Safe Tables Our Priority

Ensuring new food-safety legislation is effective

2010-06-03T16:15:00.001-04:00

The laws governing the food-safety functions of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not been substantially updated in more than 70 years, but congressional lawmakers will hopefully soon change that fact.

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote soon on the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510), a bill that would give the agency the powers to help prevent foodborne illness before people get sick instead of just react to outbreaks after they happen. The bipartisan legislation would provide FDA with mandatory recall authority, improve federal inspections of food-manufacturing facilities and require food processors to identify potential risks.

But a proposal by a member of the Senate would greatly undermine the intended goal of the legislation: improving the safety of the nation’s food supply.

Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) is poised to offer two amendments to S. 510 with broad exemptions that S.T.O.P.-Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.) believes would severely hamper the ability of the bill that to protect public health.

The first of these ill-advised proposed amendments would exempt any farm – no matter the size – from safety standards when it sells its produce to a wide range of customers including hotels, restaurants, or institutions. These institutions could include schools and nursing homes, both of which provide food to populations particularly at risk from serious complications and death from foodborne illness – children and the elderly.

Moreover, U.S. trade agreements require that any exemptions be granted to both domestic and foreign growers, further limiting FDA’s oversight of potential dangers to the food supply from foreign products being served at these institutions.

S.T.O.P. and others in the Make Our Food Safe coalition want to make sure that the local, sustainable and organic communities are not unduly burdened by S. 510. However, dangerous pathogens do not discriminate among growers by the size of their farms or facilities or who they sell to. We believe the best approach to achieve fair and protective standards is to provide these growers with technical assistance and training to help them comply with the law, not provide them with exemptions that put any potential consumers of their products at risk..

The second of Sen. Tester’s proposals would exempt certain food processing facilities from safety requirements in S. 510 based on the adjusted gross income from the facility. This language would create a large loophole that limits the legislation’s reach and, like the proposed produce safety exemption, would exempt not only many domestic facilities but also foreign companies as well from these measures that are intended to protect public health.

We share Sen. Tester’s concerns for small and local processors. However, we believe S. 510 has already addressed these concerns. In order to make safe food a reality for American consumers, we need a modern food-safety system that is comprehensive and encompasses all facilities, regardless of size.

S.T.O.P. has supported thousands of foodborne illness victims in the past 17 years. Each new outbreak — from E. coli in spinach, lettuce and cookie dough to Salmonella in peanut butter, spices and Veggie Booty snack treats — has brought us new faces and tragic stories. We believe that S.510 could help save more people from becoming future victims and want to ensure that all food products are safe. Rather than exempting facilities from regulation we need to be exempting pathogens from the food supply- period.

Guest Blogger Margo Calls for Reform and Passage of S.510

2010-05-04T10:16:00.000-04:00

Meet Margo, a college senior who traveled with us to DC to work on FDA Reform. I've asked her to talk about her trip and why she wants to see movement on S.510.

Food safety is probably the last thing on a college kid’s mind. At least it was for me. That all changed in May of 2009 after I spent six nights in the hospital after eating an FDA approved food item that was contaminated with e. coli O157:H7.

In May of 2009 I was at school in Charleston, South Carolina getting ready to attend a school awards ceremony when I decided to bake cookies. With no fresh eggs at the local corner store, I picked up some pre-packaged cookie dough. When I got home I quickly split them apart, took a nibble and threw them in the oven. Little did I know that the one nibble would almost kill me in the following two weeks.

Over the next week, I started feeling lethargic and woke up one morning drenched in sweat and extremely nauseous. I toughed it out and took my previously scheduled flight back home to Staunton, Virginia. But over the next few days, I continued getting worse and worse until I had a burning sensation in my stomach so strong that my mom took me to the emergency room. In the ER, I was forced to drink three bottles of liquid so I could have a scan done. Doctors didn’t know what was wrong so they isolated me and I was put on powerful antibiotics until a test three days later into my six-day hospital stay revealed that I had e. coli O157:H7.

I can’t really tell you about what happened while I was in the hospital. For most of my stay I don’t remember the details. I remember telling my mom that something was in me and I thought I was rotting from the inside out. It turns out I was right. There was something in me. e. coli is not just a stomachache. It is not pretty or glamorous. It is extremely painful and basically causes your body to rot out.

No one should be told there is a strong chance that their senior year of college will be ruined because of multiple surgeries. No one should be told that if they had just waited just a few more hours to come to the ER they wouldn’t be alive. I was told all of these things.

Today I am very involved with S.T.O.P – Safe Tables Our Priority In March of 2010 I traveled with S.T.O.P. to Capitol Hill in DC to speak to our senators about the importance of getting S. 510: The Food Safety Modernization Act to the Senate floor for a vote. Traveling to DC was an experience I will never forget. A part of me was in denial about how much this whole ordeal had changed my life. After listening to so many stories of others I cried. It was the first time I had really cried about it since it happened. If anything, listening to the stories of deceased parents and children made me more determined than ever to greatly improve the status of our food safety system.

