Reinventing the wheel: milk, microbes, and the fight for real cheese

"Reinventing the Wheel is equal parts popular science, history, and muckraking. Over the past hundred and fifty years, dairy farming and cheesemaking have been transformed, and this book explores what has been lost along the way. Today, using cutting-edge technologies like high-throughput DNA sequencing, scientists are beginning to understand the techniques of our great-grandparents. The authors describe how geneticists are helping conservationists rescue rare dairy cow breeds on the brink of extinction, microbiologists are teaching cheesemakers to nurture the naturally occurring microbes in their raw milk rather than destroying them, and communities of cheesemakers are producing "real" cheeses that reunite farming and flavor, rewarding diversity and sustainability at every level."--Provided by publisher.

A summer of recalls exposes holes in the nation’s food safety net • Minnesota Reformer

Jalapenos. Frozen berries. Beef. Alfalfa sprouts. A summer of food recalls, including the record-shattering cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce that has sickened thousands, has raised many Americans’ fears of contracting a foodborne illness. The recalls have focused attention on the Trump administration’s decision to cut funding and staff at several public health agencies, and […]

Taylor Farms, 2009 to 2026: The Outbreaks, and the Recalls That Did and Did Not Follow

Every time Taylor Farms turns up at the center of an outbreak, the company says the same thing — this is an isolated event, our branded products are not

California produce supplier is sued, accused of causing E. coli outbreak unreported by FDA

An E. Coli outbreak in November killed one person and sickened at least 88 more. The FDA did not name a culprit, but victims blame Salinas produce supplier Taylor Fresh Foods.

The FDA Says It Didn't Apologize to Supplier Linked to Diarrhea Outbreak, Actually

The agency stressed that the July 17 voluntary recall from Taylor Farms still stands. The supplier has been linked to the ongoing cyclospora outbreak.

Epic diarrhea outbreak has 40% of Americans avoiding fruits and veggies

Kennedy has focused on nutrition but has neglected food safety, critics say.

Taylor Farms linked to 5 other Cyclospora or E.Coli outbreaks in last decade-plus | CNN

Taylor Farms has regularly downplayed problems after being linked to outbreaks in the past.

Elisabeth Bik on Twitter / X

There are clearly some problems in Figure S6b, but dr. S. is "deeply skeptical" and claims that these concerns are "unfounded".Look, you might have won the Nobel prize, but that does not mean you are correct here. I stand by my concerns. https://t.co/l47YC65nZp pic.twitter.com/Gy6xqomXvr— Elisabeth Bik (@MicrobiomDigest) June 16, 2024

PTAB Affirms §101 Rejection of Human Milk Product Claims

Patent Trial and Appeal Board Doubles Down on Natural Products Doctrine in Human Milk Case

What we know on Taylor Farms donations to pro-Trump groups

After Taylor Farms de Mexico’s lettuce was identified as a potential source for a multi-state cyclospora outbreak, the company’s political dealings and contributions came under scrutiny. Social media users looked into donations the company and its leadership made and drew assumptions about how those influenced the Trump administration’s outbreak response. Here are some of the […]

Taylor Farms Expands Iceberg Lettuce Recall to 27 States Amid Cyclospora Outbreak

The F.D.A. said that a new sample from the company’s Mexico facility had tested positive for cyclospora and that the agency was trying to trace affected products.

Cyclospora and salmonella outbreaks raise concerns about U.S. food safety

Public health concerns are widening as cyclosporiasis cases surge and a salmonella outbreak across 17 states has many Americans raising concerns about U.S. food safety. Back-to-back cases where people are getting sick from food have put many on edge. William Brangham discussed the concerns with Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University.