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Food Safety & Nutrition Public health ROI: Foodborne illness network is saving thousands of lives and millions of dollars

March 18, 2016 Kim Krisberg

In another example of the value of investing in public health, a recent study finds that PulseNet, a national foodborne illness outbreak network, prevents about 276,000 illnesses every year, which translates into savings of $507 million in medical costs and lost productivity. That’s a pretty big return on investment for a system that costs just $7.3 million annually to operate.

FOIA Final USDA poultry rule: Line speeds stay the same, but no word from OSHA; food safety advocates call it a step backwards

August 1, 2014 Kim Krisberg 1Comment

For 17 years, Salvadora Roman deboned chickens on the processing line at Wayne Farms in Decatur, Alabama. Because of the repetitive movement and speed of the processing line, Roman developed a chronic and painful hand injury that affects her ability to do even the most basic household chores. About three years ago, she was fired from the plant for taking time off work to visit a doctor for the injury she sustained on the line.

Food Safety & Nutrition Salmonella in chicken: Multiple missed opportunities for prevention

October 5, 2011 Liz Borkowski, MPH 3Comment

The Center for Public Integrity’s iWatch News has put together an excellent – and alarming – story on salmonella in chicken. Jeffrey Benzing, Esther French and Judah Ari Gross outline the problem this way: Salmonella is found in a range of food products, including meat, produce and eggs. Chicken is the single biggest source of […]

Food Safety & Nutrition Ground Turkey Recall and Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella

August 4, 2011 Liz Borkowski, MPH 3Comment

A strain of salmonella, Salmonella Heidelberg, has sickened at least 77 people in 26 states and killed one in California. The outbreak has been linked to ground turkey produced at an Arkansas plant, and Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation has announced a recall of about 36 million pounds of the meat. The meat is sold under […]

Food Safety & Nutrition When Public Health Budgets are Cut, Someone Still Pays

February 24, 2011 Liz Borkowski, MPH 2Comment

We’re hearing a lot of rhetoric about the need to slash government spending, so it’s a good time to remind everyone that there’s no such thing as a free lunch – and if you think you’re getting a free lunch, it might be loaded with pathogens. Maryn McKenna, writing at Superbug about a New England […]

Public Health Practice What the Egg Recall Says About Our Food Safety System

August 24, 2010 Liz Borkowski, MPH 19Comment

The Iowa-based company Wright County Egg is recalling 380 million eggs, which were sold to distributors and wholesalers in 22 states and Mexico, due to concerns about salmonella contamination. The eggs have been sold under several different brand names, so if you’ve got eggs in your fridge you can check FDA’s page for info. Salmonella-infected […]