In March I was told that S. 510 would be voted on very shortly. On May 8th, 2010 I will graduate college. On May 8th, 2009 I wasn’t sure if that would be a reality. The best graduation gift I could get would be for everyone who reads this to tell their senator to bring this bill to the floor for a vote now. To give your senator this message, please click here:
http://safetables.capwiz.com/safetables/issues/alert/?alertid=14556841&PROCESS=Take+Action

Meet Dana, our 12 year old food safety advocate

2010-03-17T17:46:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago I was joined in Washington D.C. by 40 victim members of S.T.O.P. and our partners from the Make Our Food Safe campaign to lobby for S.510 - The Food Safety Modernization Act. One of those members was Dana. I asked Dana to share her experience of her trip, what she did and how she felt. Here is Dana's account of her trip to Washington and why she feels so strongly about food safety:

My name is Dana and I am 12 years old. I just got back from Washington, D.C. where I met with Senators to tell them my story about how I almost died because I ate cantaloupe that had Salmonella Poona. Everyone I met with couldn't believe that cantaloupe made me that sick but it did and I still have lots of joint pain because it got into my blood stream and caused blood poisoning. It was really scary to almost die yet in Washington I met with other kids who also got sick from eating foods so I felt that I was not alone. When I met with the Senators and other people who can help support S.510 so people don't get sick from eating foods, they made me feel better because they listened to my story and want to help change the law. I hope to go back to Washington, D.C. soon to see my friends but more important to know that a new law is passed so people don't get sick anymore from eating foods. My sister is 3 years old, the age I was when I got sick. I don't ever want anything to happened to my sister so I need the help of the Senators in Washington, D.C. to make sure my sister and every bodies sisters and brothers don't get sick and almost die like I did.

Dana

I know Dana's bravery and willingness to make a difference made an impact on everyone she met. If you would also like to help make an impact, click here to send a message to your Senators urging them to bring S.510 to the floor for a vote. In the meantime, you can help keep your family safe by signing up for S.T.O.P. E-alerts which deliver timely information about food safety and recalls right to your email inbox.

Weekly Round Up

2010-02-26T16:13:00.000-05:00

It’s been a crazy week here at S.T.O.P.--Safe Tables Our Priority! I have been getting ready to head out to Washington, D.C. with a group of victims and family members who have gotten ill from from FDA-regulated products. While a lot has been going on here, there has also been plenty going on in the news. Here’s a sample of what we’ve been hearing about this week in regards to food safety. As always, you can receive this information as well as times updates on food safety information and recalls delivered right to your e-mail inbox by signing up for our S.T.O.P. E-alerts.

Salmonella in granola bars
FDA Recalls informs us of the third granola product to be recalled for salmonella contamination in the past two weeks.

Against the tide, bipartisan legislation emerges on food safety
The Hill takes a look at the United States Congress’ bipartisan efforts to protect our citizens from unsafe foods.

147 Olympic food vendors fail inspections
It’s sad to see that more than 1/3 of the food operators catering to this year’s winter Olympics did not fully meet health regulations. Not taking proper precautions at an event like the Olympics could have dire consequences for a large number of people.

Local mom pushing for tougher food regulations
This Fox article quotes one of our victims who will be traveling to Washington, D.C. with us next week. She’s been a great part of our struggles to help strengthen food safety regulations.

Jell-o and mouse poop in a school cafeteria
This nauseating barf blog post tells about two schools in Pennsylvania that failed health inspections after having mouse droppings found in their cafeterias. With stories like these, it’s hard to trust that our kids are being served safe, healthy food in school.

It’s time to reconsider the broad use of antibiotics in farm animals

2010-02-19T14:38:00.000-05:00

Antibiotics are currently used widely and irresponsibly in raising farm animals. These antibiotics are meant for treating humans and this use in animals entering the food chain breeds antibiotic resistant bacteria that make people sick, and are much harder to recover from. We have been aware for quite sometime that this happens. Fifteen years ago, when Flouroquinolone antibiotics which were meant for human consumption were approved for use in animals, physicians soon started seeing Campylobacter strains causing human illness that were resistant to Fluoroquinolone treatment. The Food and Drug Administration understands that this is the case, the United States Department of Agriculture is aware of this. The Centers for Disease Control knows this. The World Health Organization knows this, and S.T.O.P. is frightened by this.

Why are antibiotics being misused to treat animals that aren’t necessarily sick?
Animals are now being given antibiotics not only to treat infection, but also to prophylactically resist infection. Or at least that’s what the food-animal production industry would like us to believe. Instead, antibiotics are being given to animals because it decreases the time that it takes some animals to be ready for slaughter. Antibiotics increase growth; this is good for the efficiency of meat production but horrible for human health.

Antibiotics that are given to animals that cause antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria are a serious food safety problem. Salmonella and Campylobacter, frequently found in food products of animal origin, can be treated effectively with antibiotics. But when these same antibiotics used to treat sick humans are used to treat healthy animals, they breed resistant bacteria.

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are a huge food safety concern because the uncooked meat that we bring into our homes from the grocery store can easily and accidentally enter the human body. I would like to be able to treat my kitchen as a kitchen rather than a biohazard zone, but bacteria can spread from shopping bags, plastic wrap from the meat packaging, countertops, cutting boards and from direct ingestion of undercooked or cross-contaminated food products.

As it is, it’s hard enough to keep bacteria from making us ill without the worry of antibiotic resistance. Coming down with a foodborne bacterial illness can be horrific enough, but not being able to be effectively treated by an antibiotic is just a senseless abuse of good medicine.

