Category Archives: safety

Store Does End-Run Around Egg Safety

Here’s a chuckle, and a caution: Store sells cartons, gives away eggs A health food store in eastern P.E.I. is looking for a way around health regulations after provincial officials told them to stop selling eggs they buy from local … Continue reading

Posted in certifiction, ethics, health, law, marketing, safety | 3 Comments

Things that Matter: Drug Residue in Chinese Pork

You could tell a lot about your average foodie or food-safety advocate by asking them to list food-related issues by level of importance. Some people tend to focus on the latest feel-good trend (e.g., at least some versions of localism) … Continue reading

Posted in activism, agriculture, animal welfare, ethics, factory farms, health, international, meat, safety | 4 Comments

Using, Regulating and Testing for Antibiotics in Milk

Here’s an interesting story about efforts to regulate competitive behaviour in the food industry: By William Neuman, for the NYT: F.D.A and Dairy Industry Spar Over Testing of Milk Each year, federal inspectors find illegal levels of antibiotics in hundreds … Continue reading

Posted in agriculture, factory farms, health, milk, regulation, safety | 2 Comments

A Better Factory Farm?

A few weeks ago, I asked When is a Factory Farm Not a Factory Farm? I suggested that the problem with some factory farms (including especially the ones that played a central role in the recent salmonella outbreak) is that, … Continue reading

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, ethics, factory farms, farmers, FDA, health, industrial, regulation, safety | 2 Comments

Energy Drinks

Caffeine is popular. Most North American adults consume some every day, usually delivered via a hot beverage (coffee, espresso, cappuccino, tea, etc.). It’s very likely the world’s most widely-consumed drug. But it’s also entirely unregulated. Combine that fact with the … Continue reading

Posted in health, junk food, kids, labeling, regulation, safety | Comments Off on Energy Drinks

The Right to Know What I’m Eating

In the debate over the labelling (or non-labelling) of genetically-modified foods, one of the most common refrains is that consumers “have a right to know” what they’re eating. I’ve commented briefly on that here before. (See “Should Companies Label Genetically … Continue reading

Posted in consumerism, GMO, labeling, restaurants, safety, values, vegetarianism | 35 Comments

Salmonella in Eggs, Rabies in Dogs

It’s good to have the occasional reminder that food safety is an issue everywhere. See this item, by By Donald G. McNeil Jr. for NYT Health: Vitenam: With Rabies Deaths on the Rise, a Menu Item Gets a Closer Look. … Continue reading

Posted in health, international, meat, safety, science | Comments Off on Salmonella in Eggs, Rabies in Dogs

How Good (or Bad) is the FDA?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the target of plenty of criticism. In fact, almost nobody seems to like the FDA — except maybe occasionally when they institute a recall or impose a penalty, and even then there’s almost … Continue reading

Posted in FDA, health, public policy, regulation, safety | 3 Comments

Should Grandma Drink Bottled Water?

Here’s a thought about health warnings related to foods and food packaging. A few months ago my grandmother told me she had stopped drinking bottled water. Why? Because she had heard on the news that there are chemicals in plastic … Continue reading

Posted in consumerism, elderly, kids, labeling, media, safety, science, water | Comments Off on Should Grandma Drink Bottled Water?

Dangers of Hotdogs

This blog is relatively new, but I’ve been blogging about certain kinds of food ethics issues on my Business Ethics Blog for years. Here’s a topic that has been on my mind recently: hotdog safety. The basic problem is that … Continue reading

Posted in ethics, kids, labeling, safety | Comments Off on Dangers of Hotdogs