Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety (65 page)

23
. Marler B. Wisconsin woman severely sickened by
E. coli
in spinach forced to sue, September 3, 2009. Online:
www.marlerblog.com
.

24
. FDA. Guidance to industry: Guide to minimize microbial food safety hazards of leafy greens; draft guidance, July 2009. Online:
www.fda.gov/Food
.

25
. Associated Press.
E. coli
outbreak sickens 11 in N.J., December 3, 2007. Online:
www.sfgate.com
. FDA. FDA investigating
E. coli
O157:H7 infections associated with Taco Bell restaurants in Northeast, December 6, 2006. Online:
www.fda.gov
. Belson K, Smothers R. Reports of illness spread as search for
E. coli
source narrows.
NYT
, December 8, 2006:B1.

26
. Adamy J, Vranica S. Taco Bell faces new questions about
E. coli. WSJ
, December 13, 2006:B1. Creed G. Taco Bell food is safe.
NYT
, December 12, 2006:A23. A second advertisement appeared on December 18 announcing the end of the CDC’s investigation. The quotation is from DePalma A, Martin A. New Jersey distribution site is scrutinized as more
E. coli
cases are reported.
NYT
, December 8, 2006:B1.

27
. CDC. Multistate outbreak of
E. coli
O157 infections linked to Taco Bell, November–December 2006. Online:
www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2006/december/
.

28
. Schlosser E. Has politics contaminated the food supply?
NYT
, December 11, 2006. Sickened by fresh produce.
NYT
, December 9, 2006 (editorial). Burros M.
E. coli
fears inspire a call for oversight.
NYT
, December 9, 2006:B1.

29
. FDA. Melamine pet food recall of 2007. Online:
www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/ucm129575.htm
.

30
. Xin H, Stone R. Chinese probe unmasks high-tech adulteration with melamine.
Science
2008;322:1310–1311. Ingelfinger JR. Melamine and the global implications of food contamination.
NEJM
2008;359:2745–2748. Melamine and food safety in China.
Lancet
2009;373:353. Kuehn BM. Melamine scandals highlight hazards of increasingly globalized food chain.
JAMA
2009;301:473–475. China executes 2 for role in tainted milk scandal.
NYT
, November 24, 2009. Online:
www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/24/world/AP-AS-China-TaintedMilk.html
. The FDA’s melamine-in-China page is at
www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/08/briefing/2008-4386b3.pdf
. Melamine scandals continued into 2010.

31
. Inspector General. Review of the Food and Drug Administration’s monitoring of pet food recalls, August 12, 2009. Online:
http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region1/10701503.pdf
.

32
. The quotations are from Moss M.
E. coli
path shows flaws in beef inspection.
NYT
, October 4, 2009. Stephanie Smith’s medical problems and lawsuit are documented online at
www.marlerblog.com
. USDA recalls are archived online at
http://origin-www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/Recall_Case_Archive/index.asp
.

33
. USDA/FSIS. Handling the largest meat recall in U.S. history, February 22, 2008. Online:
www.fsis.usda.gov
. Humane Society of the United States. HSUS investigates slaughterhouse. Online:
http://video.hsus.org/
.

34
. USDA/FSIS. California firm recalls beef products derived from non-ambulatory cattle without the benefit of proper inspection, February 17, 2008. Online:
www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/Recall_005–2008_Release.pdf
. USDA/FSIS. Statement by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer regarding Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company two-year product recall, February 17, 2008. Online:
www.usda.gov
.

35
. Zhang J. Meat inspectors can’t keep up, official says.
WSJ
, April 18, 2008. The quotation is from Healey JR, Schmidt J. USDA orders largest beef recall: 143.4 million pounds.
USA Today
, February 18, 2008. Online:
www.usatoday.com
.

