"FDA public messages will continue to include farms not responsible for E.coli contamination"

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acted quickly to protect consumers from an emerging outbreak of E.coli O157:H7…

US (NY): Produce Safety Alliance grower training

Are you a farmer interested in produce safety? Are your markets asking for food safety plans or third party verification? Do you want to understand produce safety issues as…

US (GA): Scientists use machine learning to identify source of Salmonella outbreaks

A team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety in Griffin, Georgia, has developed a machine-learning approach that could lead to quicker identification of the animal source of certain Salmonella outbreaks. In the research, published in the January 2019 issue of Emerging…

US (NJ): Romaine - What happened and where do we go from here?

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Food Safety Team invites you to attend a Town Hall Meeting to learn the roles of the Food and Drug Administration, New Jersey Department of…

US (IN): Training sessions help growers reduce food-safety risk

Safe Produce Indiana is currently offering Produce Safety Alliance Grower Trainings across Indiana, including one in conjunction with the Indiana Horticulture Congress on Feb.…

Veg-Pak's Hot Peppers Red Thai and Longo's Hot Red Thai Chili Peppers recalled

The food recall warning issued on January 20, 2019 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian…

Australia: Needle crisis hits Perth strawberry plantings

Far fewer strawberries are to be planted in Perth this year, after growers took an estimated $12 million hit on income last season because of the needle sabotage crisis. Western Australia Strawberry Growers Association spokesman Jamie Michael said the exact reduction in plantings won’t be known for a few more weeks.…

Inspectors in New York and Florida discover Salmonella in leafy greens

Food inspectors in New York and Florida detected Salmonella in leafy greens from Satur Farms of Cutchogue, New York. This prompted the company to recall consumer and foodservice packages of baby spinach and mesclun. Satur Farms distributed the leafy greens to retailers in New York and Florida, according to a…

Russia intercepts 75 tons of Moroccan tomatoes with tuta absoluta

Russian authorities in Saint Petersburg held a shipment of 75 tons of tomatoes from Morocco. They claim this has to do with a tuta absoluta contamination. The cargo arrived at the customs check point Big Port Saint Petersburg, reported the Department of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance in…

A technology solution for product recalls

Growers are increasingly seeking integrated solutions to handle all of their operational management. Agrilyst is a software platform in the greenhouse and indoor growing industry for cannabis, floriculture, and vegetable growers. Their software tracks crops from seed to harvest, manages crop inventory…

CPMA supports introduction of new food safety laws

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) said it is ready to support the introduction of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) new Safe Food for Canadians…

US (CA): Low or no pesticide levels in most fruits and vegetables

Once again, tests showed that the vast majority of fresh produce collected by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) met national pesticide residue standards. During its 2017 survey, DPR found 96 percent of all samples had no detectable pesticide residues or were below levels allowed by…

Canada Herb brand 'Red Chili' recalled due to possible salmonella contamination

Canada Herb brand ‘Red Chili’ has been recalled due to a possible salmonella contamination. The product has been sold in Ontario and is being removed from the marketplace. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is asking those that purchased the product to throw it out or return it to the store it was purchased from. Symptoms of a salmonella…

Mayotte: Dimethoate in tomatoes

Dimethoate, an insecticide which is controversial and banned in France, has recently been found on tomatoes from Mayotte. The Prefecture of Mayotte has issued an order and published an alarming…

Hardly any pesticide residues in food

The German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has hardly found pesticide residues in food produced in Germany. Only 1.1 percent of the samples tested…

Research uncovers how Salmonella infects plants before harvest

Scientists in India have discovered how Salmonella enters plants to cause pre-harvest contamination of produce. Most Salmonella outbreaks are linked to contamination from…

The Netherlands will have a new institute for food safety

From 1 June 2019, RIKILT Wageningen University & Research and the Laboratory for Feed and Food Safety of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), will form a new institute. The new organization is named Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) and is part of Wageningen University…

US government shutdown has no impact on romaine safety

News of the government shutdown’s impact on federal public health agencies has raised concerns about the safety of the U.S. food supply. Leafy greens producers want consumers to know the shutdown is not having an impact on efforts to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks on their farms. In fact, the…

The quickest way to empty your pool

University of Guelph to improve food safety with $1-million gift

With food recalls from romaine lettuce to cauliflower generating perennial headlines, a new $1-million gift from two University of Guelph grads will establish a professorship intended to improve food safety in Canada and abroad. Prof. Lawrence Goodridge, a three-time U of G grad, will join his alma mater this month…

Canada’s new Safe Food law just one week away

The crucial day for Canada’s Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA) and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) is just one week away. The new Safe Food law and regulations will replace 14 sets of regulations on Jan. 15, 2019. Canada’s food safety focus will shift to prevention of food-borne illnesses “by focusing…

US (FL): ‘Plant whisperer’ helps keep produce lush, green and safe

Liz Felter gazes at the tomato plant and considers it quietly for a few seconds. Stroking the discolored leaves, she sticks two fingers in the soil and pushes the dirt down. “My gut tells me it’s not Erwinia,” says Felter, a University of Florida IFAS Extension regional specialized agent. The visitor to the UF/IFAS…

"We can advise in any crop to be micropropagated in a safe way"

Taking cultivation to the next level - whether it's for a tissue culture laboratory or a multi layer grower system. That's what can be done with ViVi, the growing method developed to grow products in the final packing. Recently turn-key projects at Shandong D&F Agriculture and AgriGarden have been…

"New 'bioengineered' labeling rule will cause further confusion"

The new year may seem off to a sluggish start with the partial government shutdown stalling programs and delaying implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill, but there is some new news out there. At the end of 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS)…

