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Chew on This podcast series
Chew on This is a podcast series that focuses on food safety and protecting our nation's food supply, featuring insights from America's leading food experts.
What MRSA Means for Your Food
July 7, 2011
Most of you have heard of MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It’s an infection commonly found in humans, but MRSA has also been found in many other species, including companion animals and livestock. This puts veterinarians at the front lines of fighting the infectious disease and transmission between animals and humans. Recently, there has been a fair amount of confusing and misleading information in the media regarding MRSA and livestock animals. In this new Chew on This podcast, Dr. Christine Hoang, assistant director of the AVMA’s Scientific Activities Division, discusses everything you need to know about MRSA. Listen now.
New Food Safety Rules From FDA
June 22, 2011
The Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law by President Obama on Jan. 4, 2011, expands the FDA’s authority to order recalls, strengthen inspections of food processors and introduce tougher standards of safety on producers. This is the biggest overhaul of food safety oversight in 70 years. In this new Chew on This podcast, Dr. Dan McChesney, director of the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Office of Surveillance and Compliance, discusses the new law and the impact it will have on food safety in this country. Listen now.
Life on a Modern Dairy Farm
June 8, 2011
Hinchley’s Dairy Farm is a family owned farm in Wisconsin. Owned by Tina and Duane Hinchley, the farm produces milk and other products including poultry and crops like corn and wheat. But what exactly goes into running a farm? Sure, modern technology has made farming easier in many ways, but ensuring the well-being of livestock and the safety of food is still no easy feat, especially with an ever-growing population to feed. In this podcast, Tina Hinchley talks about the challenges and rewards of running a modern dairy farm. Listen now.
Children at Risk for Foodborne Illness
May 11, 2011
Children are disproportionately affected by foodborne illness. According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of all reported foodborne illnesses occur in children, with the majority of these cases occurring in children under 15 years of age. To address this, USDA and Kansas State University will now be home to the Center of Excellence for Food Safety Research in Child Nutrition Programs, a research facility devoted solely to improving food safety for children. In this podcast, the director of the new center, Dr. Kevin Roberts of Kansas State University, discusses foodborne illnesses and the devastating affect they can have on young people. Listen now.
Chickens in the Neighborhood
April 20, 2011
Many parts of the country are facing the growing problem of a shortage of food animal veterinarians, a shortage that could have a devastating impact on food safety. Food-animal veterinarians guard the nation's food supply by protecting people from disease, such as foodborne diseases like E. coli and salmonella. About 500 counties in the United States have large populations of food animals but no veterinarian nearby to treat them. In this podcast, Dr. Tim Trayer, a food animal veterinarian in Pennsylvania, talks about the effect this shortage could have on our food supply. Listen now.
Veterinarians Needed to Protect Our Food
April 6, 2011
Many parts of the country are facing the growing problem of a shortage of food animal veterinarians, a shortage that could have a devastating impact on food safety. Food-animal veterinarians guard the nation's food supply by protecting people from disease, such as foodborne diseases like E. coli and salmonella. About 500 counties in the United States have large populations of food animals but no veterinarian nearby to treat them. In this podcast, Dr. Tim Trayer, a food animal veterinarian in Pennsylvania, talks about the effect this shortage could have on our food supply.Listen now.
One Health
March 9, 2011
Healthy animals mean a healthy food supply, which means healthy humans. This concept is one of the main ideas behind One Health, a worldwide strategy for expanding collaboration and communication in health care for humans, animals and the environment. In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. Roger K. Mahr, CEO of the One Health Commission and past president of the AVMA, talks about how the ideas behind the One Health Initiative help to keep the food you eat safe. Listen now.
FSIS Keeps your Food Safe
February 16, 2011
Thousands of USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) personnel are assigned to slaughter and food processing across the United States. These personnel oversee the processing of tens of billions of pounds of meat and poultry and billions of pounds of egg products. Meat, poultry and processed egg products can be contaminated with bacteria at many points during production, so it is crucial that the FSIS inspect slaughter and processing facilities to make sure the products are safe, wholesome and correctly labeled and packaged. In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. William James, from the FSIS Office of Field Operations, explains how FSIS keeps our food supply safe. Listen now.
Aquatic Veterinarians and Seafood Safety"
February 2, 2011
Aquaculture is a multi-billion dollar business in the United States. Everything from clams to salmon is farmed under controlled conditions, in tanks, enclosures and in open water. In this podcast, Dr. David Scarfe, assistant director of the AVMA Scientific Activities Division, discusses how aquatic veterinarians monitor aquatic species’ health and quality and offer ways to keep diseases from impacting operations and food safety. Listen now.
