A persistent Salmonella strain in chicken has sickened Americans for a decade, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The strain is Salmonella Infantis (REPJFX01). This strain is resistant to multiple drugs and has caused outbreaks and illnesses in the United States and globally. The map is interactive on the CDC site. You can select a year and see how many people were sickened and where they live. These illnesses were first reported to PulseNet in 2012. As of December 31, 2022, information from 2,900 patients with REPJFX01 infection was reported. Illnesses caused by this strain occur all year long but are most common in the months of July and August. In all, seven outbreaks were investigated during the years of 2012 to 2022, but most were not solved … [Read more...]
McMaster Researchers Create Packaging Revealing Contamination
McMaster researchers have created food packaging that can reveal contamination of food, possibly helping prevent foodborne illness. Researchers Akansha Prasad, co-lead author of the paper that describes the invention, which was published in the journal Advanced Materials said in a statement, "This is something that can benefit everyone. We're hoping this technology will see lives, money, and food waste." Shadman Khan, co-lead author on the paper added, "We wanted to develop a system that was reliable, quick, affordable, and easy to use." The packaging will let producers, retailers, and consumers tell in real time whether the contents of a sealed food package are contaminated just by looking at it. Not having to open the package will eliminate the possibility of … [Read more...]
Public Health Alert For Park Street Deli Frozen Stuffed Chicken
A public health alert for Park Street Deli Frozen Stuffed Chicken Breast (chicken breast stuffed with broccoli) has been issued by the USDA because a processing deviation undercooked the chicken, which is labeled as ready to eat. This product should not be eaten because of this issue. No confirmed reports of adverse reactions linked to the consumption of this product have been reported to the company to date. The recalling firm is Vanguard Culinary Group, LTD of Fayetteville, North Carolina. A recall was not requested because this product is no longer available for sale. the ready to eat broccoli stuffed chicken breast was produced on December 3, 2022. It is 16 ounce (1 pound) vacuum sealed trays containing Park Street Deli Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast … [Read more...]
Fifteen Tips to Avoid Food Poisoning
Whenever there is a good poisoning outbreak, odds are that the outbreak notice will include some information about how consumers can protect themselves against contaminated food. While it is illegal for companies to sell food contaminated with enough pathogens to make someone ill, it happens all the time. These 15 tips to avoid food poisoning may help. Despite efforts from the federal government, industry, food processors, and farmers, the number of food poisoning cases in America isn't going down. There are still about 48,000,000 cases of food poisoning every year in this country, with about 126,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. But there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family. In fact, there are (at least) 15 tips to avoid food poisoning. Fifteen Tips … [Read more...]
The CDC is Warning About Bird Flu Detections in Backyard Birds
If you buy chicken at the grocery store, you may have noticed that some products are becoming more scarce. Supply chain issues aside, that may be because the bird flu numbers in poultry are approaching record numbers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) virus has now sickened 52,773,869 birds in the United States. The birds that are affected include wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry, and backyard or hobbyist flocks beginning in January 2022. Thees are the first detections of this particular strain in this country since 2016. The illness has been found in 46 states in this country and in 341 countries around the world. In November 2022, the CDC said that 49,000,000 birds in 46 states had either died … [Read more...]
Backyard Poultry Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 219, Hospitalizes 27, 1 Dead
The newest backyard poultry Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least 219 people in 38 states, has hospitalized 27, and one person has died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One of these outbreaks usually occurs every year in the United States. Backyard poultry, which includes chicken and ducks, can carry Salmonella bacteria even if they look healthy and clean. And those pathogens can spread anywhere in the areas where the poultry live and roam. People get sick by touching anything where the birds live or the birds themselves, and then touching their mouths or food. Children are especially susceptible to this type of infection transmission because they so often put their fingers in their mouths. The case count by state is: Arizona (7), Arkansas … [Read more...]
USDA Adds Possible Beef E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak to Table
The USDA adds a possible beef E. coli O157:H7 outbreak to its Outbreak Investigation Table. The Salmonella outbreak linked to chicken is still on the table. No more information is available about either of these outbreaks. The last outbreak of USDA-regulated foods that was identified and solved was the 2021 Salmonella Hadar outbreak linked to ground turkey that sickened at least 33 people in 14 states and hospitalized four. This outbreak is most likely not linked to ground beef, since the USDA stipulates whether or not the product is ground in its table. Outbreaks associated with whole cuts are not common. The last outbreak linked to whole beef cuts was in 2009, when 21 people in 16 states were sickened with E. coli O157:H7 infections. Beef products from National Steak and … [Read more...]
Recall of Potentially Undercooked Chicken Breast Fillets Expanded
The recall of potentially undercooked chicken breast fillets from Wayne Farms, LLC has been expanded. The original recall was for about 30,285 pounds, and the new recall is for 585,030 pounds of the product. There are also five new production codes and 66 different use by dates for these products. The update also includes new products, expanded weights, more sizes, and more distribution information. There have been no confirmed reports of illness associated with this issue. The recalled products were produced between February 9 and April 30, 2022. You can see pictures of product labels of these potentially undercooked chicken breast fillets at the USDA web site. They include: 9 pound cases containing 8 packages of 6-ounce ALL NATURAL FIRE GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST with use by dates … [Read more...]
Wayne Farms Cooked Chicken Breast Recalled For Possible Undercooking
Wayne Farms Cooked Chicken Breast is being recalled for possible undercooking. The recall is for 30,285 pounds of ready to eat chicken breast fillet product. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this item. The ready to eat Wayne Farms cooked chicken breast fillet products were produced on March 1 and March 21, 2022. They include 9 pound cases containing 8 packages of 6-ounce All Natural Fire Grilled Chicken Breast with a use by date of 5/30/22 (May 30, 2022). Also recalled is 9 pound cases containing 12 packages of 4-ounce All Natural Fire Grilled Chicken Breast with use by date of 6/19/22 (June 19, 2022). You can see pictures of product labels at the FSIS web site. These products have the establishment number "EST 20214" on the case. The … [Read more...]
One Quarter of Participants Contaminated Salad With Raw Chicken
In an NC State University study, one quarter of participants contaminated salad with raw chicken, highlighting the risks of not understanding hand washing, cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen, and washing poultry. The study was conducted to assess the impact of washing poultry on kitchen contamination, but found that participants who did not wash poultry still contaminated salad. The study was published in the International Association for Food Production. Washing raw poultry is not recommended because the researchers thought that water from rinsing the chicken would splash and spread around the kitchen. This practice can also contaminate the kitchen sink, other foods, and other surfaces, which increase the risk of foodborne illness. Ellen Shumaker, corresponding author of the … [Read more...]
