Custom-exempt slaughter should not be expanded By Dena Jones  Custom-exempt slaughter is a little known practice that could expand in size and impact throughout the United States if pending legislation is approved y Congress — and that is almost certainly not a good thing. The "exempt" in custom-exempt means a slaughter operation is excused from continuous inspection, unlike federal- and state-inspected slaughter, where government... Continue Reading
CDC says cruises pose low risk for acute gastroenteritis By News Desk  Outbreaks from foodborne pathogens on cruise ships in the past couple of years provided high-profile headlines, but federal statistics suggest the risk factor for passengers is relatively low. Between 2008 and 2014, about 74 million passengers sailed on cruise ships in U.S. jurisdictions. During that time, 129,678 passengers had illnesses meeting the definition of "acute... Continue Reading
Chipotle execs say 'confused' customers will be back soon By Coral Beach  Chipotle Mexican Grill's executive team boosted Wall Street's confidence in the company by characterizing the chain's customers as confused and predicting they would all return by next year. The occupants of the Denver-based chain's C-Suite discussed public reaction and corporate responses to a string of Salmonella, E. coli and norovirus outbreaks linked to their restaurants... Continue Reading
More Food Safety News | 
The heart doctor who is waiting for the U.S. Senate to confirm his appointment as Commissioner of the U.S.Food and Drug Administration has been keeping the schedule of a famous cardiologist. Dr. Robert M. Califf's meetings with "persons outside the executive branch of the federal government" have been publicly disclosed by FDA ever since he... 
