Food Safety: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver discusses the groups in charge of keeping our food safe - from the FDA, to the USDA, to, most crucially, the Association for Dressings and Sauces.
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[@aslandus]

Honestly, it's kind of astounding how many government problems boil down to Congress refusing to pay for the things they say they want done...

[@WoefulMinion]

It's kind of nauseating how many government problems are due to Congress being paid by companies and trade groups to refuse to pay for regulations.

[@J.M.-nb4gw]

Welcome to America since at least the Reagan administration of corporate whore criminals

[@nicholasfarrell5981]

I mean, for one half of Congress that's the entire point. They run for office claiming that government doesn't work, and then destroy it to prove their alleged point.

[@remyllebeau77]

We can't afford anything that we are doing. I know it's hard for leftists to understand, but when you are in massive debt, the last thing you should be trying to do is spend even more money.

[@nicholase2868]

​@@remyllebeau77then can we cut military spending, close down a bunch of nuclear missile silos, reduce the number of military bases, raise taxes on the rich, and close tax loopholes? Because we can't just cut social programs. Besides, a unified food regulator could be partially funded through fines.

[@spacemanx9595]

As a person who's worked in a grocery store for 8+ years, a lot of the safety is put on us low wage hourly workers. The amount of produce I throw away is astounding, and the lack of care customers take when sneezing and coughing RIGHT ON THE FOOD, kids walking up and touching every apple right after they touched the ground. WASH YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES EVERY TIME BEFORE EATING.

[@Stephen...]

The amount of management that works through sickness cause they think it's a sign of toughness... like we can't do without them and totally love catching whatever they brought to work. Hell even when I follow company policy and call out when vomitting, I'm made to feel like it's a moral failing and like I should expose everybody else to my bodily fluids. I'm a cashier who interacts with hundreds of people face to face and touches money 🤢... Why has our society decided the onus is always on us who have the least power or control and are just trying to pay our bills and not get fired.

[@broddr]

When I buy loose apples or other fruit I now inspect its entire surface. Twice I’ve found child sized bites taken out of fruit. The parent either is not watching their kid, or not paying attention & just takes the fruit from the kid & puts it back in the bin. And I only take bagged grapes & cherries from the back of the highest shelf, where grubby hands of children can’t reach.

[@elainealibrandi6364]

@@broddr Ugh! I've never thought about the kids' grubby hands issue. But I'm taking it to heart and to the store. Thanks.

[@katiekane5247]

​@@broddrI choose cherries and grapes from several different bags at the back.

[@devinrivera6410]

😂😢

[@Brandon-rc9vp]

As someone who has worked directly in the regulatory FDA world for over 20 years, the agency has been completely taken over by industry. Salaries of investigators are currently paid largely by the industry that they attempt to regulate. Investigators that try to do the right thing are crushed by the politically appointed leaders of the agency. The FDA needs to be completely and adequately funded by the people and reset their mission to serve the American people.

[@Kaoskadosk]

Is it the same for pharma? Because where I've worked (in Sweden) FDA inspections have always been a big deal because of how strict they are and the scope of their inspections. Now they've stopped doing their own inspections though and take Läkemedelsverkets (Swedens regulatory unit) word for GMP compliance. Läkemedelsverket have always been a big deal too though so I wouldn't interpret that as going "easy" on us, just freeing up resources.

[@toriless]

You are confusing the drug division with food and most of what you say is absolutely wrong for the food division which is paid for by the government unlike drugs which charges the manufacturer's they are allowed to regulate fees. You are 100% in regards to this story! 100% Sellers are required to allow samples only. That is all the do. They do not even pay to ship them. You should shut up since you are 100% ignorant about the truth.

[@FloppyDorito]

No surprise that widespread issues in an industry are caused by none other than the greedy owners of the businesses in those sectors.

[@anothergalaxy799]

Yeah, but wouldn't that upset stockholders? They're vastly more important than consumers /s

[@Brandon-rc9vp]

It is slightly worse for pharma, as they have been in a mode where the company seeking approval pays for the cost of such approval for some time in the US. Aside from the anti-regulation political appointees that often lead the administration, the problem with the FDA growing weaker in the US is that they are moving (via the MDSAP system you mentioned using NB audits directly) and obtaining their funding more along the lines of how the NB system has always worked. Industry capture of regulators happened from the outset in the EU with the notified body/company funded approach, which is why FDA inspections historically seemed more serious (my role has been been front seat management rep for audits, and have covered 100s of NB and FDA inspections both in the US and EU/Asia as well as participation in multiple working groups related to CDMCAS and MDSAP integration intending to further unify the MDR, CMDR with 21 CFR 820). What I was mainly getting at is that whenever the people allow their regulators funding to be determined by the corps they are regulating, the best interest of the people aren't always served.@@Kaoskadosk

[@Bzuhl]

There were some VERY INTENSE and specific instructions to John about that blowtorch. You can feel the moment when his brain switch out from joke delivery to "I absolutely need to find the right valve to twist or I'll burn to death"

[@wulfsbane4426]

"You have kids, John....... Why didn't that add weight to the decision?"

[@XzTS-Roostro]

Y'all remember the Pink Sauce lady? Someone once asked if it was FDA regulated, and her response was that it doesn't need to be, because it's a food and not a drug (assuming she thought FDA is short for Federal Drugs Administration).

[@medealkemy]

The entire segment on the Association of Dressings and Sauces I was thinking of that pink monstrosity 😂

[@vectorwolf]

She's also had a running docket of people getting sick from her product too, so it tracks.

[@jaeboogie2786]

🍇 I member' lol.

[@andrewollmann304]

It looked like Pepto-Bismol….are we sure it wasn’t a drug?

[@supersaiyanzero386]

Murica

[@DaRealPhillyJawn]

I worked for a company that processed beef and chicken and I'll say this, we had U.S.D.A. Inspectors at the plant and in between shifts the machinery had to be cleaned thoroughly and inspected if the inspector found anything not up to specifications the cleaning crew had to re-wash everything again, delayed the shift start or shut the plant down and sent us home until they were satisfied. They didn't play around.

[@darlenelarochelle4011]

Thank you for that. I hope I'm getting my meat from such a diligent packer. Thank you.

[@toriless]

Same for the drugs section of the FDA. They food section is quite limited except when it comes to imported food. If it fails it gets rejected. It is more random with domestic food due to the lack of resources as the story points out.

[@ikkou111]

I enjoy your name

[@andreware7638]

But they only inspect us once a week and usually only check 2 or 3 machines out of over 100. If you find something on them 3 then yes we know the rest of the machines dirty too. We rarely get put on hold.

[@serendipidus8482]

That's good.

[@themim6699]

I work in a private Laboratory that is part of a larger group of labs across the united states that does the testing for environmental, food, and water safety on behalf of the USDA and FDA regulators. We receive all manner of food from raw meat, fruit/veggies, Nuts, dairy, Wine, beer, and really anything you can imagine. These labs are so understaffed they have workers doing 16hrs shifts back to back. Everyone is exhausted, turn over is high. With the amount of new people coming and going (including management) mistakes are high, safety controls are lax due to everyone being tired and no one caring. Food safety is a shit show every step of the way.

[@toriless]

It is the same at their internal labs except they can not hire anyone right now.

[@LaQuesaDeMI]

That’s awful! They need to pay more, ensure they’re giving great benefits and vacation time, and recruit at some of the top science colleges.