36
. CDC. Investigation of outbreak of infections caused by
Salmonella
Saintpaul, update for August 28, 2008. Online:
www.cdc.gov/salmonella/saintpaul/jalapeno
. The FDA page on this outbreak is at
www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm179116.htm
. Maki DG. Coming to grips with foodborne infection—peanut butter, peppers, and nationwide
Salmonella
outbreaks.
NEJM
2009;360:949–953. Weise E. How modern science and old-fashioned detective work cracked the salmonella case.
USA Today
, June 18, 2008. Online:
www.usatoday.com
. Jargon J. Grocers and restaurants toss out tomatoes.
WSJ
, June 10, 2008:B1.

37
. CDC. Outbreak of
Salmonella
serotype Saintpaul infections associated with multiple raw produce items—United States, 2008.
MMWR
2008;57(34): 929–934.

38
. Acheson D.
Salmonella
Saintpaul outbreak investigation, statement before Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, July 31, 2008. Online:
www.fda.gov
.

39
. Goldman LR, Pendergast MK. Breakdown: Lessons to be learned from the 2008
Salmone
lla Saintpaul Outbreak. Pew Charitable Trusts, Produce Safety Project, November 17, 2008. Online:
www.producesafetyproject.org/reports?id
= 0001 (note the helpful timeline).

40
. The FDA page on the peanut butter recalls is
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/MajorProductRecalls/Peanut/default.htm
. CDC. Multistate outbreak of
Salmonella
infections associated with peanut butter and peanut butter–containing products—United States, 2008–2009.
MMWR
2009;58(04):85–90. CDC. Investigation update: Outbreak of
Salmonella
Typhimurium infections, 2008–2009, April 29, 2009. Online:
www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium/update.html
.

41
. Hazardous peanut butters.
NYT
, January 29, 2009. Moss M. Peanut case shows holes in safety net.
NYT
, February 9, 2009.

42
. Keefe B. Peanut’s firm’s chief an advisor.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
, February 1, 2009. Consumers Union. Consumers Union statement in response to PCA bankruptcy, February 13, 2009. Online:
www.consumersunion.org
. Severson K, Martin A. It’s organic but does that mean it’s safer?
NYT
, March 3, 2009. FDA. Guidance for industry: Measures to address the risk for contamination by
Salmonella
species in food containing a peanut-derived product as an ingredient, March 2009. Online:
www.fda.gov/Food
.

43
.
Today
. Obama: “We’re suffering from a massive hangover” (transcript), February 2, 2009. Online:
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28975726
.

44
. Hamburg MA, Sharfstein JM. The FDA as a public health agency.
NEJM
2009;360:2493–2495.

45
. The FDA’s pistachios page is at
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/MajorProductRecalls/Pistachio/default.htm
. CDC.
Salmonella
in pistachio nuts, 2009, April 14, 2009. Online:
www.cdc.gov/salmonella/pistachios/update.html
. Weise E. FDA: Recall of tainted pistachio nuts far from over.
USA Today
, April 7, 2009.

46
. Scott-Thomas C. Setton pistachio knew of salmonella, says FDA.
Food Production Daily
, May 26, 2009. Online:
www.foodproductiondaily.com/content/view/print/247755
. CAL-PURE and Western Pistachio Association. Important information on FDA pistachio recall, updated August 6, 2009. Online:
www.pistachiorecall.org
. FDA. FDA warns consumers not to eat California Prime Produce and Orange County Orchards brands of pistachios: Products linked to the previous recall by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc., June 22, 2009. Online:
www.fda.gov
.

47
. FDA. Letter to processors about current GMPs, April 3, 2009. Online:
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls
.

48
. Big surprises in recall of cookie dough.
Consumer Reports
, September 2009. Online:
www.consumerreports.org
.

49
. CDC. Multistate outbreak of
E. coli
O157:H7 infections linked to eating raw refrigerated, prepackaged cookie dough. Updated August 7, 2009. Online:
www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2009/0807.html
. FDA.
E. coli
in Nestlé Toll House cookie dough: Background, July 13, 2009. Online:
www.fda.gov
. Layton L. This woman might die from eating cookie dough.
Washington Post
, September 1, 2009. Online:
www.washingtonpost.com
. Flour (or chocolate bits) were considered likely sources.

