12/1/14 Health News: Eating too much nutmeg dangerous ♦ CHLORINE DIOXIDE GAS BETTER FOR SPROUT SANITATION ♦ FDA Warning Letters ♦ Cheaper anti-cancer drugs

Eating too much nutmeg can be dangerous

A dusting of nutmeg on your eggnog won’t send you to the hospital—but a couple of tablespoons of the stuff might lead to a very unhappy experience. Nutmeg has long been known to have some dangerous effects. It was believed to be poisonous enough to induce abortions in the Middle Ages  Continue Reading

STUDY: CHLORINE DIOXIDE GAS OFFERS HOPE FOR SPROUT SANITATION

Chlorine dioxide gas may be an effective tool for combating Salmonella on sprouts, according to a new study. Researchers at Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have found that chlorine dioxide gas is more effective at killing Salmonella on bean sprouts than chlorine wash — the industry-preferred decontamination technique.... Continue Reading

FDA WARNING LETTERS: EXCESSIVE DRUG LEVELS TOP LIST OF LATEST FOOD PROBLEMS

Illegal levels of drug residues in food animals topped the list of problems with food producers in the latest round of warning letters from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for alleged violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. FDA stated that Floyd Raber of Millersburg, OH, sold a veal calf for slaughter that contained... Continue Reading

How a common antacid could lead to cheaper anti-cancer drugs

A cheap answer to anti-cancer medication may be in your medicine cabinet. Cimetidine treats indigestion by blocking histamine receptors in the gut, which decreases the production of gastric acid. It also appears to block histamine receptors in cancer cells, as well as supporting the immune system's defenses against cancer. Continue Reading

7/17/14 Health News: Well-Fed Children With Malnutrition ♦ PHONY HEALTH CLAIMS ABOUT CACTUS JUICE ♦ SNAILS SEIZED THREAT TO HEALTH ♦ Inspections can’t keep up with food imports

Poor Sanitation in India May Afflict Well-Fed Children With Malnutrition

It is a question being asked about children across India, where a long economic boom has done little to reduce the vast number of children who are malnourished and stunted, leaving them with mental and physical deficits that will haunt them their entire lives. Now, an emerging body of scientific studies suggest that Vivek and many of the 162 million other children under the age of 5 in the world who are malnourished are suffering less a lack of food than poor sanitation.Continue Reading

PHONY HEALTH CLAIMS ABOUT CACTUS JUICE RESULT IN $3.5-MILLION FTC SETTLEMENT

TriVita Inc. of Scottsdale, AZ, will refund $3.5 million to consumers for marketing its cactus juice as a cure-all for pain, inflammation, and respiratory and skin problems. All those health claims are unfounded, according to a unanimous Federal Trade Commission. The marketers of the cactus-based fruit drink have agreed to the refunds to settle FTC... Continue Reading

SNAILS SEIZED AT LA AIRPORT FOR THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH, AGRICULTURE, ECONOMY

U.S. officials confiscated 67 giant African snails at the Los Angeles International Airport on July 1, citing a triple threat to public health, agriculture and the economy. The snails, weighing 35 pounds total and coming from Nigeria, are prohibited in the U.S. because, among other things, they carry parasites that can lead to meningitis in... Continue Reading

Inspections can’t keep up with food imports

Are you reading this while eating? There’s at least a 15 percent chance your food or some of its ingredients was produced in one of 150 foreign countries. And there’s almost no chance that your imported food or the processing plant it comes from was inspected by U.S. regulators. The Food and Drug Administration is so understaffed and tests so little imported food that one former …continue reading

Korean Rice Cake Manufacturer Closed Due to Poor Sanatation

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has revoked the food processing license of Mu Kung Hwa Oriental Food, a producer of traditional Korean rice cakes, after several inspections found on-going sanitation problems at the Pierce County business.

In addition to revoking the company’s license to process food, WSDA assessed a cumulative civil penalty of $11,900 against the company and required all products at the facility in Parkland to be destroyed. Notices about the license revocation have been sent to all known retail outlets and restaurants that have purchased or carry Mu Kung Hwa Oriental Food products.

As a result of these actions, the company cannot process any food at this location.