[@ericbartol]

I'm sure it is, themim6699. I'm sure Republicans and the corporations linked to commercial farming are very proud of their legislators they pay to get elected so they can do the corporations favors by cutting spending through de-regulation of banking, real estate, and tons of others including food, drugs and farming. They can either weaken the rules for the corporations, or, in this case among many others, strip the inspectors budgets until there is no one left to build cases or enforce the rules.

[@Sealedaway]

15:27 It’s like Panera saw this and went ”alright bring out the killer lemonade”

[@QuiteMerryIAm]

🤣

[@titotatianajuarez3248]

The lettuce actually withstood the torch very well.

[@ojagodzinski]

because it is basically water

[@wmeuse2375]

​@@ojagodzinskiand ecoli

[@RealJackHQ]

I was about to say 😂🤣🤣🤣

[@elaineb7065]

Lettuces are tough cookies. They outlasted a PM not long ago...

[@ChrisCornell-j9u]

if it still tastes alright maybe they shld start disinfecting it with a blowtorch? 🤔 @@elaineb7065

[@Wraiven22]

I’m an industrial hygienist/health and safety professional and it’s insane how limited we are in power and funding. Things that we warn very easily could lead to disasters are routinely ignored to protect profits, and the sad fact is that they end up spending MORE money fixing their mistakes after the fact! Prevention is almost ALWAYS far cheaper! Stupid short sighted executives.

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@JeanieD]

Because unregulated capitalism.

[@shadowrobot7708]

@@JeanieDquarterly profits are seen as more important than long term profits.

[@gaoxiaen1]

I disagree, except for almost". Google Ford Pinto.

[@Parazeta]

What I wonder: can the US be progressive?

[@G-Unit1111]

I could totally watch John do an entire segment on the Association Of Sauces And Dressings.

[@leahbobeaa]

Mini web episode perhaps?

[@helenl3193]

Hell, I can imagine them making a series out of it if they wanted, and I'd 100% be down for ALL of it! I'm seeing the condiments as some kinda Real Housewives in a The Office/Parks N Rec. Style setting, maybe animation so we could get maximum John for our buck, but knowing his love of mascots I think he'd rather they go that route. Whatever, I'd watch all of it and buy the t-shirt, novelty bibs/aprons and a plushie of my favourite character(s)! 🤩

[@jaeboogie2786]

I'd happily watch John do a hour long segment on chalk lol. So yeah G-Unit I feel ya buddy. 😊

[@NickFrustration]

then we find out theyve been funding illegal child labour/neo-nazis/dr doom

[@vishaloberoi6710]

I just wanna hear him say “fucked up mustards” again

[@TimeBucks]

This has been a huge issue.

[@-dash]

No

[@rodgersoduor8239]

❤❤❤

[@christinesamo1864]

Thumbs up

[@2cultureentertainment937]

👍

[@azeezololade109]

👍

[@Zephyr77]

"It's more common than you think, and Congress refuses to act." Damn, I feel like I just watched 100 episodes of John Oliver in under 5 seconds

[@RorikH]

The Entirety of History Tonight, with John Oliver.

[@namantherockstar]

John inspires me.. My parents said if i get 60K followers They'd buy me a professional camera for recording..begging u guys , literally Begging...

[@Mene0]

lmao

[@Hola-ro6yv]

John Oliver and his fans are NAMBLAphiles

[@Noms_Chompsky]

Oh they act alright, the GOP acts against it.

[@meganjones3427]

The restaurant I work in pays a company to come check us randomly multiple times a month, and we consider it a pretty big deal if we miss even a single thing. When we got inspected by the state, the guy was SO complimentary. I'm shocked and disappointed he doesn't see kitchens like ours everywhere.

[@melodye14]

This is a great system but I'm absolutely not shocked kitchens like this aren't more common place. Most restaurants I've worked in do things like change all the dates on outdated food so the health inspector won't take off points.

[@freshcancer713]

I dont care

[@therealaintain]

​@@freshcancer713thanks for sharing

[@elizabethheyenga9277]

you would be amazed how many expensive high end restaurants have terrible practices....

[@susanmolnar9606]

@@therealaintain Hahaha 🤣 great comeback.

[@stevejarred6484]

I worked for the FDA in a District Office from the mid-80's until the early 2000's and I can painfully identify with everything in this story. A lot of the work regarding food safety was passed down to the state and local levels because us in the FDA District offices has more than enough other work to do. Thank you to John and the staff of Last Week Tonight for shining a glaring spotlight on the FDA. I was proud to work for the government by working for the FDA and US Customs and Border Protection over the course of my career. I know things have changed in the years since I left the agency but I also heard peoples' opinions that the FDA's mandates to oversee for veterinary drugs and food safety (for both humans and animals) could be better served by the Department of Agriculture. I frankly don't have any ideas of how to improve food safety or the FDA. That's for people who are younger and much smarter than me. If all of this makes you upset, all can say is not to clean your produce with a blow torch but learn more about what things the FDA is suppose to do and then raise Hell with your Congressional representatives.

[@cytherians]

John Oliver has become much more investigative journalism focused than comedy focused... which annoyed me at first... but he's doing SUCH GREAT WORK in an area that has been begging for it. Really important. If John Oliver and Jon Stewart could team up for a few of them, that would be phenomenal!

[@TutalingS3]

@@cytherians John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite

[@eponymousIme]

When I attended the protests against inhumane detention and caging of immigrants during the administration of Mango Mussolini, I always wanted to dope-slap the people holding signs demanding the elimination of the Customs and Border Enforcement agency. Letting poisonous food and dangerous consumer products into our country seemed like an obviously stupid idea; but some people don't think things through before opening their mouths or hoisting signs suggesting we throw out the baby with the bath water.

[@eponymousIme]

@@cytherians Investigative journalism and comedy are not mutually exclusive. Al Franken did a terrific job highlighting social problems and injustices by comedically skewering the guilty. I wish he were still in Congress.

[@justinkashtock333]

Did you work on the NLEA by chance? I recall my father spending many late nights and weekends for several months working to get that done because Congress gave the FDA hardly any time to implement it and no extra budget or employees to help with it. When it was done they all printed up some "I survived NLEA" t-shirts with a nutritional label on the back. I think I still have one somewhere.

[@ashenwuss1651]

Ive been working in the food industry for over 10 years now. I see it all the time. People are a little negligent. Even after covid. It might not seem like much, but avoiding cross contamination and washing hands, and proper dish washing sinks, are all very critical... even if its a small chance mishap. Better safe than sorry. I have an insane immune system. I dont get sick from anything, yet i treat food service as if I'm serving a bunch of immunity-compromised individuals.

[@In.the.darkness_there_is_light]

Thank you for your service. Sincerely.

[@stephaniecarrato349]

All put together it's wild--- some things seem absurd and some under accounted. The problem is that the legislation is subject to experts who may get to testify on the rrecord but it's less work to just scream into the void so yoooooOOOoOOOO

[@steely3506]

I think food service needs to have staffing be treated as a safety issue similar to Healthcare. I worked food service and I saw a lot of corners get cut because of understaffing and overworked people. and a general work culture that emphasized a fast pace over safety and thoroughness. There's only so much that a team that's only 1/4 of ideal staffing can do especially when everyone is exhausted. Also some places don't even train all that much on food safety aside from a few basic points, because they want to put their new employees to work as fast as possible. The restaurant industry has serious issues that can only be resolved by legislation. for the sake of the workers and the people they serve.

