I was managing the barbecue last night cooking chicken breasts. Of course, before they hit the grill, I had carefully removed them from the plastic-covered tray from the store, and placed them into a triple-strength plastic bag to marinate a bit. I washed my hands and counters along the way and dried all with paper towels. I checked the grill temperature (over 400 °F (204.4 °C), and after carefully removing the chicken with tongs (which…

In March, the Southern Nevada Health District announced it was working with its federal partners to investigate reports of acute non-viral hepatitis in Clark County. The Health District initially received reports of five cases of severe acute non-viral hepatitis in children between November 23, 2020, and December 3, 2020. Since its initial investigation, the Health District has identified six additional probable cases (for a total of 11 probable cases) and one suspect case. The newly…

Several years ago I spent several weeks in Australia and New Zealand giving a series of speeches on food safety – “why it is a bad idea to poison your customers.” One of the many sayings from “down under” that I learned to enjoy was “good on ya” when someone did some especially well. LGMA, “good on ya.” Written by April Ward Last week the California LGMA Board endorsed new Pre-Harvest Testing guidance in…

According to the USDA ERS: Foodborne illnesses from different pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and parasites) cause a variety of health effects, ranging from a few days of diarrhea to more serious outcomes such as kidney failure, cognitive impairment, and even death. Since the mid-1990s, the USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) has estimated the economic cost of 15 major foodborne illnesses. Monetary measures of these health effects provide a common metric to compare impacts of various pathogens,…

Norovirus – See informational video When someone talks about having “the stomach flu,” they are probably describing acute-onset gastroenteritis caused by one of the noroviruses.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that noroviruses cause nearly 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis annually, making noroviruses the leading cause of gastroenteritis in adults in the United States. Norovirus is highly contagious and transmitted by infected individuals at an enormous rate. According to CDC estimates,…

Guillain-Barré Syndrome Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a disorder in which the body’s immune response, typically to an infection, causes nerve damage. The syndrome is rare, affecting about one to two people in 100,000 each year. It can present as a very mild case of brief weakness to devastating paralysis, affecting the muscles that allow a person to breathe on their own. Fortunately, most people eventually recover from even the most severe cases of Guillain-Barré, although some…

Plainville Brands (Poultry Processing, Poultry Slaughter) from Pennsylvania source of some of the ground turkey sold nationwide. As of April 12, 2021, 28 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Hadar have been reported from 12 states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from December 28, 2020, to March 4, 2021. Sick people range in age from less than 1 to 92 years, with a median age of 49, and 68% are female. Of 19…