Five to Be Honored By UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at Oct. 23 Banquet Oct 10, 2008
He joined the firm in 1974 and in 1979 became chief technical officer, responsible for new product development, process engineering, food safety, nutrition, environmental affairs and many other core functions. He has served as a member and chair of the CALS Board of Visitors, and has advanced the university s food science program by hiring interns, spearheading fundraising and providing generous financial support. (Agri-View, WI)
China calls for "unbiased, scientific, fair treatment" of dairy products Oct 10, 2008
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China "understands" the concerns of countries that have restricted imports of its dairy products, but Chinese food safety watchdogs had strengthened supervision of exported dairy products. Food safety authorities had promised that once problems were detected, China would immediately inform the concerned countries and demand the responsible manufacturer recall or destroy the tainted product ... He added that food safety had become a global challenge, and... (Xinhuanet, China)
Scandal Forces Reform In China Dairy Industry Oct 10, 2008
The latest food safety crisis has hit small farmers the hardest. For a decade, 39-year-old Song Fenmei and her family have lived comfortably off their income as farmers. (CBS News -- World)
Lowry Computer Products Selected to Deliver Passive RFID Solutions for Government Oct 10, 2008
Lowry's end-to-end solutions for food safety traceability, asset management, supply chain visibility, work-in-progress, track and trace, and mandate compliance deliver real ROI for its customers. Lowry also manufactures fully converted, tested and ready-to-use Smart Trac(TM) labels with Gen 2 inlays as well as automated labeling systems for supply chain, packaging and RFID software applications. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Chinese lawyers pressured to drop tainted milk cases Oct 8, 2008
Chinese lawyers pressured to drop milk cases - Food safety- msnbc ... MORE FROM FOOD SAFETY ... Food Safety Section Front. (MSNBC -- International)
The CFIA's response time Oct 8, 2008
Why did the federal agency responsible for overseeing food safety take five days to notify the hospital that it had received possibly tainted lettuce that had been linked to an E. coli outbreak in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Community Health issued a public health alert on Sept. 26 that 26 cases of an E. coli strain were believed linked to iceberg lettuce from Aunt Mid's Produce, a Detroit wholesale distributor. (Windsor Star)
Hugoson to host listening session in St. Cloud Oct 8, 2008
The informal discussion will touch on a range of topics including renewable fuels; food safety; and rising prices for food, fuel and other commodities. With all that is impacting agriculture, it is important to hear directly from farmers, small business owners, and others in central Minnesota regarding the issues affecting our rural economy. (Agri-View, WI)
China milk victims may have doubled to over 90,000 Oct 8, 2008
The daily reports of infants who were diagnosed and hospitalized are decreasing noticeably, said Chen Junshi, a researcher from Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. But he declined to say how many had been ill overall. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
OSU Linn County Extension holds open house Oct 8, 2008
Extension teaches nutrition, food safety and food preservation as well as water conservation. Extension continually experiments to keep Oregon on the cutting edge in fields such as field burning, larger yields from crops and better use of natural resources. (Lebanon Express, OR)
Nuking frozen meals can make you sick Oct 7, 2008
Given how people use microwaves, its great for reheating, but maybe not so good for cooking, said Doug Powell, scientific director of the International Food Safety Network based at Kansas State University ... U.S. Department of Agriculture food safety experts and major food companies offer several tips for preventing that ... Check the temperatureFood safety experts recommend that consumers use an instant-read food thermometer to check the final temperature of microwaved food. (MSNBC -- Health)
China vows overhaul of chaotic milk industry Oct 7, 2008
China vows overhaul of chaotic milk industry - Food safety- msnbc ... The head of Chinas quality watchdog said the country was stepping up checks on its exports to ensure they conformed to the food safety standards of recipient countries, the official Xinhua News Agency reported ... Food safety concerns not only the health of the public, but also the life of business, Xinhua quoted Wang Yong, the director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and... (MSNBC -- Health)
Ding! You've got microwaved salmonella Oct 7, 2008
