Radio Interview with Neal Fortin
Neal Fortin was interviewed on Los Angeles radio station KNX News on last year’s lead poisonings from contaminated applesauce and on the food safety system in general.
Neal Fortin, Director of MSU’s Institute for Food Laws and Regulations (IFLR), was interviewed on the Los Angeles radio station KNX News on March 4, 2024.
Listen to the interview here, or read what he said, below.
Learn how to avoid dangerous and costly mistakes with IFLR’s online graduate course on the FSMA Foreign Supplier Verification Rule with Scott Haskell this summer (May 13-June 27, 2024).
Here is what Neal Fortin said about the applesauce contamination case and the US food safety system:
“One of the reasons that this could happen is that the ingredient supply chain is extended. Some of the ingredients were coming from Sri Lanka, they’re going into South America, they’re being processed there and then the products are coming back into the US In the system under the Food Safety Modernization act, the importers are supposed to double check the supply chain. But the longer the supply chain gets, of course the harder it is.
We have multiple layers of failure. The FDA doesn’t have the resources to
UMaine students, parents make complaints about poor food quality
University of Maine leaders say they are working to improve food quality after receiving complaints from students and parents.
ORONO, Maine — University of Maine leaders say they are working to improve food quality in the school’s Hilltop Commons dining hall after receiving several complaints from both students and parents.
Students have been making their dissatisfaction with the meals served in the dining halls loud and clear, and UMaine Vice President of Finance and Chief of Business Kelly Sparks said the university is taking immediate action.
“We have recently fielded a survey with students as well as weekly focus groups, for the last four weeks, with students to understand what their concerns are,” Sparks said.
Although Sparks said most of the complaints received have been about Hilltop Commons, sophomore student Julie Preble said the food served in York dining hall isn’t the best either. She explained that the best food is served in the Bear’s Den—but it comes with a cost.
“They have like sushi, pasta, chicken fingers, burgers, that kind of stuff,” Preble said. “They have a lot more variety down there.”
For Preble, Hilltop Commons has the worst food overall, which she said is inconvenient because the food