Hunting and Food Safety
January 12, 2011
Every good hunter knows safety is important, but food safety after the hunt is just as necessary to protect yourself, your family and your friends from potentially harmful foodborne disease. In the latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Jeff Bender, director of the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, talks about what you need to do before you bring home that deer or wild turkey for dinner.Listen now.
Outbreak!
January 3, 2011
Recently, more than 500 million eggs were recalled after dangerous levels of Salmonella were detected in the eggs of two Iowa producers. Two thousand illnesses related to this outbreak were reported between May and October 2010. But how did we know where the contaminated food came from and that all the illnesses reported were related? The CDC’s Outbreak Response Branch investigates such outbreaks of foodborne disease to track the source, control the outbreak and prevent similar outbreaks from happening in the future. In this podcast, Dr. Jennifer Wright, a veterinarian in the Outbreak Response Branch, discusses how the CDC detects, investigates and controls outbreaks of foodborne illness.Listen now.
Organic Veterinary Medicine
December 8, 2010
If you have organic milk, it would follow that you have practitioners of organic veterinary medicine treating dairy cows. At Penn Dutch Cow Care, an ambulatory veterinary clinic serving nearly 100 organic dairy farms in Lancaster, Pa., Dr. Hubert Karreman does just that. In this podcast, Dr. Karreman discusses the strict guidelines he must follow as an organic veterinarian, presenting a unique set of challenges for his practice.Listen now.
All About Organic: Part Two
November 3, 2010
It seems as though organic food is everywhere these days but what does the term organic really mean, who decides, and how does that USDA Organic sticker find its way onto the food in your grocery store? In the latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Christine Hoang, assistant director of the AVMA's Scientific Activities Division, helps you navigate the grocery aisle.Listen now.
Dangers of Undercooked Food
September 29, 2010
There are many who like to eat their meat rare, but undercooked food can cause bacterial food poisoning such as Salmonella and E. coli. In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. Chuck Czuprynski, professor of Pathobiological Sciences and director of the Food Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin School Of Veterinary Medicine, talks to us about the dangers of eating undercooked food.Listen now.
Antimicrobial Resistance and You
September 15, 2010
The FDA recently released new draft guidance on the appropriate uses for antimicrobial drugs in animal agriculture. The guidance calls for the judicious use of antimicrobial drugs in livestock to protect the effectiveness of these drugs as human therapies. In this new Chew on This podcast, Dr. Scott Hurd, associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine at Iowa State University, discusses the issues surrounding antibiotic resistance and what it means for you.Listen now.
Mad Cow Disease and Our Food Supply
July 21, 2010
We know mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), isn’t something that happens when your beef gets angry. But what exactly is BSE? In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. Ron DeHaven, chief executive officer of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and former administrator of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, talks about BSE and the threat it poses to our food supply.Listen now.
Heifer International
July 7, 2010
Food production is a global issue, and groups like Heifer International stress the importance of sustainable farming. In our latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Terry Wollen from Heifer International discusses food sustainability programs in the United States and around the globe.Listen now.
Keeping Poultry Healthy
June 23, 2010
Americans consume more chicken than any other type of meat, so it’s crucial that our poultry is disease free. In our latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Timothy Cummings, clinical poultry professor at Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, discusses the importance of keeping our poultry healthy from farm to fork.Listen now.
Human and Animal Health
June 9, 2010
Veterinarians play a prominent role in making sure our food supply is healthy and safe to eat by preventing the spread of foodborne illness among our livestock. Doing so not only keeps the animals healthy, but it also reduces the risk of human exposure to foodborne illnesses and, in turn, keeps us healthy as well. In this podcast, Dr. Ron DeHaven, chief executive officer of the AVMA, discusses the link between human and animal health. Listen now.
Life on Listeria Lane
April 15, 2010
In 2008, the deaths of 22 people in Canada were linked to an outbreak of listeriosis transmitted through deli meats. In this Chew on This podcast, we discuss this foodborne illness and listeria, the bacteria that causes it, with Dr. Christine Hoang, assistant director of the AVMA's Scientific Activities Division. Listen now.