[@TediTheGodfather]

This show is off the rails, and I love it! "You can't sterilize lettuce with a blow torch." John: "Hold my tea." 🤣😂

[@lonnieloveblackdragon]

😂😂💯Salute Mr. John Oliver

[@xzonia1]

When I say John makes my day brighter, I do mean it literally. 😂

[@TediTheGodfather]

@@xzonia1 I felt lost when new episodes stopped.

[@TediTheGodfather]

@@lonnieloveblackdragon indeed!

[@tamthuong4048]

ok

[@rolfsoldaat]

I think one of the problems is that we only punish companies and not the people running them. Stop just slapping companies with fines and put board members responsible behind bars instead.

[@liamolson6753]

Now that!!! sounds like a great idea!!!

[@emkstr]

Our current standard for piercing the corporate veil is way too low, as are the fines we impose on businesses for wrongdoing. Fix both of those and you’ll see companies changing. But I’m not optimistic given lawmakers’ entanglement with corporations and their CEOs.

[@melvinshine9841]

We've been needing to do that for, like, 200 years.

[@nicolashoumard5982]

Don''t forget shareholder

[@shushup6557]

Also fine them double of what they made selling the product, not 2%.

[@spinningninja2]

I love how the egg pizza explosion lasted just a bit longer than Oliver expected

[@kimberlieweaver2624]

My fav part 🤣

[@LordCarledo]

All these years later and the graphics department is still killing it. Don't suppose they're hiring...?

[@IC3Coffee91]

08:16

[@Syeal7]

Obviously part of the script, but hilarious nonetheless

[@juliebraden6911]

@@LordCarledo not random people from youtube comments, no.

[@lorenblaine5275]

The way Jack-In-The-Box solved their e-coli problem in the 1990s was not through cleaning up the supply chain or more stringent testing. It was by making each location insure they were getting the patties up to proper internal temps. I'm still a little sad they did not use the slogan I came up with for them: Jack-In-The-Box, we cook the shit out of our burgers !!!

[@karascene13]

For REAL- that's exactly what happened.

[@czechmeoutbabe1997]

you have a blossoming mind

[@karascene13]

No- he's right. They shuttered up the place in Denver, on Evans & Broadway. As I remember, that's where the e coli scandal started. (technically it started in Greeley, CO. - a story for another time) There is another on 6th and Wadsworth if I recall. And a fancy one off of I-70 & Kipling. Anyway - they closed it for YEARS. It just sat there, getting vandalized. Then commercials came on TV. People started going back. It's open way late, so they get all kinds of folks. 🥴😵 I moved from Denver about 3 years ago. I used to love it. However, because of the "devils lettuce," it became a mad place to be. No offence to the lettuce. It's just a mad house now. Glad to be away.

[@ToudaHell]

I would actually eat at somewhere with that slogan. That's literally how you make bear meat safe too 😅.

[@musicauthority674]

I'm curious what you're slogan for Taco Bell would be? that one would be a little bit of a stretch for ya a.

[@Aphrovav]

As a person chronically suffering from Crohn's disease, I absolutely agree with John in the dilemma abdominal pains-vomit-diarrhea 😂😂

[@freshcancer713]

Rott in hell

[@occams_lazor]

The IBS sufferers concur and stand with John and our Crohn's Disease brethren.

[@mytube001]

@@occams_lazor @Aphrovav I say, better out than in...

[@frmaha]

Haha I have emetophobia and was absolutely amazed that anyone wouldn’t put vomiting last. Though obviously it all sucks.

[@RuizaHana93]

​@frmaha I'm also an emetophobic and I definitely would leave vomiting for last. It absolutely sucks. Although for us emetophobes, knowing this about the FDA is an absolute nightmare

[@cytherians]

Seeing so many people from the food industry chiming in on this Food Safety piece with appreciation just goes to show how great a job John Oliver is doing. I'm so glad he chose to be here rather than the UK. Thanks, John!

[@vectoralphaSec]

Yet it doesn't matter because nothing will get done to fix it.

[@laurafernandesfigueira9266]

I went to the USA only once, to California. Ate out 5 times and got food poisoning at the 5th. I was very shocked to learn from local coworkers that that's normal and that very little could be done. In Brazil, where I live, if you get food poisoning you call the regulatory office and the next day the restaurant is closed. All restaurants are obligated to keep samples of every food served for a period of time and in such cases, they're obligated to present that sample to analyzes and, if the bacteria that infected you is found, the restaurant can be shut down entirely besides all civil responsibility before the infected person. Mc Donald's kitchens in Brazil are the cleanest you'll ever see, because of that approach and we're talking about a 3rd world country here. Anyway, my point is, if there was heavy regulation, the restaurants (especially big chain ones) would adjust.

[@coondog7934]

but but but, Murica, f yeah - the land of the free and sick 😅

[@ManChan-w5p]

In America, we eat at our own risk.

[@laurafernandesfigueira9266]

@@coondog7934 haha... on the other hand you might get shot while sitting in a restaurant in BR, but your salad will be clean 😅

[@wowyaywowyaywow]

@@laurafernandesfigueira9266 haha... so true! i can't imagine ever getting shot in the US.

[@MateusVIII]

It is a very outdated perception to say Brazil is a "3rd world country", beyond that it is spot on.

[@delwarmia9393]

As a panera employee.his description of ourr customers is so accurate❤

[@JStorm13]

The FDA also needs to inflict heavy fines for poor food safety practices

[@letschangepoliticsforthebe8366]

yeah claim bankruptcy change name reopen...fine problem solved...

[@inciaradible7144]

Fines? Throw them in jail.

[@declanjones8888]

​@@inciaradible7144That's better.

[@du_san]

​@@inciaradible7144Throw in to jail? EAT EM

[@atafakheri8659]

That would be communism in the eyes of people so not gonna happen

[@SamChaneyProductions]

I love calling it "the honey smacks" like its an illness

[@thepolarphantasm2319]

You don't want the cookie crisps man, that's that double plus ungood 💩

[@actuallynotsteve]

Was hoping for a smack/heroin joke, but can live with what we got. Why DOES that thing's shirt say dig em? Is the first time free?

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@tekbarrier]

@@actuallynotsteveI think it's the frog's name

[@porkchop4401]

Something you buy in an ally

[@RocknRollPrincipal]

My 8-year-old daughter was just hospitalized for a type of e coli that produces a dangerous toxin called Shiga that can cause severe damage to your kidneys. We still have no idea where she got it, though the doctor did mention that organic vegetables can get contaminated, which we do eat. Thankfully my daughter is back home and on the mend. One if the scariest weeks of my life. As always, thank you, John, for shining a light on this serious issue.

[@user-zk8ed4kd2b]

Did she eat any lettuce?

[@TheOJDrinker]

Organic vegetables have diseases that non-organic vegetables don't? I'm shocked.

[@PAMELAPORTER-ci7mr]

That's so frightening when they're so small. I'm glad she's at home.

[@juliebraden6911]

@@user-zk8ed4kd2b you didn't pay attention to the video at all

[@playerpage]

"Organic" foods are made with less chemicals and are therefore more susceptible to bacterial outbreaks, creating one of life's great ironies where you have to very literally pick your poison: Short-term or long-term risk of disease.

