado. Just a few moments ago, the Colorado Health Department announced that more than two-dozen people who ate at The Fort in Morrison last month got sick. Officials […]
The International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) Conference has its share of food safety rock stars, none less bright that Food Safety News Editor in "Chef," Dan Flynn. Dan came down from the Denver Bureau where he covered a candid talk about the dangers of wheat flour. He published the story this morning over at […]
Had a nice chat this AM with Mr. Hirsch with Crop to Cuisine – Yes, it was about raw milk. Click on Sound Bites August 2, 2010.
Last Friday I spoke with NPR about the safety (or lack thereof) of raw milk. Listen to the full 10 minutes: Here is the interview transcript in part: Bill Marler is a Seattle-based lawyer who specializes in cases of food-borne illness. He’s also the founder of a nonprofit consulting firm that teaches food companies how […]
I am proud to once again be one of the prime sponsors of the China International Food Safety & Quality Conference + Expo (CIFSQ) which “aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and collaboration amongst all global stakeholders” in food safety. As Vice Premier Li Keqiang, Head of the National Food Safety Commission, State Council, […]
I received this email today in response to an interview I gave recently about raw milk to “Food Manufacturing” online: Farm fresh? All the rage? natural food craze? certified organic is a buzzword? You make the lifestyle of eating pure, unpesticide treated, unindustrialized, unprocessed food seem like a generational fad like acid washed denim or […]
CNN reports that Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele was forced to cancel an appearance Friday before a national meeting of black journalists due to – you guessed it – food poisoning. "While traveling out West the Chairman came down with a bad case of food poisoning," an RNC spokesman said in an email to […]
Linda Rivera, a Nevada woman who contracted E. coli from cookie dough and has been battling for her life for the past fifteen months, has been promised the Senate will move on the pending food safety bill, S. 510–the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. A constituent of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Rivera has […]
I get a lot of emails on raw milk – most are from raw milk promoters, producers or consumers who liken me to the devil or at least a pawn of big business. So, when I got a more subtle and interested question, I was pleased to respond. The question in essence was about the […]
After being in the fog of Seattle for the better part of the day working on my slides for the International Association for Food Protection conference (with a little bit of help), I am looking forward to an excuse to go to sunny California next week. Slide 10 – Larry King Video – http://www.marlerblog.com/2009/11/articles/lawyer-oped/larry-king-and-e-coli-o157h7-deaths/