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Today's Highlights * 37 persons infected with the outbreak strain have been reported from 18 states. * The Minnesota Department of Agriculture Laboratory reports finding the outbreak strain in an unopened package of Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Rice single-serve frozen entrée collected from the home of one of the ill people.

An estimated three million people around the world, in developed and developing countries, die every year from food and water-borne disease, with millions more becoming sick.

HONOLULU -- A new law signed by Gov. Linda Lingle will help the state's beleaguered food safety inspection program. The measure, HB 2688, allows money in a state environmental health education fund to be used for sanitation programs and activities, including monitoring Hawaii’s restaurants and food establishments.

OTTAWA -– The public warning issued on June 23, 2010 has been expanded to include additional product information. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume cardamom seeds described below because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The following products are affected by this alert:

This technical fact sheet illustrates the following key points about Clostridium botulinum: Produces most potent naturally occurring toxin known to man. Main causative agent of foodborne botulism which occurs following the consumption of food contaminated with preformed botulinal neurotoxin. Toxin production is favored in low acid foods under anaerobic conditions.

Wales has some money issues. But bacteriologist Professor Hugh Pennington, who chaired a public inquiry into the South Wales Valleys E. coli O157 outbreak in 2005, which claimed the life of five-year-old Mason Jones, will tell the National Assembly’s health committee this week that public health needs to be spared from expected budget cuts.

MUNCIE -- Several restaurants were cited by the county health department recently for lack of hand washing. A food handler at Workman's Bar, 809 W. Eighth St., was seen handling money and then making a sandwich bare-handed without washing. An employee at Scotty's Brewhouse, 1700 W. University Ave., failed to wash his hands when he changed gloves.

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