Latest news with #SandraEskin
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Health
- USA Today
That cucumber recall? You might want to check your fridge
Salmonella infects 1.35 million people every year. One expert said recalls are the last line of defense. Does it feel like there have been lots of cucumber recalls lately? You are not wrong. The Food and Drug Administration has classified 137 potential salmonella recall reports for food products containing cucumbers in 2025, more than in any other year with available data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked cucumbers to a current salmonella outbreak. Salmonella bacteria are a major cause of foodborne illness, infecting 1.35 million people and killing 420 people each year. Since 2012, the Food and Drug Administration has classified over 3,200 salmonella food reports, according to federal data. On average, a salmonella recall lasts nearly a year, a USA TODAY review of the FDA data found. Currently, there are 217 salmonella recall reports ongoing. You can explore the products here: The FDA has the authority to mandate a recall, but about 99% are voluntarily issued by the companies that make the products. After a recall is initiated, the agency classifies the health hazard presented by the product from Class I (a reasonable probability that the product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death) to Class III (the product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences). About 44% of food recall reports have been classified as Class I. On the other hand, 80% of salmonella food reports are classified as Class I. Most people get infected with salmonella by eating contaminated food like raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, raw or unpasteurized milk and other dairy products, and produce. According to the CDC, 1 in 25 packages of chicken in the grocery store is contaminated with salmonella. Department of Human and Health Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. is among the many promoting raw milk, but experts caution against it. 'We have people whose families have had children and parents and others sickened after drinking raw milk,' said Sandra Eskin, CEO at the nonprofit Stop Foodborne Illness. 'It has salmonella in it, it can have E. coli, and it can have any number of pathogens. That's why they invented pasteurization.' Warmer weather can also create ideal conditions for the bacteria to grow, so it's recommended to refrigerate perishable foods. Other sources of salmonella include contaminated water and the handling of animals. Symptoms start within six hours to six days from the time of exposure and include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. Most people recover within 4 to 7 days without treatment, but some cases lead to hospitalization and death. Since the start of President Donald Trump's second term, there have been severe cuts and the federal health services workforce is expected to drop from 82,000 to 62,000, USA TODAY previously reported. Trump argued the cuts are a way to save taxpayers' money, but experts say allocating resources towards food safety is critical. An FDA spokesperson told USA TODAY in an email statement that the agency prioritizes food safety and is committed to working with all stakeholders. 'The layoffs relate to administrative staff positions in the FDA. There has been no impact to operational investigators conducting food safety inspections,' the FDA spokesperson said. Over a decade ago, when annual salmonella numbers were estimated to be lower, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that foodborne illness cost the country $3.7 billion per year, most of which was attributed to premature deaths. Eskin, who previously worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture overseeing food safety and inspections, said recalls are essential for public health. 'A recall is the last line of defense that you and I have to prevent getting sick,' Eskin said, 'if we're going to a restaurant, or more importantly, going to the grocery store.' Dr. Susan Kansagra, chief medical officer at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said in an email statement that federal funds support a wide range of state-level activities related to foodborne illness, like laboratory testing, case reporting, and guiding providers and the public on prevention and treatment. 'Loss of funding and staffing decreases our national capacity to do these activities and therefore quickly detect and respond to foodborne illness,' Kansagra said.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
USDA withdraws plan to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry: What to know
The Brief The USDA will not require poultry companies to limit salmonella bacteria in their products, withdrawing a Biden-era proposal to prevent food poisoning from contaminated meat. The proposed rule would have required poultry companies to keep levels of salmonella bacteria under a certain threshold and test for the presence of six strains most associated with illness. The CDC estimates salmonella causes 1.35 million infections annually, most of them through food, and about 420 deaths. WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture will not require poultry companies to limit salmonella bacteria in their products, stopping a Biden Administration effort to prevent food poisoning from contaminated meat. The department made the announcement on Thursday about the withdrawal of the proposed rule, which was first announced last year following three years of development. Here's what to know: What we know The proposed rule, which was published in August, would have required poultry companies to keep levels of salmonella bacteria