As a result of a recall of Black Pepper by Mincing Overseas Spice Company and distributed by Dutch Valley Food Distributors due to the possibility of contamination with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, a product recall is being issued. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella... [more]

Food safety has become an increasingly important governmental issue. FoodQualityNews.com posted notification of two public food safety meetings to be held soon in Washington, D.C. On March 10th, 2010, the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) will host an informational meeting on E. coli O157:H7 tracking. On March 30, 2010, several governmental agencies will be hosting another food safety meeting... [more]

After reading the Washington Post yesterday online, I was disappointed to learn that the Basic Food Flavors of Las Vegas was aware of Salmonella contamination at its plant according to the Food and Drug Administration. It was made public that Basic Food Flavors knew about Salmonella contamination as early as January of this year, but failed to stop producing the flavor enhancing HVP (Hydrolyzed Vegetable... [more]

Listeria is a bacterial infection, which is particularly dangerous for pregnant women and their unborn children. A news article on MyFox8.com describes how a North Carolina pregnant woman, who battled this disease and almost lost both her life and that of her baby, is now lobbying for stronger governmental food safety regulations. The mother contracted Listeria from cheese and delivered her daughter... [more]

ABC News recently published an article discussing raw eggs. According to the article, the Associated Press circulated a recipe calling for the use of barely cooked eggs and the email backlash was overwhelming. ABC News decided to try to understand why consumers are so concerned about raw eggs and what foodborne illness problems are associated with their consumption. The article cites Salmonella as... [more]

The fallout continues as additional companies are recalling their products for possible Salmonella contamination due to the recall of one ingredient used to make their products.  The tainted ingredient is Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), manufactured by Basic Food Flavors, Inc., of Las Vegas, Nevada.  Below are three more company releases: Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc. of Beaverton, OR has... [more]

The National Kidney and Urological Disease Information Clearinghouse provides information related to various illnesses including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Their link gives an informative picture of HUS as the treatable yet sometimes fatal complication of E. coli food poisoning. E. coli foodborne illness leads to HUS when the E. coli bacteria enter the bloodstream and begin damaging red blood... [more]

When most people think of parasites they typically imagine a tapeworm latching on to the intestines of an unwilling victim. However, most people do not think of parasites as being a form of foodborne illness. According to the FSIS, there are six main types of parasites contracted through food, including tapeworms.  These foodborne illness parasites include: Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium parvum,... [more]

American Pecan Co. of Yancey, Texas, is recalling 1 lb. bags of Pecan Pieces, small, medium, and large sizes, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea... [more]

Randolph Packing Co. Inc., an Asheboro, N.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 96,000 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.  The products subject to recall include: Combo bin packages of “Randolph Packing Co., Inc. BONELESS BEEF.” Combo bin packages of... [more]