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Alfalfa Sprouts Linked to Salmonella

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:30:00 -0700

There have been many surprising foods linked to salmonella lately, including tainted peanut butter and pistachios. Now government health officials are encouraging people to avoid raw alfalfa sprouts, since they may be contaminated with a strain of salmonella. There have been 31 cases of illness reported since mid-March in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia. Sickness came after people said they consumed raw alfalfa sprouts obtained at restaurants or bought from stores. Since the sprouts were grown in multiple states, the FDA says the seeds used to make the sprouts are contaminated.

So for now, I'd pass on the sprouts in your salad and on your sandwiches.

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Brace Yourself For a Bigger Pistachio Recall

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:30:00 -0700

It's amazing that tiny nuts could cause so much trouble. Last week Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. recalled more than two million pounds of roasted pistachios shipped since last Fall, and now the recall has been expanded to include all raw nuts and all roasted nuts from the producer's 2008 crop.

It's seen as a proactive move because there have been no confirmed illnesses, but health officials don't want to take any chances this time around and the FDA has indicated it will issue more sweeping decisions like this going forward. Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods at the FDA commented, "We’re going to try to stop people from getting sick in the first place, as opposed to waiting until we have illness and death before we take action."

Check the FDA website for its list of products affected by the recall, and if you don't see a pistachio-containing product that's in your pantry, don't eat it for a few weeks until there's more news about specific items. So far the list contains items such as trail mix, ice cream, and candy. Food safety first!

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Pistachios Subject of Newest Salmonella Scare

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Nipping on the heels of the ongoing peanut butter salmonella outbreak is a new scare in tainted nuts, and this time salty fingers are being pointed at pistachios. Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. has recalled more than two million pounds of roasted pistachios shipped since last Fall, just fraction of the 55 million pounds processed by the company last year.

Because the nuts in question were shipped in bulk to wholesalers who repackaged the nuts for consumers, the effects of a pistachio-driven outbreak could be far-reaching. While growers aren't happy about the safety implications, the FDA recommends steering clear of any product containing pistachios until they have more information about the situation. That means avoiding everything from ice cream and cake mixes to trail mix and energy bars.

While eating pistachios is a decidedly delicious way to lower the LDL (bad) levels of cholesterol in your body, rely on other sources for improving heart health like olive oil and your morning oatmeal until there's more detailed news available.

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Pistachios: Salmonella's Latest Victim

YumSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:35:37 -0700

Last night - only two months after a colossal peanut scare that led to a recall of more than 3,800 peanut products - the FDA recalled two million pounds of pistachios that have been distributed nationwide due to risk of a salmonella outbreak.

The new contamination concerns, which are not tied to the peanut products, were traced to pistachios grown by Setton Farms of Terra Bella, CA. One of Setton Farms' customers, Kraft Foods, alerted the FDA of its findings on March 24 after it discovered several strains of salmonella during routine analysis of its pistachio products. Packaged foods containing traces of the pistachios - from ice cream to boxed cakes to trail mix - have been pulled from shelves.Although so far there have been no reported illnesses and only a couple of consumer complaints, the FDA is advising customers to avoid eating pistachios until it confirms more details of the outbreak. Pistachio growers are not happy: "We hope the FDA comes out with a more refined statement about which pistachios to avoid. The vast majority of pistachios are not tainted," said Richard Matoian, executive director of California's Western Pistachio Association.

Considering President Obama just vowed to strengthen America's food safety system, I hope this issue gets addressed immediately. Until then, I plan to avoid nuts for the time being. What about you? Are you surprised to hear about another nut recall so soon?

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Obama: "We Are Strengthening Our Food Safety System"

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:30:29 -0700

Since taking office, President Obama has wasted no time addressing the food safety concerns that have been on the minds of many American consumers. Not only does the long-awaited COOL food labeling law finally take effect today, but over the weekend the president vowed to improve public health under his administration. In addition to introducing two new FDA commissioners, he also announced a plan of action to drastically improve food safety in America.

First, the president, who called the current state of government inspections "unacceptable" and "a hazard to public health," formed a new Food Safety Working Group. The special FDA task force will focus on reviewing, updating, and enforcing food safety laws, which he declared "have not been updated since they were written in the time of Teddy Roosevelt."

The FDA improvements will entail more cash - one billion dollars, to be specific. Obama described the FDA as "underfunded and understaffed" and said the government will increase the number of food inspectors and modernize food safety labs. Additionally, the US Agriculture Department will be taking further action to prevent diseased cows from entering the food supply: "Downer cattle" - those that cannot walk - will be banned from slaughter. The president closed by saying:

"Food safety is something I take seriously, not just as your President, but as a parent. Protecting the safety of our food and drugs is one of the most fundamental responsibilities government has, and, with the outstanding team I am announcing today, it is a responsibility that I intend to uphold in the months and years to come."

