Tag: FDA

New chip-based sensor could let consumers test food for contaminants at home

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Food safety concerns are becoming too-frequent headlines. Right now, it’s a cyclosporiasis outbreak possibly linked to tainted lettuce. But the nation has also dealt with E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria – a long list of threats. Consumers already know to thoroughly wash fresh fruits and vegetables. But is it enough? And how would you know? Many have wondered what’s next. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas are exploring a quick, cost-effective way to test for food contaminants at home using technology most people already carry in their pockets: computer chips.

“We have re-engineered those devices to be able to have what is called a ‘single capture measurement,'” said Shalini Prasad, PhD, department head of bioengineering and a Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at UTD. “Say, it’s a lettuce sample, or it’s a strawberry,” Prasad said. “And you take it, mush it with your hand, and drop it on the sensor. CBS News Texas “The sensor is engineered so that it can measure any of these 16 things. So, a panel of antibiotics, a panel of pesticides, a panel of bacteria, a panel of parasites, and a panel of fungi. It can do all of this.” The device, called READ – Rapid Electro Analytical Device – can detect contaminants in food and water in just a couple of minutes.

Prasad said the research grew out of her curiosity as a mother trying to better protect her two sons. “As a mom, you’re a problem solver, right? And you don’t know what’s coming at you at any given point of the day. But what is important is how do I make people’s lives easier, better, healthier, and more accessible,” she said. The technology is nimble, allowing researchers to tweak and respond to outbreaks as they happen. “That is the idea,” Prasad said, “because we don’t know what’s the next epidemic, and we cannot wait to have it all built.” The research team is preparing for pilot testing, with hopes of having the technology in consumer kitchens within the next year or so.

“What worries us most is that which we cannot see,” Prasad said. “It is the invisible that I am making visible through this technology. That is the hope. And that is the dream.”

Source: New chip-based sensor could let consumers test food for contaminants at home – CBS Texas

By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.
Proverbs 13:10

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Taylor Farms lettuce sample that tested positive for cyclospora was a false positive, FDA says

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Scientist with blue gloves handling lettuce leaf samples with tweezers in a laboratory

A sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms that had tested positive for cyclospora was a false positive, the Food and Drug Administration said Sunday. “Due to the complexity in detection of Cyclospora, FDA laboratory experts re-reviewed the sample results and have concluded that the finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive,” the FDA said. In the statement announcing the false positive, the FDA said that as of Sunday it had not found any “confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora.”   Taylor Farms on Friday said it was “voluntarily removing” iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico after the lettuce had been linked to one of the largest outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. in recent years.   

“While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm, which represents less than 1% of the U.S.’s iceberg lettuce supply, as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely,” the company said Friday in a statement. Taylor Farms said Sunday in a statement after the false positive was announced that, “Our thoughts remain with everyone who has fallen ill in this outbreak. We are committed to working with public health authorities as the ongoing outbreak investigation continues.” On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified lettuce supplied to select Taco Bell restaurants as a source of the multistate outbreak, more than a month after cases first began to appear. The iceberg lettuce was distributed to Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, according to the CDC. Taco Bell said on Friday it had “completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants.”

Walmart also announced over the weekend it had removed four Marketside bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from its stores in more than two dozen states, but added there was “no indication that products sold in our stores are affected by the current Cyclospora investigations.” The outbreak, first reported in May, has spread to 34 states and sickened more than 1,600 people, according to the CDC. However, the CDC’s tally lags behind state health departments, which have reported much larger numbers of cases. For instance, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 5,000 confirmed cases as of Friday. No deaths have been reported.  Cyclosporiasis is a food- and waterborne illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, which causes long-lasting, watery and sometimes explosive diarrhea, according to public health experts.  Outbreaks typically occur in late spring and summer and have historically been linked to bagged salads, cilantro, basil, raspberries, snow peas and green onions.

Source: Taylor Farms lettuce sample that tested positive for cyclospora was a false positive, FDA says – CBS Boston

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:12

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FDA identifies Taco Bell lettuce as source of diarrhea…

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Three inspectors in safety vests and masks examining romaine lettuce and recording data

Federal health investigators officially linked the multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell, the Food and Drug Administration reported on Thursday. Lab results as of Monday confirmed over 1,600 cyclosporiasis cases reported since the beginning of May across 34 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness hospitalized dozens of patients but has not proved fatal.