At S.T.O.P. we have come across several families who have had a loved one infected with a foodborne bacterial illness that can not be treated by antibiotics. It adds a whole new layer of complexity and frustration to an already negative situation. We are a part of a coalition that is currently working on upcoming legislation that will address this issue. To find out more about it and to get timely updates on recalls, outbreaks and food safety news delivered right to your email inbox, sign up for our S.T.O.P. E-alerts.

Are There Hidden E. coli Bacteria in Your Valentine's Day Dinner?

2010-02-11T12:38:00.001-05:00

Imagine the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner…you and your sweetheart surrounded by hearts, flowers, music and romance at the fanciest restaurant in the city. You’re eating a decadent beef dinner, complete with dessert and wine. It’s the perfect night with the one you love—until you realize you might be paying with your health as well as your money.

Many people have heard of E. coli 0157:H7, and know that it is a very harmful bacteria coming from cattle fecal contamination and that it should be tested for and kept out of food. What they don’t know is that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified six other sister strains of E. coli that have also been associated with foodborne illness and death. These other strains are NOT labeled as adulterants by the USDA and are NOT a part of their testing program. They could easily be lurking in your Valentine’s Day meal—or any of your other meals for that matter.

S.T.O.P.—Safe Tables Our Priority has worked with many families that have had loved ones get sick from the six other non-0157 strains of E. coli. State health departments have been required to report cases of non-O157 strains to the CDC for 10 years, but these strains are still not tested for by the USDA in beef. For years, S.T.O.P. has been asking USDA to have these non-0157 strains tested for in our nation’s food supply.

When I think of the people I have encountered through S.T.O.P. that have been sickened, or had a family member sickened by these other strains of E. coli, it astounds me that USDA has not started testing for them. I have met people like S.T.O.P. member Dana Boner who lost her 14-year-old daughter Kayla to E. coli O111 in 2007. She says that “USDA policy makes it impossible to find. You can’t find what you’re not looking for. While it’s too late for Kayla, it’s not too late for others.”

This Valentine’s Day, the USDA should give the American public a life-saving gift: declare other life-threatening strains of E. coli as adulterants in meat. In the meantime, be mindful of what you eat and make sure your meat is properly cooked and handled before you and your sweetheart share a special Valentine’s Day meal. To receive timely information on food recalls and outbreaks to protect all of your loved ones, sign up for our S.T.O.P. E-alerts which are delivered right to your e-mail inbox.

Plenty of talk, not enough action

2010-02-04T11:20:00.000-05:00

There has been a lot of food safety news and food safety talk recently, but very little meaningful action has taken place to protect consumers. Awareness of food safety is important and we appreciate it, but if no action takes place then its value is lost.

Recently, we wrote about the anniversary of the PCA peanut products outbreak that happened one year ago. Today, we received notice that 120 of the 700 victims who were sickened are receiving a settlement from PCA's insurance company. While nothing will ever take away the suffering these victims went through, this is still good news for them. But what has really been done to prevent another outbreak like the PCA one from happening tomorrow? As of right now, not a whole lot.

S.T.O.P. has been working to help improve FDA reform legislation for the past year. There is a good, pending FDA reform bill in the Senate that needs to be passed NOW. We are taking another group of victims of foodborne illness to Washington, DC next week to speak with members of Congress about getting the legislation passed. We’ve gathered families sickened by Listeria, E. coli, and Salmonella who contracted these bacteria from everyday foods such as spinach, cantaloupe, orange juice, peanut butter, cookie dough, cheese, and ice cream.

Add your voice to ours by contacting your senator now at and letting him or her know that S. 510, which is the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act is important to you. To stay informed and better protect your family from contaminated products in the marketplace, sign up for S.T.O.P. E-alerts, which provide timely information on food recalls and outbreaks delivered right to your email inbox.

Finally -- More Direction at the USDA

2010-01-28T16:25:00.000-05:00

S.T.O.P.—Safe Tables Our Priority extends our congratulations to Dr. Elisabeth Hagen on her nomination for the position of Undersecretary for Food Safety.

Dr. Hagen has hands on experience working for the United State’s Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in addition to being board-certified in both internal medicine and infectious diseases. She has also been in various management positions that include risk assessments and applied epidemiology activities that include foodborne illness investigations. I am confident that these qualifications and her background make her more than capable for the job. Having someone leading in the position of Undersecretary who understands the importance and need for regulatory measures that promote food safety and prevent foodborne illness is encouraging.

It is unbelievable that this position of Undersecretary for Food Safety—which is the highest food safety position at USDA—has been vacant for so long. Every week at S.T.O.P. we send out E-alerts that have far more food meat and poultry recalls than we would like to see. We look forward to the Senate confirming Dr. Hagen’s appointment quickly, so she can help provide the much-needed leadership and oversight that is necessary to reduce the numerous product recalls.

S.T.O.P. is eager to work with Dr. Hagen to further food safety policies that will keep consumers safe from contaminated foods that lead to devastating foodborne illnesses. We look forward to seeing her take this new position.

As always, you can find more information about food safety and recalls by signing up for our S.T.O.P. E-alerts which are delivered right to your e-mail inbox.

Help Us Pick A Topic For Our Next TeleSeminar!