under a certain threshold and test for the presence of six strains most associated with illness, including three found in turkey and three in chicken. If the levels exceeded the standard or any of those strains were found, the poultry couldn't be sold and would be subject to recall, the proposal had said. On Thursday, officials with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the withdrawal of the framework, citing feedback from more than 7,000 public comments. The office noted how they would "evaluate whether it should update" current salmonella regulations. By the numbers The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates salmonella causes 1.35 million infections annually, most of them through food, and about 420 deaths. The USDA estimates 125,000 infections from chicken and 43,000 from turkey each year. What they're saying The withdrawal drew praise from the National Chicken Council, an industry trade group, which said the proposed rule was legally unsound, misinterpreted science, would have increased costs and created more food waste, all "with no meaningful impact on public health." "We remain committed to further reducing salmonella and fully support food safety regulations and policies that are based on sound science," said Ashley Peterson, the group's senior vice president of science and regulatory affairs. The other side Meanwhile, the move prompted criticism from food safety advocates, including Sandra Eskin, a former USDA official who helped draft the plan. The withdrawal "sends the clear message that the Make America Healthy Again initiative does not care about the thousands of people who get sick from preventable foodborne salmonella infections linked to poultry," Eskin said in a statement. The backstory The USDA took similar action with E. coli bacteria in 1994 after deadly food poisoning outbreaks tied to ground beef, and the number of related foodborne illnesses have fallen by more than 50%. In the past, the agency didn't set limits on salmonella levels because there weren't good enough tools and technology to track the bacteria in this way, experts said. What's next Earlier this month, the USDA said it would delay by six months the enforcement of a final rule regulating salmonella levels in certain breaded and stuffed raw chicken products. Enforcement, which was set for May 1, now begins Nov. 3. That covers foods such as frozen chicken cordon bleu and chicken Kiev dishes that appear to be fully cooked but are only heat-treated to set the batter or coating. Such products have been linked to at least 14 salmonella outbreaks and at least 200 illnesses since 1998, according to the CDC. The Source This story was reported citing information published on April 24, 2025, by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. It was reported from Cincinnati, and the Associated Press contributed.
CBS News
25-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
USDA withdraws a Biden-era effort to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry
The United States Department of Agriculture is withdrawing a rule proposed in August to help prevent food poisoning from poultry contaminated with salmonella. The Biden Administration effort, which had been in development for three years, would have required poultry companies to keep levels of salmonella bacteria under a certain threshold and test for the presence of six strains most associated with illness. If any of those strains were found or standard levels were exceeded, the poultry couldn't be sold and would be subject to recall, the proposal had said. In an update posted Thursday, the department's Food Safety and Inspection Services said it was withdrawing the proposed rule "to further assess its approach for addressing Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry product." The food safety officials cited feedback from more than 7,000 public comments and said they would "evaluate whether it should update" current salmonella regulations. The USDA has estimated there are 125,000 salmonella infections from chicken and 43,000 from turkey each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, salmonella causes 1.35 million infections a year, most through food, and about 420 deaths. In a report published earlier this year, federal researchers listed salmonella as one of the six pathogens that cause roughly 10 million cases of foodborne illness each year in the U.S. These cases kill hundreds of Americans a year and cost billions in medical care, according the report. The withdrawal drew praise from the National Chicken Council, an industry trade group, which said the proposed rule was legally unsound, misinterpreted science, would have increased costs and created more food waste, all "with no meaningful impact on public health." "We remain committed to further reducing salmonella and fully support food safety regulations and policies that are based on sound science," said Ashley Peterson, the group's senior vice president of science and regulatory affairs. But food safety advocates criticized the move, including Sandra Eskin, a former USDA official who helped draft the plan. The withdrawal "sends the clear message that the Make America Healthy Again initiative does not care about the thousands of people who get sick from preventable foodborne salmonella infections linked to poultry," Eskin said in a statement. The proposed rule had been regarded as a food safety victory similar to a 1994 decision to ban certain strains of dangerous E. coli bacteria from ground beef after deadly outbreaks, said Sarah Sorscher, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Make no mistake: Shipping more salmonella to restaurants and grocery stores is certain to make Americans sicker," Sorscher said.
