S.T.O.P. ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD PRESIDENT
S.T.O.P.—Safe Tables Our Priority is pleased to announce the election of Nancy Donley of Chicago to the position of Board President, effective immediately. Ms. Donley, who previously served as S.T.O.P.’s President from 1996-2004, is nationally known for her extensive advocacy work on preventing foodborne illness and death. She became a member of S.T.O.P. and started her advocacy work after the tragic death of her six-year-old son, Alex, in 1993 from E. coli O157:H7-contaminated meat.

“In the wake of the 2007 resurgence of recalls due to E. coli-contaminated meat as well as an alarming rise in other foodborne pathogens, we are very pleased to have Nancy leading S.T.O.P. in preventing contaminated food from reaching consumers,“ stated Donna Rosenbaum, S.T.O.P.’s Executive Director. “Nancy is eminently qualified to lead and speak on behalf of foodborne-illness victims nationwide. She has a proven track record of effecting change to make food safer.”

“S.T.O.P. is a terrific organization and I look forward to continuing to serve as its President”, stated Nancy Donley. “Americans deserve the right to eat without fear of foodborne illness or even death. I pledge to do everything I possibly can on behalf of S.T.O.P. to work with the government and industry to strengthen the safety of our food supply. After all, we all have to eat.”

Safe Tables Our Priority is a national nonprofit, volunteer, health organization dedicated to preventing suffering, illness and death due to foodborne illness by advocating sound public policy, increasing awareness and education, and providing victim assistance.

WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!
Our new address is:

3149 Dundee Rd. #276
Northbrook, IL 60062
New phone: 847-831-3032
New fax: 847-831-3032
mail@safetables.org

Victims Assistance Helpline: 800-350-STOP

A Note From S.T.O.P.
Look for our new website soon in 2008.

S.T.O.P. Welcomes Back Donna Rosenbaum as Executive Director!
Donna was S.T.O.P.s co-founder and first executive director and has rejoined the staff at our headquarters in suburban Chicago. Armed with her 10 years experience as a food safety consultant, she looks forward to assisting foodborne illness victims and leading S.T.O.P. to new safe food initiatives.

Carbon Monoxide and Meat
On January 17, 2006, S.T.O.P. co-signed a letter to the FDA calling for that agency to prohibit the use of carbon monoxide as a colorant in the packaging of fresh meat. Read the press release here and the letter to the FDA here.

FDA Bans Antibiotic for Poultry Use
In the summer of 2005, Food and Drug Administration banned the use of antibiotics in poultry, a ban that was first proposed in 2000 (read the FDA decision here). With an estimated 90,000 people dying a year as a result of antibiotic resistant germs, the CDC says that today, virtually all important bacterial infections in the United States and throughout the world are becoming resistant. For this reason, antibiotic resistance is among CDC's top concerns. Read more here.

S.T.O.P. Comments on Preliminary Reports of a Decrease in Foodborne Disease in 2004
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a report showing important declines in foodborne infections due to common bacterial pathogens in 2004. S.T.O.P. Spokesperson and professional biostatistician Barbara Kowalcyk responded to the report in a press release on April 15, stating "We're thrilled that the food safety reforms S.T.O.P. and others have fought so hard for a decade to earn appear to be working. Still, we're troubled by limitations in the data and any suggestion that America's foodborne disease crisis has been solved." Click here to read the complete press release from S.T.O.P. Click here to read a press release from the CDC, and here for the full report from The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) of CDC's Emerging Infections Program.

Where Are We Now With Mad Cow?
Mad cow continues to make headlines, more than two years after the revelation that meat and byproducts from a cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, had been distributed for human food within the United States. Some recent articles in the media highlight the casual attitude toward testing that still exists within the beef industry. Click here to read an article from USA Today, and here to read about how U.S. pressure has convinced Japan to ease testing regulations. The initial announcement, on December 23, 2003 caused an uproar as the finding highlighted the stark inadequacy of "preventative" testing regimens, the complete inability of the voluntary recall system to effectively remove dangerous food products from grocery store shelves, and the enmity of the mainstream meat industry towards better safeguards to protect consumers' health. Sadly, once the shock wore off, 2004 would prove to be a year of little progress cloaked by largely superficial gestures and meaningless assurances by USDA and the Bush administration. Americans' risk from mad cow disease, along with other foodborne diseases, remains inexcusably high.
Click here to read about commonsense BSE safeguards that are still missing.

Recognizing Media Leadership
Kudos to Good Housekeeping Magazine and Vanity Fair for excellent coverage of food safety in their November, 2004 issues! Good Housekeeping has taken the admirable extra step of enabling its readers to advocate for much-needed mandatory government recall of contaminated food through its website, and their article even sparked S.T.O.P. members' subsequent appearance on the Jane Pauley Show! To read the Good Housekeeping article, which includes S.T.O.P. members the Thacker family, the Kowalcyk family, and Karen Taylor Mitchell, click here.

Jane Pauley Show features S.T.O.P. advocates
S.T.O.P. advocates Nancy Donley, Kristi and Savana Thacker,Shannan and Jeff Parker, and Richard and Linda Miller were on the Jane Pauley Show on Friday, November 19, 2004. They talked to Jane Pauley about food safety and shared their experiences with foodborne disease. Click here for more information.

S.T.O.P. Makes History With Congressional Caucus Event
S.T.O.P. made history on September 22, 2004 in DC when victims presented speeches at the U.S. House of Representatives by invitation of the Congressional Food Safety Caucus. Read the speeches of Barbara Kowalcyk, M.S., Ann Koesterer, and Sarah Moynihan here. S.T.O.P. was joined by moderator Dr. Pamela Russo of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who affirmed the immense burden that foodborne disease places on American families and thanked the panelists for their courage and commitment. View Congressional invitation here. Congratulations go to all participants, but especially to S.T.O.P. member Patricia Buck who worked closely with the offices of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Rep. Phil English (R-PA) to make the event a success.

How Safe is the American Burger?
“Why Are People Still Dying From Contaminated Food?” A pediatrician who works with Congress on food safety issues called S.T.O.P.’s 2003 report on the state of food safety “the most clear overview I've seen on the topic and what I will refer others to.” Read the free report online by clicking here! Or, to order a print copy, send $14.95 to S.T.O.P., 3149 Dundee Rd. #276, Northbrook, IL 60062 or call 847-831-3032.