Can you slime American twice?  You can try, according to Jim Avila and ABC News.  Attempting to re-create its journalistic success from the “pink slime” story, ABC News recently ran a short segment on foreign shrimp and antibiotics, claiming that, in a recent random sampling, trace levels of 3 banned antibiotics were found in imported shrimp.  The story, reported by ABC’s Jim Avila (who also reported on “Pink Slime” this year), states that the majority of shrimp consumed in the United States “is raised in … READ MORE

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As the FDA launches its pilot program related to tracking high-risk foods, we are once again reminded of the ongoing difficulties FDA experiences when it comes to choosing between acting quickly and acting thoughtfully.  Think back to 2011’s food safety crises involving salmonella and E. coli. On numerous occasions, FDA was last to comment, often because they didn’t want to speak out of turn and provide inaccurate information.  At other times, however, they were simply scooped by the world’s mass media who, with … READ MORE

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced last week that it will not ban BPA, the on-again off-again controversial chemical used in a variety of food packaging applications.  This announcement from FDA is the most recent in a long string of protests, promises, and petitions.  This time, FDA issued a slightly anti-climactic, “it appears safe but we still don’t know.”  When BPA issues were first raised by consumers, FDA initially claimed that they could not regulate it and essentially absolved themselves from ongoing participation in the … READ MORE

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