The raw turkey Salmonella Reading outbreak has been updated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The case count remains the same as it was in the last update - 216 sick in 38 states, with 84 hospitalizations and one death in California. But another product has been tied to illnesses. The case count by state is: Alabama (4), Alaska (2), Arizona (3), Arkansas (1), California (16), Colorado (6), Connecticut (3), Delaware (1), District of Columbia (2), Florida (8), Georgia (2), Hawaii (1), Idaho (2), Iowa (4), Illinois (21), Indiana (5), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Maryland (5), Massachusetts (3), Michigan (8), Minnesota (18), Missouri (3), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (9), New York (15), North Carolina (8), North Dakota (2), Ohio (8), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania … [Read more...]
Listeria Outbreak Linked to Long Phung Pork Ends With 4 Sick
The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Long Phung pork products has ended with four sick, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All four patients were hospitalized because they were so sick. Those patients live in Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas. The 165368 C. Corporation of Houston, Texas, doing business as Long Phung Food Products, recalled their ready-to-eat pork products for possible contamination. They were labeled with the establishment number "EST. 13561" inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were sold nationwide. The outbreak appears to be over as of January 29, 2019. Listeria specimens from ill persons were collected. Whole genome sequencing was conducted on that bacterial DNA and found that all of those sickened were … [Read more...]
Minnesota Salmonella Patient Prompts Warning About Woody’s Pet Food Deli
A case of Salmonella food poisoning in Minnesota has prompted the state to issue a consumer advisory for Woody's Pet Food Deli Raw Free Range Turkey Pet food. The case is part of the multistate Salmonella Reading outbreak that is linked to raw turkey that has sickened at least 216 people. That outbreak is ongoing. The Minnesota Department of Health is issuing a recall after sampling of that product tested positive for Salmonella bacteria. The4 recalled product is sold in 5 pound plastic containers labeled "Woody's Pet Food Deli Raw Free Range Turkey." The product was sold at Woody's Pet food Deli locations in Woodbury, Minneapolis, and St. Paul. The lots that are recalled have use by dates of 01/10/20, 01/12/20, and 01/15/20. Officials from the Minnesota Department of Health … [Read more...]
CDC Issues Brucella Health Advisory For Miller’s Biodiversity Raw Milk
The CDC has issued a Health Advisory, for Brucella RB51 that may be connected to raw milk from Miller's Biodiversity Farm in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. The New York State Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Department of Health are investigating illnesses. In late December, 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Health quarantined that farm's raw milk and raw milk products for possible Brucella contamination. As of January 22, 2019, exposures to this milk have been identified in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. There are three people who are sick with the symptoms of Brucella RB51, due to raw … [Read more...]
New Study Finds Canadian Cookbooks Don’t Provide Food Safety Info
A new study, published in Food Control for June 2019, finds that meat and seafood recipes in some popular Canadian cookbooks do not provide adequate food safety information. The authors included 19 cookbooks that focused on meat and seafood. The study was conducted at the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety in the Department of Food Science at the University of Guelph in Ontario. The evaluated cookbooks were published from 2015 to 2017. In 2017, another study published in the British Food Journal found the same thing; no food safety information or incorrect info. Overall, the study found that "cookbooks are not a good source of reliable food safety information or safe food handling practices, and they do not encourage the reader to practice safe food handling during … [Read more...]
Study Finds Short Term High Animal Fat Diet Increases Listeria Risk
According to a new study published in Microbiome, the short term consumption of a high animal fat diet increases a person's susceptibility to a Listeria monocytogenes infection. The study refers to this type of diet as "westernized." The study was conducted on mice at the University College Cork. Researchers found that a high fat and low fermentable fiber diet increases the number of goblet cells, which are a binding site for Listeria bacteria. The diet also "induces profound changes to the microbiota and promotes a pro-inflammatory gene expression profile in the host." Apparently, host inflammatory responses, which is the body's response to an "invader," are significantly downregulated. The effects were seen beyond the gut, as the diet increased the mice sensitivity to altered … [Read more...]
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro Urges End to Shutdown
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) is urging the government to reopen areas that are shutdown, and end food safety risks to consumers. The shutdown is now on Day 28. Some employees at the FDA and USDA are furloughed, and others are working without pay. The FDA has brought back some workers, but they are not being paid. In her statement, she writes, "The President’s shutdown is putting our nation’s food supply at risk—a fundamental responsibility of the FDA and USDA. FDA inspectors are still working without pay, and they are only able to carry out one third of regular inspections. FDA also remains understaffed for food surveillance and food recall operations, and enforcement appears to be down. At the same time, the status of FDA’s work finalizing guidance and implementing rules … [Read more...]
Norovirus Outbreak at Boutwells Landing in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota
A norovirus outbreak has sickened dozens of residents at Boutwells Landing in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota. That is a senior living facility. The first illnesses were reported on January 4, 2019. About 10% of the 600 residents and 15% of employees have been sickened, Campus Administrator Wendy Kingbay told the Minneapolis StarTribune. The outbreak has occurred at senior apartments, townhouses, and assisted living apartments. Norovirus is a very contagious pathogen that causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Symptoms appear quickly, usually within a few hours, after a person is infected. Most people are sick for a few days and most recover without a doctor's care. People in high risk groups, including the elderly, may have a more serious illness and may need to be hospitalized. … [Read more...]
Duncan Hines Cake Mix Possible Salmonella Outbreak Ends with 7 Sick
The Duncan Hines possible cake mix Salmonella Agbeni outbreak has ended with 7 sick in 5 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No people were hospitalized in this outbreak and there were no deaths. As of January 14, 2019, the outbreak appears to be over. Illness onset dates ranged from June 13, 2018 to October 5, 2018. The patient age range was from 26 to 72. The case count by state is: Florida (1), Maryland (2), Missouri (1), Ohio (2), and Wisconsin (1). On November 5, 2018, ConAgra Brands recalled four different varieties of Duncan Hines Cake Mix. Officials in Oregon found Salmonella Agbeni in a box of Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix. If you have any of these products in your home, throw them away in a sealed package in a secure garbage can. … [Read more...]
Two 2018 Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreaks Sicken 8, Kill One
There were just two Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks in the U.S. in 2018, but the results were severe. In all, eight people were sickened, all eight were hospitalized because they were so sick, and one person died. The first outbreak was linked to Johnston County Hams. Four people in 2 states were sickened. One person, who lived in Virginia, died. On October 3, 2018, Johnston County Hams recalled ready-to-eat deli hams. One of the problems with deli meats is that the pathogen can survive the standard cleaning procedures most delis use. In that outbreak, public health investigators used the PulseNet system to find people who were infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes. The illness onset date ranged from July 8, 2018 to August 11, 2018. Three patients lived in … [Read more...]
