Food Safety
105 Articles & Excerpts
On the Trail of the Alaskan Oil Spill
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Al Duzenack looked down and grimaced. It was 5 o'clock in the morning on a dark, dreary day in Valdez, Alaska, last July. And it was a good 30 feet down a wet, slippery metal ladder from the weathered dock where a tired Duzenack stood to the pitching
Insect Fragments in Food
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
If you can identify the antenna or mandible, you'll know what insect is infesting the food, according to food specialists whose daily task it is to make sure adulterated products never reach the comsumer.
Fluorides Safety and Health Effects
by Health Canada
Fluorides are chemical compounds, which in nature are found in air, water, soil and almost all foods. Fluorides are released into the environment by weathering processes and by volcanic activity and may be released by the production of phosphate fertilize
Food Irradiation: Toxic to Bacteria, Safe for Humans
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA has said it would allow the use of irradiation to kill bacteria on poultry as safe and effective. But consumer apprehension may prevent its use. People often become ill after eating contaminated poultry.
Food Freshness: Current Technology
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Product dating is the most widely used means for consumers to determine when to purchase or use a food product at its best quality. Dates stamped on packages also help the store determine how long to display the product for sale.
Food Label: Good Reading For Good Eating
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Reading food labels will be more rewarding after manufactures make changes required by new FDA and USDA regulations. It may not have the power of a Pulitzer prize-winning novel or the luridness of a checkout counter tabloid, but the new food label still
Food Labels: Allergens
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
About 2 percent of adults and 5 percent of infants and young children in the United States suffer from food allergies. About 30,000 consumers require emergency room treatment, and 150 Americans die each year because of allergic reactions to food.
Drinking Water Chlorination
by Health Canada
Chlorine is a disinfectant added to drinking water to reduce or eliminate microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses, which can be present in water supplies. The addition of chlorine to our drinking water has greatly reduced the risk of waterborne
Genetically Engineered Foods: Fears and Facts
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Genetic engineering of fruits and vegetables and FDA's policy concerning these foods have been the subject of many consumer questions recently. To help answer the questions, FDA Consumer writer Mary Alice Sudduth talked to James Maryanski, biotechnology
Hamburger Disease Prevention
by Health Canada
If you eat undercooked ground beef, it may result in a type of food poisoning that is commonly called hamburger disease. You can minimize your risks by handling and cooking raw ground beef properly.
Unpasteurized Fruit Juice and Cider
by Health Canada
Disease-causing organisms such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Cryptosporidium, have been known to cause illness in people after they consumed unpasteurized juice/cider. The organism most often identified in recent outbreaks is E. coli O157
Mad Cow Disease : Protecting Blood Supply, Foods and Cosmetics
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Protecting the food supply from BSE includes ensuring not only the safety of meat, but also of milk and other foods, including dietary supplements, which may contain ingredients from cows.
Food Freshness: How Food Quality Deteriorates
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Consumer interest in food quality and freshness has prompted research into 'smart' packaging that can indicate when the food has begun to spoil. A walk through any grocery store indicates the diversity of today's food supply - raw vegetables, baked goods
Escherichia coli O157:H7
by CDC
Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a leading cause of foodborne illness. Based on a 1999 estimate, 73,000 cases of infection and 61 deaths occur in the United States each year. In the ten CDC Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) sites
Microwave Ovens and Food Safety Issues
by Health Canada
Many people who use microwave ovens say they are going to "nuke" their food. This reference to nuclear energy is incorrect and misleading. Microwaves are a form of radiofrequency electromagnetic energy. They are generated electronically.
Are Bioengineered Foods Safe? : Part 2
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The new form of the enzyme poses no food safety issues because it is virtually identical to nontoxic enzymes naturally present in the plant. In addition, the resistant enzyme is present at very low levels and it is as easily digested as the normal plant
Are Bioengineered Foods Safe?
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Since 1994, a growing number of foods developed using the tools of the science of biotechnology have come onto both the domestic and international markets. With these products has come controversy primarily in Europe where some question whether these food
Food Safety for People With AIDS
by USDA
The human body ordinarily is well-equipped to deal with these bacteria, but individuals with weakened immune systems - such as those with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and those infected with the human immunodefiency virus (HIV)
Alaskan Dilemma: Native Food Preparation Fosters Botulism
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Native Alaskans have for centuries prepared whale blubber and other fish in traditional ways. But these methods promote the growth of bacteria that cause botulism, a potentially fatal disease.
Risks Associated With Raw Sprouts
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Because of reports of increasing numbers of illnesses associated with consumption of raw sprouts, the Food and Drug Administration is advising all persons to be aware of the risks associated with eating raw sprouts (e.g., alfalfa, clover, radish).
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