The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "Department of Food and Agriculture" ...
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Recipe for Trouble
The authors investigated the role of food establishment inspectors and Pennsylvania's broken restaurant inspection system.
Tags: public safety; food establishments; food poisoning; food establishment inspectors; CDC health reports; Department of Agriculture; FOIA; food-born illnesses
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Hidden Horrors: California Dairy Workers Face Danger and Abuse
Workers in California's dairy industry generally live and work in the same place, and therefore do not speak out about poor working conditions for fear of losing their homes and/or their jobs. Rose Arrieta finds that in 2001, Cal OSHA investigated the state's dairies following the deaths of two workers. Fines were handed down, but there have been no inspections since then. Arrieta discovers that these workers are "modern-day slaves." Workers who aren't working at a "satisfactory" pace are beaten, those with injuries are told to work or they won't get paid, and some are threatened by their employers if the worker complains to legal authorities about inadequate pay.
Tags: dairy industry; California OSHA; Marin County; Sonoma County; human rights abuse; civil righs abuse; Department of Food and Agriculture
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Trouble on the Farm
This series about the University of Nevada-Reno's unethical treatment of their research animals came after five months of extensive investigation by the Reno Gazette-Journal. One university professor is under fire for filing complaints with the USDA about the neglect of animals used to help find new treatments for various diseases. One of the allegations looks at how the university has been disposing of animal carcasses (or parts) in their farm property just a few hundred yards from a Hidden Valley, a residental subdivision. Animal carcasses are left in the open air for coyotes, increasing coyote problems in the area. Other allegations include the unnecessary deaths of 38 pregnant ewes because they were not given food or water, research pigs housed with minimal water or space, and lack of regulations and quality controls for the university.
Tags: research animals; University of Nevada-Reno; Hidden Valley; United States Department of Agriculture
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Modern Meat
Frontline investigates health hazards posed by the nation's meat industry. The story points to evidence that the "widespread use of antibiotics to promote growth and keep livestock healthy may result in the development of bacterial strains that are resistant to antibiotic treatment." The investigation started with examining a lawsuit that a Texas meat-grinding company, Supreme Beef -- after failing federal salmonella standard tests three times -- filed against the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Tags: hygiene; diseases; deaths; food safety; USDA; Center for Disease Control; FOI requests; TAPE; TRANSCRIPT
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No title (id: 19386)
When 21 people died from eating contaminated meats, it was the nation's most lethal food safety epidemic in 15 years--and one of the quietest. Why didn't the U.S. Department of Agriculture blow the whistle sooner on Sara Lee?
Tags: Ball Park franks; USDA; CDC; listeria; Sara Lee; contaminated meat; Bil Mar Foods; food safety
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School Food Safety; School Lunches: Illness On Menu
The Tribune reports on school food illness outbreaks across the United States. The series finds that "dangerous practices exist in the factories where school food is made and in the kitchens and cafeterias where it is warmed and served." The government inspection system for monitoring the $5-billion-per-year school-food business is flawed. It is often difficult to trace spoiled food because subcontractors' identities are rarely disclosed to school officials. The reporter looks at a notorious case in which 1,200 children in North Dakota were sickened by contaminated tortillas.
Tags: schools; education; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); FOIA requests; lead-based paint; lead poisoning; health violations; bacteria; CAR; meat industry; food safety; FDA; CDC
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Outbreak
The Washington Post Magazine investigates the failure of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prevent 21 deaths caused by contaminated meat from Sara Lee Corp. The story reveals that the contamination occurred because of moisture problems in the cooling section of "the giant Bil Mar Foods meatpacking plant in western Michigan." While deaths were tolling, the USDA was leery to issue a press release for fear not to face the legal implications of wrongly accusing the meatproducer. Even though Bil Mar quietly recalled the deadly products from the market, people were still eating meat kept in refrigerators or supermarkets and contaminated with the dangerous Listeria bacteria, the magazine reports. A major finding is that government lacks regulatory power to recall unsafe foods, as well as penalties system for repeated violations in the food industry.
Tags: health; FDA; meat; bacteria; contamination; Sara Lee; CDC; listeria; sanitation; immune system; pregnancy; hot dogs; deli meats; consumers; lawsuits
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A Regulatory Maize
The Legal Times examines the maze of issues surrounding the regulation of biotech foods to find out who is responsible for overseeing the biotechnology industry. "It just doesn't make sense--the FDA is looking at food, and the EPA is looking at certain seeds, and the USDA is look at other aspects of genetically modified food," the Legal Times quotes a Durbin staffer.
Tags: biotechnology; bioengineering; bioengineered corn; regulation of biotech foods; StarLink; Department of Agriculture; Enivronmental Protection Agency; Food and Drug Administration; Biotechnology Industry Organization
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Banking on Biotech
The story examines the controversies surrounding biotech research and development, and sheds light on some of the little known risks to the environment and the customers. The investigation finds that "public and private funds increasingly commingle in cooperative agreements with private industry," and that biotechnology is facing severe public relation problems. The reporter looks at the research activities at the Texas A&M University and finds that it "is well-situated to ride the crest in the coming biotech boom."
Tags: farms; crops; life science; agriculture; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Food and Drug Administration; Environmental Protection Agency; genetically modified foods; labeling; Monsanto; StarLink; Aventis; Novartis; Pioneer; allergy
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Schools Hooked on Junk Food
Washington Post investigates the common contracts between high schools and soft drink companies. Schools are becoming more dependent on revenue coming in while their students are becoming consistent in consuming junk food. These contracts have also brought on the controversial issue of if and when the vending machines can be shut off. Many parents and students would like to see access only at night or on weekends to promote a more healthy lifestyle.
Tags: Junk food; high schools; vending machines; soft drink companies; health risks; U.S. Agriculture Department