History of Food Safety in the U.S. - Part 1

In the winter of 1924, oysters grown in polluted waters near Long Island, NY, caused an outbreak of typhoid fever from Salmonella Typhi that killed 150 people and sickened at least 1,500. To this day, it holds the record for the highest body count of any foodborne illness outbreak in U.S. history.

This week, Part 1 of 3 on the History of Food Safety in the U.S.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it." - Ralph Waldo Emerson (US essayist & poet, 1803 - 1882)

   History of Food Safety in the U.S. Part 1

Traceback Investigations

In the spring of 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began to hear from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health partners about cases of salmonellosis. The case count grew quickly. In the first week of April, 93 illnesses were reported. The next week there were 116, and a week later there were 139. By early May, the number of cases had nearly doubled. The final count: 425 people had been reported ill by the end of the outbreak. But by using traceback analysis, FDA was able to follow a trail of tuna shipments to its source, leading to the recall 58,000 pounds of frozen tuna and helping prevent additional illnesses.

This week, a look at traceback investigations.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." - Edgar Allan Poe in the short story "Eleonora" (American author, poet, editor, and literary critic, 1809 - 1849)

   Traceback Investigations