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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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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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Kellogg's Recalls Peanut Butter Sandwiches

YumSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:00:05 -0800

Could peanut butter be the new milk? Following a salmonella outbreak thought to be caused by tainted peanut butter, Kellogg's announced late yesterday that it has asked stores to halt sales of all Austin and Keebler peanut butter sandwiches.While the company says it hasn't received any complaints or found any issues related to the products, Kellogg's has voluntarily ceased the sale of these products as a precautionary measure, after its supplier, Peanut Corp. of America, issued a recall for its peanut butter, due to possible contamination.

Austin and Keebler are pulling toasted peanut butter sandwich crackers, peanut butter and jelly sandwich crackers, cheese and peanut butter sandwich crackers, and peanut butter-chocolate sandwich crackers from store shelves across the country.

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Experiment Shows Spiked Eggnog Might Be Safer

YumSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:30:14 -0800

A recent experiment suggests spiked eggnog may be safer to drink than its PG counterpart. NPR attempted to solve the age-old mystery of whether adding alcohol to eggnog, which contains raw eggs, eliminates risk of food poisoning. To answer the question, NPR sought the help of Rockefeller University microbiologist Vince Fischetti.

Fischetti compared bacteria levels in store-bought, alcohol-free eggnog to a recipe his lab makes every year. The science team's heavily spiked version requires the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for weeks before drinking. The results? His eggnog's alcohol eliminated all bacteria. In contrast, the commercial eggnog was teeming with bacteria strains commonly found in dairy.

The microbiology lab conducted a separate experiment to see whether its alcoholic eggnog was strong enough to kill off salmonella strains. The results proved inconclusive.

Are you intrigued or disgusted by Vischetti's recipe for eggnog? Will these findings have you adding more alcohol to your eggnog this year?

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Yummy Links: From Tomato Bites to Horchata

partysugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:45:01 -0700

Tomatoes, basil, and goat cheese combine to make a delicious and adorable appetizer. - The Food in My Beard
Meet Food Network's newest star, Aida Mollenkamp. - Chow
Wake up to the smoky smell of bacon with this bacon alarm clock. - Serious Eats
Candy is a sweet theme for a baby shower. - Hostess With the Mostess
Edible gifts for new parents. - The Kitchn
Are gummi bears good for your teeth? - Slashfood
Test your celebrity food knowledge by taking this fun quiz. - The Epi-Log
Are these musk-flavored candy sticks for real? - Candy Blog
The latest update on the salmonella outbreak. - FitSugar
Making homemade horchata is easy and cooly rewarding. - Baking Bites

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Yummy Links: From Unsnobby Coffee to Cocktail Tales

YumSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:29:19 -0700

With all the Starbucks talk, we almost missed that McDonald's launched UnSnobbyCoffee.com. - Gawker
When you head out for a fancy meal, should you be dressed fancy too? - Chow
Looking for a bright and refreshing drink? Try this Indian Mango Cocktail. - GlamDish
Malt-O-Meal puffed cereals may be salmonella outbreak source - BarfBlog
Don't miss this serious eating tour of Fort Worth, Texas. - Serious Eats
Tickets have gone on sale for this year's Tales of the Cocktail. - Slashfood

Recall Warning: FDA Issues a Warning on Cantaloupe

YumSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 03:01:18 -0700

Watch out, if you've purchased any cantaloupe recently you may want to check the sticker. The FDA issued an alert regarding cantaloupe from Agropecuaria Montelibano, a Honduran grower and packer. Turns out fruit from them may be linked to a salmonella outbreak. At the time of their alert, 59 people had illnesses linked to the cantaloupes. No deaths have occurred, but 14 people were hospitalized.

If your cantaloupe doesn't have a sticker, you should check with your grocery store to see where their stock comes from. If it turns out to be from Agropecuaria Monteliban, you should toss it out. Better to be safe than sorry!

If you're concerned and would like to learn more, be sure to read the full FDA alert.

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