EHA Group Food Safety and Epidemiology Blog

Where's the Salmonella? CDC and FDA Still Unable to find the Source of the Tomato Outbreak

Over the past three months, the nation has been told by the FDA not to eat certain types of fresh tomatoes due to an outbreak of Salmonella saintpaul; which now totals over 1,000 confirmed individual cases in 42 states and the District of Columbia at last count.

Neither the CDC nor the FDA, the two Federal agencies responsible and accountable to the American public for these matters, has been able to accurately identify the source of the outbreak, let alone definitively whether or not tomatoes were the responsible vehicle which caused the disease.

Raw Milk: Public Health Enemy or Nature ' s Gift?

Recent Debate on Unpasteurized Milk

The past several years have witnessed increasing debate, regulation and outbreaks of foodborne disease due to raw or unpasteurized milk. Proponents of raw milk tout health benefits that they claim are not possible when milk has been pasteurized—a process of heating the milk to 161°F for 15-20 seconds, which kills many bacteria that are present in the raw milk.

These organisms include Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, E.coli O157:H7 and other E. coli, as well as Campylobacter jejuni, just to name a few.

How safe is your favorite restaurant?

Thousands cited in S. Florida for serious violations

By Mc Nelly Torres South Florida Sun-Sentinel Posted April 15 2007 THE NUMBERS 56 -- Inspectors who scrutinize over 10,000 food establishments in South Florida. From July 2006 to January 2007, they found: 100,395 -- Critical violations in 11,747 restaurants, an average of 5.6 critical violations per inspection. 52,643 -- Non-critical violations in 10,530 restaurants, an average of 3.1 violations per inspection. 4,431 -- Warnings have been issued to restaurants in South Florida.

Raw Milk Debate

There has been much debate recently on the benefits/drawbacks of pasteurized versus raw milk. In Ohio, it is illegal to sell unpasteurized milk to stores and consumers, though dairy farm families may drink raw milk from their own herds.

In September, the Ohio Department of Agriculture revoked the license of a 100-cow dairy on grounds that it was selling raw milk. In light of this decision and similar rulings nationwide, there is a growing movement to allow consumers to directly purchase raw milk from farmers, thus, bypassing the regulatory mandates of state agriculture departments.

What ' s Your Beef?

Much has been in the news in the past 30 days about Mad Cow Disease, a/k/a BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), with the confirmation of the first positive finding in an indigenous cow in the United States. As you may remember, in December 2003, a cow, which was of Canadian birth, was found to be positive in the State of Washington.

That cow we believe was linked with 3 other cows that the Canadians have found to be positive for BSE. What does this all mean? Are we at risk? Should every cow be tested? Bottom line: Should I still eat beef? I shall attempt to answer each of these questions with facts, as well as opinion.