2010-01-22T16:35:00.002-05:00

I hope you all have had a great week. At S.T.O.P.- Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.), we sponsor call-in TeleSeminars with food safety experts on interesting topics several times throughout the year. We’re planning our Spring 2010 call now and want to know which food poisoning and food safety topics you would like to hear about most….what interests you and what will benefit you the most? Here are a few possibilities to choose from:

Option 1: School Lunch Safety

We’ve been seeing a lot of news articles and blog posts these past few weeks about the safety and quality of school lunches. Considering many children rely on food provided by schools, it’s not hard to understand why contaminated lunches have become such an issue for the public.

Option 2: How to Protect Yourself from Risky Foods

While there often seems to be a lot of tips and information available on keeping yourself safe from risky foods and unsanitary cooking conditions, there are also many myths and just plain wrong information floating around. There are many surprisingly easy ways to be conscientious about risky foods.

Option 3: Import Food Safety - Where is Our Food Coming From?

Many of us enjoy food from high-end supermarkets, organic sections of the grocery store and restaurants thinking that the foods we eat are coming from a safe and clean source. This is not always the case, and you can be a lot smarter about choosing safe foods when you know where it’s coming from.

Option 4: BPA in Plastics - Problems in Baby Bottles, Water Bottles, etc.

There have also been recent articles about Bisphenol A in plastic bottles. There is a lot of uncertainty about the health risks associated with consuming BPA and educating ourselves is the first step to understanding how best to guard ourselves from any possible harm it could cause.

Option 5: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Food Safety

Any questions you might have about food safety can be answered by our experts. Sometimes we all need a refresher course on the basics, and there are always more complex questions about food safety that need answers.

We would love to hear from you and find out what you want to discuss the most. You can either take the poll on our facebook page and tell us what topic you’d like for our next Teleseminar, or you email us at mail@safetables.org and let us know! Of course, when you sign up for our S.T.O.P. E-alerts you will be automatically invited to S.T.O.P. Teleseminars in addition to receiving timely news and alerts on food safety and recalls delivered right to your email inbox.

One Year Later and Still Waiting for a Solution…

2010-01-14T17:24:00.001-05:00

This week is the one year anniversary of the PCA outbreak when Salmonella- contaminated peanut products caused a major, multi-state foodborne-illness outbreak -- an outbreak that occurred as a result of outdated and ineffective regulation and oversight by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Nine people died, over 700 were sickened, and close to 3900 products containing peanuts or peanut paste were recalled. Many people lost mothers, fathers, and other close relatives; others had children or other family members who fell ill, or were sickened themselves. Outraged Congressmen and Senators convened hearings, during which they promised to implement meaningful food safety reforms. Despite, the immediate action, concern and bustle of activity, we are still waiting for Congress to enact FDA food safety legislation containing the types of provisions that would have prevented the PCA outbreak.

While the tragedy of 9 deaths and hundreds of illnesses is devastating in and of itself, the massiveness of the PCA outbreak created a life of its own. Contaminated peanut products
touched the lives of nearly every American a year ago. You couldn’t go to the gym and eat your favorite protein bar because it had peanut paste in it, you couldn’t make a simple peanut butter sandwich for yourself or your kids, you had to think twice about what snacks to buy at the grocery store because so many of them contain peanut products. To still be waiting on a solution one year later is preposterous.

Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.) along with our coalition partners is sending a letter to Congress today signed by almost 60 victims and family members who were directly affected by the PCA outbreak to urge movement by Senate leadership and ask that S. 510—the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act be scheduled for a floor vote, finalized by a conference
committee, and presented to President Obama for signature before Valentine’s Day, February 14th. Even though many people were lucky enough to not become ill from the outbreak, it still affected all of us.

Contact your Senator to push the Senate to schedule S. 510 for a floor vote. And remember, for to keep up to date on information about food recalls and outbreak, sign up for our S.T.O.P. E-alerts, delivered right to your email inbox.

Weekly Round Up

2010-01-08T15:57:00.001-05:00

It’s a New Year with New Updates in the world of food safety! Here is a sampling of what to look out for and what to know as 2010 begins. Remember, you can receive this information and more by signing up for our S.T.O.P. E-alerts! Have a safe and happy 2010!!

UPDATE: Applebee’s, Darden also hit by beef recall

The Nation’s Restaurant News gives us an update of which restaurant chains have been affected by a December recall of beef.

FDA Seizes More Than $1 Million Worth of Food from Nashville Food Processor and Warehouse

This release discusses the FDA’s actions to prevent the distribution of food from a rodent infested facility.

New York Times cafeteria food may be past its deadline: Health Dept. probe after staffers get sick

The New York Times cafeteria was shut down last week due to possibly being the cause of food poisoning for at least 15 of its staffers.

Soda Fountains Squirt Fecal Bacteria, Study Finds

This informative ABC News article details a small study showing 70% of beverages coming from soda fountains having SOME type of bacteria.

Thank God for food safety reporters and bloggers

Let’s have a small round of applause for all the food safety reporters and bloggers who give us information on recalls and alerts when other organizations lag behind.

Weekly Round Up

2009-12-18T16:53:00.000-05:00

Here is the round up for this week. A lot of interesting articles and concern for food safety, which is good. Remember, to receive articles and food safety information and recalls sign up for our S.T.O.P. E-alerts. Have a great weekend!

26,500 school cafeterias lack required inspections
USA Today article with more coverage on the un-safe conditions in school cafeterias, including the number of schools that fail to have their kitchens inspected enough or even AT ALL.

