Air as a Food Safety Risk

Air filtration is an important but often overlooked or misunderstood part of food safety. It pays to hire an expert when designing or upgrading such a system, as it can get complicated and expensive. The most sensitive areas in a plant are between the oven and packaging where finished product is vulnerable. Baked products exiting…

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2018 Key Issues in the Foodservice Industry

A look at the most read stories from SmartBrief’s Restaurant and ProChef newsletters over the past year reveals a few key themes. Stories about restaurant revamps — whether that meant a new look or even a new name — caught readers’ attention. In culinary news, many of the dishes that garnered headlines in 2018 fell into one…

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McDonald’s Moves Toward Antibiotic Reduction in Beef

McDonald’s Corp. has unveiled a new beef antibiotic policy that will apply to 85% of its global beef supply chain. The company developed this policy over the last year and a half while working with veterinarians, public health leaders and the beef producers responsible for the health of animals. “McDonald’s believes antibiotic resistance is a critical…

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U.S.D.A. Researchers Downplay Validity of Antimicrobial Resistance

Antibiotics don’t affect the levels of antimicrobial resistance in ground beef, according to a new study conducted by U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers that appeared in the Journal of Food Protection. Antimicrobial use in U.S. cattle production has “minimal to no impact on (antimicrobial resistance) AMR in the resident bacteria,” the study said. The World Health Organization and…

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California Suppliers are likely the Source of Tainted Lettuce

A nationwide advisory to stop eating romaine lettuce remains in effect this week as federal health and food safety officials scramble to find new suppliers amid an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 32 people and hospitalized 13 in 11 states. The outbreak, announced jointly Nov. 20 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

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U.S.D.A., F.D.A. to Jointly Oversee Cultured Meat Regulation

The proposed joint regulatory framework will have F.D.A. oversee cell collection, cell banks and cell growth and differentiation. Production and labeling of food products derived from cultured cells of livestock and poultry will fall into U.S.D.A.’s jurisdiction. “This regulatory framework will leverage both the F.D.A.’s experience regulating cell-culture technology and living biosystems and the U.S.D.A.’s…

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Health Officials Determine Cause of Ohio Chipotle Foodborne Illness

Health officials in Ohio released their findings on Aug. 16 regarding the recent foodborne illness outbreak at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in Powell, Ohio that sickened 647 people. The Delaware General Health District said that stool samples collected in July tested positive for the toxin that Clostridium perfringens forms in the gastrointestinal tract. The food samples did test…

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Eggs Recalled Due to Salmonella Concern

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella enteritis infections linked to Gravel Ridge Farms cage-free large eggs. Cullman, Ala.-based Gravel Ridge issued a recall on Sept. 8 for packages of a dozen and 2.5 dozen eggs in cardboard containers with the UPC…

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Salmonella Outbreaks Spark Public Health Concerns in Canada

Public health officials in Canada have recorded hundreds of laboratory confirmed cases of Salmonella infections linked to raw chicken, including frozen raw breaded chicken products despite efforts at educating the public on safe handling practices. There have been 419 laboratory confirmed cases of Salmonella illnesses investigated as part of foodborne illness outbreaks across Canada, according to the Public Health…

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Health Officials Determine Cause of Ohio Chipotle Foodborne Illness

Health officials in Ohio released their findings on Aug. 16 regarding the recent foodborne illness outbreak at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in Powell, Ohio that sickened 647 people. The Delaware General Health District said that stool samples collected in July tested positive for the toxin that Clostridium perfringens forms in the gastrointestinal tract. The food samples did test…

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