I asked our AI friends – What are the pros and cons of replacing FDA Commissioner Makary with me – here is the response? This is a very timely question — Makary resigned as FDA Commissioner today, May 12, 2026, amid reports of internal tensions and policy clashes, with the vaping dispute reportedly being a […]
I am an avid reader of the Perishable Pundit – especially since the recent E. coli-related spinach outbreak. Jim recently posted an interesting quote from a buyer at www.perishablepundit.com: Another Naysayer of Buyer-led Food Safety Initiative I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked if spinach is now “safe”, because we are carrying […]
Joan Murphy of the Produce News has been following the FDA’s recent announcement of yet another salmonella outbreak tied to restaurant consumed tomatoes. The full story can be found HERE. According to Ms. Murphy, the Food & Drug Administration is now investigating two tomato-related outbreaks, with the latest blamed for nearly 100 illnesses in 19 […]
Turkey and ham product recalled because of Listeria on Thanksgiving – Bad timing Honeybaked. 47,000 Pounds Of HoneyBaked Ham, Turkey Recalled The HoneyBaked Foods company is recalling nearly 47,000 pounds of its ham and turkey products, because they could be contaminated with Listeria.?? Listeria is a microorganism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections […]
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a change in the “Single Minimum Internal Temperature Established for Cooked Poultry”. The new cooking recommendation is as follows: “A whole turkey (and turkey parts) is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F as measured with a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in […]
Another great article by Scripps Howard on the United States food system: The actual number of Americans who die from food poisoning is a matter of conjecture. Statisticians at the CDC in Atlanta have estimated that at least 5,000 Americans die every year from something they ate. According to federal records based on death certificates, […]
Thomas Hargrove of Scripps Howard recently wrote an article on the risks of getting a food illness in the Untied States. Americans play a sort of food-poisoning Russian roulette depending on where they live, an investigation by Scripps Howard News Service found. Slovenly restaurants, disease-infested food-processing plants and other sources of infectious illness go undetected […]
E. coli (generic variety) was found in the south part of the island water supply. My neighbors are a bit concerned – see article from Bremerton Sun. Over 1,000 homes and 1 school are under a boil water order. The type of E. coli found is NOT the type that can cause severe disease. However, […]
I just got wind of another outbreak of Salmonella-tainted Tomatoes – Salmonella Newport this time – tied to restaurant consumed tomatoes. It seems that 98 people in 19 states became ill between June and October. Apparently, the FDA announced it to a select group, but not the public – go figure. See my prior posts […]
Bellevue accident highlights need for safer cranes By GLENN FARLEY / KING 5 News SEATTLE – Thursday’s fatal crane accident in Bellevue is focusing a lot of attention on the industry, which has done a pretty good job in the area of safety. But went terribly and tragically wrong after the operator told firefighters he […]
Willie Nelson’s public statement regarding being caught with a bag of Marijuana: “It’s a good thing I had a bag of Marijuana instead of a bag of spinach. I’d be dead by now.”
Rep. Sam Farr, D (stands for dumb) – Carmel (although he was right about the outbreak being in part caused by wild pigs), and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns hosted a special "spinach fest" lunch in Washington, D.C. Thursday in hopes of rebuilding consumer confidence in spinach in time for Thanksgiving. More than […]
Graham Johnson of KIRO 7 Eyewitness News in Seattle did a great overview in the problems on E. coli in our spinach tonight. The full transcript is here. Investigators have now traced the source of the outbreak to cow manure on a ranch near Natural Selection foods. They think wild pigs might have carried E. […]
A great article was written today by Rong-Gong Lin II, LA Times Staff Writer. Ron, has written extensively on foodborne illnesses. Official warns pregnant women and those with weakened immunity to avoid certain foods. Seventeen people in Los Angeles County have contracted the bacterial food-borne illness listeriosis, including two pregnant women who had stillbirths, health […]
Late this evening, Timco Worldwide Inc. Recalled Cantaloupe Because of Possible Health Risk – Salmonella. Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have seen cantaloupe recalled because of Salmonella contamination. Over the past several years, we have been involved in at least two outbreaks that were tied to cantaloupe from Mexico – See, Shipley […]
The number of confirmed cases of illness attributed to E. coli bacteria is now nine. The Orange County Health Department received a report of a possible E. coli suspect late Friday. The individual had signs and symptoms consistent with E.coli during the time period under investigation and had McAlister’s restaurant in Chapel Hill — which […]