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Leading Egg Supplier Under Fire For Health Violations

Susannah Chen — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:18:40 PST

Have you always pooh-poohed those cage-free, organic eggs sold at the supermarket? Well, read ahead, because a new story may have you thinking twice.

A 20/20 special airing today on ABC shows workers at Iowa-based Sparboe Farms - the fifth-largest shell egg producer in the US and main supplier for eggs at McDonald's - burning off the beaks of young chicks; dead, rotted hens being pulled out of cages; and live chicks being thrown into plastic bags to be suffocated. The footage, caught undercover by animal rights group Mercy for Animals, was powerful enough for McDonald's to announce today that it's broken ties with Sparboe Farms for good.

The FDA also issued a warning letter to Sparboe yesterday, citing 13 violations that could potentially contribute to salmonella contamination. McDonald's has issued a statement maintaining this controversy is "not a food safety issue for our menu items," but it's likely this egg exposé will be one for the books. If you have the stomach to watch the video, tell me: does it surprise you?

Got Milk? The Facts About Raw vs. Pasteurized

LilSugar — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 05:32:22 PDT

Raw milk and cookies, anyone? Dairy is a major component to most tots' diets, and in the US, almost all dairy products are only available in pasteurized form, as regulated by the FDA. Yet, even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FDA, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and numerous other health organizations are unanimous in their position that raw milk should not be consumed, a movement supporting the fresh, cold drink is gaining momentum, and the demand has increased over the past several years.

Take our quiz about the great milk debate, and let us know: do you allow your kids to consume unpasteurized products?

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Food Preserving Facts: Do You Have Them in the Can?

Susannah Chen — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 05:04:41 PDT

For every minute that I cling more desperately to the idea of Summer produce, I can feel it further slipping away. My soon-to-be saving grace? A frenzy of food preservation as the days get shorter and the nights grow colder. Who knows; perhaps I'll host a canning and pickling party or make a fruit jam of my own!

But before I share ideas and recipes with you, I want to find out just how versed you are on food preservation. One of the best-known methods of treating food is heat processing, or forming airtight seals around food in jars - but there's also fermenting, jellying, pickling, salting, and curing. Do you have the basics in the can? Let's find out when you take this quiz!

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What's With the Future of the FDA?

Lizzie Fuhr — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:28:58 PDT

On the cusp of one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history, the debt deal passed last week in Washington has got us worried about the future of food safety. In January, things were looking up. President Obama signed a $1.4 billion overhaul of the nation's food safety system with the Food Safety Modernization Act, the first major food reform since 1938.

But last week, everything changed. The House called for $285 million in cuts to the FDA, with $87 million coming straight out of the food safety budget. Stephen Grossman, the Deputy Executive Director of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA wrote on Friday: "FDA’s responsibilities are not going to shrink just because federal spending is being reduced. We hope Congress sees, as we do, that FDA is not optional. It is part of what society needs to function."

In the past few years, the issue of food-borne illness has been brought time and time again to the attention of the general public. But if we want to look at the whole thing in a more positive light, maybe these cuts will be the push people need to consider the benefits of sustainable and local food sources. What do you think? Are savings on cheaper food really worth the potential price of your health?

Cargill Pulls 36 Million Pounds of Ground Turkey Off Shelves

Susannah Chen — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:50:34 PDT

You might want to steer clear of grilling turkey burgers for now: Agribusiness giant Cargill has just issued a recall of 36 million pounds of ground turkey in what's being called the largest food recall ever.

In a recent investigation, the US Department of Agriculture determined a link between Cargill's ground turkey product and a salmonella outbreak that has already killed one California man and sickened 79 others. Today, Cargill voluntarily recalled the 36 million pounds of fresh and frozen ground turkey, adding that production of ground turkey would remain on hold until the salmonella source was determined.

Food safety litigator William Marler told the LA Times, "This is, if not the largest, one of the largest class-one food recalls to happen in US history."

How disappointing, considering the fact that the current White House administration has made reforming food safety a priority. Do you feel confident that we're headed in the right direction with it comes to reducing the rate of foodborne illness in America?

Sprouting Taters: Eat ‘Em or Chuck ‘Em?

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:24:08 PDT

I am obsessed with sweet potatoes. Steam them, bake them, grill them, or mash them, and I will eat them. When I went to grab a couple to roast in the oven, I was shocked to find that one of my taters had sprouted, and not just tiny little white eyes - there was a full blown plant emerging from the skin. Before cutting into the orange flesh to prepare for dinner I stopped to think- is it safe to eat potatoes that have sprouted this much?

Keep reading to find out if sprouted spuds should be cooked or tossed.

Yummy Links: From Quinoa to Onion Crunch

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:33:03 PDT

What the heck is quinoa, anyway? - Kitchen Daily
The winner of America's Next Great Restaurant has shuttered two locations. - Eater
10 international dishes to go with June's climbing temperatures. - TLC
New food columnist David Tanis talks cooking with cannellinis. - New York Times
Why America's food is much safer than you might think. - Grub Street NY
Father's Day must make: New York steaks with martini butter. - Fine Cooking
Unique ways to keep your kitchen cool this Summer. - The FN Dish
Meet Onion Crunch, soon to be your hot dog's new best friend. - Food Republic

Why You Should Marinate Your Meat

FitSugar — Fri, 27 May 2011 11:13:40 PDT

Barbecue season is upon us, so let's celebrate by grilling, since it's an easy and low-fat way to cook. If you're grilling, protect your health by marinating your meat. Here are seven things explaining why marinating is good for your health and how to do it.

Marinating meat, fish, and poultry significantly decreases the amount of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced when the meat is cooked at high temperatures, like in grilling. Marinades can reduce HCAs by as much as 99 percent. Adding rosemary to the marinade may even up the anticancer potential of your marinade even more. While research is unclear why marinades protect meat so much, the belief is that they act as a barrier against the high heat, or may reduce chemical precursors of carcinogens from the meat.
Marinades may slow the growth of harmful bacteria, like listeria.

Learn a few more tips about marinades when you

What's Your Food Storage IQ?

Susannah Chen — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:30:08 PDT

Happy Spring, everybody! The two aspects of this season that have the most impact on you and your kitchen are the oh-so-welcome bounty of Spring produce - and a dreadful but necessary phrase that you may be familiar with, Spring cleaning.

Along with those kitchen appliances that need to be stowed away and the cabinets that are waiting to be wiped down are probably a number of pantry items and refrigerated goods that have long surpassed their prime.

After all, what exactly is the shelf life of that bottle of ketchup, anyway? Before you get to that major project of deep cleaning your kitchen, brush up on your food storage knowledge.

Let's get started, shall we?

How long will . . .

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Food Safety Could Be a National Security Concern

Susannah Chen — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:16:45 PST

A landmark food safety bill is expected to be passed, yet food could be subject to a more tainted reputation now more than ever. No, it has nothing to do with the fact that one in six Americans fell prey to foodborne illness this year. Rather, it's the latest terror threat to America, which, according to CBS News, involves use of poisons in hotels and restaurants in multiple locations over a single weekend.

The threat, which the USDA, FDA, and US Department of Homeland Security have called "credible," involved a plot using two poisons, ricin and cyanide, slipped into hotel restaurant buffets. Although the scheme was linked to Al Qaeda, public officials said they were "not going to comment on reports of specific terrorist planning." Health experts acknowledge this type of food poisoning would initially look very similar to a foodborne illness but could actually result in fatal consequences.

Are you surprised to hear that hotel and restaurant food have been imagined as the conduit in recent national threats?