Va.-based peanut company executives seek bite of $1 million policy
Update on a Lynchburg VA peanut distributor’s executives who are seeking legal fees from their insurance company after a salmonella outbreak caused 714 people to become sick in 46 states and Canada as a result of the outbreak. Infections from the outbreak may have contributed to nine deaths

Two Families Sue Simsbury Dairy, West Hartford Store Over Tainted Raw Milk
This article tells the story of two families’ suing a dairy and grocery store after their children fell sick and suffered kidney failure after consuming contaminated milk.

Congress must pass food-safety rules
A poignant response to John F. Keane’s attack on Senator Kristen Gillibrand’s support for a new approach to food safety.

Raw Oyster and Food Safety Legislation
An update on the recent debate of pasteurizing gulf oysters during the warm months before selling them to consumers, and what that will cost the oyster industry.

Overhaul of U.S. food safety system is overdue
“FDA oversight hasn't had a major revision for more than 50 years. Farms are inspected about once a decade; about 1% of imported food is examined. Congress should act now to protect the public.”—It always feels good to know that others support our cause. This editorial lays out exactly why the food safety bill needs to be passed.

U.S. opens import food safety center
Progress is being made. The Department of Homeland Security has opened a new Commercial Targeting and Analysis Center (CTAC) in an effort to ensure the safety of foods imported into this country.

Holiday Food Safety: STOP Tele-seminar on How to Eat Safely and Stay Healthy This Holiday Season

2009-12-11T12:50:00.000-05:00

With H1N1 casting a shadow on all our social interactions, food safety is particularly important this holiday season. Not only do we need to think about how long that egg nog has been sitting on the buffet table – or left on the counter in the kitchen before it was served – we also need to worry about food handling and not passing along Swine Flu.

That’s why S.T.O.P. Is conducting a special tele-seminar on Holiday Foods and Food Safety, next Thursday, December 17 at 3pm ET. Chef Myron “Keith” Norman will join me in a conversation about what to look out for and what questions to ask to help you and your family stay healthy as you attend parties or prepare for festivities at home.

Chef Keith is food safety manager of the South Point Hotel Casino and food safety service instructor at the Art Institute of Nevada. I am executive director of Safe Tables Our Priority, with close to two decades of experience in food safety.

During this event, there will also be a concurrent twittercast at #foodsafety. We’ll also take call-in questions, though we do ask people to send questions beforehand to mail@safetables.org so that we can have them ready to address during the tele-seminar.

Please let us know if you’ll be joining us by Tuesday, December 15, 2009. You can RSVP to mail@safetables.org or to safetables1@gmail.com.

Weekly Round Up

2009-12-04T16:21:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a good week. We’ve been hustling and bustling over here at S.T.O.P. but we still wanted to give you a heads up on the interesting stories regarding food safety this week. Here are some articles and blog posts that caught our attention. Remember to sign up for our free S.T.O.P. E-alerts to get this and more information delivered to your inbox!

Mayo reports on slaughterhouse illness research
Doctors from the Mayo Clinic confirm that 24 illnesses in slaughterhouses were caused by an autoimmune response to a mist of pig brain tissue

Some Premium Edge cat food products recalled; FDA warns dog owners about possible salmonella contamination in Pet Carousel pigs' ears, beef hooves
An article informing cat owners about a voluntary recall of Premium Edge cat food.

How safe is that chicken?
A consumer report article on the amount of pathogens being found in chicken sold in stores and reminding readers to cook chicken properly!

Why a recall of tainted beef didn't include school lunches
School lunches are still very much a hot topic in the food safety world as a recall of tainted beef didn’t include school lunches despite 39 people in 11 different states being reported sick.

UPDATE 1-US warns Tyson on seafood violations at Texas site
Tyson Foods, Inc. has been warned by U.S. regulators about violations in their Texas plant where seafood sauces and soups were “prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health…”

Tales From the Crypt: Gross Food Stories
An interesting (and disgusting) blog post about chicken coop waste being fed to cattle which would then be unsafe for human consumption

Paralyzed Woman Sues Cargill in E. coli Lawsuit for $100,000,000
A legal food safety blog post about a young woman who was left paralyzed by eating a burger tainted by E.coli.

Linda: A Victim of Foodborne Illness

2009-12-03T12:27:00.000-05:00

We have been very busy these past few weeks at S.T.O.P.--traveling, fund raising, educating and advocating--all in order to help protect our nation’s food supply. In spite of all this activity, I never forget why I do this: to prevent people getting sick from devastating foodborne illnesses that damage lives forever. I do this for people like Linda, a young woman in her 20’s, who should have the whole world ahead of her. But due to long-term consequences from the E. coli-contaminated meat that she ate when she was 6 years old, her life is different than most women her age.

When she was 6 years old, Linda’s mom took her and her 2 year old brother out to get cheeseburgers for lunch. How could she know that this meal would change their lives forever? Shortly afterward, Linda and her brother became ill with horrible stomach cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting. Her situation worsened and ultimately her kidneys were failing. She was diagnosed with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) due to E. coli poisoning, and sent to the Children's Hospital. Once admitted, she was given blood transfusions and remained on dialysis for three weeks. She ended up missed two months of first grade, which set her behind in reading for two years.

