News

  • MAINE law regulates farm animal treatment

    Posted: May 14th, 2009 - 4:56pm

    AUGUSTA, Maine -- Gov. John Baldacci has signed into law a bill backed by the Humane Society of the United States that regulates treatment of farm animals. The new law, which takes effect in January 2011, prohibits two factory farm confinement methods. The law will prohibit crates and cages that virtually immobilize breeding pigs and veal calves for much of their lives.

    Date Published: 
    14.may.09
    Animal Welfare  |  Comments
  • MARYLAND: Pie returns to doctor with stomach illness

    Posted: May 14th, 2009 - 8:50am

    Baltimore Orioles left fielder Felix Pie made his second trip to the doctor Wednesday for a stomach illness that is now believed to be food poisoning. "They determined the cause was something I [ate]," said Pie, who unexpectedly left Tuesday's game after the third inning and was taken to the hospital because of stomach discomfort.

    Date Published: 
    13.may.09
    Celebrity  |  Comments
  • NORTH CAROLINA: Cause of EVOO food scare still unknown

    Posted: May 14th, 2009 - 8:49am

    Raleigh, N.C. -- It was supposed to be a pleasant night out for Jeanne and Bob Bonds on April 17 when they went to eat at EVOO, a popular restaurant in Raleigh's Five Points area. “All of a sudden I looked at him and he was sweating, and he was very pale and he said, ‘Oh, I feel really weak. I feel terrible,’” Jeanne Bonds recalled.

    Date Published: 
    13.may.09
    Other Microorganisms  |  Comments
  • WASHINGTON: Norovirus outbreak sickens more than 100 Arlington students

    Posted: May 14th, 2009 - 8:46am

    ARLINGTON, Wash. -- Norovirus has sickened some 100 to 140 students of Eagle Creek Elementary School, school officials said on Wednesday. District officials has notified the Snohomish County Health District of the outbreak, which is affecting 20 percent of the school's student body.  

    Date Published: 
    13.may.09
    Norovirus  |  Comments
  • ILLINOIS: Chicago City Council approves BPA baby bottle ban

    Posted: May 14th, 2009 - 8:45am

    CHICAGO -- Chicago on Wednesday became the first U.S. city to adopt a ban on the sale of baby bottles and sippy cups containing the chemical BPA. The Chicago City Council approved the ban on a 48-0 vote and a spokeswoman for Mayor Richard M. Daley said he intends to sign it. The ban is slated to take effect Jan. 31, 2010.

    Date Published: 
    13.may.09
    Food Safety Policy  |  Comments
  • Bird flu hits another province of VIETNAM

    Posted: May 14th, 2009 - 8:43am

    HANOI -- Another Southwestern province Dong Thap of Vietnam was confirmed of being hit by the bird flu, said are port of the Vietnam's Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Thursday. The bird flu broke out in a local farm on May 10, killing 49 out of a flock of 142 ducks, said the report.  

    Date Published: 
    14.may.09
    Animals  |  Comments
  • Novel approach for detecting prohibited species-specific central nervous system tissue contamination in meat by one-step real-time reverse transcriptase PCR

    Posted: May 14th, 2009 - 8:42am

    The dissemination of prohibited species-specific central nervous system (CNS) tissue contamination in meat must be tracked to mitigate human health risk associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

    Date Published: 
    12.may.09
    Other Microorganisms  |  Comments
  • Antimicrobial resistance genes in Escherichia coli isolates recovered from a commercial beef processing plant

    Posted: May 14th, 2009 - 8:40am

    The goal of this study was to assess the distribution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in Escherichia coli isolates recovered from a commercial beef processing plant. A total of 123 antimicrobial-resistant E. coli isolates were used: 34 from animal hides, 10 from washed carcasses, 27 from conveyers for moving carcasses and meat, 26 from beef trimmings, and 26 from ground meat.

    Date Published: 
    12.may.09
    E. coli  |  Comments
  • An outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Litchfield infection in Australia linked to consumption of contaminated papaya

    Posted: May 14th, 2009 - 8:38am

    An outbreak of 26 cases of Salmonella Litchfield infection occurred in the states of Western Australia and Queensland between October 2006 and January 2007. A case-control study was conducted with 12 cases and 24 controls, and a significant association was found between illness and consumption of papaya (odds ratio, 32.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.71 to 883.5).

    Date Published: 
    12.may.09
    Salmonella  |  Comments
  • Prevalence of Arcobacter in meat and shellfish

    Posted: May 14th, 2009 - 8:36am

    Arcobacter is considered an emergent foodborne and waterborne enteropathogen. However, its prevalence in foods of animal origin is only partially known, because most studies have been concentrated on poultry, pork, and beef, and methods applied do not allow identification of all currently accepted Arcobacter species.

    Date Published: 
    12.may.09
    Other Microorganisms  |  Comments