With a name like Smucker’s it has to be… recalled. Some of the company’s 16-ounce jars of Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter Chunky is being pulled from shelves due to possible salmonella contamination. The recall is only their chunky-style peanut butter.

During a routine sampling program it was revealed that some of the peanut butter could contain the bacteria. Luckily, there have been no reported illnesses associated with the recall.

The potentially dangerous jars can be narrowed down to certain regions of the country during a particular time range:
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By Kelsey Murray

If you like the ease and convenience of bagged salads, you might want to think twice before reaching for a bag in your local grocery store. Apparently, a producer of bagged salads recently realized that their products may be contaminated with salmonella and has now issued a recall to remove the contaminated products from store shelves.

Taylor Farms Retail of California recalled 3,265 cases of bagged salads. The recall was prompted by a random test of a bag of spinach that was prepared by the company. Taylor Farms Retail voluntarily recalled the bagged salads, which were distributed in 15 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New York, Texas, and Washington.

The contaminated salads include several blends that were released by the Fresh Selection, H-E-B, Marketside, and Taylor Farm brand names. These products have expiration dates between October 18 and 21.

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We should be able to trust the Food and Drug Administration to protect us against foods that might not be safe for our consumption, right? I never would have questioned this before, but after Del Monte Fresh Produce recently filed a lawsuit that could have long-term consequences against the regulatory organization, I am starting to have my doubts.

Let me explain: The FDA recently forced Del Monte to halt the importation of its Guatemalan cantaloupes because there was a possibility that the fruits could have been contaminated with salmonella. Then, Del Monte fired back against the FDA with a lawsuit. This all seems like standard operations, but the problem is that in the future, it is possible that the FDA will become more reluctant to issue warnings against possibly-contaminated foods for fear of being taken to court.

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If you haven’t yet heard of Bisin there is a good chance that you probably will within the next couple of years. Bisin is the latest craze in the world of food-borne illness prevention. It is the first natural preservative found to kill gram-negative bacteria, and it may just be worth all the hype, especially in light of all the recent E.coli outbreaks that have occurred this summer.

Bisin can supposedly prevent harmful bacteria such as E. coli, listeria, and salmonella from growing on a wide variety of foods. These types of food include meats, processed cheeses, egg and dairy products, canned foods, seafood, salad dressing, fermented beverages, and many other foods. By using Bisin, these foods may have extended shelf-lives and ultimately reduce food waste. This is a good thing - so is the fact that bisin appears to be allergen free, non-toxic, and doesn’t appear to be one of those substances that germs build up resistance to.

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There have been at least two cases of salmonella food poisoning caused by tainted ground turkey in the U.S. so far this summer. Strangely enough, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention knew where these tainted meats were coming from two weeks ago, but they did not issue a recall on the poisonous food because they “simply did not have enough information,” according to Fox News.

“There were two cases in the same state, and in two days we were able to confirm that the two cases were related to the [Cargill meat plant in Springdale, Arkansas],” said Dr. David Goldman, an assistant administrator from the USDA-Food Safety and Inspection Service.

That sounds like enough information to issue a recall to me, but Goldman claims that this really isn’t enough to warrant one.

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