Category Archives: Micro

Spicy Sushi and Salmonella

This news report looks at a recall of spicy sushi. When this story was released, the source of the salmonella had not been identified. Check out this story!  Think about where you would look with respect to the source of the salmonella. As of last week,(According to MSNBC)  this incident had affected 258 people in…

Rush Samples

Around the holidays, clients consistently need rush analysis. Today, I received a call from a client who needs analysis records for an important business transaction tomorrow.  At Midwest Laboratories, these type of requests are pretty regular. It is for this reason that our company does not take an extended vacation time. Companies rely on the…

Bacteria on Cell Phones

  Check out this news story from the BBC. A study  out of Queen Mary University swabbed 390 cell phones and analyzed them for bacteria. 92% of  the 390 phones tested indicated the presence of bacteria 16% were contaminated with e.Coli bacteria. Another indicator of how important it is to keep your hands and skin…

Restaurant Play Areas and Bacteria

Have you ever taken your kids to one of those indoor kids play areas at  your local  fast-food restaurants? I remember the first time, my child had climbed up and refused to leave. I poked my head in the tunnel, placed my hands on the sticky tunnel and was overcome by the horrible smell.  I…

Bisphenol A in Dollar Bills and Receipts

Yesterday, it was announced that BPA has been found in all types of currency. Cash receipts and bank notes also contain the substance BPA.  More information can be found in this article, “Paper currency tainted with drugs and bisphenol A” “Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical  used as a plastics hardener. Many products that are…

iPad and Bacteria

Have you been to an Apple Store lately? The store has an awesome setup of iPads, iPods, iPhones and iMacs for people to test-drive. Many, many people come in and start using the devices to get a better feel of how they work and what type of apps there are, and how they work. Have…

Allergens and Meat Recalls

This information really caught my attention.  Source “Allergens Have Caused Most Meat Recalls This Year – foodsafetynews.com, July 8, 2011” The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, (FSIS) released the following information. Allergens Recalls January – June 2011 -  Out of 27 recalls for undeclared ingredients, 20 were the result of undeclared allergens.   This compares…

Is your steering wheel making you ill

Your steering wheel is collecting more bacteria than a toilet seat!  – This statement was made after researchers at Queen Mary University, London discovered there are almost nine times as many bacteria on a steering wheel than a toilet seat. Results of the study: Steering Wheel – 700 bacteria per square inch Toilet Seat - …

Taking a closer look at your morning coffee

Are you one of those individuals who needs a cup of coffee to get going? Have you really thought much about that lid that is put on the top of your cup of coffee? I had not thought about it, till I saw this video. Once you see this video, you may never look at…

Germs on your cell phone

Did you see this story this morning on Good Morning America? Check it out!! Make sure to spread a little hand sanitizer on your hands and share it with your phone to cut down on the bacteria count. It’s an interesting piece that I am sure will gain more attention each year.