Officials on Monday also reported over 5,100 suspected cyclosporiasis cases across the nation which have not been formally diagnosed. Cyclosporiasis occurs when individuals consume food or water infected with the microscopic Cyclospora parasite, which will infect the small intestine and cause watery diarrhea, bloating, nausea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptoms appear up to two weeks after a patient’s initial exposure to the parasite, according to the CDC. Health investigators specifically analyzed a group of 190 patients from across five states and found that over 90% reported eating lettuce at Taco Bell, according to the FDA. Despite over 30 states reporting cases, officials only warned against eating Taco Bell in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Michigan reported the most cases of any state, local health officials reporting more than 5,000 cases as of Friday. New York marked the second-highest case count, with nearly 400 cases reported as of Monday, according to state officials. Where is the lettuce coming from? The FDA tracers identified a specific lettuce supplier from Mexico that supplied shredded iceberg to the same Taco Bell locations where people got sick. Federal officials planned to work with the Mexican supplier to determine how much potentially contaminated lettuce remained on the market. It remains unclear whether the same lettuce also caused illnesses outside of the five confirmed states.

Previous U.S. cyclosporiasis outbreaks stemmed from contaminated produce, including raspberries, basil, broccoli, sugar snap peas, and leafy greens, according to the CDC. Several Democratic lawmakers blamed the outbreak on the Trump administration’s budget cuts. Beginning on July 1, 2025, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, or FoodNet, a Trump administration collaboration between several federal and state health agencies, made testing for cyclospora optional. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was responsible for that change, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., wrote Wednesday. Trump officials removed cyclosporiasis from the CDC’s tracked pathogens when it reduced foodborne illness tracking requirements last year, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., wrote earlier this week.

Source: FDA identifies Taco Bell lettuce as source of diarrhea… | WORLD

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13-14

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Ice cream sold in 17 states recalled for potential metal fragments

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News broadcast announcing recall of Straus Family Creamery ice cream for potential metal contamination

Straus Family Creamery is voluntarily recalling a variety of organic ice cream flavors and sizes sold in 17 states because of concerns there may be metal fragments in the frozen treats, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.  No injuries have been reported because of the issue, the FDA said.  The recall affects some products sold in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. The affected items were on shelves beginning on May 4, the FDA said.  Pints of Straus Family Creamery’s dutch chocolate ice cream. Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images The affected products can be determined by their best-by dates, the FDA said. Best-by dates are printed on the bottom of the container.

The recalled products include:  Vanilla bean pints with best-by dates of Dec. 23 and 28, 2026, with the manufacturing code 7-84830-10030-6.  Strawberry pints with a Dec. 25, 2026, best-by date and the manufacturing code 7-84830-10095-5.  Strawberry quarts with a Dec. 24, 2026, best-by date and the manufacturing code 7-84830-10097-9.  Cookie dough pints with a Dec. 26, 2026, best-by date and the manufacturing code 7-84830-10104-4.  Dutch chocolate quarts with a Dec. 27, 2026, best-by date and the manufacturing code 7-84830-10012-2.  Mint chip quarts with a Dec. 30, 2026, best-by date and the manufacturing code 7-84830-10050-4.

Straus Family Creamery is working with retailers to remove the affected products from shelves, the FDA said. Anyone who has purchased an affected container should dispose of the product.  Straus said it would not offer refunds, but would issue vouchers to interested customers so they can buy another carton. Voucher information is available on the company’s website. 

Source: Ice cream sold in 17 states recalled for potential metal fragments – CBS News

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 6:26

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Good & Gather snack, other nut mixes recalled due to salmonella risk

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Recall notice for Good & Gather assorted snack mixes due to undeclared semolina allergen

An Illinois food manufacturer is recalling several snack products due to concerns that they may be contaminated with salmonella, according to a recall notice with the Food and Drug Administration. The recall affects nut mixes and a corn mix manufactured by John B. Sanfilippo and Son and sold under the brand names Southern Style Nuts, Fisher, Squirrel Brand and Good & Gather.  The Good & Gather product, a Mexican street corn-inspired trail mix, was sold at Target, while the others were sold at various retail stores, online and by QVC, according to the FDA notice.

Source: Good & Gather snack, other nut mixes recalled due to salmonella risk – CBS Sacramento

Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Romans 13:7

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RECALL: Infant formula batches from a2 Milk Company recalled over possible cereulide toxin, FDA says

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Recall notice for certain Similac, Alimentum, and Elecare baby formulas on an empty store shelf

The a2 Milk Company has voluntarily recalled three specific batches of infant formula after detecting a possible toxin, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The baby formula in question was sold via Amazon and at Meijer, the FDA said, in addition to the company’s website. The reason for the recall is “presence of cereulide toxin produced by some strains of the bacterium Bacillus cereus.” 

Source: Infant formula batches from a2 Milk Company recalled over possible cereulide toxin, FDA says – CBS Detroit

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8

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Oysters, clams sent to multiple states could be contaminated with norovirus, FDA warns

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photo of a person s hand holding a platter of oysters

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an advisory for certain raw oysters and Manila clams, warning they could potentially be contaminated with norovirus. The March 9 FDA advisory states that restaurants and retailers “should not serve or sell and should dispose of” the affected shellfish, and consumers should “not eat” them, as they may be contaminated with the virus.

Source: Oysters, clams sent to multiple states could be contaminated with norovirus, FDA warns – ABC News

A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.
Proverbs 29:23

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