[@NerdTouchingGrass]

i worked in the food industry for years and and this is why i rarely ever eat out and never ate at the places i worked at. I also get my food from dedicated grocery stores not "super centers" because i work at one and they do not care they are so under staffed and want product out regardless of how long the food is left out of freezers/refrigerators. This is not a "my store" problem its literally at every store i have ever worked at.

[@Eliphas_Leary]

The episode on Hamster Loneliness is going to be awesome. Half an hour of John talking about what's really inportant.

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@tracewallace23]

That's why, when my hamster looks lonely, I let it play with my farm cats while I work. Oh how they run, and scream, and sometimes the cats help the hamster to fly. 😁 (I just imagine the fun that they're having while I'm at work)🤪 Oddly enough, I can't always find the hamsters when I get home 😭 (I guess they run away 🤷‍♂️). So, afterwards I have to get another hamster. 😢 Maybe next time, I'll let the lonely hamsters play with Sammy Bal Boa. It's so hard to tell when Boa Constrictors are lonely🤔 And since they both have similar cages, no more running away😏

[@wandanaggles9527]

That's the way I feel about the foods I purchase in the stores

[@9sheri9]

​@@tracewallace23The hamsters must be protected at all costs, you beast - shame on you & go stand in the corner right now 😅

[@tracewallace23]

@@9sheri9 but, but, but, I was only trying to hhheeelllpppp 😭😭😭

[@Ceelle2]

My Mom was a secretary/typist for FDA in the 60's. I still make decisions based on the reports she read while typing her bosses reports (8 bosses, by the way, cost cutting).

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite

[@pollytiks3885]

Sounds like the cost cutting should be in reducing the number of bosses!

[@flufwix]

Okay I think you need to share that information … please!

[@justinkashtock333]

Yeah, my dad worked for the FDA for 30 years and retired a while back. He last worked in the division of plant products and plant product safety. Oh the stories I can tell, LoL. Some of these companies are just insane. One involved a stowaway in the cargo hold of a ship transporting cocoa beans, and that stowaway died along the way and his body exploded all over the beans. The question then was if the beans would be considered safe for consumption if cleaned before processing into confections and what cleaning would be considered sufficient if that was the case. Just one among many stories over the years.

[@JimmieHammel]

I love that you never know what horror to expect with John Oliver. I saw the thumbnail and expected to be hearing about safety issues with minors in meat packing plants, and have come away terrified of vegetables. Well played.

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@MakashiOwns]

He already did that one. Look up his episode on meat packing xD It's a different one he did a while ago.

[@948320z]

@@MakashiOwns I think I'll only drink water from now on... oh wait he did an episode of that too.

[@shaneh9591]

@@948320z Microplastics+PFAS+ possible lead >_< lol

[@kingjamos2422]

@@948320z I personally recommend photosynthesis. After I started that diet, I felt one with the Earth... since I died and was thrown into a hole.

[@FerFiger]

The best thing of Mondays in KZbin is John Oliver!

[@baileygregg6567]

Not 4 more years… Of war?! *_Trips on a sandbag_*

[@Stolens87]

I'd say it is my best time of the week.... yes... it was a very sad few months.

[@colleenclements5715]

Absolutely💯

[@aykutt3244]

​@safoutop10104a new way for immortality

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@EleroyGreen]

I am not from US and until today I legitimately thought that FDA does stand for federal drug administration. Because all I ever heard of about this organisation is what actions they do for drugs regulations.

[@theresehopkins1581]

There are no real food regulations. Eat organic.

[@cantgetitupanymore3244]

​@@theresehopkins1581you mean eat shit?

[@RyviusRan]

@@theresehopkins1581 Organic is just a loose term that companies use to charge more. It's like "carbon neutral". There are plenty of loopholes so don't just trust a flimsy label that says "organic".

[@vaylard9474]

@@theresehopkins1581 how does not using synthetic pesticides protect you from e coli in perfectly natural cow shit?

[@RainbowYak]

@@theresehopkins1581Eating organic won't protect you from cow shit on your salad or your vegetables.

[@valwenventureco9285]

A truely shocking number of the problems in America seem to come from systems put in place 100-200 years ago and now the people in power refuse to change them to deal with the way the world has changed.

[@bubblegumplastic]

But many countries have to deal with systems that old, or older. I think America is dealing with the issues that come from having just two political parties, and political bribes being legal.

[@randibgood]

I would say that the electoral college is the first thing that needs to go and all districts, state or federal, need to be drawn by nonpartisan method.

[@toriless]

This one is not quite a century old, the USDA was created first which is why the split. It was mainly for meat plants. FDA was given authority of the rest of the food supply chain, including imports which are inspected.

[@nataliaofthenightlords]

@@bubblegumplastic not really, most countries update laws or even rewrite constitutions once in awhile. But yes having only 2 parties, mind you, a mostly center right one and now a far right one, doesn't help

[@RayasNegroOvejas]

@@nataliaofthenightlords yes, never do I hear any other country speak so much of the constitution. this is against the constitution! case closed. but the US is also very religious compared to other western countries, so the constitution is like a bible I guess.

[@kenmogibrainworld4844]

Another great episode. This amalgam of superb comedy and excellent journalism is unstoppable.

[@laurenkonopacz8984]

This story was already in a Netflix doc

[@quinn3334]

@@laurenkonopacz8984 yeah one that they used footage from and credited

[@deepseametro]

Something not mentioned is how, because of these failures, so much of the onus on identifying and alerting people to outbreaks are local health departments... who are also very often understaffed, underpaid, and stretched thin (especially after the initial Covid outbreak caused a LOT of people to leave public health). Everyone in this field is struggling to keep up, but there's just not enough of us :(

[@darlenelarochelle4011]

Thank you for your efforts! I appreciate you and the others for sticking with the job.

[@toriless]

One reason recalls are delayed is you have to build a case for it to avoid law suits.

[@PAMELAPORTER-ci7mr]

Y'all are the people we depend on to get important info to the media and we do pay close attention to it, perhaps because it's local. Please keep up this important work.

[@juliebraden6911]

Yeah he left out a lot of things because they have to. It's already a 20 minute episode. You have to break this stuff up, you can't just cover every angle when there are so many.

[@nobodyimportant7804]

The sad fact is that if corporations had the same legal duty to its employees and customers as it does it shareholders a lot of these problems would take care of themselves.

[@elenaacosta482]

My sister was a victim of one of those E. coli outbreaks, the first confirmed case in Georgia. She was in the hospital for weeks!

[@AerCloud]

Is she doing well now?

[@ManChan-w5p]

Human bodily waste is the most dangerous weapon of mass destruction.

[@janedoe6704]

Im so sorry. I hope shes better now.

[@elenaacosta482]

Thanks for the concern @aerg9359 and @janedoe6704! It was definitely a scary time but she's doing great now.

[@brianmorgan7703]

I oversee a fresh foods department, the company I work for does quarterly self-inspections from a food safety team, they also make sure all of their department heads have food safety certifications, they also pay a third party company to inspect their sites every quarter. I also do a full inspection of the department at least once a week. Never once have I seen an FDA inspector. I have seen USDA come in a handful of times during the years, but never the FDA. I'm glad my company has a culture of safety before anything.

[@donaldpetersen2382]

Been in the agriculture and the restaurant business. The amount of contaminated food due to regulations not being followed is at least 10-20%. Unless those liable face serious jail time your food will just get nastier🤢

[@greenderp]

yeah, ive seen places where the dishwasher also had to be the prep cook lol

[@OrganicGreens]

@@greenderp What's wrong with that? You can do dishes and make food just fine....

