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Effect of Canada’s Food Inspector Cuts Debated

2012-05-14T15:19:00Z

Plans to cut approximately 100 food inspector positions from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency over the next three years—a move projected to save the agency some $56 million—may not have as much impact on the nation’s food safety as has been claimed, according to one Canadian microbiologist and food safety expert.

Garlic Outperforms Antibiotics in Key Function, Study Finds

2012-05-14T15:10:00Z

A compound commonly found in garlic kills Campylobacter jejuni, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness, better than antibiotics, according to researchers at Washington State University in Pullman.

Proposed FDA Guidance on Nanomaterials Seen As Flawed

2012-05-04T22:20:00Z

The FDA’s proposed guidance document for the use of nanomaterials as food additives is “a step in the right direction,” said a leading nanotechnology expert, but ultimately leaves the decision about whether or not to consult with the FDA in the hands of industry.

Research Isolates ‘Hypervirulent’ Salmonella Strains

2012-05-04T22:16:00Z

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have identified certain serotypes of Salmonella—among the more than 2,500 strains known to exist—that have the capacity to become “hypervirulent” during the infective process in animals.

Gold Nanoparticles Can Detect, Zap Salmonella

2012-04-20T23:33:00Z

By attaching pathogen-specific antibodies to vanishingly small gold nanoparticles—so minuscule that 25,000 would fit across the width of a human hair—scientists at Jackson State University in Mississippi can detect various strains of Salmonella with a simple five-minute test.

The zNose Knows Ripeness

2012-04-20T23:24:00Z

An electronic nose may hold the secrets to melon ripeness and could provide the answer much more quickly than the previous scientific method—gas chromatography—which takes up to an hour to analyze a single sample.

Industry, Experts Await FDA Word on Antibiotics in Livestock

2012-04-09T16:07:00Z

Livestock experts, consumer groups and the food industry are awaiting a response from the FDA on the use of certain antibiotics, including tetracyclines and penicillin, in animal feed, in the wake of a ruling that the FDA must withdraw approval for the use of these antimicrobials unless the manufacturers can prove their safety for this purpose.

Ripeness Plays Role in Vulnerability of Produce to Salmonella

2012-04-09T16:03:00Z

Foodborne pathogens attach to fruits in different ways depending on their ripeness, according to researchers from Imperial College London, who presented their work at the Society for General Microbiology’s Spring Conference in Dublin, Ireland, in late March.

Embattled BPI Hits Back on “Pink Slime”

2012-03-31T04:58:00Z

Beef Products Inc, primary manufacturer of the ammoniated beef product widely known as “pink slime,” has mounted a concerted effort to clean up the reputation of the company and its product.

Budget Shortfall a Blow to Food Safety Centers of Excellence

2012-03-31T04:57:00Z

A slowdown in the establishment of federal centers of excellence in food safety mandated by the FSMA “could have an adverse effect on the progress that the U.S. has been making in foodborne disease surveillance,” warned a leading national food safety expert.