Washington Update: Food Safety Legislation
March 17, 2010
Decisions made by the U.S. Congress have a major impact on the ways we keep food safe in our country. And with so many food safety concerns over the past few years, Congress has been busy writing and discussing legislation that could affect and, possibly, reshape our food safety systems. In our latest Chew on This podcast, we discuss what’s going on in Washington with Dr. Ashley Shelton, assistant director of the AVMA’s Governmental Relations Division.Listen now
Q&A With Temple Grandin
February 17, 2010
Dr. Temple Grandin is a noted author, consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior issues and the subject of the new HBO biopic, Temple Grandin. She is also a past recipient of the AVMA Humane Award. In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. Grandin joins us to discuss her work in animal welfare as it relates to food production in America.Listen now
Large Farms Feed the World
January 25, 2010
Much of our food today comes from large farms. In our latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Kent Ames, professor at the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, discusses animal health and the role that large farms play in providing food for the growing world.Listen now
Research Veterinarians and Food Safety
December 11, 2009
Few people know that research veterinarians play an important role in food safety. Their research is crucial to forecasting the emergence of foodborne diseases and possible food safety outbreaks. In this Chew on This podcast, we discuss the role that veterinarians play in food safety research and forecasting with Dr. Scott Hurd, associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine at Iowa State University. Listen now
Antimicrobial Resistance -- Assessing the Risk
November 13, 2009
Many people are talking about antimicrobial resistance these days, and
there are lots of misconceptions about what role, if any, our food
plays in this resistance. In our latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Scott
Hurd, associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production
animal medicine at Iowa State University, discusses quantitative risk
assessments of antibiotic resistance in humans and explains all of this
in laymen’s terms. Listen now
Salmonella: What You Need to Know
October 28, 2009
Food contaminated with salmonella has made headlines over the past two years with recalls of food like peanuts, pistachios and peppers. In the latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Christine Hoang, assistant director of the AVMA’s Scientific Activities Division, discusses salmonella—what it is, how people get it and how dangerous it is. Listen now
Poultry: Coming to a Backyard Near You?
October 14, 2009
In what many may consider a sign of the times, some residents of urban areas have begun raising poultry in their backyards. In the latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Bret Marsh, state veterinarian of Indiana, joins us to discuss backyard poultry and food safety. Listen now
State Veterinarians and Food Safety
September 30, 2009
Across our nation, state veterinarians serve as important safeguards in keeping our food safe. In our latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Bret Marsh, state veterinarian of Indiana, discusses the role of state veterinarians in food safety. Listen now
Campylobacter Q&A
September 16, 2009
Campylobacter is a leading cause of global foodborne illness, but it is often misunderstood. What is it? How dangerous is it? Why have a lot of us never heard of it? In the latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Christine Hoang, assistant director of the AVMA's Scientific Activities Division, answers these questions and tells us what systems are in place to keep our food safe from campylobacter. Listen now
The ABCs of E. Coli
September 2, 2009
We’ve all heard of E Coli, but most of us are unsure what exactly it is and how we can get it. In this new Chew on This podcast, Dr. Christine Hoang, Assistant Director of the AVMA’s Scientific Activities Division, tells us what E Coli is, where you might find it and what you should be on the look-out for when buying food. Listen now
Cause for Concern: Responding to the Pew Report
August 17, 2009
A common concern among Americans is making sure that the food we eat is the safest in the world. We can thank our nation's food supply veterinarians for helping keep our nation's livestock healthy and the making sure the meat, eggs and dairy products the livestock produces is safe to eat. The AVMA, the world's largest and most prestigious veterinary medical organization, recently released an extensive report that addresses some current concerns about the way farm animal health is maintained in the U.S. In our latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Ron DeHaven, AVMA CEO, discusses The American Veterinary Medical Association Response to the Report of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. Listen now
The Federal Government and Food Safety
July 22, 2009
Recent food safety outbreaks and recalls have caused many to question the efficiency and effectiveness of our federal food safety system. In this new Chew on This podcast, Dr. Ron DeHaven, Chief Executive Officer of the AVMA, explains which federal agencies work to keep our food safe and discusses what the government can do to improve food safety. Listen now
Farm Animal Welfare
July 1, 2009
A hot topic on many consumers’ minds these days is the welfare of animals on farms. In this new Chew on This podcast, Dr. Gail Golab, Director of the AVMA’s Animal Welfare Division, discusses why the public is increasingly interested in animal welfare. Dr. Golab also addresses some of the facts and misconceptions regarding the welfare of animals used to produce food. Listen now
Keeping Livestock Healthy
June 3, 2009
Preventing and treating disease in livestock is crucial to keeping our meat, eggs and dairy products safe. In the latest Chew on This podcast, Dr. Christine Hoang, assistant director of the AVMA’s Scientific Activities Division, talks about the methods and treatments used to keep livestock healthy and discusses the important relationship between animal and human health. Listen now
Bioterrorism and Food Safety
May 18, 2009
Did you know that there’s a link between food safety and bioterrorism? The threat of bioterrorism to our food supply is very real in America, and luckily, we have hard working men and women working to keep us safe. In this new Chew on This podcast, Dr. John Sanders, Branch Chief for Food Defense and Preparedness Coordination at the Department of Homeland Security, joins us to talk about food safety and bioterrorism. Listen now
How FARAD Keeps Our Food Safe
May 4, 2009
Veterinarians rely on a variety of food safety tools, and one key program, FARAD, helps make sure our meat, eggs and dairy products are free of drug, environmental and pesticide contaminants. In this new podcast, we discuss the crucial role of the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) in the food safety with Dr. Jim Riviere, Professor of the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina University and Co-Director of the FARAD program. Listen now
The many roles of veterinarians
April 15, 2009
Veterinarians help keep food safe in a variety of jobs in public and private service. In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. Ted Mashima, Associate Executive Director for Academic & Research Affairs at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, discusses these and other interesting and important jobs that veterinarians hold. Listen now
Veterinarians Keep My Food Safe? Really?