[@etienne8110]

Fining should be enough. That how it works in first world countries. USA should take note of what is done elsewhere, prison isn t the answer to food safety. An indépendant authority that can shut down a factory has way more weight on great groups than the possibility of one random employee being jailed..

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@LowLight420]

Cheney/AOC ( I ) 2024 no more parties in the White House the cabinet needs cleaning admin, not ad men RICO now/RICO forever

[@Artemis-jr3pz]

As a Panera employee, his description of our customers is so accurate 🤣

[@johnburke4852]

I worked in food manufacturing for about 30 years. The companies fund their food safety programs like the government funds the FDA, which is generally not enough to be fully compliant, but enough for them to use as protection against the responsibility. I got out of food manufacturing a few years ago and I am very happy that I did.

[@TWDay-sy6nq]

I left medical device manufacturing for the same reasons.

[@Marix894]

John being extra feisty about vegetables and sauces is the most on brand thing I have ever seen.

[@sprotte6665]

he is a feisty boy for sure

[@vrsalcedo7245]

I can't believe that the safety coordinator on that show would let John use a blowtorch, no matter how gleefully he sterilized that lettuce.

[@theoneandonly3388]

The most impressive thing about this entire episode is the fact that John can say "worcestershire" without even pausing.

[@stevdor6146]

it's not so hard, you can say it too, in 3 easy to say steps: "worst"-"stir"-"sure" just blur those three words together and you are saying Worcestershire

[@isisnoreija]

No! It’s more like rooster with a v instead of the first r and the beginning of the name Shirley

[@HowToChangeName]

Hes still a british after all

[@DeterminedDIYer]

@@isisnoreija Don't call me shirley.

[@tamtri6218]

ok

[@CivilizedCE]

Thank you for covering this! Makes me wish our food safety was as good as the European Union's.

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite

[@coondog7934]

I'm sure one day you will get there. Same with gun law and other issues you got right now. They belittled us when they saw how many regulations we got for let's say bananas. And yet, who is laughing now?

[@gwendolynmorgan7803]

​​@@coondog7934The US is in end stage capitalism. Thus the constant nostalgia in media, and daily "feel good stories" about our children trying to make enough money to feed their school friends. The billionaire class are the rulers of our oligarchy and the worst things get, the richer they get. Plus they don't pay taxes like the rest of us. We don't really see the possibility of things getting better. We're teetering on the edge of fascism too. Oh and 🔫 laws are getting more lax for some reason. The Supreme Court is going to decide if people who commit D.V. should be allowed to keep their 🔫 collections.

[@maartendetemmerman393]

@@coondog7934 don't believe those brexit lies. there not really any crazy regulations on bananas.

[@ameanoacid6176]

I really hope American systems would function better overall as well. Quite a significant country, and it sucks to see how they run the ship.

[@charliehess9308]

The Association for Dressings and Sauces is missing a huge market by not selling t shirts

[@kl3312]

The facility I work at was inspected by the FDA once she seemed disorganized and a little flustered. The USDA is present every day for 2 shifts but they can be crazy too. Once he delayed his inspection and was furious because someone parked in his "USDA" spot. They have 10,000 directives which are long documents about all manner of different requirements without much organization. It is impossible for them or most facilities to read and implement. The main force I see governing the food industry are GFSI standards. Basically some major companies got together and made some actual standards for facilities to be scored against. If you have a GFSI certification, major grocery stores are more willing to buy from you. Its sad that Olly man didn't touch on these, would make a great follow up episode.

[@user-dg9pu4pe9d]

For anyone who has food allergies or has a family member with them, food safety is a major concern. The harsh reality is that reading labels only helps mitigate risk.

[@Evanthebat15]

John Oliver is a national treasure and should be protected at all cost along with Stephen Colbert, they are both just as funny behind the scenes when the cameras are off and also extremely nice! Glad to have this show back. Thanks to all the staff that help put this show together for us and the writers!

[@justinhamilton8647]

That sweet time in 2014 when we had the OG daily show, Colbert report and Last week Tonight… what a glorious few months

[@JohnnyDelco]

Bhaaaaaa. That's the funniest thing I've ever read 😂

[@sharimeline3077]

@@JohnnyDelco Keep an eye on the ratio of likes

[@Marijuanifornia]

These chimps are lying to you about everything, and there's proof on film at an official US government website. Learn about the 1942 USDA film, *Hemp for Victory.* You'd care about it if John Oliver told you about it, but he won't because he's lying to you about everything. The whole worthless system is lying to us about everything.

[@ISYMFS863]

​@JohnnyDelco why tf are u here?

[@katiekane5247]

I was hospitalized for Salmonella for 6 days. The 24 hours prior to admission is one I wouldn't wish on anyone. I finally stayed in the bathtub. Sacrificed some towels for the ambulance ride. I got it from contaminated Almond butter at a pet sitting house I was staying at. Pet owner wasn't reachable so I wouldn't go to the hospital until the day he was due home. Awful illness!!

[@toriless]

By the way, pet food is inspected by the FDA since some children might eat it too. PS - Avoid dog chews.

[@katiekane5247]

@@toriless I always buy the best dog treats. Freeze dried beef liver & bull pizzles are single ingredient goodies I wouldn't eat but probably healthier than the garbage that's marketed for humans! Cheap dog kibble uses feather meal as added protein yuk 🤢

[@CandiceSadako]

I almost died of salmonella in 2020. Due to covid all the hospitals were full and I wasn’t allowed to receive a private nurse at home until results of a test came in. Which means that for the first 4 days, I didn’t receive any kind of treatment. My aunt had to take on herself the decision of starting the antibiotics before the test confirmed it was salmonella. If she wouldn’t have done so, I probably wouldn’t be here now. It took 3 weeks just to get better and 3 years later I still feel the consequences of it. Oh, and I got it from eating raw salmon just bought at the supermarket, nowhere close to expiration date.

[@shanefisher4451]

I used to run a food lab and we had one FDA inspection. He normally inspected feed lots and didn't have much experience with human food.

[@teeing9355]

The real problem is that both Republicans and Corporate Democrats have defunded regulatory agencies because they receive billions from these companies.

[@justinscott60]

Sadly, a lot of the "lobbying money" aka bribes, aren't even that much ! Maybe over the decades into the billions. Private PAC's , like Koch and such give WAY more money than Tyson does. Giving chicken the blind eye, versus overturning well established laws are very different in scope.

[@dubdubhate]

Corporate Democrat? You mean a typical Democrat? Same goes for Republicans. Two sides, same coin

[@jochem1986]

That would be corruption

[@MattyJ55046]

This.

[@christianterrill3503]

Yup, politics have been bought and sold for decades now.

[@DoctorDex]

The Association of Dressings & Sauces (ADS) was established in 1926. It was founded as the "National Association of Mayonnaise Manufacturers" and later expanded its focus to encompass a broader range of dressings and sauces. The association's origins are closely tied to the mayonnaise industry, reflecting its early members' interests. You're welcome everyone Mayo for life

[@chillcreep4926]

Mayonnaise was on the Titanic. Hellmann's, I think, possibly under its original company name (still used West of the Rocky Mtns) Best Foods. A truly superior dressing and / or sauce

[@elizabethheyenga9277]

I make my own mayo now in small batches :)

[@gabor6259]

Pineapple pizza with mayo gives me life!

