Food News

A summary of articles I recently read

Heart-felt. Image from Pixabay

Salmonella and Poultry

There has been no decrease in the number of illnesses caused by Salmonella from eating poultry in the last 2 decades according to Sandra Eskin writing at Food Safety News¹. This is despite the incidence of Salmonella in poultry being down overall. The USDA is launched an initiative to reduce the number illnesses by 25%². According to data collected by the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC), there are more than 1 million consumer illnesses due to Salmonella each year and approximately over 23% of those illnesses are due to consumption of chicken and turkey, including eggs. 

USDA intends to seek feedback on specific Salmonella control and measurement strategies particularly in poultry slaughter and processing establishments. One approach is to encourage preharvest controls to reduce Salmonella contamination coming into the slaughterhouse. Pilot projects will be carried out so that the data generated can be used to determine if a different approach may lead to a reduction of Salmonella illness in consumers.

In the last 20 years, Denmark has reduced its incidence of Salmonella in eggs due to tight controls including on how poultry are raised. A recent report by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen) found that nine in 10 egg producers are in control of the procedures they must follow to keep eggs Salmonella-free³. The Denmark Salmonella control code of practice is relevant for farmers raising broiler chickens, laying hens, and pigs⁴. 

This doesn’t help: Undercooked chicken recalled⁵.

Hepatitis Outbreak in Children

CDC is very concerned about an outbreak of hepatitis in children which, in the US has sickened 109 since October 2021 with 90% hospitalized and 14 requiring liver transplants⁶. Five children have died. All of the children have been younger than 10 years old, with the average age being 2 years old. This is unlike to be caused by Covid or the Covid-19 vaccine and additionally unlikely, the CDC says, to be caused by food. 

UK Restricts Promotions and Placement of High Sugar, Salt and Fat Pre-Packaged Foods

In October 2022, food that is high in sugar, fat or salt will be banned from being promoted. This is upsetting Kellogg Co because some of its cereal is high in sugar UNLESS milk is added⁷. Think about that for a minute. 

This new regulation⁸ restricts promotions that are dependent on volume price – for example, multibuy offers and on placement at key locations in retail stores such as store entrances, aisle ends and checkouts. 

Breakfast cereals provide up to 7% of the daily sugar intake for children in the UK. Perhaps they should be placed in the candy aisle⁹?

Why is it hard to give up sugar?

An interesting article on one person’s attempt to go sugar-free with a philosophical perspective¹⁰.  What does Plato, Aristotle, Freud and Morrison have to do with food restriction and appetite?

Is the appetite something we should be controlling or something we should be celebrating?

White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health

The White House announced a conference in September 2022 on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health¹¹. The first government sponsored hunger conference in 50 years. I’m excited to see what topics will be discussed and who will be part of the discussion. 

Hopefully, there will be a discussion on how much added sugar there is in our processed food especially that given to children. 

Any questions?

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I write about the intersection of food science and food systems with an emphasis on food safety, food justice and resilience. I am concerned that climate disasters and changing weather patterns are affecting our ability to eat healthy nutritious food. 

I run a food safety consultancy, Food Safety Mid Atlantic, which I started in 2018 to support small and mid sized food businesses with food safety and product development. I support clients to develop a robust food safety program and to scale up their businesses while allowing them to maintain integrity with their values. 

My primary goal is to support my clients so they make food at cost that is safe, tasty  and compliant with federal, state, and local regulations. 

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1. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2022/05/food-safety-is-about-people/

2. https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/10/19/usda-launches-new-effort-reduce-salmonella-illnesses-linked-poultry

3. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2022/04/danish-egg-producers-found-to-have-good-salmonella-controls/

4. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/9/7/03-0024_article

5. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2022/05/ready-to-eat-chicken-may-be-undercooked-recall-expanded-to-290-tons/

6. https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/investigation/hepatitis-unknown-cause/overview-what-to-know.html

7. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61238630

8. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restricting-promotions-of-products-high-in-fat-sugar-or-salt-by-location-and-by-volume-price/restricting-promotions-of-products-high-in-fat-sugar-or-salt-by-location-and-by-volume-price-implementation-guidance

9. https://www.cspinet.org/blog/dessert-breakfast-lets-give-kids-healthy-start-school

10. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/03/why-so-hard-to-control-appetite-doctor-struggles-giving-up-sugar

11. https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/white-house-conference-hunger-nutrition-and-health