Mentally, I have been planning a camping trip for several years now. Sleeping under the starry skies and hiking through some of the most pristine forests this country has to offer. I have looked at backpacks with lightweight frames, moleskin to prevent blisters, outdoor cooking equipment, and, of course, a coffee pot. One interesting thing that I have looked at are water treatment tablets. After researching... [more]

Viruses and bacteria can be found throughout our world: on table tops, in our bathroom sinks, and sometimes in the food we eat. E. coli, Salmonella, and Staph are some of the more common bacterial infections that can cause foodborne illnesses in humans. Hepatitis A and Calcivirus are two viruses that humans can contract from food. However, not all pathogens cause illnesses in humans. Some viruses only... [more]

The FSIS has just announced this recall: Huntington Meat Packing Inc., a Montebello, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 864,000 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 today. The problem was discovered during a Food Safety Assessment (FSA) by FSIS personnel. The... [more]

Nestlé’s ready-to-bake Toll Hose cookies recently tested positive for E. coli bacteria.  They’ve assured the public that the E. coli product was not shipped and that the current supply of Toll House ready-to-bake cookie dough that is currently on store shelves is safe.  Apparently, the factory where the cookie dough is made in Danville, VA will be closed for two weeks to allow the company... [more]

Yesterday, the FDA named Michael R. Taylor as the new Deputy Commissioner for Foods. This is a newly created position within the brand new “Office of Foods”.  Mr. Taylor will be responsible for overseeing the FDA’s various food and nutrition programs. No doubt qualified for this position, Taylor is a nationally recognized food safety expert, author, lawyer and professor who has held various... [more]

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium found in soil and water. On occasion, vegetables become contaminated from infested soil or from manure used as plant fertilizer. Many animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill. During processing, these infected animals can contaminate meats and dairy products. Listeria has been found in a variety of raw foods, as well as in processed foods that become... [more]

A team of microbiologists from Hollins University were curious to analyze how clean the average fountain soda was. What they discovered was not very encouraging. Almost half of the 90 soda samples collected from 30 fountains tested positive for some type of coliform bacteria. Coliform is a nice biological name for a rather unsettling bacteria; it is the name for bacteria that are commonly found in... [more]

Shigella is a genus of bacteria that causes diarrheal illness in humans. Shigella microbes are known to pass person to person and food can sometimes serve as a contamination source. Shigella were discovered over 100 years ago by a Japanese scientist named Shiga, for whom they are named. There are several species of Shigella bacteria: Shigella sonnei, also known as “Group D” Shigella, accounts... [more]

LSG Sky Chefs, a catering company that prepares food for major airlines, says a warning by the FDA was serious enough to overhaul its Denver facility after FDA inspectors found large numbers of living as well as dead roaches and also found the presence of the deadly Listeria bacteria.    The FDA warned LSG Sky Chefs that the company it could be barred from selling food to the airlines at the Denver... [more]

Salmonella bacteria can be found in food products such as raw poultry, eggs, and beef, and sometimes on unwashed fruit. Food prepared on surfaces that previously were in contact with raw meat or meat products can, in turn, become contaminated with the bacteria. This is called cross-contamination. In recent years, Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of several cases... [more]