"Given how people use microwaves, it's great for reheating, but maybe not so good for cooking," said Doug Powell of the International Food Safety Network at Kansas State University. The problem is that microwaves heat unevenly and can leave cold spots in the food that harbor dangerous bacteria, such as E. coli, salmonella or listeria. (OregonLive, OR -- Business)
* No date yet for ARATS chiefs visit: MAC Oct 7, 2008
On the agenda will be direct cargo flights, direct sea links and food safety concerns. The first talks between the SEF and ARATS were held in June in Beijing, when the two sides signed agreements to allow more Chinese tourists into Taiwan and begin weekend chartered flights. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Label law helps buyers, challenges sellers Oct 7, 2008
The legislation was established by Congress in 2002 amid concerns about food safety issues, such as mad cow disease, and a growing interest by consumers in where their food comes from. After some tweaks, the new law took effect with this years Farm Bill. (Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal)
Warning cites dangers of microwaving Oct 7, 2008
"Given how people use microwaves, it's great for reheating, but maybe not so good for cooking," said Doug Powell, scientific director of the International Food Safety Network based at Kansas State University. The problem is that microwaves heat unevenly and can leave cold spots in the food that harbor dangerous bacteria, such as E. coli, salmonella or listeria. (AZCentral -- News)
China lays groundwork for dairy recovery Oct 7, 2008
State Councilors on Monday heard that the authorities had conducted across-the-board checks on liquid milk and dairy products and investigated food safety. All efforts had begun to pay off. (Xinhuanet, China)
Calling China's diary production and circulation "chaotic" and admitting government supervision "gravely absent", the State Council is planning an overhaul and recovery of the nation's diary industry.• Inspectors posted to dairy factories for 24-hour supervision Oct 7, 2008
"Food safety concerns not only the health of the public, but also the life of business, " Wang said ... Under State Council regulations, food safety has been listed in the management targets of local government leaders above county level, which means incompetent officials face dismissal or disciplinary penalties. (Xinhuanet, China)
China sends inspectors to dairies Oct 7, 2008
China has deployed more than 5,000 food safety inspectors to check dairy factories in a bid to contain a continuing tainted milk scandal ... The country's food watchdog said the levels of melamine "do not pose a big health threat, but we'll take the necessary steps to ensure food safety". (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Frozen chicken linked to salmonella Oct 6, 2008
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued the warning Friday after Minnesota health officials found a link between the chicken dinners with salmonella illnesses reported in Minnesota and 11 other states ... MORE FROM FOOD SAFETY ... Food Safety Section Front. (MSNBC -- Health)
* Happy Mobs seek safety in numbers Oct 6, 2008
TEAMING UP: A total of 657 blogs are participating in a campaign against melamine in foods and pushing for greater transparency in setting food safety standards By Loa Iok-Sin STAFF REPORTER Monday, Oct 06, 2008, Page 3. Staff from Tainan Citys Health Bureau check cans of Nestle brand milk powder for country of origin at a maternity goods store in Tainan on Friday. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Our View: Thumbs up, thumbs down Oct 6, 2008
Insecurity about food safety could eventually prove more costly than the current program's price tag. Thumbs up to the inspiration set by Gene Miranda, the 82-year-old Browns Valley resident who continues to set weightlifting records. (Appeal Democrat, CA)
Advance Offers Revolution In Food Safety Testing Oct 6, 2008
Part of the problem is that conventional food safety testing done with DNA-based tests or antibody-based methods only indicate the presence of specific bacteria, which does not necessarily describe toxicity and the potential to cause harm ... (June 12, 2008) A new food safety treatment could increase the effectiveness of conventional produce sanitization methods. (Science Daily)
Health Warning Issued After 32 Sickened by Salmonella in 12 States Oct 6, 2008
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued the warning Friday after Minnesota health officials found a link between the chicken dinners with salmonella illnesses reported in Minnesota and 11 other states. It did not name the states in its release, and did not immediately respond to a message left at its press office Saturday seeking that information. (Fox News -- Politics)
Cook frozen chicken entrees properly, USDA urges Oct 6, 2008
Although many of the chicken dishes had instructions identifying the product as uncooked, people who got sick did not follow those instructions and reportedly used microwaves to prepare the entrees, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said in a statement ... The food safety agency said the public health alert was triggered after an investigation and testing by Minnesota food safety officials linked the chicken products with 32 illnesses in Minnesota and 11... (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
