China rail services resuming
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Read full story for latest details.
Archive for January, 2008
Sources: Top Al Qaeda terrorist killed
Thursday, January 31st, 2008A senior al Qaeda terrorist who allegedly plotted and carried out attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan was killed in Pakistan, sources told CNN Thursday. Abu Laith al-Libi’s death was also reported on radical web sites where he was called a martyr.
Former Russian model killed in carjacking
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Russian authorities are investigating the recent killing of a model-turned-bodyguard.
UTAH: Investigation: City disobeyed order from health dept. during crypto outbreak - (NBC Channel 5 News)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Health officials are, according to this story, sounding the alarm — the crippling parasite, cryptosporidium will be back in spring. When it swept through local pools last summer, 2,000 Utahns became sick. The story says that area health departments issued mandatory orders to protect swimmers, but Eyewitness News is exposing a ...
PENNSYLVANIA: Raw milk helps family farm thrive - (The Reporter Online)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008MOSCOW, Pa. — Since the fall of 2006, the Schlittler family of Spring Brook Township has, according to this story, been selling unpasteurized, unhomogenized, raw milk straight from the udders of the Holsteins on their 150-acre farm just off Interstate 380. Currently the only documented producers of raw milk in Northeastern ...
CIA flights to Greenland investigated
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Read full story for latest details.
Food Safety: In the trenches - (RFF Retailer)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Heres how one leading-edge independent makes it happen. One June morning, Rosemary Fifield received an alarming call from a refrigerated food supplier: Listeria monocytogenes had been discovered in some product, and all packages had to be pulled off the shelves. Now. Fifield, then a staff member of the education department at ...
CHICAGO: Restaurateur determined to keep serving after salmonella setback - (Medill Reports)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Last July, Max Parss Lincoln Park restaurant was, according to this story, making unwelcome headlines in Chicago. Taste of Chicago Pars Cove booth serves up salmonella salad Two sue Pars Cove over illness The story says that by August, 790 people had reported becoming ill after eating at the Pars Cove booth and ...
IOWA: Supplier asks judge to dismiss E. coli lawsuit - (The Argus Leader)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008A former produce supplier for Taco Johns was cited as asking a federal judge in Sioux Falls to throw out a lawsuit over contaminated lettuce. The story explains that Taco Johns corporations in Huron and surrounding states filed suit in September against St. Pauls Bix Produce Company and three others, but ...
IRELAND: Rate of food intolerance not rising, says study - (Irish Times)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Parents are far more likely to believe babies are allergic to some foods than they actually are, according to new research. For every child who actually had a food allergy, over three more children were believed wrongly by their parents to suffer from the condition, according to researchers at the University ...
RUSSIA: 33 fall sick after meal at school canteen - (New Straits Times)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008SEREMBAN — Thirty-three students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seremban Jaya were, according to this story, taken to hospital by ambulance yesterday with food poisoning. The students, all of them in Year Five, began complaining of stomach ache and headache after they had eaten in the school canteen. Most of them were also ...
CANADA: Hepatitis A case confirmed at B.C. ski resort restaurant - (Cossacks Breaking News)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008The Interior Health Authority was cited as warning that people who ate at the Sun Peaks ski resort near Kamloops, B.C. between January 7 and 24 may have been exposed to Hepatitis A. Dr. Digby Horne, the medical health officer for the Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap area, was cited as telling CBC News on ...
ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY will host the 21st International ICFMH symposium, Food Micro 2008 - (Aberdeen University)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Aberdeen University will host the 21st International ICFMH symposium, Food Micro 2008 in Scotland 1-4 September 2008 and welcomes food scientists from all over the world. This is the largest food safety and food quality conference in Europe and our aim is to build on the success of previous Food Micro ...
Senator Durbin: USDA must act to ensure safety of food in the national school lunch program - (Newsdesk)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent two letters today; one to the new Secretary of Agriculture and one to the head of the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), asking for an immediate investigation into the safety of ground beef being used in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Durbins ...
Investigation of Progressive Inflammatory Neuropathy among swine slaughterhouse workers — MINNESOTA, 2007—2008 - (MMWR Early Release)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008On October 29, 2007, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) was notified by a tertiary-care provider of unexplained neurologic illnesses among workers in a swine slaughterhouse (plant A) in southeast Minnesota. As a result, MDH initiated a detailed investigation at plant A to characterize the outbreak. This report describes the ...
