Pay for Soup, Enjoy Insects, Mold Free

Our layer of fine hairs aids parasite detection: study

(NEWSER) - Scientists who wondered why human skin still boasts as many follicles as that of great apes—ours, of course, grow hair much, much finer—believe our species' continued hairiness serves as an alarm system that protects us from bedbugs and other biting insects, the Economist finds. The researchers, who shaved a patch of arm hair from 29 volunteers and released hungry bedbugs there and on an unshaved patch, found that their subjects detected the insects' movement much faster when hair was involved—recording it every four seconds, versus every 10—and that the fine hairs slowed down the bugs' feeding. More»

Interagency bumbling, lax regulations let problem go unaddressed

(NEWSER) - Mammoth meat packer Cargill recalled a whopping 36 million pounds of ground turkey last week, but federal officials knew of salmonella contamination at a Cargill plant dating back to last year, reports the Wall Street Journal . It seems that a USDA inspection turned up three instances of salmonella Heidelberg at Cargill's Arkansas plant in 2010, which were "brought to the attention of the facility"; federal regulations, however, allow up to 49.9% of tests to be positive as salmonella isn't considered a dangerous adulterant unless it causes death. Problem: The Heidelberg strain involved in the recall is antibiotic-resistant and can be fatal. More»

ESPN gives more info than you wanted on stadium food safety

(NEWSER) - If you’d like to enjoy the next hot dog you eat at a baseball game, don’t read on. ESPN reviewed health department inspection reports for the North American MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA venues and found that 28% had been cited for a “critical” or “major” violation—one that could cause sickness or even death. Some disgusting highlights? Mold in ice machines, cockroaches, workers refusing to wash hands, and toxic chemicals stored near food prep areas. More»

NYT investigation shows industry practices that leave lots to be desired

(NEWSER) - A nausea-inducing feature in the New York Times tells you more than you wanted to know about what's actually in commercially produced hamburger, and why it's especially vulnerable, despite FDA regulation and several fatal outbreaks in recent years, to E. coli contamination. The Times follows the case of a 22-year-old dance instructor paralyzed after an infection, finding that a single hamburger could contain beef products from several slaughterhouses on several continents. More»

(NEWSER) - The FDA would gain broad new powers to oversee food safety under a far-reaching bill passed by the House yesterday, the Washington Post reports. The measure—representing the first major changes to food safety laws since the 1930s—would give the agency vastly increased oversight of the nation's food chain from field to store, and would boost the number of food-related inspections. Support for the bill was sparked by a string of serious food-borne illnesses the last three years. More»