- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
A behind-the-scenes battle is raging in the Senate over how to regulate small and organic growers without ruining them - and still protect consumers from contaminated food, according to a story published yesterday in the San Francisco Chronicle.
The crux of the legislation gives the Food and Drug Administration greater authority to regulate how products are grown, stored, transported, inspected, traced from farm to table and recalled when needed.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The issue of food safety in walnuts was raised with more than 200 growers at the UC Cooperative Extension Sutter/Yuba/Colusa Walnut Day this week, according to an article in the Appeal-Democrat of Yuba County.
"We want our crop to be perceived as healthy to consumers and we want to grow a safe crop, too," the story quoted conference speaker Jennifer Getz, the California Walnut Board domestic marketing director.Consumers, farmers and regulators are concerned about E. coli and salmonella contamination in walnuts. The question, the article said, revolves around where pathogen problems begin and whether walnuts are susceptible. The U.S....
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
UC Davis Cooperative Extension specialist Trevor Suslow wrote an opinion piece for Food Safety News saying a recent Consumers Union study - which questioned the safety of prewashed salad greens - has caused a flurry of concern and confusion.
An article in the March 2010 issue of Consumer Reports magazine said its study of packaged leafy greens found nearly 40 percent of samples contained bacteria that are common indicators of poor sanitation and fecal contamination, according to a news release distributed on- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Last Saturday night, the CBS Evening News aired a six-minute special report on food safety. The research component for the story featured an appearance by UC Davis Cooperative Extension food safety specialist Linda Harris, in which she explained work underway to understand the potential food safety impact of irrigation practices on leafy green vegetables.
Reporter Bill Witaker noted that cutting edge research is being conducted around the country to find out how pathogens make it onto fresh produce and how to reduce the risk. He used the UC Davis
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The day before Thanksgiving, the opinion writers at the Sacramento Bee praised the state of food safety in California, but said there is still room for improvement. In the editorial, they offered kind words for the role of UC in providing the state's residents with wholesome food.
"Overall, our food supply is very safe," the Bee's editors wrote. "The University of California, Davis, with the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, is a leader in research and outreach – helping to bring about new practices to improve food safety."
But even with the strength of the state's safety net, there are still some holes to...
