Ep. 184. Hottest Topics of 2024: Outbreaks, Food Chemicals, FDA Changes, and More

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we discuss the top food safety stories of 2024 and their implications. We cover:

The Boar's Head Listeria Outbreak [6:24]

• USDA Announces Immediate Changes to Listeria Rule, Inspections for RTE Food Facilities
• Following Deadly Listeria Outbreak, USDA Launches Internal Investigation Into How it Handled Boar's Head's Unsanitary Production Facility
• Congress Members Question USDA About Failure to Prevent Fatal Boar's Head Listeria Outbreak
• Boar's Head to Face Criminal Investigation Over Listeria Outbreak as Tenth Death is Reported  
• Following Outbreak, Boar's Head Forms Food Safety Council of Top Experts, Closes Facility, Discontinues Liverwurst
• Inspection Reports Show Mold, Insects, Meat Residues, and More at Boar's Head Facility Responsible for Listeria Outbreak
• Boar's Head RTE Deli Meats Recalled After Two Listeriosis Deaths
• It's Time to Reformulate Deli Meats to Reduce the Risk of Listeria monocytogenes —Feature story for Food Safety Magazine December '24/January '25, by Kathleen Glass, Ph.D., Wendy Bedale, Ph.D., and Daniel Unruh, Ph.D.

The McDonald's/Taylor Farms E. coli Outbreak [18:53]

• FDA Closes Investigation of McDonald's E. Coli Outbreak Without Tests Confirming Onions as Source
• McDonald's E. coli Outbreak Grows to 104 Illnesses in 14 States; Testing Has Not Yet Found Outbreak Strain
• FDA Unable to Implicate Grower in E. coli Outbreak Linked to Taylor Farms Onions Served at McDonald's
• CDC Names Taylor Farms Onions as Cause of McDonald's E. coli Outbreak; Patient Count Rises to 90
• <a href= "https://www.food-safety.com/articles/9864-beef-ruled-out-as-source-of-mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-quarter-pounders-return-to-restaurants" target="_blank