#Thread: This summer has seen not one, not two, but three major foodborne illness outbreaks so far.
Most recently, the nation’s largest stone fruit producer has been linked to a salmonella outbreak, sickening over 100 people in North America. The company has recalled organic, conventional, yellow, and white peaches from Walmart, Target, Aldi, and Kroger. thecounter.org/peaches-recall…
Before that, a separate salmonella outbreak linked to red onions quickly led to the recall of both loose onions & products made with onions. Sickening over 1,200 in the U.S. & Canada, this has already become one of the largest outbreaks in U.S. history. thecounter.org/onion-recall-s…
Then there was a cyclospora outbreak linked bagged salads, which sickened nearly 700, and led retailers to yank affected products off shelves in numerous states: cdc.gov/parasites/cycl…
Just how worried should you be? There’s little reason to be alarmed, said Mary Anne Amalaradjou, an associate professor of food microbiology at the University of Connecticut. Foodborne illness outbreaks occur every year—a timeline can be found here: fda.gov/food/recalls-o…
To keep yourself safe, the best thing to do is to stay alert to new food recalls, and toss specific products that get flagged. You can get direct updates from FDA here, and we will continue to update our stories on the outbreaks: fda.gov/safety/recalls…
For those of you still looking to get your peach fix this summer: Stone fruit is still in season in numerous growing regions, and you can rest assured that peaches produced by other companies or sold at your nearby farmers’ markets are still safe to enjoy. 🍑🍑🍑
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The issues for coffee shop employees are common across food service: low wages, difficult scheduling, challenging work environment.
(All problems, of course, that have been exacerbated by a pandemic.)
But the reasons for their success are in many cases distinct.
Many coffee shops have realized that making visible the vague idea of “doing good” is crucial to making their brand identities resonate with guests, and good for their bottom lines.
In fact, it's been debated in food circles for the past two decades, ever since we entered into the age of Yelp and instant-access to crowdsourced opinions on food.
But nothing stymied traditional dining criticism quite like the pandemic did.
#THREAD: Texas’ aggressive new border security initiative relies on the participation of ranchers and farmers. And that’s causing a push and pull between a need for agriculture workers—and a desire to criminalize undocumented immigrants. thecounter.org/texas-greg-abb…
Operation Lone Star, which allows law enforcement officers to arrest and jail migrants on state criminal charges—like trespassing—is causing a whole lot of confusion for those on the ground in Texas. texastribune.org/2021/07/30/tex…
In his sweeping efforts to double down on border security, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has deployed about a quarter of the state’s police force. He has also pulled in members of the National Guard, forcing the closure of an El Paso food bank. elpasomatters.org/2021/08/24/abb…
#THREAD: The extreme conditions of Antarctica make it an ideal place to test technology that could allow us to grow food in inhospitable settings like Mars. But plant scientists are testing something else there too: how fresh produce impacts well-being. thecounter.org/indoor-vertica…
At a remote research station perched on Antarctica’s Ekstrom Ice Shelf, the "overwinterers," a 10-person skeleton crew that includes a cook, a doctor, and eight engineers and researchers, didn't see the sun—for almost 64 days. awi.de/en/expedition/…
During June and July, average temps fluctuate between 0 and -24 degrees Fahrenheit. Winds over 100 kilometers per hour pound the station. The isolation researchers face isn't unlike what a long-haul space crew goes through.