Sunday Edition: Food Fraud

Quick news from the world of food safety this week:

• Kyle Diamantas, chief food safety official at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Marty Makary resigned from his position. On Tuesday. Although Makary resisted pressure to approve the sale of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes. Finally gave in to the White House’s demands. He approved two fruit-flavored vapes, but that didn’t save his job. It’s unclear how long Diamantas will remain in the interim role or who will lead the FDA.
• A deadly hantavirus outbreak on an Atlantic cruise ship is in the spotlight again. Rodent contamination is a serious food safety hazard.. To date, three people have died from virus-related illnesses. At least eight passengers on board the ship have tested positive for the virus or have symptoms associated with it. while Authorities are trying to determine the specific cause of the outbreak.The FDA says rodent activity remains a frequent problem in food facility inspections. The agency recommends that close attention be paid to integrated pest management to reduce the risk of contamination in such facilities.
• Health authorities across Europe and the United States are investigating. Salmonella outbreak affecting more than 60 people in at least 10 countries. Analysis of the genome sequences of the Salmonella Stanley bacteria found in the victims suggests a common cause of infection, but the cause is not yet known.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared: Salmonella Newport outbreak traced to melons ends. At least 70 people in 25 states have been affected by the outbreak, but the actual number is likely much higher because many people do not receive special treatment or testing for salmonella when they are sick. The outbreak was traced to melons imported from Guatemala by Ayco Farms Inc., Pompano Beach, Florida.

TODAY’S TOPIC: FOOD FRAUD

A string of fraud convictions in Minnesota’s infamous “Feed Our Future” case involves missing food and the theft of millions of dollars in federal funds.

There is no single legal term for “food fraud” in the U.S. Code, but the Minnesota incident certainly appears to be a type of food fraud.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other federal agencies use the term “economically motivated adulteration” (EMA) to define cases of food fraud.