Some 500 tons of rotten black beans found in Venezuela

[ChangoLoa]

Deputies Neidy Rosal and Karely Lizarraga, members of Carabobo state legislature's Comptrollership Committee, reported the burning of 500 tons of black beans that were found in 25 containers stranded in Puerto Cabello, in the central state of Carabobo.

The load of black beans belonged to state-run food distribution network Pdval, said deputy Neidy Rosal and had been declared abandoned products before being removed and burnt in a warehouse of the Venezuelan Armed Forces.

http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/11/04/en_eco_esp_some-500-tons-of-rot_04A4694097.shtml

[Bacchus39]

1. Imported meat gains ground in Venezuelan markets

http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/11/04/en_eco_art_imported-meat-gains_04A4693331.shtml

Imports of livestock doubled between January and September 2010

The supply of regulated meat cuts is unstable both in municipal markets and supermarkets (File photo)

Consumers willing to buy meat at regulated prices in Caracas municipal markets and supermarkets do not always get the product, as supply is insufficient to meet demand.

Storekeepers at municipal markets said that they only receive imported meat but they cannot guarantee permanent supply of meat cuts with regulated prices, which are the most demanded by customers.

-------------------------

maybe Venezuelans will have to give up beef like the Indians in the Tairona region in Colombia have given up turtle meat due to scarcity.

[Judi Lynn]

2. E. Coli Likely Linked To Costco Road Show Cheese

E. Coli Likely Linked To Costco Road Show Cheese
Article Date: 05 Nov 2010 - 8:00 PDT

With over twenty-five reported and confirmed cases of E. Coli (Escherichia coli) poisoning in five states, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) informs that they are most likely linked to cheese tasted or sold at Costco retail outlets last month. Local, state and federal officials are still trying to find out exactly what type of cheese was involved.

According to preliminary data, Dutch style Gouda could be the source of E. Coli contamination. However, health officials say it is still too early to be sure and investigations are ongoing. The ADHS says several samples are still being tested.

ADHS informs that the reported illnesses could be linked to cheese sold and served at "Cheese Road Shows", which Costco held last month.

Authorities say Costco is voluntarily removing suspect produce from its shelves and is "cooperating fully". The company says it is contacting everyone it knows who bought the cheese and asking them to return all produce purchased or taken from the road show.

So far, confirmed cases have been reported in:
Arizona - 11
California - 1
Colorado - 8
Nevada - 2
New Mexico - 3

More:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/206894.php

~~~~~22 tons of rodent-infested rice seized
Published: Oct. 28, 2010 at 3:19 PM

ATLANTA, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. marshals seized nearly 22 tons of rodent-infested rice and other tainted food packaged in permeable containers in an Atlanta warehouse, authorities said.

The marshals, acting under an order signed by a federal judge in Atlanta, seized the $720,000 of products, including 438 100-pound bags of rice, from Sun Hong Kai Holding Inc., which does business as United Food Service, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

No one was charged criminally in the investigation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Federal documents did not indicate where the food was headed. United Food Service had no immediate comment.

The FDA inspected the warehouse Sept. 22-Oct. 1 and photographed and videotaped 28 live rodents, one dead rodent, four rodent nests, extensive rodent droppings, rodent-urine stains on permeable food packages and 26 apparent rodent-gnaw holes in the food packages, authorities said

More:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/10/28/22-tons-of-rodent-infested-rice-seized/UPI-56921288293593/

~~~~~FDA Closes Texas Food Processing Plant Contaminated with Listeria
Posted on 04 November 2010 1:51 pm .

US Food and Drug Administration closed a Texas food processing plant Wednesday after being tested positive for bacteria that killed four people.

Previously, four people died after getting ill with a disease called listeriosis, which the victims contracted after consuming celery that was processed at the SanGar plant. Texas health authorities came to this conclusion after investigating 10 other cases that had serious underlying health problems connected to listeriosis within the last eight months.

This has alarmed the Texas Department of State Health Services, who took the lead in the investigation with assistance from FDA and CDC. FDA inspected the company’s premises and issued a summary of its findings last October 26. After a series of tests, laboratory results showed Listeria monocytogenes, bacteria that contaminates the soil, water and animals without any signs of illness.

Through these carriers, the bacteria will be transferred to the vegetables thru animal manures or rotten vegetables used as fertilizers. With an incubation period of about 3 to 70 days, foods can be contaminated after cooking but prior to packaging.

More:
http://whatisthetrend.net/fda-closes-texas-food-processing-plant-contaminated-with-listeria-20104420.html

ETC.

[social_critic]

3. Oh my

I don't think you'll find rotten food being found by the hundreds or thousands of tons in PRIVATE Venezuelan food company containers or warehouses. They won't be found in the state owned Bicentenario market warehouses either - because Bicentenario is a nationalized company and its workers still have some common sense. The rotten food being found in Venezuela is found in PDVSA owned warehouses, thousands of tons of food have been found in recent months. It's so bad, the Venezuelan people refer to this PDVSA subsidiary, known as PDVAL, as PUDREVAL - PUDRE means ROTTEN in Spanish.

The problem, you see, is the corrupt and inefficient nature of the state owned corporation, PDVAL, which Chavez, the great leader, decided would be a subsidiary of.... a state owned oil company, PDVSA. Oil doesn't rot, so I guess the oil managers put in charge of this operation think it's ok to import thousands of tons of food and then have it sit for months.

[naaman fletcher]

4. It could have fed a lot of people. sad /nt.