We tell you about food recalls every day. All foods in this country are regulated by the FDA and the USDA. Manufacturers must follow guidelines for production, label the food correctly, and make sure it won't make people sick. But when a problem occurs, a recall may be issued. And if a recalled product is an ingredient in other products, secondary recalls are issued. When a product is defective or harmful, removing it from the marketplace is the most effective way to protect consumers. Recalls are almost always voluntary. A company could discover a problem and recall a product on their own, or they could recall it after the FDA raises concerns. The FDA can also request a recall. The government oversees the recall strategy and assesses its adequacy. Food products may be recalled … [Read more...]
Did You Know You Can Help Solve Food Poisoning Outbreaks?
It sounds like something Smoky the Bear said, "only you can prevent foodborne outbreaks!" But it's true. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that you can keep your family safe and help protect others from illness. Every year, 1 in 6 Americans contract a foodborne illness. Most of these cases occur individually, but some are part of outbreaks. If two or more people have the same illness caused by the same strain of bacteria, it's an outbreak. The CDC uses epidemiological, traceback, and food and environmental testing data to determine if an illness cluster is a foodborne outbreak. If you get sick and you think you have food poisoning, there are three ways you can help solve the outbreak. First, report your illness to your health department. If you go to a doctor and … [Read more...]
Worker at Meijer in Michigan Diagnosed with Hepatitis A
A bakery food worker at the Meijer store in Mount Pleasant Michigan has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, according to the Michigan Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture and Rural Development Anyone who ate baked goods made on-site at that store in late August and in September may have been exposed to the virus. The store is located at 1015 Pickard Street in Mount Pleasant. The worker made the products between August 23 and September 20, 2017. The baked goods have a Meijer Bakery label, and include individual items such as single doughnuts and rolls from the self-serve case. If you have any products from that store in your home, they should be discarded. Freezing doesn't kill the hepatitis A virus. No illnesses have been identified from this exposure so far. … [Read more...]
Gear Isle Recalls Supplements for Undeclared Drugs
Gadget Island, dba Gear Isle, is recalling four dietary supplements because they contain sildenafil, desmethyl carbodenafil and tadalafil. Those ingredients can interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs and can cause a life-threatening drop in blood pressure. The FDA has received adverse event report from consumers who bought these products. Gear Isle has not received any reports of adverse events. The recalled products are: Rhino 7 Platinum 5000, with UPC number 617135861224 and lot number R7-D5K1011H; Papa Zen 3000, with UPC number 718122032587 and lot number NSS050888; Fifty Shades 6000, with UPC number 4026666146056 and no lot number; and Grande X 5800, with UPC number 640793555440 and no lot number. The products are labeled as dietary supplements. They were … [Read more...]
Utah’s Ag-Gag Law Struck Down
An ag-gag law in Utah has been struck down. Earlier this month, the Utah attorney general said that no appeal would be filed in a federal court decision to end the law as unconstitutional. These laws criminalize video recording on ranches and farms that expose animal abuse. Members of animal rights groups pose as workers to film cruelty against animals. University of Denver law professor Justin Marceau, one of the attorneys who represents animal rights groups said, "[Ag-gag] laws in states like Iowa and Kansas are crying out for a challenge at this point." The state that have some type of this law on the books include Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, North Carolina and Alabama. Animal rights advocates say that these laws violate free speech and target … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Outbreak Sickens Almost 1000
A huge cyclospora outbreak in the United States has sickened 988 people as of September 13, 2017. Every summer there is a large cyclospora outbreak in the United States. This illness, caused by the Cyclospora cayetensis parasite, is endemic to tropical and subtropical areas of the globe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the this number includes people who reported international travel, as well as those who did not report travel. The reports have come from 40 states. At least 553, or 56%, of those sickened did not travel internationally. That means they were infected in the United States. Illness onset dates started on or before May 1, 2017. The report says that "it is too early to say whether cases of Cyclospora infection in different states are related … [Read more...]
Mysterious E. coli Outbreak in LaCrosse, WI Hospitalizes 6 Kids
An E. coli outbreak has sickened at least eight people in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and hospitalized six children. The La Crosse County Health Department is investigating the outbreak, according to the La Crosse Tribune. Some of the children have recovered and have been released from the hospital. The bacteria that made them sick is E. coli O157. And they were hospitalized because they developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication of an E. coli infection that can cause kidney failure, strokes, seizures, and death. This type of bacteria releases shiga toxins, which travel through the bloodstream and kill red blood cells. Those dead and damaged cells can then clog the kidneys, causing them to fail. The Wisconsin Department of Health is assisting La Crosse County in … [Read more...]
Death Wish Nitro Cold Brew Recalled for Botulism Risk
Death Wish Coffee is recalling its 11 ounce Data Wish Nitro Brew cans because they may be contaminated with botulism toxin. The process of making the product could lead to the growth and production of the deadly toxin. Clostridium botulinum toxin is ubiquitous throughout the environment. In low acid canned foods, this bacteria can grow and produce the toxin. The symptoms of botulism poisoning include general weakness, dizziness, double vision, trouble speaking, and difficulty swallowing. Constipation, abdominal dissension, difficulty in breathing, and weakness of other muscles are also common symptoms. The production of the product has stopped. The Death Wish Nitro Cold Brew is sold in 11 ounce cans. It was sold through the company's online store, and has been pulled from shelves at … [Read more...]
Martin Yoder Farm Raw Milk Contaminated with Campylobacter
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball warned consumers not to drink unpasteurized raw milk from the Martin Yoder Farm because it may be contaminated with Campylobacter. That farm is located at 2594 Murdock Road in Medina, New York. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. Any consumer who bought that milk should immediately discard it. A recent sample of the milk collected by an inspector was contaminated with the pathogenic bacteria. The producer was notified of a preliminary positive test result on September 13, 2017. Farm owners immediately and voluntarily suspended sales of the product. Further testing, completed on September 15, 2017, confirmed the presence of Campylobacter jejune in the raw … [Read more...]
Possible Hepatitis A Exposure at World Famous Restaurant in CA
The San Diego Department of Public Health is advising consumers that if they ate at the World Famous restaurant at 711 Pacific Beach Drive in San Diego, California on seven specific dates, at specific times, they may have been exposed to hepatitis A. San Diego is battling a huge hepatitis A outbreak. In fact, a public health emergency was declared in San Diego County the first week of September, 2017. Most people sickened are the homeless, but there have been illnesses among people who aren't in that category. Officials say it's too early to tell if this case is linked to that current outbreak. The dates and times of possible exposure are: August 28, 29, and 30, 2017 between 3:00 p and 11:00 pm; September 3 and 4 ,2017 between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm; and September 10 and 11 from … [Read more...]