This enforcement action follows several visits to Mu Kung Hwa Oriental Food during which WSDA inspectors found problems with unsanitary conditions, poor sanitation practices by employees, and a general failure to protect food products from contamination. During the most recent visit, inspectors noted several problems that were observed during earlier inspections had not been addressed.

Consumers who purchased Mu Kung Hwa Oriental Food products are advised to dispose of them. For questions, contact WSDA at foodsafety@agr.wa.gov or 800-843-7890.

Cannery License Suspended for Poor Sanitation

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has suspended the food processing license for a Gold Bar canning company following on-going sanitation problems and violations of food processing standards at the facility, as well as a lack of cooperation from management.

G. Wolf Enterprises, also known as Wolf Pack Cannery, is a food processing operation that cans and jars products for small farmers and businesses in the region. WSDA ordered the company to cease all food processing operations as of Sept. 13.

In previous visits, WSDA food safety inspectors have noted violations of food processing laws and standards that included wooden storage trays that could not be properly sanitized, a lack of clear separation between processing rooms and a machine shop, mildew in a walk-in cooler, jar lids stored in open containers leaving them easily contaminated and deviations from proper canning processes that could lead to illness.

On Sept.12, WSDA food safety officers began a routine inspection of the facility but were unable to complete their inspection due to interference by company management, a violation of state regulations that require food processing license holders to permit the unimpeded inspection of their facilities.

WSDA may reinstate the company’s license if the company allows the inspectors access and complies with all food processing requirements.

Customers who may have used Wolf Pack Cannery to process their products should contact USDA's Food Safety and Consumer Services Division at OCO@agr.wa.gov or 360-902-1942.

China: People Wash Feet in Water Used to Make Rice Vermicelli

A vermicelli factory in Kunming has been exposed for using water from a pond where people go to wash their feet.The vermicelli, made in Heilinpu village, Kunming, is sold in the nearby city. A local villager tipped off Sina News and brought them to Xiao Long Tan pond, where the factory sources its water.

The factory has been around for years and often used the water from the Xiao Long Tan pond to make their vermicelli. Lots of villagers wash their vegetables and clothes in the pond, and some kids even throw dirty things into the pond

According to Xinhua, the factory owner pays to extract water from the pond where people wash their clothes, all in the name of cost cutting. The factory did make a cursory nod towards food safety regulations: one of the ponds is clearly marked 'strictly not for washing clothes'. But practically everyone washes their clothes in the wrong pond and the factory does nothing about it.

New Policies Implemented because of largest Canadian Food Recall

This fall XL Foods  Inc had the largest recall in Canadian History. There plant processed 35% of Canada's beef. When  some of the beef was sent to the United States it was inspected and found out to contain .E. coli  There was a problem getting a recall going because of lax record keeping.

An independent panel of three Doctors was set up to find out what went wrong. They found long standing problems with cleanliness and bad inspection practices.  

They reported that the company never practiced what to do incase of a recall.The staff didn't clean the equipment regularly. When they cleaned the equipment they did a poor job. The Canadian Food Inspection Service Promised To have sweeping reforms after the 2008 listeria contamination at Maple Leaf Foods. This Caused deaths and 57 serious illnesses. Yet the inspections at XL Foods were lax. the report stated that they had “a relaxed attitude toward applying mandatory procedures”.

They reported that it was likely that an animal that was highly infected with E coli spread the bacteria onto the equipment in the plant.Because of the poor sanitation the bacteria spread to other animals.

XL Foods Inc. for its poor communication with both the CFIA and the public. They did not providing CFIA with information  quickly after it was discovered. “For its part, CFIA was clearly not monitoring the company’s [Food Safety Enhancement Program] and identifying deficiencies as carefully as they should have been,” the report states.

The report suggested that Canada approve irradiation for Canadian beef products The (cattlemen's association) believes irradiation, when used with food safety interventions already in use, could essentially eliminate E.-coli-related illness associated with ground beef, The cattlemen's association said it hopes to gain approval for beef irradiation during that time.

The Government promised to act on all the report’s recommendation.  Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will strengthen E. coli testing in federally inspected establishments.The Government is planning to impose tougher rules to deal with the threat of E. coli in slaughterhouses.Meat packers will also have to provide production and distribution information on demand and in a standardized format.This will help speed up the food agency's ability to trace products during investigations and recalls.