CALIFORNIA: Seafood safety finds champion in Valley - (Fresno Bee)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Global Food Technologies has, according to this story, worked for seven years on a patented process that kills disease-causing bacteria in seafood without altering the food’s taste, texture, color or nutrition. Today, after spending more than $22.5 million, according to corporate filings, the company will unveil its self-described “organic clean step” ...
CHINA defends standard of dumplings after JAPANESE fall ill - (Agence France Presse)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Beijing — China was cited as saying Thursday it had found no harmful pesticides during a pre-export inspection of frozen dumplings at the centre of a food scare that has left 10 Japanese people ill. The story says that the incident has caused a national outcry in Japan, where the television ...
Hormel to open microwave meals plant in IOWA - (Meatingplace.com)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Hormel Foods Corp. plans to break ground on an $89 million microwave meals production facility in Dubuque, Iowa, this summer, the Austin, Minn.-based processor announced. The 327,000-square-foot facility, which will be operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Hormel, is expected to be operational by November 2009. “Consumer demand for shelf-stable microwave ...
“Bug Sites” Updated - (Marler Blog)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008In 1998 when I started Marler Clark, Al Gore had only recently invented the internet (only kidding). Search Engines were new and Google was probably being run out of someone’s basement. Because I was in the middle of many of the earliest food poisoning battles, like Jack in the Box ...
LOS ANGELES: A-list dining in L.A. County makes the grade - (Los Angeles Times)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Curry Mendes moved to Los Angeles last week from New York, where he had picked restaurants based on word of mouth and Zagat reviews. But he quickly learned that many people in L.A. choose restaurants based on the big letter grade affixed by the L.A. County Department of Public Health to ...
NEW YORK: Turning heat up on food danger - (Times Union)
Thursday, January 31st, 2008A drive-in restaurant employee’s carelessness results in E. coli contamination of a milkshake mixture. Over the next five days, 16 people are infected, with one 15-year-old victim needing dialysis after her kidneys fail (Calgary, 2005 — dp) The story says that inspiring tale from the restaurant business comes from ServSafe Essentials, ...
TASMANIA: Food poisoning at funeral - (Tasmania Mercury/ABC News Online (Australia))
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Dozens of mourners have, according to these stories, been struck down with Salmonella after eating contaminated sandwiches at two separate funerals late last week. The stories say at least 27 people in Hobart have been ill with diarrhoea, vomiting and fever over the past few days and at least two have ...
Rio carnival Holocaust float banned
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Read full story for latest details.
Kenyan talks on hold as lawmaker killed
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Talks between delegations representing Kenya’s president and main opposition leader aimed at resolving the east African nation’s bloody political crisis have been suspended after the death of an opposition lawmaker.
Zimbabwe refugees ‘ran in terror’
Thursday, January 31st, 2008South African police raided a Johannesburg church early Thursday and took away large numbers of Zimbabwean refugees who had taken shelter there, according to witnesses and video footage.
Internet failure hits two continents
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Life came to a standstill in Dubai, home of the renowned “Media City” and modern “electronic government,” after an extensive Internet failure affected much of the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
Lawmaker killed in Kenyan violence
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Opposing sides in a bitter dispute plan to meet Thursday amid an unprecedented wave of violence that has claimed the life of a second opposition member of parliament.
Afghan suicide blasts claim 7 lives
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Suicide bombers killed seven people, including a leading provincial official, in two attacks in and near mosques in Afghanistan on Thursday.
17 die in Turkish fireworks building blast
Thursday, January 31st, 2008A blast in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Thursday ripped through a building in an industrial neighborhood and left 17 people dead, according to Mehmet Bakar, the city’s chief of health.
Dubai crippled by Internet collapse
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Life came to a standstill in Dubai, home of the renowned “Media City” and modern “electronic government,” after an extensive Internet failure affected much of the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
China advises millions not to travel
Thursday, January 31st, 2008China has taken the step of asking millions of migrant workers to forego their annual Lunar New Year trip home, saying the worst winter weather in 50 years is expected to pummel the country for at least another three days.
Zimbabweans detained in S. Africa raid
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Read full story for latest details.
China’s stranded take buses anywhere
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Crowds at some of China’s major train stations thinned slightly Thursday as thousands took advantage of a break in the nation’s worst weather for 50 years to catch buses out of the mayhem.
Suu Kyi ‘unhappy’ with Myanmar talks
Thursday, January 31st, 2008Read full story for latest details.