China vows clean up of "chaotic" dairy sector Oct 6, 2008
The government meeting blamed lawless individuals and businesses for the country's latest food safety scandal, but also said the scandal exposed deeper problems ... "The levels of melamine found in those products do not pose a big health threat but we'll take the necessary steps to ensure food safety," the Korea Food and Drug Administration agency said in a statement. (International Herald Tribune -- Travel)
New strain of mad cow disease not tied to feed Oct 6, 2008
Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., says it's too early to say if this new strain is spontaneous. "But it does mean that ensuring that high-risk cattle material stays out of both human and animal cattle feed is essential," she says. (Yahoo News -- Mad Cow Disease)
5,000 Inspectors Dispatched Over Milk Scandal Oct 6, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008. China dispatches 5,000 inspectors over milk scandal Posted: 06 October 2008 1226 hrs. (Channelnewsasia.com)
Salmonella sickens people in 12 states; USDA urges consumers to ... Oct 5, 2008
They include "chicken cordon bleu," ''chicken Kiev," or chicken breasts stuffed with cheese, vegetables or other items.USDA said many of the people who became ill apparently did not follow the package's cooking instructions and microwaved the chicken dishes even though the instructions did not provide for it. Microwaving didn't heat the meals enough to kill the salmonella.The department said consumers should cook chicken products to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.... (Newsday)
News Stories Oct 5, 2008
Food Safety Full Coverage on Yahoo. News. (Yahoo News -- Food Safety)
China's farmers say they're victims in milk scandal Oct 5, 2008
China's dairy farmers stand accused of adulterating their milk for profit in China's worst food safety crisis in decades. But farmers say they, too, are the victims of a widening scandal that has sickened 53,000 babies, caused at least four deaths and triggered a massive recall of dairy products. (International Herald Tribune)
Nearly 53,000 Chinese children sick from milk Oct 4, 2008
China's top food safety official resigns ... MORE FROM FOOD SAFETY ... Food Safety Section Front. (MSNBC -- Health)
Stormy weather for Taiwan's Ma Oct 4, 2008
Instead of banning imports, immediately checking stores for tainted products and reassuring the public about food safety, the administration instead simply raised the level of the harmful chemical melamine allowed to exist in products. The health minister was eventually forced to step down. (Asia Times Online)
Taiwanese 'brawl' over bad milk Oct 4, 2008
The DPP has accused the government of wavering over food safety standards. "Nobody is clear on the government's policy and testing standards on melamine," said the DPP Whip, Ker Chien-ming. (BBC News -- Health)
* Getting the economic priorities straight Oct 4, 2008
It should pay more attention to food safety so that the public is less exposed to toxic products and that we can buy the food that we always have. It should also stop exporting Taiwanese capital to China and reduce public unease. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* World Business Quick Take Oct 4, 2008
FOOD SAFETY Jellies pose hazard. A Japanese maker of bite-sized jellies faced government pressure yesterday to issue a recall after 17 people died from choking on the sweets, company officials said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Tiny traces of melamine OK in most foods, U.S. regulators say Oct 4, 2008
WASHINGTON Tiny traces of melamine, the chemical that has set off a global food safety scare, are not harmful in most foods, except baby formula, U.S. government experts said Friday ... It would be like if you had a million grains of sand and they were all white, and you had two or three that were black, that's kind of the magnitude, said Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's food safety program. (Globe and Mail)
E. coli warning too late, Windsor hospital chief says Oct 4, 2008
TORONTO The head of an Ontario hospital is demanding an investigation into why the federal agency charged with food safety took five days to notify health authorities of a suspected E. coli outbreak ... Mr. Pike said Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has promised to launch an independent probe into the listeria outbreak that will also look at any potential food safety and inspection shortfalls. (Globe and Mail -- National)
Ag race beyond cows, plows Oct 4, 2008
Steve Troxler, the Republican incumbent, has put much stock in his concentration on food safety and his work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the quick inspection of food during the contaminated-produce scare last summer. Troxler says he wants to expand this work in food safety in cooperation with the federal government. (News & Observer)
