Farm to Fork
Law Firm in Public Health Role
A Seattle law firm wants to find out if ground beef is contaminated with harmful strains of E. coli bacteria that federal inspectors don't look for. The firm of Marler and Clark, which specializes in litigating cases involving food-borne illnesses, recently announced plans to test 5,000 beef samples over the course of a year. Marler-Clark will turn positive samples over to CDC. The government and beef industry have focused their testing on a single strain of E. coli known as O157:H7, but several other similar strains also cause severe illness. Richard Raymond, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's undersecretary for food safety, said he supported the law firm's testing plan. He said the department could not afford to do its own testing.
Raw Milk Sales Vermont
A new bill in the Vermont legislature would allow farmers to sell unlimited amounts of raw milk directly to consumers. Supporters say it will provide extra income for farmers. Currently there are limits to how much raw milk farmers can sell because of health concerns. The bill would set up new health standards, including regular testing of the milk and labeling requirements. Farmers would also have to keep a list of who buys it. (Raw milk results in hundreds of severe illnesses every year and many states ban sales RC)
Orlando Area School Pests
Rats and roaches infest Orlando area schools. Inspection reports from the last year reviewed by the Palm Beach Post revealed more than a dozen schools with 60 violations. School District leaders are trying to reduce the number of bad inspections. They now have two inspectors for every 30 schools who check on schools everyday. A spokesperson said, "We really focus in on the very necessary things, hand-washing, wearing gloves, restraining the hair, labeling the food." (What about Pest control? RC)
Article by Roy E. Costa, R.S, M.S., President of Environ Health Associates