Weather hits China for $4.5 billion
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008China’s worst winter in more than half a century showed no signs of abating Wednesday as forecasters told citizens to brace for three more days of snow and sleet.
Afghan efforts ‘faltering,’ report finds
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008Efforts to stabilize Afghanistan are faltering and the country could become a failed state if international troops are removed, according to a study released Wednesday.
IOWA: Third person files suit in E. coli taco outbreak - (Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008CEDAR FALLS — A Jesup woman who became ill after eating fast-food tacos in November 2006 is, according to this story, taking the restaurant to court. The story says that Gail Bellis, 51, is the third person to file a lawsuit against a restaurant in connection with the local E. coli ...
UK: Leeds butcher at centre of E. coli outbreak cleared - (Yorkshire Evening Post)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008A court was cited as ruling that it cannot be proved that the most serious outbreak of E.coli to hit Leeds in recent years was caused by Todd’s Butchers. WT and C Munro Ltd, the company behind Todd’s formerly of Armley and Kirkgate Market, was fined £15,000 for countless food hygiene ...
NEW JERSEY: Foods recalled for botulism, listeria contamination - (Food Safety Trends)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008Seoul Shik Poom, a Hillside, New Jersey, company, recalled frozen, salted, and dried yellow croaker products for potential contamination with clostridium botulinum, the pathogen that causes botulism poisoning, late last week. Products recalled include: * BG1103 Salted Yellow Croaker (bag) 2.2 lbs * BG1121B Dried Yellow Croaker (bag) 4.5 lbs * BG1121 Dried ...
COLORADO: Eateries praised for high standards - (Grand Junction Daily Sentinel)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008Burger King regional manager Wayne Leighs goal for this year is, according to this story, for all seven of the Grand Junction area Burger King restaurants to earn Mesa Countys Blue Ribbon award for exceptional cleanliness. The story says that four of the areas Burger Kings won the awards, which were ...
UK: Morrisons recalls chicken fillets with sauce - (Food Standards Agency (UK))
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008Morrisons has recalled its own-brand Chicken Fillets with Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Sauce (380g) because the product contains wheat flour that is not mentioned in the allergy information, although it is listed as an ingredient. This means it could be a possible health risk for people with a wheat allergy or ...
EUROPE adopts food information proposals - (Food Standards Agency (UK))
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008The European Commission has today adopted a proposal for new legislation on the provision of food information to consumers. Commenting, Stephen Pugh, head of the Food Labelling Branch at the Agency, said: ‘We welcome the potential benefits such a proposal represents for consumers. We know from our own research that clear labelling, ...
ANC’s Zuma cancels date with Tyson
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008Read full story for latest details.
EU: Deadline for health claims looms - (Nutra Ingredients)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008Member states have until tomorrow to pass health claims dossiers submitted by industry to the European Commission to gain approval under new legislation on what can be said about products and ingredients. Since last summer, companies who want to make a claim about nutritional benefits have to meet criteria set out ...
How tainted food can make you money - (TheStreet.com)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008A dependable food supply is increasingly important to manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers. This means the food-safety market should benefit in the near future. In the past six months, there have been 10 highly publicized food recalls involving harmful pathogens like E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella. In addition, there have been 104 ...
WASHINGTON, DC: Boxer asks USDA and California AG to investigate meat processing plant - (Barbara Boxer)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008Washington, DC U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today wrote to both U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer and California Attorney General Jerry Brown calling for an immediate investigation of a California meat processing plant, in light of an under cover report released today that documents numerous potential violations ...
JAPAN: Poisoned dumplings put child in coma - (Associated Press)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008TOKYO, Japan — Police and health officials were cited as saying Wednesday that 10 Japanese were sickened, including a child who fell into a coma, after eating Chinese-made dumplings contaminated with insecticide. Three people in western Hyogo prefecture (state) and seven in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo suffered severe abdominal pains, vomiting ...
ONTARIO: Grocer is fined over mice - (TheStar.com)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008The owners of Ontario’s second largest supermarket chain have, according to this story, been fined $15,625 after pleading guilty in provincial offences court to a charge of failing to prevent a rodent infestation. A City of Toronto health inspector laid the charge after finding the A&P warehouse in the west end ...
INDIANA: Health department sued over inspection - (Herald Journal)
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008The owners of a Monticello restaurant are, according to this story, suing the White County Health Department for damages they say they received as the result of an inspection by the County Food Protection Specialist and the subsequent closure of the eatery in the summer of 2006. Listed as plaintiffs ...