50
. Marler B. More bad raw milk stories, August 29, 2009. Online:
www.marlerblog.com
.

51
. USDA/FSIS. California firm recalls ground beef products due to possible
Salmonella
contamination, August 6, 2009. Online:
www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events
. The USDA/FSIS recall page is at
www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_RECALLS
.

52
. Burke G. Calif. meat plant cited for cow handling problems.
Pawtucket Times
, August 12, 2009.

53
. Morrison B, Eisler P, DeBarros A. Why a recall of tainted beef didn’t include school lunches.
USA Today
, December 2, 2009.

54
. Gabbett RJ. USDA still considering calling
E. coli
–positive primals adulterated. Meatingplace, August 20, 2009. Online:
www.meatingplace.com
.

55
. Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.
Putting Meat on the Table: Industrial Farm Animal Production in America
, 2008. Online:
www.ncifap.org/_images/PCIFAPFin.pdf
.

56
. Salvage B. A.M.I. opposes bill curbing antibiotic use, July 20, 2009. Online:
www.meatpoultry.com
. Johnston T. Animal antibiotics improve food safety, coalition tells White House, August 17, 2009. Online:
www.meatingplace.com
. American Veterinary Medical Association.
Response to the Final Report of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production
, August 2009. Online:
www.avma.org/advocacy/PEWresponse
.

57
. Branigin W, Allen M, Mintz J. Tommy Thompson resigns from HHS.
Washington Post
, December 3, 2004. FDA food defense information is at
www.fda.gov/Food/FoodDefense/default.htm
.

58
. Taylor MR. The recent
Salmonella
outbreak: Lessons learned and consequences to industry and public health. Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Energy and Commerce, July 31, 2008. Online:
http://energycommerce.house.gov
.

59
. FDA Science Board.
Science and Mission at Risk: Report of the Subcommittee on Science and Technology
, November 2007; and
Food Protection Plan: An Integrated Strategy for Protecting the Nation’s Food Supply
, November 2007. Online:
www.fda.gov
. Taylor MR. Testimony. Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, U.S. Senate, December 4, 2007. Online:
http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2007_12_04/Taylor.pdf
.

60
. FDA. Egg safety final rule, July 7, 2009; and FDA issues draft guidances for tomatoes, leafy greens, and melons, July 31, 2009. Both online:
www.fda.gov/Food
. Scott-Thomas C. FDA publishes details of warning letter overhaul, August 11, 2009. Online:
www.foodproductiondaily.com/content/view/print/256120
. USDA. Proposed marketing agreement for leafy greens, September 3, 2009. Online:
www.ams.usda.gov
. Cornucopia Institute. Proposed federal rules could competitively injure small, local, and organic fresh market produce growers, September 3, 2009. Online:
www.cornucopia.org
.

61
. Congress introduced bills to modernize the FDA in 2009. In July, the House passed H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act. Early in 2010, the Senate was still considering a similar bill, S. 510. Online:
www.govtrack.us
. National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (and 70 other organizations). Letter to Senators Tom Harkin and Michael Enzi, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, November 16, 2009. Online:
http://sustainableagriculture.net
.

1
. I cannot resist an example. Here are the crucial steps in construction of the vector used to insert the genes for beta-carotene synthesis into rice, as given in the paper cited as note 3: “Finally,
crtI
and
psy
expression cassettes were isolated with Kpn I/Not I digestion and inserted into Kpn I/Not I-digested pUC18M and designated as pBaal3. pBin19hpc was made by insertion of a Kpn I fragment originally from pCIB90 containing aphIV selectable marker gene into pBaal3 followed by digestion of the I-Sce fragment of the resulting plasmid and insertion into I-Sce I-digested pBin19M.” This description is fully intelligible to any scientist who works with plasmids; table 17 gives a rough explanation of what it means.