CBS News
Are food recalls and outbreaks on the rise? FDA says U.S. food supply still “one of the safest in the world”
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that the U.S. food supply is still “one of the safest in the world,” in the wake of a number of foodborne disease outbreaks affecting items ranging from organic carrots to deli meats to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. E. coli, listeria and other contaminants have sickened thousands of people and forced a number of recalls in recent months.
But despite those high-profile examples, data cited by the FDA suggest recalls were not unusually high this past year.
For the fiscal year that ended in September, there were 179 recalls deemed by the agency’s food and cosmetics arm as being for the highest-risk classification of issues, like potential contamination with bacteria or undeclared allergens.
That’s up from 145 high-risk recalls in 2023, but less than the 185 the agency recorded in 2022. There were 167 high-risk recalls in 2019.
This classification includes the recall of tens of thousands of cases of onions processed by Taylor Farms that were pulled earlier this fall, after officials suspected they were to blame for a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers that has sickened more than a hundred people.
“Our ultimate goal is for industry to do their part to ensure that the foods they introduce into the market are not adulterated or misbranded. Recalls help get the food off the market quickly when something goes wrong. Outbreak advisories provide important food safety information to the public,” an FDA spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson also pointed to The Economist’s report measuring global food security. The U.S. food supply is “one of the safest in the world” and ranked “joint first for the food safety indicator in 2022,” the spokesperson said.
In fact, the FDA suggested, the number of recalls is an indicator that the safety system is working.
“The occurrence of recalls and outbreaks means that manufacturers, importers and distributors are monitoring for issues and taking action when they detect a problem,” the FDA spokesperson said.
An increase in illnesses in CDC data — but also an increase in testing
Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest the number of high-profile recalls have increased from last year, though not by much.
So far this year, 10 “multistate foodborne outbreak notices” have been issued by the CDC. Last year there were nine notices. There were 24 notices issued in 2018, the most of any year over the past decade.
Infections from foodborne outbreak culprits like Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC, have climbed to at least 13,962 this year, CDC records tally.
Around 13,140 had been reported by health departments around this time last year and 12,119 were reported by this time in 2019.
Foodborne illnesses linked to other germs have also climbed across the country in recent years, reports by the CDC’s FoodNet system suggest, though improvements in how patients are tested for these germs may help explain some of the increase.
“Laboratory technology changes and that impacts what we see in the surveillance data. When laboratory testing gets faster, it gets more specific, it gets better in other ways. It makes the data a little bit less comparable,” Sharon Shea, senior director of food safety at the Association for Public Health Laboratories, told CBS News.
Shea, who has also worked as a microbiologist in hospital laboratories as well as public health labs, said other ways that public health departments and doctors respond to foodborne outbreaks have gotten better as well.
Some of that is a time-saving shift towards “molecular-based” panel tests that can be run by hospitals and clinical labs for an array of germs, instead of one-off tests for specific pathogens, that were rolled out after 2012.
Labs in the PulseNet network helmed by the CDC have also switched to “whole genome sequencing,” Shea said — a more accurate approach to narrowing down the unique genetic fingerprint that can link different cases together for investigators. Those connections can be crucial for uncovering common foods eaten by sick people in an outbreak.
“The most preventable, needless deaths”
Food safety advocates outside the government say the U.S. still has plenty of room for improvement in food safety.
“It doesn’t help to say ‘Americans have the safest food in the world’ when people are dying from baby carrots,” said Sarah Sorscher, head of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Sorscher acknowledged that public health departments have gotten better at investigating outbreaks, but cautioned that still only a fraction of foodborne illnesses are solved.
“Our public health system is getting better at solving outbreaks thanks to advances in whole genome sequencing and artificial intelligence, so it may be that we are just seeing more of the iceberg now than we did a few years ago,” she said.
Staffing shortages and breakdowns in food safety had also led to an artificial dip in the number of recalls and reported illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sorscher said.