[@cagneyfan2008]

Funny enough, my mom and dad worked at the FDA and USDA’s FSIS. And I did a stint at the USDA’s FSIS and I realized how random it was that the only fish USDA regulates is catfish while the FSDA regulates the rest of the fish we eat. And confusing and absurd it was that the FDA regulates eggs while the USDA regulates egg products, which haven’t been clearly defined

[@snowmech3430]

As a professional Chef, I agree and hope that a singular food administration comes to pass.

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite

[@tracewallace23]

Could you imagine if our representatives were required to watch and then, enact legislation on at least one of these episodes every month?

[@michaeladkins6]

They cant get their act together on a Speaker of the House.

[@RorikH]

Alas, our glorious former president had to get his ideas from Fox and Friends.

[@buckrodgers1162]

Here's an idea... Give all food safety oversight to the USDA, and actually make it the 'Federal Drug Administration'. I mean the FDA already don't know shit about food, and the USDA clearly does; So it's an easy fix. But it's far too complicated to the politicians to think of.

[@magimerlyn9596]

The big thing is still funding

[@buckrodgers1162]

@@magimerlyn9596, Well it would at least get rid of the conflict of interest that the FDA currently has. They neglect food safety, the food makes you sick, and the medical industry sells you the treatment, then bribes the FDA for the 'fast-tracking' of more unsafe treatments. How do you think the 'opioid epidemic' got started? The FDA was bribed to fast-track it's approval, that's how.

[@BelamarEutravos]

@@magimerlyn9596 Oh! You wanted safer food? Sorry, we sent that money to Ukraine and Israel.

[@Jimmy___]

Came here to say this. Let the USDA absorb what meager resources the FDA has for Food, and sort it out from there.

[@Jimmy___]

@@BelamarEutravos The amount we would for safe food need pales in insignificance compared to the military budget, which is itself an order of magnitude more than foreign aid. It is not a matter of not having the money, it is a matter of regulatory capture by the food producers. Defund the regulators and they can't enforce the rules.

[@thetipoftheweek200]

This is probably the first episode in a long time that’s a return to the old formula. Serious news delivered through great humour. Love it! Always love the show but please more of this🧡

[@Madwonk]

Student of chemical weapons/bioextremism here: blowtorch still won't save you because the e.coli can still stick around in the cells of the plant. You'd literally have to boil it for multiple hours to actually be safe! And that's *before* we talk about prion diseases which could also spread similarly!

[@zacharythomas8617]

I had a feeling maybe we should boil, but what if we used Acids to bombard the lettuce?

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@dome2919]

@@zacharythomas8617 asking the right questions and to the right people. Godspeed.

[@ericlotze7724]

What about Food Irradiation? Short of Prions You’re basically good, right? That and waaaaaay longer shelf life.

[@ecosta]

I was expecting the blow torch thing to not really work. But I thank you for explaining why!

[@pisandro2936]

13:51 I love how that audience member says "Oh my god", knowing that he was definitely going to pull out lettuce and a torch 😂

[@maximeprometheas]

John, you're not the only one who is now absolutely fascinated by the Association of Dressings and Sauces. Like, how does a meeting go here? Does everyone need to bring their own Dressings and Sauces? What happens when two people bring in near-identical sauces? So many questions!!!

[@oldasyouromens]

I am disabled, and diseases hit me very hard. For diet, I mostly follow Ayurvedic principles for my particular type, which mandates I cook everything I eat and avoid salads, cold food, day old food, processed foods, and shop bought dairy products - if I make yogurt I am advised to boil and process the milk myself. I don't follow everything, but many of these principles are designed to prevent foodborne illness.

[@coondog7934]

You clearly are living in the wrong country for avoiding a disease like that. Not that you deliberately chose your location but still. All the best though, I hope it is getting easier.

[@toriless]

What is bad about lettuce is the diseases you get from them are often some of the worse as well. I work at a food bank, as a volunteer, I would NEVER get lettuce from one. Vegetables wash unlike lettuce. Any salads that are not taken that day are tossed. You can not freeze and thaw it and by next week if will be dangerous.

[@googiegress]

The audible delight of the audience when he brought out the lettuce reveals this show's fulfilling and known commitment to the bit.

[@lostrebel]

It's not just food producers. I worked in a food microbiology lab that also paid for its own inspections and audits

[@MaidMirawyn]

If you have access to this full episode, please watch it. This was just a week after the start of the Israel-Hamas whatever this is. John addressed it before the episode officially started, and it was beautiful-heartwarming and heartbreaking. It made me weep and gave me hope. Thank you, John. I didn’t have HBO then, so this was my first time seeing it. These past few months have been hard for those of us with tender hearts, and even worse for those with family in the region, like some of my friends. Your compassion and passion are inspiring.

[@liliflower1376]

I hate the irony of me listening to this while working my food service job while sick because my boss won't let me leave

[@Puddlef1sh]

Oof.

[@trederiusdorsey6412]

Cough on the food. Lets start covid part 2.

[@liliflower1376]

Ha! I had covid like two weeks ago, this is something else I think it might be pnemonia

[@beemerboy42]

If you say that you have diarrhea then they have to send you home by law!

[@leelindsay5618]

Here's the fun part - if you don't feed beef cattle corn or grains, they don't develop E-coli. Even better, you can raise cows on diverse pasture, and keep them on fresh but diverse pasture until the date they go to the abattoir. Its already being done by local regenerative ranchers, including White Oak Pastures and Force of Nature. The nifty part is they are also improving the local water cycle and reducing chemical use while not feeding one bit of grain to cattle. They don't have pits of manure because the earthworms and dung beetles break down the manure in just a few days. One more added bonus is the wildlife surrounding the area is more diverse. Check out Greg Judy to see how its done.

[@DennisMoore664]

I get that there was a profit motive for switching from traditional pastured ranching to feed lots, but it was a stupid idea that never should have happened. Kind of like using feeds that can include parts of pigs, fish, chicken, horses, pig and horse blood and tallow for protein - even rendered cats or dogs get added into the mix.

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@PhilaVeratatis31415]

Umm, bacteria can and will infect any mammal regardless of what it eats, ya ding dong.

[@Reinlegen]

I hate that this is an easy fix. People will cry “it’s too expensive to feed my cattle” and will continue to get the population horribly sick without batting an eye.

[@TI84igor]

I’m not very knowledgeable on the subject, but I believe there are subsidies companies get for corn

[@fredskull1618]

It's alarming how our system prioritizes certain industries over others, leaving many vulnerable. The distinction between FDA and USDA responsibilities is baffling, especially with instances like lettuce being more dangerous than beef. We've known about these issues for decades but continue to face the same problems. Our health is at stake, and it's time for a reform. 👍

[@PAMELAPORTER-ci7mr]

I think that this is why we can purchase produce cleansers, with very specific instructions. I've been buying organic just for peace of mind.

[@Magnavox-1972]

With Lead toxins, PFAS, food safety issues, the list goes on… It’s a miracle we’re still alive.

[@colinjones439]

Damn it really took the FDA longer to decide the classification standards of French dressing than my parents entire marriage

[@tresman91]

As an FSIS employee, it's a (sad) running joke that we never see FDA inspectors at our dual jurisdiction plants. Quick correction though, we inspect far more than 800 plants; it's closer to 6000-7000 plants, because we inspect both slaughterhouses (the original number you quoted is similar to the number of those we inspect) and processing facilities that make anything from cuts of meat to salami to egg rolls.

