Health News: The 10 biggest US foodborne illness outbreaks of 2015 ♦ Chipotle illnesses have food safety experts ‘scratching their heads’ ♦ Warning symptoms for usually fatal heart rhythm malfunction

The 10 biggest US foodborne illness outbreaks of 2015  This year saw dozens of well-publicized foodborne illness outbreaks. While many of them were found to have sickened a handful of individuals, a few stood out as especially wide in scope.

Chipotle illnesses have food safety experts ‘scratching their heads’  A new spate of food poisoning related to Chipotle has sprung up, food safety experts aren't sure how the latest illnesses are connected to a previous outbreak at the national restaurant chain. Five people who ate at Chipotle restaurants in Kansas, North Dakota and Oklahoma have been sickened with a similar, though slightly different...

High drowsy driving crash risk on daytime commute after night work Those who commute home after working the night shift may be at high risk for drowsy driving crashes because of disruption to their sleep-wake cycles and insufficient sleep during the night

Medical first: Discovery of warning symptoms for usually fatal heart rhythm malfunction Although medical science has long regarded sudden cardiac arrest as a deadly condition that strikes without warning, a new study shows for the first time that many patients experience warning symptoms up to a month before having a cardiac arrest.

1/21/15 Health News: Pet illnesses, deaths: FDA warning to Purina ♦ Michigan auto workers fare worse on Heart Health ♦ Sitting for long periods increases risk of disease

Pet illnesses, deaths: FDA issues warning to Purina pet food plant In November, Seattle Pets Examiner reported on a recent rash of consumer complaints on ConsumerAffairs.com about Purina pet Food - and now the FDA has issued a warning to Purina for one of its pet food plants. The FDA's Warning Letter to the Purina Pet Food canning facility, issued on Jan. 2, stated that it found "significant deviations" from pet food regulations. …Continue Reading Michigan auto workers fare worse when it comes to the heart Michigan's auto workers are at a higher risk of heart disease compared to the US population overall, a study has found for the first time. The research also showed that the prevalence of diabetes among this group was 15.3 percent; double the national average of 7.5 percent at the time of the study. Continue Reading

Sitting for long periods increases risk of disease and early death, regardless of exercise

The amount of time a person sits during the day is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and death, regardless of regular exercise, according to a review study.  Continue Reading

Lung transplant patients who receive organs from heavy drinkers may be at risk for worse outcomes

Lung transplant patients who receive lungs from heavy drinkers are nearly nine times more likely to experience a life-threatening complication called primary graft dysfunction. The study raises the question whether a history of alcohol abuse should exclude use of donor lungs. Continue  Reading  

7/13/14 Health News: Industry has 'Undue Influence' over Food Additives

US industry has 'undue influence' over food additives

0 US food companies have "undue influence" in vouching for the safety of common additives such as salt, trans fats and artificial sweeteners, according to an analysis released on Wednesday that calls for better oversight of the additive process, which is currently self-governed by industry. An analysis of all 451 notices of additive safety voluntarily submitted to the US …continue reading

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SHELLFISH-RELATED ILLNESSES THIS SUMMER

Warm weather and low tides are good for harvesting shellfish, but nice weather is also ideal for naturally occurring bacteria to multiply, raising the risk of illness, warns the Washington State Department of Health. For that reason, food-safety officials in Washington state, California and Oregon advise shellfish gatherers and consumers to follow summertime health advice... Continue Reading

New fast and accurate method for detecting allergies

Researchers at the EPFL have developed an effective technique to determine what exactly are the proteins responsible for milk allergies. This innovative approach will be applicable to other foodstuffs.Continue Reading  NOTE this article is in French you can use google to translate.

12/15/13 Health News: Raw Milk illness Under Reported, Antibiotics in Animal Feed, Infant Formula in Korea

MN STUDY: RAW MILK ILLNESSES GREATLY UNDER REPORTED

Despite the somewhat commonplace occurrence of illness outbreaks associated with unpasteurized milk, the number of illnesses linked to drinking raw milk is much higher than those counted in outbreak reports, according to an analysis published by the Minnesota Department of Health on Wednesday. Looking at 10 years of health department data between 2001 and 2010,... Continue Reading

SEOUL DAIRY IS ALL ABOUT KEEPING TRUST OF SOUTH KOREAN MOTHERS

Because so many Asian consumers look to them for food safety cues, the influence of South Korean mothers is hard to overestimate. Just ask Wan Sik Kim, managing director of the food safety center at Seoul-based Maeil Dairies. He’ll tell you that no force in the country, not government regulators nor the competition, has more... Continue Reading

WILL FDA’S VOLUNTARY PLAN ACTUALLY REDUCE ANTIBIOTICS IN ANIMAL FEED?

U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released the final version of a voluntary plan to phase out the use of certain antibiotics in food animals. Antibiotics are added to the feed or drinking water of cattle, hogs, poultry and other food-producing animals to help them gain weight faster or use less food to gain... Continue Reading