After several years, her kidneys were functioning at a normal level again. Aside from suffering from severe depression from junior high to high school, it seemed she had left her experience with E. coli behind her. However, in her senior year of high school she woke up with Bell's Palsy, and spent another week in the hospital where she and was now diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. Her kidneys were functioning at 35% and doctors predicted she would need a kidney transplant by the time she reached her forties. Unfortunately, after a successful year at Art College, she began to feel lethargic and fall behind in her classes only to find that she would need a transplant by the time she graduated. In October of 2006, her mom donated a kidney to her in a pre-emptive transplant surgery.

The entire ordeal caused her to be two semesters behind in school, terrified about finding health insurance and worried about being able to pay off all her medical bills. She has to take 12 different medications a day and have her blood drawn once a month. She had to give up the one job she ever truly loved- working at an animal hospital- because infection from contact with animals posed too great a risk. The emotional consequences she’s faced have been immense—low self-esteem from kidney transplant scars and bulges, guilt from feeling that her parents’ divorce was due to stress from her illness, and concern for what the future may hold for her younger brother due to the infection he suffered as well as the effects of watching his sister struggle and go through so many hospitalizations.

At Safe Tables Our Priority we work hard to help victims like Linda; we introduced her to another victim her age with a similar experience, and have assisted and empowered her to tell her story. Our goal is not only to prevent foodborne illness, but also to aid those who have fallen ill. If you haven’t already done so, sign up for our free S.T.O.P. E-alerts now, and get regular updates on outbreaks and recalled foods in the marketplace in order to keep something like this from happening to you or your family.

Celebrating Our 16th Anniversary of Protecting America’s Food Supply

2009-11-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

Safe Tables Our Priority is celebrating our 16th anniversary this holiday season. We have accomplished so much in the past year, and we’re even more excited about what we plan to accomplish in the future. Here is a sampling of what we’ve been doing this year and projects that we’ve started:

Created a Victim Helpline: 1-800-350-S.T.O.P.--Begun a Long-term Complications Study that will help us track victims who have suffered long-term consequences--Sent out S.T.O.P. E-alerts to inform the public about food safety information and recalls--Set up victim matching to provide support--Started consumer coalitions with other consumer groups--Produced a S.T.O.P. Tele-seminar Series--Advocated Food Safety--Updated our website to include more resources for the public, including a Legislative Action Center--Increased our public health presence-- Found a whistleblower for the PCA peanut products outbreak and initiated a plant closing--Launched a social media campaign to better connect with our victims and the general public

We are America’s Voice for Safe Food…. We’re out there helping victims, researching, advocating, and educating on your behalf, every single day.

We wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season with good friends, good cheer, and great food made safer by a strong S.T.O.P. organization. For food safety tips for Thanksgiving and the Holidays, go to our website to check out our Recipe for a Foodsafe Holiday Season. For more information about food safety and recalls remember to sign up for our S.T.O.P. E- alerts.

Weekly Round Up

2009-11-21T18:03:00.000-05:00

We’ve been very busy over at S.T.O.P. due to the Food Safety Modernization Act that just passed through the Senate HELP Committee this week. A lot of the stories and information for this week’s round-up pertain to the bill and people supporting it. You can receive these updates on food safety, plus recalls and more by signing up for our S.T.O.P E-alerts.

U.S. Food Safety Likely to Get Overhaul in 2010
• Reuters article about the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee passing the Food Safety Modernization Act. The full Senate probably won’t vote on the bill until 2010.

Food Safety: Another Benefit of Healthy School Lunch Programs?
• A blog post about the lack of food safety in schools and the need for school lunch reform that will help keep kids’ lunch foods safe from contaminants

Wilton family joins Dodd in Calling For Overhaul of Food Safety System
• Haylee Bernstein, a young S.T.O.P. member who was infected by E.coli at the age of three, and her family join Senator Dodd at the HELP Committee session and support the prevention of food supply contamination.

Local Family Knows Foodborne Illness Heartbreak
• A touching story about Nellie Napier, a foodborne illness victim whose entire family has been working with S.T.O.P. on food safety reform this past year.

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Animal Waste in Faulty Tank
• An informative article about the 2008 salmonella outbreak that was caused by animal waste contamination in a drinking water storage tank.

S.T.O.P.--An Organization Supporting Victims Suffering From Long-Term Consequences of Foodborne Illness

2009-11-18T12:51:00.001-05:00

Recent reports have highlighted what S.T.O.P. has known for a long time: that the long-term consequences of foodborne illness are under-reported, under-diagnosed and not given nearly enough public health attention. The negative impact of this lack of attention comes in two forms. First, proper attention and medical care is not given to people who suffer from long-term consequences, such as Guillain Barre Syndrome (paralysis), Reactive Arthritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), just to name a few. Second, the effects of these consequences are not being factored into the economic food safety risk equation used to calculate the costs to society by putting food safety prevention measures in place.

Safe Tables Our Priority has over 16 years of experience in assisting and supporting victims of foodborne disease and a large contingency of victims have been telling us about their long-term consequences and frustrations with medical treatment and attention. These victims have suffered long-term complications due to infections from E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Vibrio, Hepatitis A, Shigella, and other foodborne pathogens. We offer support groups, investigate case studies, and are planning a long-term consequences meeting.

In 2008, S.T.O.P. formalized intake for a long-term consequences database and anyone can contact us and join. If you would like to join our registry, call S.T.O.P. at 1-800-350-STOP, or email us at: mail@safetables.org. You can also still get information on food safety and food recalls by signing up for our S.T.O.P. E-alerts.

