The King County Public Health Department has updated their investigation into the vibrio outbreak linked to raw oysters in Washington state. Now as many as 25 people are sick. Those patients ate raw oysters at several restaurants and purchased from several markets. These illnesses were reported to the Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Program. This outbreak may result in closure of certain harvest locations or other enforcement actions after investigation. Environmental Health inspectors conduct investigations at each retail or restaurant location reported in an outbreak. They make sure that the oysters were purchased from approved sources, were held at proper temperatures, at or below 41°F, and handled to minimize the risk of cross-contamination. Bacteria from one … [Read more...]
Cow with Atypical BSE Diagnosed in Alabama
The USDA announced on Tuesday, July 18, 201 that an eleven year old cow in Alabama has been diagnosed with an atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. The press release states that "This animal never entered slaughter channels and at no time presented a risk to the food supply, or to human health in the United States." The animal was showing clinical signs of the disease and was round through routine surveillance at an Alabama livestock market. Atypical BSE is different from classic BSE and it usually occurs in cattle older than 8 years. It arises spontaneously and rarely in all cattle populations. The press release from the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries states that following delivery to the livestock market, the cow later … [Read more...]
Woodstock Organic Matcha Vanilla Oats Recalled for Possible Listeria
Garden of Light, doing business as Gluten Free Solutions of East Hartford, Connecticut, is recalling Woodstock Organic Matcha Vanilla Oats because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported to date. The recalled product is Woodstock Organic Matcha Vanilla Oats in a 1.8 ounce paperboard cup with a green laminated film lid. The UPC Code is 0-42563-01786-6. The product is marked with the Best Buy Date Code of “SELL BY MAY 11 2018” on the bottom of cup. A second lot with the Best Buy Date Code of “SELL BY JUNE 23 2018” was intercepted before released to the general public. Their ingredient supplier notified them of potential contamination of one of the ingredients. The ingredient was tested and was negative for Listeria, but out of an … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Outbreak in Texas Sickens at Least 68
A health advisory for a Cyclospora outbreak has been issued by the Texas State Department of Health Services. At least 68 people are sick with cyclosporiasis in that state. Illness were reported to officials starting mid-June 2017. Public health officials are investigating the outbreak to identify possible common exposures. In the past, cyclospora outbreaks have been linked to consumption of imported fresh produce, cilantro, pre-packaged salad mix, raspberries, basil, snow peas, and mesclun lettuce. The diagnosis of more patients and rapid reporting to public health by doctors is essential to try to prevent a large scale outbreak. Officials are asking doctors to test patents for the parasite if they have a diarrheal illness that lasts more than a few days, or have diarrhea that … [Read more...]
Hot Dogs Recalled for Bone Fragments
Marathon Enterprises in the Bronx, NYC, is recalling 7,196,084 pounds of hot dog products that may be contaminated with foreign material, more specifically bone fragments. There was one reported minor oral injury associated with the consumption of these products. You can see the full list of recalled products at the USDA web site. Brand recalled include Western Beef, Sabrett, Stew Leonard's, Papaya King, and 1906 Premium. The products recalled include Beef Frankfurters, Hot Sausage, and Cocktail Franks. The package sizes, use by dates, and UPC numbers are also included. The recalled products have the establishment number "EST. 8854" inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to retail and institutional locations nationwide. The FSIS' Consumer Complaint Monitoring System … [Read more...]
If You Are Eating Outdoors This Summer, Handle Food Safely
The USDA is offering food safety tips to all Americans who are eating outdoors this summer. Picnics and barbecues are part of the fun of the season. But the risk of food poisoning increases with the air temperature. When the air temperature is above 90°F, perishable foods should not be left out of refrigeration longer than one hour, half the usual time. When you are packing food for transport, make sure to keep cold food cold. You should always use an insulated cooler with ice or frozen gel packs for all food. Keep cold food below 40*F to prevent material growth. If you pack meat, poultry, and seafood while still frozen, they will stay cold longer. When you pack coolers for your picnic, put beverages in one and perishable foods in another. When you open and reopen the beverage … [Read more...]
Salmonella Outbreak in Canada Linked to Frozen Raw Chicken Products
The Public Health Agency of Canada has stated that the Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak in that country announced in late June, 2017 has been linked to a recalled frozen chicken product. Twelve people in four different provinces are sick. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a food recall warning for President's Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets in 800 gram packages with a best before date of 2018 MR 15. The product was distributed across the country. The statement says that the risk to Canadians is low. There have been Salmonella outbreaks in the past in the U.S. linked to raw frozen breaded chicken products. In 2015, there were two of these outbreaks in the United States. The first outbreak was linked to Barber raw Chicken Kiev products, sickening 15 people in … [Read more...]
Food & Water Watch: Chinese Chicken Shipments Endangering Public Health
Food & Water Watch has released a statement from their Executive Director, Wenonah Hauter, about chicken that is being processed in China and shipped to the United States. Food & Water Watch has requested information from the USDA about this issue. While Chinese plants can process raw poultry and ship to the U.S., the raw poultry itself can only come from "approved" sources, such as the Untied States, Canada, and Chile. Unfortunately, the USDA's 2016 audit checklist from one of the plants that slaughtered the chickens in Chile before they were shipped to China for processing "reveals serious problems at this first stop in the product's long journey." Hauter continues, "The USDA's audit of the Agroindustrial el Paico S.A. facility in Chile noted non-compliances in … [Read more...]
Chicken Nuggets Recalled in Canada for Salmonella
Loblaw Companies is recalling President's Choice brand Chicken Nuggets in Canada because they may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. There have been illnesses reported to date in connection with this problem. The recalled product is President Choice brand Pub Recipe Chicken Nuggets - Uncooked Breaded Cutlettes in 800 gram packages. The code on the product is 2018 MR 15, and the UPC number is 0 60383 13171 5. This recall was triggered by the CFIA during an investigation into a food poisoning outbreak. More products like this one may be recalled. If you bought this product, do not eat it. Throw it away in a sealed or double bagged package, or take it back to the store where you bought it for a full refund. … [Read more...]
Recall of Butter in Canada for Listeria Updated Again
The recall of butter in Canada for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination has been updated for the second time. The original recall was issued on July 5, 2017, and was updated on July 8, 2017 to include another brand. This recall also includes another brand and more product codes. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with these recalled products. The recalled items are all in 454 gram packages. They include St-Laurent butter with codes 110 050, 122 058, 122 059, 125 061, 125 062, and 128 064, and UPC number 0 62260 00454 9. Also recalled is Beurre du Lac butter with codes 102 024, 107 025, 122 029, 128 030, 135 031, and 149 033 and UPC number 0 62260 00455 6. Perron butter with code 135 067 and UPC number 7 72622 72454 0 is recalled, along with Nutrinor butter … [Read more...]
