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 […]
In 2017 and 2018, the world’s largest and deadliest outbreak of listeriosis occurred in multiple provinces of South Africa. The outbreak was caused by contaminated polony, a ready-to-eat, processed meat product. Ready-to-eat, processed meats are a well-known vehicle for listeriosis outbreaks (Thomas et al., 2020). The Minister of Health declared that there was an outbreak […]
A group of U.S. legislators are demanding answers from the USDA and Boar’s Head company officials regarding egregious food safety violations at a production plant that has led to dozens of hospitalizations and at least 10 deaths. The legislators who signed the lettres are: Rep Rosa DeLauro, Sen. Richard Durbin, Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. […]
I was going to go to the ceremony, but I got swamped with Boar’s Head – I should have gone. The documentary “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food” has won an Emmy in the Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary category. This recognition highlights the impact of the film, which made its debut on Netflix on […]
“Those impacted by this crisis deserve more than an apology, they deserve justice.” Well said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) . [WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) today called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of […]
59 sick and hospitalized 10 dead – Illinois 1, New Jersey 1, New York 2, Virginia 1, Florida 1, Tennessee 1, New Mexico 1, and South Carolina 2. 19 states – Arizona 1, Florida 3, Georgia 2, Illinois 1, Indiana 1, Louisiana 1, Massachusetts 3, Maryland 8, Minnesota 1, Missouri 3, North Carolina 1, New […]
Dear Food Safety Friends: I hope this post finds you well. As you may know, I’m the Publisher of Food Safety News, an online publication dedicated to reporting on food safety issues. September is U.S. Food Safety Education Month, and we’ve launched a special fundraising campaign to enhance our critical reporting and develop new digital […]
What Authority does the FDA have to mandate a recall? The FDA’s mandatory food recall authority went into effect when FSMA was enacted on January 4, 2011. Section 423 of the FD&C Act, as added by section 206 of FSMA, gives the FDA the authority to order a responsible party to recall an article of […]
What do producers of meat produced under insanitary conditions face by way of criminal sanctions? Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act – here are the criminal provisions: The Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) is primarily codified in Title 21 of the United States Code (USC), sections 601-695. Provisions concerning criminal penalties under the FMIA are […]
Los Angeles County officials are now reporting that at least 16 people have become infected with Salmonella after eating at a Mexican restaurant in Valencia, CA. People who dined at Madre Oaxacan Restaurant & Mezcaleria late this past week began reporting symptoms of food poisoning, and Public Health was alerted to the situation on Tuesday, […]
I just learned of the death of someone who was a hero and a friend, Roni Austin (Rudolph). She will be missed. Thanks to Wiki for a great summary of her heroic work. Roni and Dick did not find out about the cause of Lauren’s death until late January when an article about the Jack […]
Imagine that the phone call comes or an email pops into your inbox – “Sir, we have been contacted by the health authorities and they say our product has been linked to illnesses and deaths. What do we do?” So, what do you do? Boar’s Head’s CEO, received that call. Now, what has he done […]
Foodborne Illness Litigations and Lessons for the Food Sector 13:00 – 14:00, Wednesday 18th September 2024 Speaker: Bill Marler Chair: Professor Lisa Ackerley Bill Marler is a lawyer best known for his work in food safety and foodborne illness litigation. He is the founder of Marler Clark, a law firm based in Seattle, Washington, that specializes […]
Good to see FSIS getting off the sidelines on this one – finally. https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2024/09/Boars-Head-NOS-July-2024_view.pdf
The below press release was posted not he Boar’s Head website a few hours ago. It is sad that Boar’s Head management let the food safety culture go so far down the drain that it requires closing a factory and putting employees on the street. The impact on this small Virginia town will be felt […]
“deficiencies associated with the establishment’s physical conditions were observed that could pose imminent threat to product.” The New York Times just dropped: ‘Imminent Threat’ Found at Boar’s Head Plant 2 Years Before Fatal Listeria Outbreak U.S. inspectors listed serious problems in 2022 that could have resulted in strict measures like a pause in production. But […]