Food and Safety - Sandwiched in a Bill

Jimmy John’s pulls sprouts after salmonella probe | Chicago Breaking Business: "Jimmy John’s has asked its franchises to pull alfalfa sprouts believed to be tied to outbreaks of salmonella in Illinois and Wisconsin.

The sandwich chain says it is pulling them as a “good faith and good will gesture.”

Illinois health officials have confirmed that 43 Illinois residents and one Wisconsin resident have salmonella.

All residents said they ate alfalfa sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurants in Adams, Champaign, Cook, DuPage, Kankakee, Macon, McHenry, McLean, Peoria and Will counties, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

IDPH officials said alfalfa sprout producers and suppliers are being investigated, and produce testing is ongoing. Three other reported cases are still under investigation.

Symptoms of illness caused by salmonella include diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach cramps. Illness usually develops within six to 72 hours after being exposed to salmonella bacteria."

Congress poised to pass ambitious food-safety bill - chicagotribune.com: "In a world where we get garlic from China, shellfish from Thailand and sugar cane from Mexico, Congress is poised to approve an ambitious food safety bill that would strengthen the nation's top regulator and impose new rules on domestic production and trading partners.

The legislation is aimed at preventing tainted food from entering the supply chain, sickening Americans and forcing massive recalls. It would give the Food and Drug Administration sweeping new powers to demand recalls and require importers to certify the safety of what they're bringing into this country.

By allowing regulators, for instance, to react more quickly to reports of illness, the legislation could limit or prevent recalls like those of spinach and peanuts in recent years, supporters said."