Winnipeg Free Press
24-04-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
USDA withdraws a plan to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry
The Agriculture Department will not require poultry companies to limit salmonella bacteria in their products, halting a Biden Administration effort to prevent food poisoning from contaminated meat. The department on Thursday said it was withdrawing a rule proposed in August after three years of development. Officials with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service cited feedback from more than 7,000 public comments and said they would 'evaluate whether it should update' current salmonella regulations. The rule would have required poultry companies to keep levels of salmonella bacteria under a certain threshold and test for the presence of six strains most associated with illness, including three found in turkey and three in chicken. If the levels exceeded the standard or any of those strains were found, the poultry couldn't be sold and would be subject to recall, the proposal had said. The plan aimed to reduce an estimated 125,000 salmonella infections from chicken and 43,000 from turkey each year, according to USDA. Overall, salmonella causes 1.35 million infections a year, most through food, and about 420 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The withdrawal drew praise from the National Chicken Council, an industry trade group, which said the proposed rule was legally unsound, misinterpreted science, would have increased costs and create more food waste, all 'with no meaningful impact on public health.' 'We remain committed to further reducing salmonella and fully support food safety regulations and policies that are based on sound science,' said Ashley Peterson, the group's senior vice president of science and regulatory affairs. But the move drew swift criticism from food safety advocates, including Sandra Eskin, a former USDA official who helped draft the plan. The withdrawal 'sends the clear message that the Make America Healthy Again initiative does not care about the thousands of people who get sick from preventable foodborne salmonella infections linked to poultry,' Eskin said in a statement. The proposed rule had been regarded as a food safety victory similar to a 1994 decision to ban certain strains of dangerous E. coli bacteria from ground beef after deadly outbreaks, said Sarah Sorscher, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. 'Make no mistake: Shipping more salmonella to restaurants and grocery stores is certain to make Americans sicker,' Sorscher said. Earlier this month, the USDA said it would delay by six months the enforcement of a final rule regulating salmonella levels in certain breaded and stuffed raw chicken products. Enforcement, which was set for May 1, now begins Nov. 3. That covers foods such as frozen chicken cordon bleu and chicken Kiev dishes that appear to be fully cooked but are only heat-treated to set the batter or coating. Such products have been linked to at least 14 salmonella outbreaks and at least 200 illnesses since 1998, according to the CDC. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Associated Press
24-04-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
USDA withdraws a plan to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry
The Agriculture Department will not require poultry companies to limit salmonella bacteria in their products, halting a Biden Administration effort to prevent food poisoning from contaminated meat. The department on Thursday said it was withdrawing a rule proposed in August after three years of development. Officials with the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service cited feedback from more than 7,000 public comments and said they would 'evaluate whether it should update' current salmonella regulations. The rule would have required poultry companies to keep levels of salmonella bacteria under a certain threshold and test for the presence of six strains most associated with illness, including three found in turkey and three in chicken. If the levels exceeded the standard or any of those strains were found, the poultry couldn't be sold and would be subject to recall, the proposal had said. The plan aimed to reduce an estimated 125,000 salmonella infections from chicken and 43,000 from turkey each year, according to USDA. Overall, salmonella causes 1.35 million infections a year, most through food, and about 420 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The withdrawal drew praise from the National Chicken Council, an industry trade group, which said the proposed rule was legally unsound, misinterpreted science, would have increased costs and create more food waste, all 'with no meaningful impact on public health.' 'We remain committed to further reducing salmonella and fully support food safety regulations and policies that are based on sound science,' said Ashley Peterson, the group's senior vice president of science and regulatory affairs. But the move drew swift criticism from food safety advocates, including Sandra Eskin, a former USDA official who helped draft the plan. The withdrawal 'sends the clear message that the Make America Healthy Again initiative does not care about the thousands of people who get sick from preventable foodborne salmonella infections linked to poultry,' Eskin said in a statement. The proposed rule had been regarded as a food safety victory similar to a 1994 decision to ban certain strains of dangerous E. coli bacteria from ground beef after deadly outbreaks, said Sarah Sorscher, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. 'Make no mistake: Shipping more salmonella to restaurants and grocery stores is certain to make Americans sicker,' Sorscher said. Earlier this month, the USDA said it would delay by six months the enforcement of a final rule regulating salmonella levels in certain breaded and stuffed raw chicken products. Enforcement, which was set for May 1, now begins Nov. 3. That covers foods such as frozen chicken cordon bleu and chicken Kiev dishes that appear to be fully cooked but are only heat-treated to set the batter or coating. Such products have been linked to at least 14 salmonella outbreaks and at least 200 illnesses since 1998, according to the CDC. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
