WASHINGTON, May 10, 2013 – The Elvis of E. Coli, the Sinatra
of Salmonella, member of the FDA Food Advisory Committee – Dr. Carl Winter goes
by many names. He’s also the director of the FoodSafe Program and the extension
food toxicologist in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the
University of California at Davis, which gives him just enough credibility to
pull off his nighttime gig: singer of food safety parody tunes. Winter tackles
complex issues like microbial contamination through songs that ape on popular
music. (So Queen’s “We Are the Champions” becomes “We Are the Microbes.”)
On Thursday, Dr. Winter brought his act to Washington when
he performed at the announcement of this year’s Council for Agricultural
Science and Technology (CAST) Borlaug Communication Award. Dr. Winter won the
award last year. The prize is presented
annually for “outstanding achievement by a scientist, engineer, technologist,
or other professional working in the agricultural, environmental, or food
sectors for contributing to the advancement of science in the public policy
arena,” according to CAST’s website.
Dr. Winter’s work, said CAST Executive Vice President Linda
Chimenti, reflects the core of CAST’s mission: to “bring back together
different disciples of agricultural science.”
Winter says his songs and live performances – he’s played in
front of at least 200 audiences– are targeted toward the average consumer.
“We’re not very good at making things concise and getting them out there,” he
says of the food industry. He notes that one in six Americans are affected by
food borne illnesses every year, but because there’s little public outrage
around the issue, the risk is generally not taken very seriously by the public
at large.
“You’d
Better Wash Your Hands,” a parody of the Beatles’ “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,”
tackles the sticky issue of…washing one’s hands (20 seconds for every go!). His
second piece, “Still
Seems Like Food to Me,” patterned off of a popular Billy Joel tune,
challenges GMO detractors. His recordings from his Thursday performance of both
can be heard at the previous links.
More of Dr. Winter’s music can be found on his website.
#30
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