- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
California's Wildfires Are Spreading Faster and Burning More This Year. Experts Say It 'Can Only Get Worse'
(TIME) Jennifer Calfas, July 31
…Rising temperatures aren't the only reason fires have grown in size and aggression, though scientists are quick not to place blame entirely on climate change. Urban development in vulnerable areas can make fires more devastating, and many of the state's most destructive fires were started by humans including the Carr Fire. Max Moritz, a specialist in cooperative extension at the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resource, says hotter temperatures have made fire seasons longer, too. Scientists see a direct link between rising...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
At least 58 people have been sickened, and two — one in California and one in Canada — have died because they contracted E. coli O157:H7 in November and December, believed to be related to eating romaine lettuce or other leafy greens. In the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has linked at least 17 reports of illness in 13 states to the outbreak.
That has many people passing on Caesar's salad. But UC Cooperative Extension specialist Trevor Suslow said it is unlikely that romaine now at grocery stores is contaminated, reported Bob Rodriguez in the Fresno...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Food safety technology has improved significantly in recent years as molecular microbiology, electronic data sharing and analysis of matching genetic relatedness has advanced, reported Samantha Masunaga in the Los Angeles Times. The comments are from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension specialist Trevor Suslow, who is featured in a Q&A about the food safety problems suffered by the fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill.
"We've got a long way to go still to make the level of compliance more uniform, better,...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration puts the finishing touches on the latest version of the Food Safety Modernization Act, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources advisors are planning how they will help farmers comply with new provisions, reported Taylor Hillman on AgNetWest.com.
Hillman spoke to Mary Bianchi, the director of UC ANR Cooperative Extension in San Luis Obispo County. She said most growers already have many components the act requires, such as their nutrient management plan and their irrigation plan.
"It's a matter...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Irradiating meat can reduce Salmonella and Camphylobacter levels to almost zero, making it safer for consumers who aren't handling raw meat properly, according to a UC consumer behavior and food science expert who was quoted in Food Quality New. However, the practice is not gaining traction.
Christine Bruhn, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis, says the need for increased meat irradiation was revealed in a recent study. She and her staff analyzed video footage of 120 people preparing a self-selected chicken dish and salad...
