A California court has issued bench warrants for the arrest of two former slaughterhouse employees after they failed to show for their scheduled arraignment on Friday, according to reports.

Daniel Navarro, 49, of Pomona and Luis Sanchez, 32, of Chino are wanted for five felony counts animal cruelty and three misdemeanors, respectively, for maltreating cows while still employed at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., in Chino

A researcher in Nigeria says that simple hand washing can save lives in Africa and could reduce the incidence of diarrhea by up to 30 percent. That would place the value of hand washing as about equal to access to clean water in cutting diarrhea infections, the researcher said.

Researchers, led by Regina Ejemot of the University of Caliber, in Nigeria reviewed the results of 14 studies of hygiene promotion practices in institutions, community organizations and homes involving more than 8,000 people

A meatpacking company in Minnesota has recalled 188,000 pounds of ground beef patties distributed to food establishments nationwide after five cases of illnesses caused by a bacteria in the product was found.

Lacrossetribune.com reported on Monday that the U.S. Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on Saturday the recall issued by the Rochester Meat Co. of Rochester for its beef patties produced on Oct. 30 and Nov. 6

One of the two largest milk producers in California has raised concern over a law that limits the amount of coliform bacteria in raw milk starting Jan. 1, 2008. According to the Fresno-based Organic Pastures Dairy Company (OPDC), the law's 10 coliform per milliliter requirement is difficult to meet and may dry up their supplies.

Physorg.com quoted OPDC founder Marh McAfee as also saying that in-house testing of their raw milk found no traces of E. coli that authorities claimed to have sickened five local children last year

The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture has warned Texas consumers not to buy ground beef under questionable circumstances, after a trailer containing almost 15,000 pounds of ground beef was stolen.

The trailer is owned by Fort Worth-based Texas American Food Services Corporation. Officials are afraid the beef could be tainted with E. coli 0157:H7 a possibly infectious bacteria that may lead to food poisoning, bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The elderly, children and people with poor immune systems are most likely to be infected by it