Butchers go boutique Oct 3, 2008
"It goes back to the rise of the food safety authorities," says Kevin Cottrill, chief executive officer of the Australian Meat Industry Council. What is now the NSW Food Authority began to impose a raft of food safety restrictions on the old butcher shops. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
15 more Chinese dairy companies accused Oct 3, 2008
An additional 31 batches of Chinese milk powder were found tainted with the industrial chemical melamine, according to data seen on the food safety administrations Web site Wednesday ... Also on Wednesday, Hong Kongs food safety agency said its tests have found melamine in a Japanese brands Chinese-made cheesecake ... MORE FROM FOOD SAFETY. (MSNBC -- Health)
More foods labeled with the country of origin Oct 3, 2008
One food safety expert describes his work to improve hygiene at farms in central Mexico, at times exceeding standards used on U.S. farms ... MORE FROM FOOD SAFETY ... Food Safety Section Front. (MSNBC -- Health)
Infectious diseases Oct 3, 2008
$7 online stock trades. Mark J. Terrill / AP. (MSNBC -- Health)
Chemical in China milk scandal found in U.S. Oct 3, 2008
MORE FROM FOOD SAFETY ... Food Safety Section Front ... Add Food Safety headlines to your news reader. (MSNBC -- Politics)
* Free trade means we need better inspections Oct 3, 2008
Since the news broke that melamine-tainted products from China have compromised food safety in Taiwan, many people worry each time they sit down to breakfast, lunch or dinner that they will ingest melamine ... In particular, to ensure health and food safety, the commission has developed a series of labeling regulations for food products since 1993 to declare ingredients and processing information. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
More of this story Oct 3, 2008
Pine Bluff Commercial/Ralph Fitzgerald Ronnie Dunn, a recruiter with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, talks with UAPB students about the career opportunities with the USDA Wednesday afternoon during the Career Fair at UAPB s HPER complex. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Southeast Arkansas College teamed up to hold a career day/teacher education fair at UAPB drawing many state and national employers interested in young graduates. (Pine Bluff Commercial, AR)
Asia still finding tainted Chinese milk powder Oct 3, 2008
Chinese food safety personnel check on the fresh milk at a milk collection station in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 ... Yeh said Taiwan would confer with food safety experts from the United States, Japan, Europe and the World Health Organization to decide whether to permit milk products containing traces of the chemical. (Longview Daily News, WA)
St. Clair Foods in expansion mode Oct 3, 2008
We know we selected a very good partner that stays on top of the industry and provides us with wonderful food safety controls. That kind of respect from customers, along with the demand for its products, is expected to allow St. Clair to grow despite current economic conditions. (Memphis Business Journal, TN)
Parents file lawsuit in China against dairy firm Oct 3, 2008
Chinese food safety personnel check the fresh milk at a milk collection station in Chengdu, China, Sunday ... Thirty-one samples of Chinese milk powder provided by 20 companies were found tainted with melamine after new testing, according to data seen Wednesday on China's food safety administration's Web site. (CNN -- Health)
More foods getting labeled as US or foreign-grown Oct 3, 2008
HEALTH / FOOD SAFETY. More foods getting labeled as US or foreign-grown. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Genetically Engineered Rice Wins USDA Approval Oct 3, 2008
Joseph Mendelson, legal director of the nonprofit Center for Food Safety, said the quick approval shows that the USDA is more concerned about the fortunes of the biotechnology industry than about consumers' health. "USDA is telling agricultural biotechnology companies that it doesn't matter if you're negligent, if you break the rules, if you contaminate the food supply with untested genetically engineered crops, we'll bail you out," Mendelson said in a statement. (Yahoo News -- Genetically Modified Food)
Many Ag Export Purchases Are Made During WDE Oct 3, 2008
We feel truly sorry for the Chinese consumers (of that tainted baby formula), but understand this represents an opportunity for our producers to work with them on dairy protocols and food safety, she explained. Last week six Wisconsin dairy and cheese companies were participating with a large retailer in an in-store promotion in Hong Kong, Klenke noted. (Agri-View, WI)
Hu underscores rural development, food safety Oct 3, 2008
Hu Jintao underscores rural development, food safety on eve of National Day_English_Xinhua. Hu Jintao underscores rural development, food safety on eve of National Day. (Xinhuanet, China)
South Korea finds melamine in New Zealand product Oct 3, 2008