“Our food supply is not as safe as it was even five years ago. Anyone who’s gone to the grocery store or rifled through their refrigerator to see which onions and carrots in the produce drawer are the subject of the latest recall knows that,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government relations at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.
Faber pointed to a previous report tracking a rebound in food recalls after 2020, based on data from the FDA as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Inspections by the FDA of food facilities are falling short of a congressional mandate, the Environmental Working Group has argued. They have also criticized the agency for not requiring testing of irrigation water sprayed on crops, which can pose a contamination risk from nearby animal feeding operations.
“Not unlike washing your hands or not cutting your vegetables on the same cutting board as your chicken, they’re just common sense measures to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. And these are the most preventable, needless deaths imaginable,” said Faber.
CBS News
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
Getty Images
The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
CBS News
How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
Nic Antaya/Getty Images
The Detroit Lions will face off against the Indianapolis Colts today. The Lions enter this game as top contenders with a near-perfect record of 9-1 so far this season. The Colts, who are 5-6 this season, could have a tough game on their hands against the Lions but will be looking to rack up another win after prevailing over the New York Jets in a tight game last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Colts vs. Lions game today, whether or not you have cable.
Here’s how and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Lions vs. Colts game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Experience NFL action like never before with Fubo’s comprehensive sports streaming platform. From Sunday showdowns to primetime matchups, catch every NFL game across major networks including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Choose the Pro package to unlock 200+ channels and limitless DVR storage, or elevate your game-day experience with the Elite with Sports Plus package, featuring NFL RedZone’s commercial-free scoring highlights and stunning 4K quality.
Test drive the service with a no-commitment seven-day free trial, and share the excitement with family and friends — Fubo supports simultaneous streaming on up to 10 devices, so everyone can watch their favorite teams.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games, and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
CBS News
How to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins NFL game today: Livestream options, more
Getty Images
The New England Patriots will face off against the Miami Dolphins in a game today at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The Patriots have had an uneven season so far, coming into the game with a record of 3-8, including a 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on November 17. The Dolphins, however, haven’t fared much better this season as they enter the game with a record of 4-6, although they are coming off two wins in a row, the latest against the Las Vegas Raiders last weekend.
Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game today, even without cable.
CBS, Paramount+ and CBS Essentials are all subsidiaries of Paramount Global.
How and when to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game today
The New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT). The football game will be shown on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ and the platforms noted below.
How and when to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game without cable
While CBS is available with many basic cable packages, you’ll have other viewing options, too for the Patriots-Dolphins game. Just understand that the below streaming options will require the use of an internet provider:
Paramount+: Watch CBS-aired NFL games without cable
With Paramount+ you’ll have multiple viewing options to choose from. You can catch NFL games on the Paramount+ Essential tier for just $7.99 each month or you can watch college football with a Paramount+ with Showtime subscription for $12.99 monthly. In addition to live streams of NFL games airing on CBS, you’ll get to watch additional live sporting events including NCAA college football, PGA Tour golf, soccer and more.
Get started with Paramount+ here today.
Amazon Prime Video: Add Paramount+ to your existing subscription
Already have an Amazon Prime Video account? Simply add Paramount+ to your current subscription to watch all the CBS-aired NFL games in addition to Paramount+ originals. The same prices from above apply, depending on which tier you choose. Not sure which is best for you? Don’t worry. Both options come with a free seven-day trial that can help you decide.
Watch the Patriots-Dolphins game on Amazon Prime Video.
Fubo: Watch the Patriots-Dolphins game for free
Looking for an inexpensive way to watch football? Fubo could be the best way to do so. The live TV streamer is currently offering a seven-day free trial and $30 off of your first month’s subscription. Once subscribed, you’ll gain access to all of their live sporting events immediately. And there will be a lot to choose from. Not only does Fubo come with access to NFL games airing on your local CBS channel, it also includes Fox Sunday NFC games, “Sunday Night Football” on NBC, “Monday Night Football” on ABC and ESPN and all of the games that air on the NFL Network. So don’t wait.
Get started with Fubo online now.
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more