In Wake Of E. Coli Outbreak, Food Safety Program Officials Adjust Their Protocols
The E. coli outbreak in the spring was tied to romaine lettuce grown in Arizona, but California growers, who produce nearly three-quarters of the lettuce consumed in the U.S., will also be faced with new safety regulations.
Capital Public Radio:
California Growers Adjust Safety Practices After Last Year's Deadly E. Coli Outbreak
A group that oversees food safety programs for big California lettuce growers has changed its protocols in the wake of an E. coli outbreak last spring which caused five deaths and sickened more than 200 people across 36 states. The outbreak was linked to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona. (Mitric, 10.5)
In other public health news —
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Study: Guns Used In Violent Crimes Less Often In San Diego Than National Average
Homicides, robberies and aggravated assaults committed in the San Diego region last year involved a gun far less often than in those same crimes nationwide, according to new research findings from a regional government group. The findings found that nationally, nearly three-quarters — 73 percent — of all homicides in 2017 involved a firearm, according to the San Diego Association of Governments Criminal Justice Clearinghouse. In the San Diego region, just a little over half — 53 percent — of all homicides involved a gun. (Riggins, 10/7)
Ventura County Star:
Marijuana Damaged Teenagers' Brains More Than Alcohol, Study Finds
Marijuana use may pose a greater risk to the developing brains of teenagers than alcohol consumption, according to a new study this week. The analysis, published Wednesday in the American Journal of Psychiatry, found that cannabis had greater short and long-term consequences than alcohol on four key components of teens' memory. The finding greatly surprised researchers. (Shannon, 10/6)