Fresh fruits, vegetables triggering food poisoning outbreaks

May 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Higher prices of tea, fruits, vegetables and spices pushed up India's annual rate of inflation to 0.61 percent for the week ended May 9 from 0.48 percent the week before, official data on wholesale prices showed Thursday. The annual rate of inflation had been rising for four consecutive reporting dates since the week ended April 4 when it was at 0.18 percent and touched 0.7 percent for the week ended April 26, before falling to 0.48 percent for the period ended May 2.

April 26th, 2009 LONDON - Manchester United has stepped up security in their Champions League and Premier League run-ins in order to protect players from food sabotage. Old Trafford chiefs are so scared that their players could be the victims of food poisoning that they are sending their chefs, together with their own security guard, to all away visits.

April 15th, 2009 TORONTO - Diets high in vegetables and nuts, or rich in fruit, vegetables and fish were associated with a lower risk for heart disease than those that rely on foods with a high glycemic index. High glycemic index food includes rice, pasta and refined carbohydrates like white bread, and foods high in trans-fatty acids including fried foods, baked goods and snacks.

April 10th, 2009 LONDON - US First Lady Michelle Obama planted first fruit and vegetable seedlings in her White House kitchen garden along with a group of elementary school children. The 1,100-square-foot L-shaped garden includes spinach, assorted types of lettuce, herbs along with dill, oregano and rosemary - onions, shallots, cucumbers, peppers and peas.

April 9th, 2009 LONDON - People who have been taking Chinese slimming capsules, available on the Internet, reported serious health problems that include nausea and poisoning, according to a report. Since 2005, the poison emergency centres in Freiburg and Gottingen, Germany, have registered a total of 17 patients with health problems after taking Chinese slimming capsules.

March 24th, 2009 COLOMBO - One person died and over 120 people were hospitalised Tuesday due to suspected food poisoning in Sri Lanka's eastern town of Trincomalee, the authorities here said. The Public Health Services Division said 123 people, including 75 children, were taken ill after eating buns from a bakery.

February 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India has sought Canadian expertise in food processing to reduce wastage of agri-products, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said here Sunday. 'We are among the top producers of vegetables and fruits in the world.

February 12th, 2009 KANYAKUMARI - Four foreign sailors on board a South Korean freighter off the Tamil Nadu coast died of food poisoning while two were admitted to a government hospital here Friday evening, an official said. 'An SOS message was received from the vessel 16 nautical miles off the coast.

February 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Teenagers are more likely to follow their parents in gorging on fast foods like burgers and fries rather than healthier fruits and vegetables. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers found that adolescents are more likely to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day if their parents do.

February 1st, 2009 RANCHI - Marriage celebrations in a village in Jharkhand turned tragic when a woman and a child died due to food poisoning and 19 other people were hospitalised, the police said. According to the police, the villagers left Sunday night to attend a marriage in Jaldega block in Simdega district, some 120 km from Ranchi.

January 22nd, 2009 JAMMU - The movement of goods and people across the Line of Control (LOC) between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir has not been affected by the chill in relations between two countries post the 26/11 Mumbai attack, officials say. The weekly crossing of people to and from Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch district of Jammu region is going on smoothly.

January 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Avoid panic stocking of essential commodities or you may end up shelling out more money. According to the Market Produce Committee in Delhi, there is enough stock of all essential items to meet the demand in the national capital.

January 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The nationwide indefinite strike called by truckers entered the second day Tuesday even as the government Monday threatened to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) if needed against the strikers. 'We will continue our nationwide strike until our demands are met,' said Charan Singh Lohara, the president of All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), the apex body of truckers.

January 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Striking truckers Tuesday accused the government of indifference and vowed to continue their agitation, even as a leading exporters' organisation said the country would lose about Rs.10 billion daily on account of the stir. 'The government has slipped from its commitment of the agreement it had reached with us.

January 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian economy could lose Rs.10 billion (Rs.1,000 crore) daily on account of the indefinite nationwide truckers' strike, a premier organisation of exporters said here Tuesday. 'Everyday, goods worth about Rs.1,000 crore are transported across India and this will get hit because of the strike,' said A.