|  This post sort of links in to my post earlier today about food labelling – but certainly to the bigger issue that has been on the minds of many Canadians recently: where does my food come from?
The listeria outbreak that has claimed 19 lives so far in Canada, coupled with China’s tainted milk powder scandal and the salmonella in tomatoes that sickened thousands across America earlier this year, highlights more than ever the need for traceability in our food system. The who, what, where, when, why and how remain somewhat undefined at this point, although progress is definitely being made.
Continue reading Bringing traceability to Ontario’s food 
Just read in the paper this morning that American shoppers will soon see more foods at the grocery store labelled with country of origin. That’s good news for anyone who has ever wondered where things actually come from – and with each international food scare, like the latest tainted milk powder scandal from China, more people join that crowd. But what does it actually mean? Continue reading Country of origin on food labels?  How serious is the government really about protecting consumers in wake of the listeria outbreak that has been plaguing Canada? Right now, I’m not convinced they really mean it.
They recently announced tough new measures that now require Canadian companies that produce ready to eat meats to disassemble and aggressively clean their meat slicers to check for listeria. Continue reading The double standard on listeria  We’ve probably all heard or read the urban myth about Kentucky Fried Chicken – chickens raised in dark cages with bodies so large their legs can’t support them. Or even worse, the meat doesn’t actually come from birds but is somehow grown due to the magic of science.
The truth couldn’t be more different or less shocking.
Continue reading The true story of KFC chickens The following article was first published in Ontario Beef Farmer magazine, July 2008: It sickens thousands of people every year, killing some and leaving others with permanent health damage. But it doesn’t affect the animals that harbour and shed the bacteria, making the disease invisible to farmers. Now, a new, made-in-Canada cattle vaccine to reduce human risk of exposure to E.coli O157:H7 is coming onto the market in North America. But who should pay for this innovative new treatment? Continue reading A cattle vaccine with human health benefit – who should pay? The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced a recall of beef products on the weekend because it may contain e.coli 0157:H7. This is just the latest food scare related to this deadly strain of e.coli – the same strain that killed seven people and sickened hundreds more in the Ontario town of Walkerton in 2000 when its drinking water became contaminated.
Continue reading Another beef-e.coli recall Irraditating food may be the only way of killing the bacteria in your food. Washing fresh fruits and vegetables – a tried and true method for generations – may not be enough to rid them of bacteria like e.coli that cause food poisoning, even if using chlorine disinfectants. E. coli, salmonella and listeria can all cause illnesses, but destroying the bacteria can be difficult, said microbiologist Brendan Niemira, the lead researcher of a study looking at ways to make fresh produce safer for consumers.
Continue reading Only radiation rids fruit, veg of e.coli? | |
