A CDC overview of FoodNet, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network run with 10 state health departments, USDA and FDA. It tracks Campylobacter, STEC, Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, Yersinia, Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora across about 46 million people in 2010.
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Biological
Biological hazards in food: bacteria, viruses and contamination.
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Biological
Turkey FUNdamentals: Leftovers
USDA food safety staff explain why a restaurant doggy bag left in a car overnight must be thrown out: bacteria double every 20 minutes, and reheating destroys the bacteria but not the toxins they leave behind. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three to four days.
Biological
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning — Southeast Alaska, May–June 2011
Alaska's Section of Epidemiology investigated eight confirmed and 13 probable cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning in the state's southeast during May and June 2011. Commercially harvested shellfish, which are tested for the toxins, were safe; warnings covered other harvesting.
Biological
Turkey FUNdamentals: Planning for Thanksgiving
USDA food safety staff answer the turkey questions the Meat and Poultry Hotline hears every November. Buy about a pound per person, buy a fresh bird only one to two days ahead, and thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours per four to five pounds.
Biological
Turkey FUNdamentals: Top Questions for Cooking a Turkey
USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline answers recurring holiday questions: cooking time follows one bird's weight, not the combined weight of two; add 10 minutes per pound above 24 pounds and skip stuffing; and check for 165°F with a food thermometer.
Biological
How to Prevent Listeriosis Outbreaks
An FDA educator explains Listeria monocytogenes during the cantaloupe outbreak: it lives in soil, water and animal intestines, causes fever and muscle aches, and can be fatal for older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immunity. Unlike most bacteria, it grows at fridge temperatures.
Biological
Why is this "Unsafe" Food Banned When It's 35,000 Times SAFER Than Others? (Comment)
Dr. Mercola argues that federal data make raw milk far safer than its reputation: an average of 42 illnesses a year attributed to it between 1999 and 2010, against an estimated 48 million foodborne illnesses annually from all foods. He objects to FDA enforcement against raw milk sellers.
Biological
C. diff battled at the molecular level
University of Texas researchers reported in Nature Medicine that C. difficile toxins must cleave themselves, using a built-in cysteine protease triggered by the molecule InsP6, to slip inside intestinal cells. Host cells fight back by nitrosylating that protease.
Biological
USDA outlines food safety measures to help students prevent foodborne illness when preparing after school snacks without adult supervision (PR)
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service offers food safety tips for children fixing their own after-school snacks: keep books, bags and sports gear off counters and tables, wash hands, especially after handling the pet, and use clean utensils.
Biological
E. coli, salmonella may lurk in unwashable places in produce (PR)
Purdue researchers found E. coli O157:H7 in mung bean sprout tissue and Salmonella in peanut seedlings after the seeds were contaminated before planting, with pathogens in every major tissue. That suggests sanitizing the outside of produce may not remove them.
Biological
Is Your Ice Safe?
FDA regulates packaged ice as a food when it crosses state lines, requiring clean equipment, safe water and sanitary storage and transport. Handle it like food: use tongs or a scoop, store it in clean food-safe containers, and keep drink ice separate from ice chilling raw food.
Biological
Keep Food Poisoning from Ruining your Vacation
USDA's Diane Van advises packing shelf-stable food where you can, keeping perishables on ice, double-wrapping raw meat so juices cannot drip, using separate coolers for drinks and for later meals, keeping coolers shaded and opening them as little as possible.
Biological
Listeria concerns expand chicken nugget recall
Pilgrim's Pride added 7,072 pounds of fully cooked breaded chicken breast nugget-shaped patties to a Listeria recall begun July 20, 2011. The boxes carry date code 11531010 and establishment number P-7091A and went to a retail chain in nine states; no illnesses have been reported.
Biological
Check Your Steps: Chill: How to Pack a Cooler to Prevent Food Poisoning
USDA's Diane Van explains how to pack a cooler so food stays at 40 F or below: fill it completely, add extra ice to any empty space, keep raw meat and seafood separate or wrapped at the bottom, reserve one cooler for drinks, and check the temperature with an appliance thermometer.
Biological
Mad cow disease, beef storage, safety and freshness - FAQ
A USDA question-and-answer on storing beef: fresh roasts, steaks and chops keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated or 3 to 6 months frozen, cooked beef keeps 3 to 4 days, and continuously frozen beef stays safe indefinitely though its quality declines.
Biological
Bacteria in Beef - FAQ
An FSIS FAQ on bacteria found on raw beef: E. coli O157:H7 causes hemorrhagic colitis but is destroyed by thorough cooking, Salmonella survives freezing but not cooking, Staphylococcus aureus usually comes from food handlers, and Listeria can recontaminate cooked product.
Biological
Check Your Steps: Separate Raw Meats from Other Foods
The USDA's Diane Van explains how to head off cross-contamination: bag raw meat, poultry and seafood apart in the cart, contain them in the fridge so juices cannot drip, keep a separate cutting board for produce, and marinate in the refrigerator.
Biological
Check Your Steps: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often
The USDA's Diane Van covers cleaning around food: wash hands with soap and running water for 20 seconds rather than rinsing, wash all produce even if you will peel it, skip soap on produce, and do not rinse raw chicken, since splashed juices spread bacteria across sink and counters.
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