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April 2009

  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 10:34pm

    From Egypt's order that all 300,000 pigs in the country be slaughtered to travel bans and putting the kibosh on kissing, the world is taking drastic — and some say debatable — measures to combat swine flu.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Animals  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 10:22pm

    OTTAWA — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is permitting food companies to use non-accredited laboratories to analyze some listeria tests after the industry shot down a pricey proposal tabled after last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak requiring the use of accredited labs, according to newly released ministerial briefing notes.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Listeria  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 10:21pm

    CONCORD, N.H. -- A mixer used to make pudding was the source of salmonella that sickened children at a camp in Madison, N.H., this month, health officials said. The Stone Environmental Camp voluntarily closed last week because of cases of salmonella diagnosed in camp attendees.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Salmonella  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 10:21pm

    In the wake of a hepatitis A scare that led to long lines of frustrated residents seeking vaccinations, York Region Public Health insists it wouldn't change how it handled the potential outbreak.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Hepatitis A  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 10:20pm

    As the swine flu outbreak continued to spread to countries around the world, the World Health Organization today took the unprecedented step of raising the infectious disease alert level to phase 5, setting the stage for increased efforts to combat the infection.

    Date Published: 
    30.apr.09
    Animals  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 10:19pm

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The death of the filly Eight Belles during last year’s Kentucky Derby, along with the revelation that Big Brown had been treated with steroids before his dazzling victory, spurred pledges of reform and accountability for the welfare of the American thoroughbred.

    Date Published: 
    30.apr.09
    Animals  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 10:18pm

    Researchers at the University of Minnesota and Massachusetts General Hospital have used a genome engineering tool they developed to make a model crop plant herbicide-resistant without significant changes to its DNA.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 10:17pm

    WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, today released a new report that thoroughly evaluates the animal welfare claims made by agribusiness industry groups, food retailers and third-party certification organizations.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Animal Welfare  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 10:16pm

    They are being taught the importance of using hot and cold water, applying soap and ensuring hand driers are accessible, it is claimed. In a speech on Thursday, Richard Cairns, head of fee-paying Brighton College, says the training session underlines the extent to which "the health and safety Mafia" is destroying education.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Handwashing  |  Comments
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    Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 9:59pm

    When asked about swine flu – oh, sorry, the H1N1 flu – U.S. President Barack Obama said during his prime-time 100-day press commencement conference that handwashing and staying at home if sick were key to controlling any potential spread of flu.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Handwashing  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 2:37pm

    LINCOLN, Neb. -- University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists are continuing to refine how the state can best take advantage of its unique mix of corn, cattle and ethanol production. One key focus is expanding use of ethanol byproducts in cattle feeding.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Animals  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 2:36pm

    College Park, Md. -- A new study by University of Maryland researchers suggests that the potential for an avian influenza virus to cause a human flu pandemic is greater than previously thought. Results also illustrate how the current swine flu outbreak likely came about.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Animals  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 2:35pm

    CAIRO -- Egypt, hard hit by the highly pathogenic bird flu virus, is considering culling hundreds of thousands of pigs as a precautionary measure as swine flu nears the borders of the most populous Arab country.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Animals  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 2:34pm

    CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- New rules adopted by the Governor's Food Safety Council will relax requirements for operation of cottage food businesses in the state. The council on Tuesday adopted the new rules in response to a bill that passed the Legislature this winter.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Food Safety Policy  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 2:02pm

    Thirteen years ago, Rita Bernstein's family was turned upside down when a bag of lettuce caused lasting medical complications for her youngest daughter, Haylee. Haylee, then 3, became severely ill from E. coli in the bag of prewashed lettuce.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 2:00pm

    LANZHOU -- Local health authorities said 22 people have been discharged from hospital by Wednesday after they recovered from suspected food poisoning in northwest China's Gansu Province.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 2:00pm

    TORONTO -- Food producer Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has reported a first-quarter profit of $2.9 million, reversing a year-ago loss of $10 million posted as the company struggled with a recall of meat tainted with the Listeria bacteria. The Toronto-based company said its earnings amounted to two cents a share versus nil cents in the prior-year period.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Listeria  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 1:59pm

    Pigs are known carriers of the bacterium Yersinia enterocolitica, and they can infect both other pigs and people. Human infection occurs through eating improperly-cooked pork. Professor Truls Nesbakken of the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science is trying to rid pigs of the bacterium.

    Date Published: 
    13.apr.09
    Animals  |  Comments
  • Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 1:58pm

    New and expanding swine production facilities in North Carolina are required to use manure management systems that meet the strictest environmental performance standards in the nation. Fortunately, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and cooperators have developed a system that exceeds state benchmarks for controlling pollutants from swine farms.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Animals  |  Comments
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    Posted: April 29th, 2009 - 1:26pm

    SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- John Belushi memorialized them in “Animal House” as he stockpiled edible projectiles for an epic food fight. Generations of college students in the Northeast have deployed them as makeshift sleds.

    Date Published: 
    29.apr.09
    Food Safety Policy  |  Comments