Quick bites from the food safety arena this week
Federal inspectors confirmed E. coli contamination in cheddar cheese produced from raw (unpasteurized) milk produced by RAW FARM LLC in Fresno, CA. The dairy is linked to an ongoing E. coli outbreak that has sickened nine people across three states. The dairy resisted initial calls to recall the cheese but has now done so “under protest.”Meanwhile, in France, scientists detailed the cause of an E. coli outbreak in 2025 that claimed three lives. A total of 18 people had confirmed infections, with another five probable and possible cases. The cause was consumption of raw cow’s milk cheese.A new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) is critical of federal agencies’ handling of recalls of contaminated food. The PIRG report points to several examples of long delays in recall announcements by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In some cases, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opted not to post public announcements of potentially life-threatening recalled products. PIRG also called on companies to be more aggressive in notifying consumers about contaminated products.In the United Kingdom, a report by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) found few improvements in food safety practices among consumers over a five-year period. The findings prompted the agency to call for a renewed focus on “focused, evidence-based communications on basic food safety controls.”Canada’s Public Health Agency is still investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to pistachios one year after recording the first infection. A total of 189 people have reported illnesses since March 2025, with cases concentrated in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has banned the import of pistachios from Iran while it investigates the outbreak.
TODAY’S TOPIC: King Raw
The food safety step known as pasteurization was widely employed after Louis Pasteur patented the process in 1865 to first fight the “diseases” of wine. It was also soon applied to beer and milk.
Pasteur, the famous French chemist, is also known for his breakthrough discoveries in vaccination and microbial fermentation. He did research showing that the growth of micro-organisms was responsible for spoiling beverages, such as beer, wine and milk.
He found that heating liquids such as milk to 60-100 degrees C killed harmful bacteria and molds already present in them. The discovery in the years since has likely saved millions of lives.