The FDA and the State of California announced today that test results from a field investigation of the outbreak of E.coli O157:H7 in spinach was found to be positive for E.coli O157:H7. Samples of cattle feces on one of the implicated ranches tested positive based on matching genetic fingerprints for the same strain of E.
Testing standards needed for fresh produce
An editorial in the Los Angeles Times says that all farms must follow the same food safety practices, and that the FDA needs to develop specific guidelines for the fresh produce industry to follow so the industry can prevent fecal contamination from happening in the first place:
“In addition to testing, common safety practices involve
Regional food safety lab needed in California
The Bakersfield Californian posted an editorial about the lack of a regional food safety lab in California. In it, the newspaper mentions that industrial scale processing, packaging and shipping of perishable items often leads to consumer consumption faster than regulatory agencies can react.
The Californian’s editorial accused Rep. John Doolittle of kiilling an effort to
Minnesota E. coli outbreak report released
The Brainerd Dispatch reported an update on the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Longville, Minnesota from this summer. The Minnesota Department of Health released its final report on the outbreak.
The USDA collected a sample of beef trimmings from a meat processing plant that yielded an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. However, that MDH learned
Foxy lettuce recall adds to fear of bagged greens
Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington consumers were impacted by the recent recall of Foxy brand lettuce after the discovery of E. coli in irrigation water.
As of October 10, the company had recovered nearly all of the recalled lettuce, but a small portion of the product was thought to be consumed or
Organic isn’t necessarily safer
In the wake of the recent E. coli outbreak traced to contaminated spinach, consumers have been turning to organic produce in efforts to try to protect themselves from the dangers of pathogenic bacteria that may be present on produce.
WCCO 4 News in Minneapolis says that it is important to remember that organic does not
Produce trade group working to increase confidence in safety of spinach
The Produce Marketing Association is making efforts to increase consumer confidence in what was previously a popular supermarket purchase – bagged spinach. The industry group is encouraging consumers to trust spinach growers and distributors to supply E. coli-free spinach to restaurants and grocery stores across the country.
In a letter, the Produce Marketing Association
On the state of Monterey County irrigation water
Frank Pecarich, a retired soil scientist from Oakland, California, offered his opinion on Monterey County’s policies regarding irrigation water for crops in the Salinas Valley in an article for the California Progress Report.
In the article he stated, "State regulators do not require growers to test irrigation water for contaminants. To us the cause seems
Minnesota Department of Health E. coli Report
The Minnesota Department of Health Public Health Laboratory have received three isolates of E. coli O157:H7 among members of Salem Lutheran Church in Longville, Minnesota. The church had recently held a funeral luncheon and their monthly summer potluck smorgasbord. Subsequently, multiple individuals reportedly became ill with cramps and bloody diarrhea.
MDA was informed that ground
New Food Safety Fact Sheet from the Food Safety Network
The Food Safety Network has a new Food Safety Infosheet titled, "E. coli found in cattle feces in spinach probe," and is available at the FS Net Web site.