WELLINGTON, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean authorities have found trace amounts of melamine in milk products imported from New Zealand that were used in baby formula and banned their import, its food safety agency said on Thursday ... Tauta chief executive Paul McGilvary said the New Zealand Food Safety Authority had found fewer than four parts per million of melamine in the Tatua product, and found there was no contamination of the company's milk supply. (Xinhuanet, China)
China recalls milk powder amid health scandal Oct 3, 2008
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China's dairy industry turns sour Oct 3, 2008
The still unravelling saga has reduced China's reputation for food safety - and manufacturing integrity - to its lowest level in years ... The crisis has been an indictment of China's food safety regime ... "This has certainly been an indictment of the food safety regime in China, but it's important to note that the culprit here is the city government - they are the ones who blocked the information coming out, and tried to avoid a public recall of the product," one of the industry insiders said.... (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Chinese arrests over milk scandal Oct 3, 2008
"Food safety concerns the health of the public. "We need to ensure that all products on the market are up to standard, so that consumers don't have to worry. " Growing toll Thousands of children have been hospitalised with kidney illnesses and four have died after drinking milk formula tainted with the chemical. SCANDAL TIMELINE 10 Sept: 14 babies reported ill in Gansu province. Cases reported around China 13 Sept: Sanlu Group identified as source of contaminated powder milk. Production halted,... (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
* Ma wants Beijing hotline for information Sep 25, 2008
President Ma Ying-jeou (^E) proposed setting up a hotline with Beijing yesterday to ensure food safety and public health in Taiwan ... In the long run, the government must have a sound understanding of Chinas food safety and consumer protection mechanisms and set up a hotline to obtain information from China, he told members of the Taiwan Medical Association at the Presidential Office. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
Personnel Announcement Sep 25, 2008
The President intends to designate Elizabeth Johnson, of Indiana, to be Acting Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety. The President intends to nominate John Grasty Crews II, of New Mexico, to be Inspector General of the Small Business Administration. (White House News Releases)
News Stories Sep 25, 2008
Food Safety Full Coverage on Yahoo. News. (Yahoo News -- Food Safety)
New Technology Takes On Food Safety, Wastage And Inaccurate 'Best Before' Dates Sep 25, 2008
11, 2006) The recent contamination of spinach with E. coli bacteria is fostering renewed calls for a single, independent federal food safety agency that would regulate animal and plant production in an. . (Science Daily)
Canada keeps eye on Chinese candies Sep 25, 2008
OTTAWA - Canadian food safety officials are closely watching Chinese candies sold in this country - and they've been voluntarily pulled from store shelves in Vancouver - after testing in Hong Kong revealed unacceptable levels of melamine ... Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) said in a statement Wednesday that the candies were the only local products using milk ingredients that came back with unsatisfactory results from melamine testing. (Canada.com)
China's tainted millk scare spreads Sep 25, 2008
China s worst food safety scandal in decades has spread from formula produced by the country s premier milk powder producer near Beijing to countries across Africa and Asia, an investor in New Zealand and supermarkets in Europe. Related Links. (Times Online)
TAINTED MILK: 12 countries ban Chinese dairy Sep 25, 2008
New Zealand's Food Safety Authority warned that the White Rabbit candies sold there contained dangerously high levels of melamine and advised people not to eat them. Following tests of the Chinese candies, deputy chief executive of the authority, Sandra Daly, said in a statement: "This product contains sufficiently high levels of melamine which may, in some individuals, cause health problems such as kidney stones.". (USA Today)
More global recalls from China tainted milk crisis Sep 25, 2008
In Hong Kong, tests on White Rabbit showed it contained an "unsatisfactory" level of melamine of more than six times the legal limit, according to the government's Center for Food Safety. There has been no public announcement of a nationwide recall of the candy from China's safety watchdog. (AL.com)
China Withdraws Tons of Milk From Shelves; Fonterra Decries Sanlu's Delay Sep 24, 2008
China, the world's largest agricultural producer, is stepping up inspections of dairy farms and factories to quell rising concerns about food safety as countries in Asia and Africa curbed imports. Melamine-laced milk, found in products of 22 companies, has killed four babies and sickened 53,000. (Bloomberg -- Asia)