[@TheMetalupis]

Also, our inspection is also spread incredibly thin, can't hire folks our keep them because the pay hasn't kept up with private sector

[@lpc9929]

I am infertile from eating scented candles

[@Lynthari]

​@@lpc9929 good

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite

[@overratedname]

⁠@@lpc9929no amount of government oversight would help you, I think.

[@valeriedefarias]

Watched this while eating spinach. I froze for a second then remembered I live in France. I’m sure we aren’t doing much better but until a French John Oliver arises I’ll keep telling myself we’re fine.

[@mcglubski]

"You want the spice you roll the dice" just had me rolling

[@stryfespoint304]

The FDA and USDA much like IRS, congress and the justice system is in need of a much-needed, long overdue overhaul.

[@disabilityadvoc8]

HUD, DHS, and USPS, too

[@K__a__M__I]

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

[@StellaSable4891]

Will implode and fall in before overhaul lol.

[@gustafsone]

Where do you propose we come up with that funding? We just allocated another 900 billion to the US Military, we simply can't afford another 10 billion to completely overhaul the FDA. -congress probably

[@tomkroebel4936]

@@gustafsone They should have given the 10 billion also to the US Military to buy them weapons with which they kill these pesky bacteria... ;-)

[@crazyeyecarl]

Asking Congress, or the Senate to do anything is like asking a toddler not to be loud. Some might give it a try, but for the most part they're just gunna cry about it.

[@HowToChangeName]

At least with baby you can plug a sock

[@alveolate]

if the president wanted to do this, he could use his bully pulpit... or so the legend goes.

[@cellonpot]

Don’t pay attention to the temper tantrums of a toddler = don’t give your vote to a politician who gridlocks progress

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@LowLight420]

Cheney/AOC ( I ) 2024 no more parties in the White House the cabinet needs cleaning admin, not ad men RICO now/RICO forever

[@imacanoli897]

I've worked Quality and Compliance in pharmaceuticals and medical devices for about a decade now. Know several people that have worked in the food side of things. They are two VERY different worlds compliance wise.

[@KingGargantuas]

Nothing I love more on an early monday morning than John Oliver once again telling us what's wrong with the world in a humorous way!

[@kathrynmceachern9503]

I almost didn't make it through the writers' strike without having LWT to look forward to. I'm so happy he's back!

[@ChrisMorray]

As a European: He covers almost exclusively US-specific issues. This ain't a show about what's wrong in the world, it's about what's wrong in the US. Fun to watch, though.

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@ainumahtar]

@@ChrisMorray I was going to comment just this haha. There's plenty wrong here too but at least most european governments don't let companies figure out (and report) for themselves how much shit can be in the water they spray on vegetables, and then assume they are going to choose what's best for the customer instead of their on wallet.

[@michaeladkins6]

@@kathrynmceachern9503 You werent listening to the Strike Force 5 podcasts?

[@moxielofton7679]

It's really mad how many people argue THIS is the most efficient system, and you'd have to be dangerously ignorant or disingenuous to think less regulation would do anything but put people at risk (and make powerful people more wealthy)

[@OrganicGreens]

Not if you want real organic food. No real organic farmers or ranchers can afford such regulations. I should be allowed to take the risk as an adult on organic meat and vegetables if im allowed to go skydiving and such. To me the real danger is eating all the fake food at grocery stores getting no micronutrients.

[@kurojima]

Also didnt like their example with the French Dressing - such regulations existed so that known products have to have some level of standard - the only way why you would want that changed, is when you want to replace ingredients with cheaper/artificial ones for more profit. Its the reason why the typical American Cheese has nothing to do with actual cheese, or why so many products in the U.S. can have a hyper-inflated amount of sugar/corn sirup in them.

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@dome2919]

It seems very likely that lax regulation that comes from underfunded bureaus like the FDA and USDA heavily benefit owners of the businesses that those are supposed to regulate. Restaurants already push to have super fast turnover times on orders, I imagine that they and businesses like them would be miffed to have to break up those precious numbers for something so trivial as "the customer's safety".

[@ainumahtar]

@@dome2919 They'd rather spend money lobbying against regulations than spending the same money on keeping their ffood safe, just like so many companies spending millions on pinkertons and shitheads like it to fight unionization instead of just paying their employees a living wage. Capitalism needs to be reigned in, and fast!

[@aTalkingPizza]

I had my child in the spring of 2020, and i recall how scary the formula recall was. My childs mother was unable to produce much breast milk, so formula was the only thing we had. Everytime i had to buy a container of formula i felt like i was rolling the dice, desperately hoping all it would contain is the nutrition my baby needed to survive.

[@annenelson5656]

Yeah, that formula shortage really worried me. I never need formula but knew lots of moms who did. I thought it should have been declared a national emergency.

[@aTalkingPizza]

​@@polocatfanwell i do take care of my baby and you do sound like that guy Whatever you read from my comment wasnt the reality of the situation

[@FruitCake_]

​@@polocatfan did you, as a man, really just say that if a woman's body doesn't produce an adequate amount of breast milk, something she has zero control over, that she doesn't deserve her baby?

[@K__a__M__I]

@@polocatfan what did your parents do to deserve you...

[@husis123]

​@@polocatfan If you aren't able to comprehend a simple sentence should you be commenting on KZbin? And yeah, as other have said YOU ARE THAT GUY!, one of the worst examples of him as well.

[@carljohnson9578]

This guy is hilarious. This is the first time I've watched John Oliver. Food safety. I left from beginning to end. I will definitely subscribe and watch as often as I can. The mixture of Food safety and humor. Hes extremely funny but the truth is scary.😂

[@caolet518]

Keep watching him, he is brilliant! He discusses so many issues so pertinent to what is wrong with our society in a way that’s factual, easy to understand, and hilarious all at once.

[@colt9836]

His episode on "SLAPP" is among the best. There's also his piece on the dictatorship in Turkminastain is also top-notch. Most of his stuff is really good.

[@thesnowqueen89]

there are signs around my college campus encouraging people to use reusable water bottles and refill them at water fountains instead of buying bottled water. the signs say: “bottled water is regulated by the FDA, while tap water is regulated by the washington dept of health, which has stricter rules than the FDA”. obviously reusable water bottles are better regardless, but still lol

[@AP-hn8wd]

The weekly John Oliver fix. Just in time before bedtime for PST folks!

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@YumkieSegeio]

I lived in Japan for 5 years and ate a LOT of raw food and things I've never heard of. Not a single time did I EVER get sick from the food. Since returning to the states I get food sickness about once every three months.

[@yuffferz]

I cannot stress enough that I legitimately think that this is the best segment they have ever done.

[@juliebraden6911]

You haven't seen a lot of the show then.

[@YouEra]

Here in Greece, those of us with a wise mother, learned that we should always let our lettuce in vinegar diluted in water for fifteen minutes, before cutting.

[@TheOfficialOriginalChad]

Here in America our grandmothers use flame throwers. Hence a blow torch not being sufficient.

[@CSHette-nq7nr]

Unfortunately, vinegar does not kill ecoli

[@sidvicious332]

That's true. It kills 99.9 percent of coli and sama. Wish people knew this.