April 2, 2009
Veterinarians don’t just take care of pets; they also help ensure a safe and healthy food supply. Dr. Mark Lutschaunig, director of the AVMA’s Governmental Relations Division, explains in this Chew on This podcast the indispensible role veterinarians play in food safety and how a shortage of food animal veterinarians could spell trouble. Listen now
Food Safety Across Borders
March 16, 2009
More and more people these days want to know where their food comes from. How can we tell if it’s safe? How do we know what country it came from? What does animal identification have to do with meat, eggs and dairy products that we enjoy? In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. Barbara Masters, Senior Policy Advisor at Olsson Frank Weeda P.C and former Administrator of the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service, talks about the safety of food imported into the U.S. and answers questions about labeling and animal identification. Listen now
Vegetarians and Food Safety
March 2, 2009
Being a vegetarian doesn’t necessarily mean that you escape food safety challenges. In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. Tracey DuVernoy, an AVMA member veterinarian and vegetarian, discusses food safety and health concerns for vegetarians. Dr. DuVernoy explains where contamination comes from and the roles veterinarians play in preventing it. Listen now
All About Organic Food
February 15, 2009
Purchasing organic food has become increasingly popular in America in the past few years, and for many this means paying more for food. But is it really worth it to always buy more expensive food? In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. Christine Hoang, assistant director of the AVMA Scientific Activities Division, explains what "organic" means and discusses the choices we face when purchasing food. Listen now
Should I Worry about Food Safety?
February 5, 2009
In this Chew on This podcast, Dr. Steven Sundloff, a veterinarian and Director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, addresses whether we should worry about food safety and explains the important role that veterinarians play in protecting our nation’s food supply. Dr. Sundloff also tells us what resources are available for us to check whether or not our food is safe to eat. Listen now
Taking Action in Our Democracy (Part II)
January 21, 2009
What can I do to get the government to care more about food safety? How can I effectively communicate with my elected leaders? What’s the best way to take action? During his two terms in the US Senate, veterinarian Wayne Allard learned first-hand the answers to these questions while dealing with issues impacting food safety. In Part Two of this special two-part podcast, Senator Wayne Allard joins us to discuss advocacy tactics and what Congress can do to keep our food safe. Listen now
Taking Action in Our Democracy (Part I)
January 5, 2009
As America turns its attention to a historic Presidential Inauguration, ‘Chew on This’ focuses on the intersection of politics and food safety. Veterinarian Wayne Allard served in the US Senate for the last 12 years and has dealt with many pressing issues impacting food safety. In Part One of this special two-part podcast, Senator Allard, discusses how being a veterinarian prepared him for his role as a US Senator and the importance of being involved in legislative process. Listen now
Hello, Dolly!
December 17, 2008
The science of cloning livestock has evolved rapidly over the past decade, so much that the method is now a viable solution for producing healthy and strong members of food animal families. Dr. Barbara Glenn, Managing Director for Animal Biotechnology at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), discusses whether food from cloned animals is safe to eat and if you should expect to see it at the local supermarket in the near future. Listen now
The Scoop on "Raw Milk"
December 3, 2008
A lot of people are talking about “raw milk” these days and asking questions about unpasteurized dairy products. Are they safe? Are they healthy? Dr. Raymond Sweeney, Chief Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, discusses the importance of pasteurization and gives us the scoop on “raw milk.” Listen now
Thanksgiving Food Safety
November 19, 2008
With Thanksgiving ahead of us, there are some important considerations for keeping your family's dinner safe to eat. Dr. Dustan Clark, Extension Poultry Veterinarian, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, and the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, discusses ways to keep your food safe this Thanksgiving. Listen now
