Author: Kit Redwine

Wanted to make sure you saw this! On Sat, Apr 11, 2026 at 12:46 PM Kit Redwine <[email protected]> wrote: Bagged salads have become a dietary staple for convenience-seeking consumers. Yet this modern food product carries a microbial risk that public health agencies have struggled to manage over the past decade. Between 2015 and 2024, health authorities in the United States identified eight distinct listeriosis outbreaks connected to packaged salad products, leading the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate recalls for roughly 240 such items due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], Emerging…

For decades, obstetricians and public health agencies have provided pregnant women with a standard list of foods to avoid: soft cheeses, deli meats, raw seafood, and unpasteurized dairy products. This guidance has undoubtedly prevented countless cases of listeriosis and other foodborne illnesses. However, the food supply has evolved substantially, and so has the epidemiology of foodborne pathogens. Recent outbreaks have implicated foods that fall entirely outside the traditional high-risk categories, exposing gaps in both consumer awareness and regulatory oversight. Pregnant women remain approximately ten times more likely than the general population to contract listeriosis (FDA, January 2026) and when Listeria…

Easter ranks among the most significant food-centered holidays in the United States, bringing families together around elaborate meals, decorated eggs, and festive gatherings that often extend throughout the day. Yet the very traditions that make the holiday special such as prolonged buffets, outdoor egg hunts, and dishes prepared hours before serving can also create conditions where foodborne bacteria can thrive. With approximately 48 million Americans experiencing foodborne illness annually and 3,000 dying (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 2026) from complications, understanding how to celebrate safely is essential for protecting families and guests, particularly those most vulnerable to…

For decades, public health messaging about Listeria monocytogenes has focused on a familiar set of high-risk foods: deli meats, hot dogs, soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, and smoked seafood. While these remain important vehicles for infection, a growing body of outbreak investigations reveals that Listeria can contaminate a far broader range of foods than consumers, and sometimes regulators, anticipate. From refrigerated pasta meals to enoki mushrooms and even ice cream, the pathogen’s ability to survive and grow at refrigeration temperatures makes it a persistent threat across the cold food supply chain. Understanding these unexpected sources is essential for protecting…

For over a century, pasteurization has stood as one of the most effective public health interventions in modern history. The process of heating milk to destroy pathogenic bacteria dramatically reduced the incidence of milk-borne diseases including typhoid fever, tuberculosis, and brucellosis, saving countless lives. Pasteurization has been recognized as one of the most effective public health interventions of the last century, dramatically reducing illnesses caused by contaminated milk (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 2025). Yet despite this established track record, a persistent and passionate movement advocates for the consumption of raw, unpasteurized milk and its derivatives. These…

The Hass avocado has become a staple of the American diet, consumed in growing quantities year-round as guacamole, sliced on toast, or incorporated into countless recipes. What many consumers do not consider is the complex journey this fruit undertakes before reaching their kitchens. Approximately 90 percent of Hass avocados consumed in the United States are grown and packed in Mexico, primarily in the state of Michoacán, the only region in the world with year-round avocado production. This reliance on a single foreign source for a perishable commodity creates a supply chain of extraordinary complexity, one that must function seamlessly to…

Illness linked to contaminated food – with pathogens like parasites, salmonella, e. coli or chemicals – is more pronounced in poorer communities. Foodborne disease is often framed as a universal risk: a potential consequence of a meal eaten anywhere, by anyone. While it is true that no individual is entirely immune, the burden of foodborne illness is not distributed equally across populations. Epidemiological data consistently demonstrate that certain groups face dramatically elevated risks of infection, severe outcomes, and death. These vulnerable populations include young children, pregnant women, older adults, immunocompromised individuals, and those living in poverty or conflict-affected regions. Understanding…

Foodborne illness is frequently characterized in public discourse as a brief, unpleasant ordeal: a day or two of gastrointestinal distress followed by complete recovery. While this description accurately reflects the experience of many, it obscures a more complex and troubling reality. Infections with common foodborne pathogens including Campylobacter, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Shigella, and Toxoplasma gondii can result in long-term health consequences affecting multiple organ systems.  These chronic conditions impose substantial burdens on individuals, families, and healthcare systems. The economic costs of foodborne illness extend far beyond immediate medical treatment, encompassing lost productivity, long-term disability care, and the…

Food preservation is one of humanity’s foundational technologies, enabling food storage across seasons and trade across distances while serving two essential purposes: preventing spoilage from microorganisms and enzymes, and protecting against contamination by pathogens that cause foodborne illness. Food begins deteriorating immediately after harvest or slaughter through enzymatic activity, microbial growth, and chemical changes. Fresh-cut produce, for example, exhibits dramatically accelerated respiration, moisture loss, and enzymatic browning that reduce quality and create conditions favorable for pathogen proliferation. Thermal processing remains the most widely used preservation method. Canning applies sufficient heat to destroy pathogenic microorganisms, with Clostridium botulinum spores serving as…

Restaurants are the setting most frequently associated with foodborne illness outbreaks, such as salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, or Norovirus, making the ability to assess retail food establishments a practical consumer skill. Observational research conducted by public health agencies has documented that food worker actions capable of causing contamination occur with regularity in the retail food environment. These include improper hand hygiene, inadequate glove use, and failure to prevent cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods. Such findings demonstrate that observable risk factors are neither rare nor difficult to identify. Consumers can evaluate establishment safety through several accessible indicators. These include the…