Weekly Round Up

2009-11-13T15:33:00.000-05:00

There is a wealth of news and articles about food safety that contain a lot of interesting and useful information. Here are some links I’ve come across this week that I think are valuable reads.

Senate Schedules Markup of S. 510

Details about the markup of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act scheduled for November 18

A serving of Food Safety: Congress should make sure children are protected from foodborne illness

A well-stated argument on the importance of protecting our kids from foodborne illnesses

In raw oyster trade, FDA's safety proposal is tough to swallow: Agency wants Gulf Coast suppliers to zap bacteria

Washington Post article with additional information about the controversy over treating oysters harvested from warm waters to kill the bacterium vibrio vulnificus

Why so many E.coli outbreaks from ground beef?

An informative article discussing how E.coli actually gets into our meat

FDA Updates Food Code

Informative piece on the new FDA code for regulating the retail and foodservice segment of the food industry

Keeping Food Safe Ahead of the Holidays
With the holidays coming up, there is tons of food preparation going on. This post has a few great tips on keeping your food and family safe!

Tainted food surprisingly deadly in adults

This shocking article discusses the enormous number of annual deaths due to contaminated food.

For more information and articles about food safety and food recalls delivered right to your inbox, please be sure to sign up for our S.T.O.P E-alerts.

The Only Good Oyster is a Safe Oyster

2009-11-11T11:26:00.000-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me how business interests have more sway with Congress than good, protective food safety measures.

Two weeks ago, the FDA finally did the right thing and told the shellfish industry that, starting in 2011, gulf coast oysters would have to be post-harvest processed to kill the deadly bacteria vibrio vulnificus that they harbor in summer months. Vibrio vulnificus is fatal to 50% of those it infects, and causes devastating illness and loss of limbs in those lucky enough to survive it. Anyone who eats raw oysters and has diabetes, liver problems, AIDS, or cancer is particularly susceptible to the bacteria. Since 1995, 225 people have died simply from eating raw oysters.

The new FDA regulation would save at least 15-30 lives a year in the United States. Unfortunately, the oyster industry has convinced several members of Congress that the mere two cents per oyster it would take to make the seafood safe would be a hardship for the industry. They are now putting forth legislation to fight the FDA and reverse the ruling.

If you're going to enjoy oysters raw, the only good one is a safe one.

Until our legislative officials get it right and realize that public health and saving lives trumps spending a few pennies more for a safer product, you can protect yourself by finding out what foods are making people sick. For information about recalls due to vibrio in oysters, as well as for all other contaminated foods, you can sign up for S.T.O.P. E-alerts.

Sydney and Cole: Victims of Foodborne Illness

2009-11-03T15:19:00.000-05:00

Working with victims of foodborne disease at S.T.O.P, I’ve heard many stories about people that just break my heart. But, the ones that hit me hardest are those involving children. The story of two triplets, Sydney and Cole, who contracted Salmonellosis , shows not only the dangers of foodborne illness but also the great strain and stress that can accompany a foodborne illness as a parent wonders what they did wrong.

In late April, two-year old Sydney became very sick with a fever of over 105 degrees for days. On top of that she was experiencing diarrhea which soon became bowel movements full of blood. She couldn’t eat or stay hydrated and sharp, painful cramps kept her awake at night as well as diaper rash so severe that her skin was broken and blistered. One week later, her brother Cole started developing the same symptoms. Lab reports confirmed that both children had Salmonella. Their parents are brother Michael were tested, and fortunately the tests came back negative, but Sydney and Cole had to be kept isolated from their brother and all other children so as not to spread the illness.
This meant no birthday parties, no trips to the pool and no visitors at the house—total isolation for three months. Finally in late June, the family learned that the Salmonella poisoning came from a snack food called Veggie Booty. It was in a spice that Veggie Booty imports from China. Sydney and Cole’s parents had no idea that this supposedly gourmet and high-priced product located in the organic section of the grocery store was getting ingredients from China. They had truly believed they were buying safe, healthy snacks for their children. While it was a relief for them to know that they weren’t responsible for giving their children Salmonella poisoning, they still felt the need to do something to make a change. That’s when they contacted us at S.T.O.P. and asked how they could help. S.T.O.P. educates families about food safety and smarter ways to handle and prepare food. In the triplets case, we reiterated to them that this whole situation was not their fault.

While we are working to advocate changes in public policy and prevent illness from foodborne pathogens, our work is far from done. Until that day comes, people need to educate themselves. Please sign up for our S.T.O.P. E-alerts, which provide timely information delivered right to your email about current food recalls and outbreaks. Sign up here: http://www.safetables.org/about/root_joinus.cfm

Produce Safety Project and S.T.O.P. Release Report on State Surveillance of Foodborne Illnesses

2009-10-30T16:19:00.001-04:00

There is a large burden of foodborne illness in the United States with approximately 76 million people falling ill every year (that’s 1in 4 Americans) from largely preventable food contamination. Fixing the problem is dependent on knowing where the problem starts and which foods from what producers are making us sick. Ultimately, then, the ability to control food poisoning starts with the public health department and their ability to find out what a person ate when they have a diagnosed case of foodborne disease.

Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.) has been supporting victims of foodborne illness for the last 16 years and has heard firsthand how terribly inconsistent we are at interviewing and collecting this vital information when people get sick from food. The public health system can not find what it isn’t looking for or asking about. Today, a survey is being released that will shed some light on this important topic.

