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Edible optical sensor to watch for bacteria in food
Tufts University researchers demonstrate for the first time that it is possible to design “living” optical elements that could enable an entirely new class of sensors; these sensors would combine sophisticated nanoscale optics with biological readout functions, be biocompatible and biodegradable, and be manufactured and stored at room temperatures without use of toxic chemicals
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FDA finds Salmonella Saintpaul strain in irrigation water on Mexican farm
FDA said that jalapeno and serrano peppers grown in the United States are not connected the current outbreak and are safe to eat; traces of Salmonella are found in irrigation water and on a serrano pepper at a Mexican farm
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Floods strip Midwest of tons of valuable topsoil
Floods are stripping the Midwest of its most valuable resource: soil; farmers and environmentalists are at odds over what to do with erosion-prone land — take their chances planting crops on marginal land in hopes of good yields and high grain prices, or plant trees, native grasses, or ground cover that act as a natural flood buffer
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New, quick method for identifying food-borne diseases
European researchers have developed a system which prepares samples and performs DNA tests on the salmonella and campylobacter bacteria in a portable and cost-effective chip
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Bioterrorism rule ineffective in salmonella outbreak
Rules and regulations passed in the wake of 9/11 were supposed to tighten monitoring and tracking food items, so an outbreak of food-borne illness could be quickly traced to its source; food supply-chain practices make these rules and regulations difficult to implement
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Salmonella toll tops 1,000; peppers eyed
More than 1,000 people are confirmed ill from salmonella initially linked to raw tomatoes but now also to jalapenos; worst food-borne illness outbreak in a decade
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Salmonella outbreak investigation intensifies
Hunt continues for the source of the Salmonella outbreak in the U.S.; FDA and CDC still see tomatoes as the cause; this weekend three states in Mexico became the focal point of the search
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CDC investigates possible non-tomato salmonella sources
Continuing discovery of salmonella cases cause the FDA and CDC to suspect that fresh unprocessed tomatoes are not necessarily causing the outbreak that has sickened hundreds across the United States
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Vegetarians not safe from mad cow prions
Infectious prions — thought to be the causative agents in mad cow disease and human vCJD — can survive wastewater decontamination and wind up in fertilizer, potentially contaminating fruit and vegetables
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Food inspection technology improves food safety
New inspection X-ray technology developed by European researchers is helping to ensure that the only thing in people’s dinners is the food itself
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Extreme weather events may unleash perfect storm of infectious disease
Climatic conditions can alter normal host-pathogen relationships; diseases that are tolerated individually may converge and cause mass die-offs of livestock or wildlife
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Why it takes so long to trace a bad tomato
Tomatoes do not carry bar codes, so it is difficult to trace the source of the recent tomato-borne salmonella outbreak; tomatoes coming from Mexico and parts of Florida are prime suspects
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Making U.S. food safe, II: Tracing the sources of bad food
The United States lacks a system for effective tacking and tracing of food supplies as they are distributed throughout the country; one expert says that “Right now the technology [for tracking food] exists, but it’s not being used widely because companies aren’t required to use them”
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Making U.S. food safe, I: FDA not moving fast enough
The recent outbreak of tomatoe-borne salmonella poisoning moved legislators to charge that the FDA has not made good on its promise last year to make food safer for U.S. consumers
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Background: More on tomato-borne salmonella
Recent census of produce outbreaks between 1996 and 2007 counted no fewer than 33 epidemics from Salmonella-contaminated fruits and vegetables; in five of them, tomatoes were the culprit
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The long view
U.S. Needs New Drought Assessment Framework as Droughts Become More Severe and Unpredictable
Droughts in the United States are becoming more intense and unpredictable, and the nation needs to develop a new drought assessment framework to better understand and address them. A new framework should be developed which distinguishes between short-term operational needs, such as drought monitoring and emergency response, and long-term planning for water management, infrastructure, and climate adaptation.