Tier 1 Section Rss

States Propose Restrictions on Federal Food Safety Authority

2012-02-07T05:38:00Z

With new rules for the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act expected soon, at least two states are signaling their resistance with proposed legislation that would limit the ability of the federal government to enforce food safety laws in those states.

1,000 Inspectors Slated to Lose Jobs

2012-02-07T05:27:00Z

A proposal by the USDA to phase out about 1,000 government inspection positions at poultry slaughter plants across the U.S. is a sensible move, said poultry experts interviewed by Food Quality.

Will Closing 259 USDA Offices Affect Food Safety?

2012-01-28T00:08:00Z

With $3 billion slashed from its operating budget since 2010, the USDA has announced it will close 259 offices beginning this year—including FSIS sites in Lawrence, Kan., Minneapolis, Minn., and Madison, Wis., along with 15 of the nearly 600 U.S. offices of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Extend Meat Shelf Life with LED Lights

2012-01-28T00:00:00Z

Replacing fluorescent lights with light-emitting diode units in refrigeration units yields the double benefit of energy and cost savings, along with extended shelf life for some meat products, according to new research from Kansas State University.

California Takes Lead on Listeria

2012-01-23T16:21:00Z

Listeria doesn’t just make consumers ill—it can bring an industry to its knees.

FDA Clears Some OJ Shipments

2012-01-23T16:08:00Z

The FDA has begun clearing shipments of imported orange juice after the beverages have tested free of a fungicide banned in this country, but many more are being held at the border.

Produce Pros Welcome New USDA Food Safety Tool

2012-01-14T03:12:00Z

A new, free online food safety tool from the USDA, designed to help fruit and vegetable producers create their own custom food safety plans, has drawn praise from farmers.

USDA Sponsors 3-year, $9.4 Million Produce Research

2012-01-14T03:09:00Z

A three-year, $9.4 million USDA-sponsored study aimed at developing scientific evidence to support food safety standards for the production of tomatoes and leafy greens will be the largest of its kind in the fresh produce industry, according to the study’s lead investigator, Robert Buchanan, PhD, director of the Center for Food Safety and Security Systems (CFS3) at the University of Maryland.

FDA May Modify Rule on Arsenic in Juice

2011-12-09T23:50:00Z

In the wake of a Consumer Reports study that found levels of arsenic that exceeded the federal standards for bottled water (10 parts per billion, or ppb) in about 10% of sampled apple and grape juices, the FDA has said it will consider tightening its restrictions on arsenic levels in juice.

Study to Assess Pastured Poultry Safety

2011-12-09T23:37:00Z

On average, some 1,500 broiler chickens are sold each year by pastured poultry farms—small enterprises that raise the birds in open-air pens or free-range environments, giving them an antibiotic-free, organic diet that’s USDA-certified.