The survey was commissioned by the Produce Safety Project (PSP), an initiative of the The Pew Charitable Trusts at Georgetown University, and conducted by S.T.O.P. 39 of the 51 state and DC health departments responded to our survey which asked about the types of questions asked of foodborne illness victims, the time frame in which they were completed, and how states collected, stored, and shared the resulting 2007 data.

We learned some interesting things. Despite the increase in large national outbreaks linked to fresh produce recently, our data show that only 25 of 39 states asked victims about specific produce items, even if that produce was associated with a large recent outbreak. Only 23 of 39 states are able to electronically link their foodborne illness intake data for analysis. The lessons learned from this survey data will hopefully encourage states to develop best practices, leading to better identification of outbreaks and fewer illnesses and deaths.

To read the executive summary and full report, visit www.producesafetyproject.org.
To sign up for S.T.O.P. E-alerts and get food recall and outbreak information delivered to your email inbox, visit http://www.safetables.org/about/root_joinus.cfm

Progress Towards FDA Food Safety Reform—Not A Moment Too Soon

2009-10-28T11:44:00.000-04:00

Progress Towards FDA Food Safety Reform—Not A Moment Too Soon

For the first time since my daughter's best friend died from E.coli O157:H7, I am finally starting to feel that we are making progress towards comprehensive FDA food safety reform. Last week the U.S. Senate held its first hearing on S.510, Senator Durbin’s bipartisan bill that updates our ancient food safety system. At Safe Tables Our Priority (www.safetables.org), we work closely with many wonderful families that have suffered needlessly from contaminated food. Senators have finally acknowledged those families' pain and anguish, in many cases noting that these tragic stories were the impetus for their commitment to better protecting American families. The following is a roll call of sorts from the hearing:

Senator Brown (D-OH) discussed Nellie Napier, who had a large extended family in Ohio and was the last person to die from tainted peanut butter during the PCA outbreak.

Senator Franken (D-MN) shared Shirley Almer’s story, a 72-year-old woman who survived cancer twice -- only to be killed from Salmonella in peanut butter. Her son, Jeff, has been become a vocal advocate for change in his mother's name. Shirley's case helped the Minnesota health department figure out the outbreak.. If the appropriate mechanisms had been in place, others would be alive today.

Senator Dodd (D-CT) acknowledged Haylee Bernstein, who at age 3 was nearly killed by E.coli in lettuce. More than ten years later, Haylee still suffers from health problems related to her near-fatal incident with food contamination.

Senator Durbin (D-IL) has always credited S.T.O.P. President Nancy Donley with teaching him about the severe shortcomings of our food safety system after her own son Alex died in 1993 from eating tainted hamburger meat. Durbin also spoke of Marian Westover, an 80-year-old S.T.O.P. member who nearly died from E.coli in spinach more recently.

Please help stop future suffering and urge your Senator to vote on this bill before the end of the year by clicking here. And help protect yourself and your family by signing up for e-alerts that keep you informed about current food recalls and outbreaks: http://www.safetables.org/about/root_joinus.cfm.

Food Poisoning Is Serious Business – People Become Disabled and Even Die

2009-10-23T10:45:00.001-04:00

My life changed overnight in 1992 when my then-6-year-old daughter’s best friend Lauren was the first child to die from eating a hamburger contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 in the Jack in the Box outbreak. You probably don’t know what it’s like to watch someone die from the E. coli pathogen, but it is excruciatingly horrible. Lauren’s mom confided in me how it was a blessing when she slipped into a coma because at least then she wasn’t screaming in pain.

Not only did my young daughter lose her best friend, we all lost our innocence. Until that moment, I had no idea that we are all playing a game of Russian Roulette with our food. Any one of us at any time could be feeding our families contaminated meats or vegetables or fruit. While paying attention to safe preparation and handling can help, we cannot totally scrub, disinfect or cook our way to safety – these pathogens are in the food, end of story. Our kitchens should not be biohazard zones.

How can it be that in the 21st century, living in the most scientifically advanced nation on earth, one in four people fall ill from foodborne illness every year? Quite simply, our regulatory system is not up to the job. Right now the FDA inspects domestic food facilities on average of once every 10 years. Imported products are only inspected at the rate of one percent a year.

To honor Lauren’s memory and the close to 5,000 Americans who die every year from largely preventable foodborne disease, I have become the executive director of S.T.O.P.- Safe Tables Our Priority, a foodborne illness prevention and advocacy organization that works with hundreds of families every year who have lost loved ones due to tainted foods. We also support hundreds more who survived their initial illness, but are facing difficult long-term consequences.

You’ve seen the headlines – Salmonella-contaminated peanut butter, imported spices, sprouts, E.coli-laden meat, spinach, lettuce and cookie dough, Listeria-tainted deli meats, smoked fish and cheeses. And we’re not talking about a few days of problems – there can be serious long-term health effects, and people die.

That why it’s important to speak up, to share information and help the public understand that foodborne illness is serious. If you have a personal story, please share it with us at mail@safetables.org.

In the meantime, you can keep up and best protect your family by signing up for S.T.O.P. E-alerts, which provides timely information delivered right to your email about current food recalls and outbreaks. Sign up here. http://www.safetables.org/about/root_joinus.cfm