Given the issues with contamination in spinach, jalapeños, milk, and peanut butter in the past year, I think Obama made a smart decision to address food safety concerns so early in his administration. Do you think these measures will be enough to keep consumers safe?

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Are Inspectors to Blame For the Peanut Salmonella Outbreak?

partysugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:00:38 -0800

While the company behind the peanut salmonella scare has been shut down, many people are still wondering who's really to blame for the ordeal. Was it the president of the Peanut Corporation of America, who knowingly sent contaminated goods to the stores? Or was it the government, who failed to detect that the production plants were in disgusting conditions?

According to a recent article by The New York Times, the guilty party could actually be the private inspectors who check and rate a plant's food safety level. An audit conducted by an inspector last March declared that the gross facility in Georgia had a food safety level of "superior." According to the FDA, however, the same plant had been plagued by salmonella for at least the past nine months. This isn't the first known case where a private inspector failed to properly monitor a food plant, the Times reports:

An examination of the largest food poisoning outbreaks in recent years - in products as varied as spinach, pet food, and a children’s snack, Veggie Booty - show that auditors failed to detect problems at plants whose contaminated products later sickened consumers.

Although I understand that food safety is an incredibly hard thing to oversee, I can't help but feel a little queasy about this news. I hope that after such a widespread contamination, changes are made to correct the system. How do you feel about the ordeal? Who do you blame for the outbreak?

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All Peanut Butter Products From Texas Plant Recalled

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:00:00 -0800

The peanut butter salmonella issue grows bigger and bigger daily. Products connected with Peanut Corporation of America are being recalled left and right, and it's not over yet. The Texas Department of State Health Services ordered a recall of all products ever shipped from Peanut Corporation's now-closed plant in Plainview, TX. This plant was inspected after health code violations were found at its Georgia plant. Officials were disgusted to find dead rodents, rodent droppings, and bird feathers in a crawl space above a production area in the Texas plant, which had been operating unlicensed and without an inspection in nearly four years. This is more disturbing news tacked on to a long chain of events that has led to nearly 600 sickened people and nine deaths.

Over 2,000 peanut products have been recalled, making this one of the largest product recalls ever. It sickens me to think that Peanut Corp. owner Stewart Parnell allowed contaminated products to be shipped anyway, saying in an email that "tests discovering the contaminated food were 'costing us huge $$$$$.'" How sad is it that so many people have suffered because of this man's greed? This salmonella incident has also affected people's general opinions of peanut butter, and many are avoiding all peanut butter products for fear of getting sick. Are you?

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Company Behind Salmonella Scare Files For Bankruptcy

partysugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:00:33 -0800

Not surprisingly, the Virginia based Peanut Corp. of America filed for bankruptcy last Friday. The company, which has been accused of producing the salmonella tainted peanut products, filed Chapter 7 to liquidate their assets. Plants in Georgia and Texas were closed after the positive results for possible salmonella contamination were found. Inspectors discovered the Georgia plant in gross conditions: infested with roaches, mold, and leaks.

The president of the corporation, Stewart Parnell, has turned his back on the problem, and last week authorized the shipping of knowingly tainted products. Although he refuses to speak with investigators, food safety lawyers believe that the victims of the salmonella outbreak will be compensated.

It makes me sick to think that the president of a company could willingly send contaminated goods, but I'm glad to know the government has tracked down the source of the problem. What do you think of the news?

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Yummy Links: From Cherry Cupcakes to Sushi Etiquette

partysugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:00:41 -0800

Cherry baby cupcakes are adorably scrumptious. - Hostess With the Mostess
Since Valentine's Day is on a Saturday, skip the expensive dinner and opt for a romantic breakfast in bed. - Chow
Eight cooking techniques that build flavor. - The Kitchn
Due to the salmonella scare, peanut butter sales are down almost 25 percent. - Serious Eats
Would you drink with a Kellogg's Froot Loop cereal straw? - Eat Me Daily
Take a crash course in sushi etiquette with Japanese guru Hiroko Shimbo. - Bon Appétit

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Some Peanut Butter-Based Bars Are Safe, Others Are Not

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:30:00 -0800

When it comes to pre-workout snacking, energy bars are up there on my list of favorite quick fixes that get me through my workout. After hearing that some bars have been recalled because they could be tainted with salmonella, I was paranoid to touch any of the bars I had previously purchased. Ignoring the products isn't getting me anywhere, so I've been looking into which ones are safe for me to eat and which should go in the trash, once and for all. Now I can feel OK snacking on certain bars without any sense of salmonella doom.

The FDA developed a handy widget that allows you to scan by product group, and in my case I was interested in snack bars. I was bummed when I first saw LaraBar on the list, but after clicking on the brand name I saw that only one of its products has been affected (Peanut Butter Blisscrisp snack bars). Check out the widget for the items that you should avoid; you'll see familiar names like Clif, Luna, and Zone on the list. See the rundown when you read more.

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