California state officials find Monterey County kale, beets & strawberries exceeded pesticide limits

Months after a court ordered a ban on chlorpyrifos sales, a pesticide linked with neurological deficits in children, state officials reported they found chlorpyrifos-contaminated fruits and vegetables for sale in California. Additionally, some Monterey County-grown produce the California Department of Pesticide Regulation tested…

US: New modular indoor agricultural system grows food in clean, pure environment

Grow Pod Solutions announced that its new modular indoor agricultural systems can grow herbs and vegetables without contamination frequently associated with other farming methods. The modular, stackable pods feature proprietary technology to monitor every detail of plant growth, including light intensity, nutrient delivery,…

Public Health Agency of Canada: Romaine lettuce now safe to eat

In Canada, the outbreak of E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce appears to be over. No new illnesses were reported since mid-November, according to the Public Health…

US (CO): Voluntarily recalls of retail marijuana

A Denver marijuana business, Doctor’s Orders LLC, doing business as Doctor’s Orders, is voluntarily recalling all retail marijuana plant material due to the presence of…

'Recall fatigue' in Canada

A string of high-profile produce recalls may lead to shortages of the most recent culprits ahead of the holidays. But, even if cauliflower and some lettuce varieties stay in stock, experts say…

"U.S. food supply is among the safest in the world"

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the 2017 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Summary. The Summary shows more than 99 percent of the samples tested had pesticide residues well below benchmark levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Each year, USDA and EPA work together to…

Study reveals hypervirulent strains and emerging clones of Listeria

Listeria monocytogenes is a major cause of severe foodborne illness in the United States. But recent research at NC State indicates that not all strains of the bacteria are equally virulent. A team led by Sophia Kathariou, professor of food science and microbiology, found that certain Listeria strain groups, or clones,…

Did the CDC overreact on romaine lettuce?

Last month, the CDC advised all US consumers, growers, shippers and foodservice establishments to throw away all romaine lettuce and anything that contained romaine due to an outbreak of E-Coli in several states. Some have been questioning the extreme reaction and wondering if the situation could have…

US (MD): MMJ grower fined for using unauthorized crop protection agents

After investigation, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission concludes that ForwardGro used unauthorized crop protection agents, failed to ensure employees used adequate personal protective equipment and failed to have appropriate security measures in place as required by the Commission’s regulations. Responding to…

US: QR code lets customers learn more about their lettuce

From now on, on all Square Roots food packaging, consumers can now see the complete story of where and how their food was grown, and who grew it, with a simple #knowyourfarmer scan. By simply scanning a QR code or typing in the lot number found on every package of Square Roots fresh produce, you are now able to…

Farm identified as source of romaine lettuce E. coli O157:H7 outbreak

On Nov. 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned the American public of a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7…

"Number of recalls surprises me"

Salmonella, Listeria monocytogens, wrong labeling: the number of recalls in the past months is significantly higher than in other years. Michel Witmer, Groen Agro Control, already wondered about this in September: "How is it possible certain things still occur?" As product manager food he sees a lot, and now he has turned to…

Ukraine adopts law regulating food labelling

Ukraine has taken another step in approximation with EU legislation, this time in the area of information for consumers. Ukraine's parliament (Verkhovna Rada) on Thursday 6…

Ultraviolet light could extend shelf life of food and reduce waste

Food waste is a major problem facing today’s society. LSU AgCenter food scientists are working on ways to extend the shelf life of food products, which will help reduce waste. LSU AgCenter reporter Craig Gautreaux has the story from the LSU campus. Source: LSU AgCenter (Kenneth Gautreaux)

Punjab Food Safety dept tells traders: No stickers on fruits or vegetables

The Punjab Food Safety department has asked traders not to paste stickers on fruit and vegetables, as these can pose health hazards to consumers. The Food Safety Teams have…

How farmers markets can respond to the romaine lettuce scare

Just prior to Thanksgiving, the CDC and FDA took the unusual step of warning shoppers to avoid all romaine lettuce, stating “Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away.” The advice came as a response to an outbreak of E. Coli that has sickened…

"California cannabis lab director caught faking pesticide tests"

As the California cannabis industry prepared for a rigorous, state-mandated testing regime that took effect on July 1, the laboratory director at Sequoia Analytical Labs in Sacramento allegedly went rogue. According to officials with Sequoia and California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC), Sequoia’s lab director—unbeknownst to…

Strawberry saga continues

The strawberry contamination saga that rocked Australia in September is still not over, after a needle was found inside fruit purchased from a supermarket on Saturday. The needle was discovered in a strawberry punnet…

Romaine recall still troublesome for US restaurants

Romaine lettuce is slowly making its way back to the salad bar, but that doesn’t mean business is back to normal quite yet for Twin Cities salad restaurants and grocers. Nearly two weeks after a nationwide recall of romaine lettuce due to an E. coli outbreak, the FDA says most romaine is safe to eat, as long as…

Blockchain and what it has to do with Romaine Lettuce and food safety

Blockchain is the technology and approach that allows people to share a database, which is duplicated across a network of many, many, many computers and other devices. This is…

Central Italy: Floods raise concerns about water stagnation

In the southern areas of Central Italy, heavy, persistent rain and floods have caused a critical situation to develop in the countryside. Here, we show some photos taken at the beginning of the 48th week that illustrate the conditions in fields and greenhouses. A local producer confirms the seriousness of the situation, “Almost a…

US: Yuma growers adopt safety labels for romaine lettuce

In the US, romaine lettuce is being tagged with new consumer-protection labels to help reassure people that it is safe to eat after a nationwide E. coli outbreak. Lettuce…