[@JordanGrey-dc3oz]

​@@CSHette-nq7nrwhere do you get your ideas from?

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite

[@ManiacX1999]

One of the few times where everyone can agree that government intervention is absolutely necessary.

[@tricial9779]

He takes that vital 2 seconds to secure the safety switch on the blow torch. 😂

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@ainumahtar]

He doesn't want to accidentally kill 25% of his vital interns xD

[@ecosta]

I love how it feels like he got some training on safely operating a blow torch.

[@XxKingCraZyxX]

@@ecosta I mean he probably did. The pitch was probably like: " Yea sure John, an episode about food safety sounds great, we start writing immediately. Ahh you wanna do what with the lettuce now? A blowtorch but John we can't... *Sigh* alright, but let us show you how to keep it safe inside the studio at least."

[@ecosta]

@@XxKingCraZyxX Yeah. And I love how he actually embraced it. Those two seconds of him almost losing the pace of the episode just to lock the safety switch was amazing.

[@victorh2090]

Isn't this the main problem for most of the institutions in the USA? Everything was created between 50 and 200 years ago (the political system, the jurisdiction, food saftey, education, etc...) and only small changes have been made when a new problem came up. Every other country had to (voluntarily or not) start everything from scratch at some point in their history. The people profiting from the status quo become more and more powerful und therefore change will only happen once something really big will happen.

[@michaeladkins6]

Capitalism!

[@naughtyleopard21]

What would we do without this dude 😍 My favorite! Bringing light to important issues that need more attention, all while being sooo funny 😆💗✨

[@virginiataylor5557]

I cannot tell you how much I love that John used the word "aughts". I really haven't ever heard anyone outside our family use it this century!

[@PaulHo]

Damn, the military had food poisoning but also had full water closet doors. The rest of the US basically has saloon doors as a gesture for toilets.

[@chenstormstout9456]

As someone who works in produce at a store, it’s a pain when we have recalled produce. It just disappears and we have to post notices all over the department floor.

[@toriless]

You notice how some happen less. The FDA went out to sites and investigated why lettuce is always getting contaminated and it is partly as described. Often those spraying water do not even know it is contaminated by the cattle rancher on the hillside. Furthermore there is nothing they can do about a neighbors pollution other they to do an expensive study and sue the rancher. The FDA then has to request the state to try and get the rancher to behave. USDA regulates meats but hopefully they can have some influence. I do not know.

[@cloudsmakemehappy]

We do not need to split food safety off into a new agency. We just need to put ALL food safety regulation & enforcement under the purview of the USDA.

[@ambiguousmystery2579]

How does this fix the issue?

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

What if the USDA is fucked too?

[@1989Nihil]

@@youtubeuniversity3638 If the USDA was just as fucked as as the FDA, Oliver would have mentioned it. In fact, the video would've been about about both the FDA and the USDA, and not just zeroing in onto the first.

[@adde9506]

@@youtubeuniversity3638 Did you not watch the video?

[@cringusmoss9937]

I'd love to see a structural analysis to see if there's anything actually different between the two. From what he said the USDA has a similar budget but four times less ground to cover. If I had to guess I'd be willing to bet giving the USDA five times as much work and no budget increase would lead to a massive decrease in quality.

[@forgetmiiknot]

The amount of times I've eaten a salad trying to be healthy for once and have been punished by food poisoning as a result is actually wild

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@NyanyiC]

Stay safe. eat. Deep fried food

[@selah71]

I wouldn't eat salads in restaurants or prepackaged from the store but instead make them at home. Wash leafy greens under running water and then soak them in a solution of white vinegar and water. To help rid pesticides on fruits and non leafy vegetables, soak them in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. Always cut a good portion off of the root and top area. It is where a large deposit of pesticides linger. For examples, don't eat the last inch of the bottom of a banana and cut off at least a quarter of an inch off the top of strawberries. Lastly, if you use a kitchen sponge, thoroughly soak it and throw it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. Caution, it will be very hot!

[@Z_MIB]

A year-and-a-half ago I saw flies in multiple packages of Entenmann's Cheese Buns. I could literally see them flying around through the little window in the package at the store.

[@GuyPerson-jt9tv]

I can't believe John would torch an innocent lettuce. What would his lettuce wife think?

[@jenniferziegenfuss3719]

The wife is a cabbage, not lettuce. The cabbages don't give a fuck about their lowly weak-leafed cousins.

[@bigmacxd43]

The point you're making was correct. This is something I was thinking about years ago. But it was all well-known and nothing was groundbreaking. Even Chipotle had all these issues and survived. Most people don't care anymore and it translates to the industry itself. I would have talked about Uber eats doordash GrubHub etc. Because none of those companies or drivers have to get safe serve certified. None of those people have any knowledge of food safety. They literally give you any food that they're supposed to deliver and have no control before they get it or the time of delivery if they say you have to go somewhere else first...There is no regulation on how they deliver the food. You can get dairy delivered that was not kept under the temperature of 45°or under for an hour and it is accepted and okay. There is literally no food safety regulations or guarantees through third-party delivery companies yet there is a huge market for it...

[@TutalingS3]

John Oliver see's the Israeli retaliation as a war crime, but mentions nothing about Hamas ripping the heads of Israeli babies. TIL John Oliver is an anti-semite.

[@uhohthisusernamehasgone]

This is completely ignoring immunocompromised people who could get sick at any sign of spoilage and die from it, and who take a gamble every time they go grocery shopping in the US, as well as children and the elderly. Just because it’s considered fine for some (or even most,) doesn’t mean it’s actually fine. I get where you’re coming from, but it’s a bit misguided to dismiss it like this. ‘No regulation’ is not a good enough excuse, because there should be regulation at every step of the way.

[@MoneyGist]

"At this point it should be clear; A massive overhaul is needed here." Bars.

[@Tonyhouse1168]

Cow shit. “We know it when we see it But not always when we eat it.” John’s got bars for days

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

We definitely need something New & better than The FDA & USDA to make sure Food Safety has higher standards. Specially an Organization that's well funded & can't be Deregulated.

[@saschamayer4050]

Or maybe, I don't know, they could do their job? The job that they're being paid for?

[@beatricesomeone3300]

@@saschamayer4050 They are doing their job and that is the problem here, in europe companies have to prove that a substance is not dangerous BEFORE they can sell a product, here it is the other way around they can sell a product UNTIL it is proven unsafe ... Just look at chemicals and stuff wich is banned in europe and get's sold here, it's mindboggling. It's all about the money and not for our health, our food is part of the reason why the US life expactancy is so low among other developed country and it's declining more and more, when in europe it goes up and up. But we live in the best and greatest country in the world 🤣🤣

[@DegenerateToo]

But FDA is ran by the Federal government just like our military, so we can trust them when they say things are safe to eat and drink… right?! 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 Oh and don’t let me forget the EPA as well!!! 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

[@hartubmoses6645]

If DeSantis or anyone like him gets in office, anything that's considered regulatory will be eliminated or severely reduced.

[@newyawkgiants5877]

They’re not funded and have enough people to cover all the ish out there. There are other sources saying that. A lot of our food is band in damn there every country in the world. Get ready for Red dye # something. Red dye 40 is the popular one. I didn’t know chicken is soaked in chlorine. Ever have fresh beef directly from the cow? It’s great,that beef in a tube is bad for you. I can post a video explaining 15 foods that are bad for us and band in other countries. Well poop he said it,money and people.