Restaurant Law Group

USDA scientists have developed an ultra-small nanotechnological device that can detect salmonella in foods, and could be adapted to detect other pathogens. The device includes an organic fluorescent dye which, when it finds salmonella, “lights up” so that it can be seen more easily.

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In the wake of at least 32 salmonella poisonings in 12 states, the USDA issued a warning to consumers to fully cook chicken dishes and carefully follow the instructions on the packages.
Though the chicken is raw in certain “Chicken Cordon Bleu” and “Chicken Kiev” packages, it appears to be cooked because of breading or pre-browning.  [...]

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Nebraska Beef is recalling over a million pounds of beef because of possible E. coli contamination, according to the USDA’s FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service). The products were produced in June and July and distributed nationwide.
Fred Meyer and Whole Foods Market removed all the unsold beef in question from its shelves. On Friday, Whole [...]

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Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer today announced that beginning next month, the USDA will begin listing retail stores with meat and poultry products involved in Class I recalls - those of the most serious concern to public health.
The list of all grocery stores, convenience stores and big-box food clubs will be on the FSIS website. [...]

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Nebraska Beef has a beef with the USDA as to how promptly the company responded to reports that some of its meat was e-coli contaminated.
USDA claims the company was too slow to respond, but Nebraska Beef believes it responded appropriately and immediately.
The company has recalled and is recalling over 5 million pounds of beef. The [...]

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In addition to the ground beef it has removed from its stores in Michigan and Ohio, Kroger Co. is removing some ground-beef products from its Smith’s Food & Drug stores in Utah. The company is removing all beef products produced by one of its suppliers, Nebraska Beef, from all its stores in 20 states.
The E. [...]

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The grocery chain, Kroger Co., is recalling all of its ground beef products sold between May 21 and June 8 thoughout Michigan and Ohio. The beef was linked to an E. coli strain that has sickened several people in those two states, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Though none of the products [...]

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USA Today has published a timeline from when the first salmonella case was reported in New Mexico (April 10) to when a pattern was discovered (May 19) to when warnings were posted and so forth. You can view the response as timely or not, possibly depending on your view of federal regulation in general.

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Right now, the Food Safety Act of 2007 is under consideration in the House. (The fact that it’s well into 2008 is not that surprising, but thanks for noticing.) The Act gives the FDA and the USDA the power to issue a mandatory recall of contaminated food. What’s missing from the act, according to an [...]

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Those who are inclined to believe that we can use technology to make life, or at least food, safer will take heart in the recent example discussed in the Washington Post about Sheldon Roth and his beef processing plants that are microbe-free, producing beef products that are so far beyond federal standards that they can’t [...]

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