Now 69 people have been diagnosed with E. coli infections after swimming at Minneapolis's Lake Nokomis, according to news reports. That's an increase of 20 more cases since the last report by the Minnesota Department of Health on August 16, 2019. Minnesota officials did say they thought the case count would increase because when they released information about this outbreak, more people would recognize their symptoms, see a doctor, and be tested for the pathogen. E. coli is a reportable illness. All of the patients got sick after they swam at the lake between July 16 and August 11, 2019. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board said that the Lake Nokomis beaches will be closed for the rest of the season. In addition, nearby Wirth Beach has had to close. That is the fourth … [Read more...]
Owner of New England Meat Packing Admits Fabricating E. coli Results
According to the Justice Department, Memet Beqiri, also known as Matt Beqiri, pleaded guilty today in a Hartford federal court to falsifying E. coli test results for his business, New England Meat Packing, LLC. That company is located in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. Mr. Beqiri waived his right to be indicted. According to the USDA's approved Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan for New England Meat Packing, the company must perform one generic E. coli carcass test for every 300 animals slaughtered. They must also periodically collect ground beef samples for E. coli testing. Between November 3, 2016 and September 9, 2017, Beqiri authorized the preparation and submission in the company's Lab Sample Report binder 36 documents relating to 52 separate carcass … [Read more...]
Recall of AWERS Grained Salmon Caviar For Botulism Expanded
The recall of AWERS Grained Salmon Caviar (Sockeye Salmon Caviar) for possible Clostridium botulinum contamination that was posted on August 16, 2019 has been expanded to include more "best before" codes. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue. The recalled products is Grained Salmon Caviar sold in 95 gram tins. The codes that are recalled have these dates: "BEST BEFORE JUL 03 2020” “BEST BEFORE JUL 15 2020” “BEST BEFORE SEP 17 2020” “BEST BEFORE OCT 07 2020” “BEST BEFORE OCT 13 2020” These products could be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacteria that produces the botulism toxin that can be fatal if ingested. This toxin can be present in foods even though the product looks, smells, and tastes normal. Do not try even a … [Read more...]
Grained Salmon Caviar Recalled In Canada For Botulism
Kananaskistrade is recalling Grained Salmon Caviar from the m marketplace in Canada because it may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria. This bacteria produces a toxin that can be deadly even in very tiny amounts. A product with the same name, but marketed by AWERS, was recalled in the U.S. last week. The recalled product is marked with Cyrillic characters only. The common name is Grained Salmon Caviar, sold in 95 gram tins. The UPC number on the product is 8 85202 00044 3, and the best before date marked on the tin is OCT 07 2020. This warning was updated on August 20, 2019 with more information: All units sold up to and including August 20, 2019 are recalled. The recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency test results. The government is conducting a food … [Read more...]
Food Worker at Imperial Kitchen in Philadelphia Diagnosed With Hepatitis A
A food worker at Imperial Kitchen, located at 3164 Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Anyone who purchased food from Imperial Kitchen between July 21 and August 6, 2019 may have been exposed to the pathogenic virus. Those vaccines are only effective if given within two weeks of exposure. Anyone who was ate at Imperial Kitchen more than two weeks ago may no longer be eligible for a vaccine; check with your doctor to make sure. The health department is offering the hepatitis A vaccine at no cost on Thursday, August 22, 2019 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at McPherson Square Park. You can contact the health department at 215-685-6741 during business hours if you have … [Read more...]
Tip Top Poultry Recalled For Possible Listeria Monocytogenes
Tip Top Poultry of Rockmart, Georgia, is recalling about 135,810 pounds of fully cooked chicken products because they may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. There is zero tolerance for this pathogen in ready-to-eat foods. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency notified FSIS on August 17, 2019, that a sample of this company's product was confirmed positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue in the United States. The recalled product is frozen, diced, and mechanically separated ready-to-eat chicken that was produced on January 21, 2019. The label has "PACK DATE 01/21/19" The products that are recalled are on a spreadsheet provided by the USDA. The recalled products are Tip Top … [Read more...]
Tampering With Infant Formula at Walmart in Edmonton, Alberta
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning consumers about reports of tampering in an infant formula product at the Walmart store at 775 Tamarack Way Northwest in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Officials state that the safety seals have been broken and product substitution has occurred. No illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported to date in this case. The notice states that "This type of issue is not typically associated with the manufacturing process but can occur occasionally when a consumer returns altered products to the retail store for a refund." Infant formula products have been found where the tamper-proof seals have been broken and the product inside those packages had been substituted with something else. The recall notice did not state which brands … [Read more...]
Listeria Outbreak in Canada Linked to Rosemount Cooked Chicken
A Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in Canada is linked to Rosemount brand cooked chicken, according to a notice from the Public Health Agency of Canada. Seven confirmed cases have been diagnosed as of August 18 2019. The patient case count by province is: British Columbia (1), Manitoba (1), and Ontario (5). People got sick between November 2017 and June 2019. Six of the seven patients have been hospitalized because they are so sick. The patient age range is from 51 to 97 years. An increase in Listeria illnesses was reported to the government in June 2019. Officials used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to identify two illnesses which occurred in November 2017 that had the same genetic strain as illnesses that occurred in April and June 2019. Rosemount cooked chicken has been … [Read more...]
Food Worker at Ashiya Teriyaki in Lynwood, WA Diagnosed With Hepatitis A
A food worker at Ashiya Teriyaki, located at 1233 164th Street Southwest in Lynnwood, Washington, has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. The Snohomish Health District closed the restaurant on August 15, 2019. Anyone who ate at that venue between August 2 and August 15, 2019 may have been exposed to the virus. Officials say that this case doesn't seem to be linked to the hepatitis A outbreak in Washington state. Unfortunately, it's too late for anyone who ate at Ashiya Teriyaki before August 6, 2019 to receive an immune globulin or hepatitis A vaccination, since those vaccines are only effective if given within two weeks of exposure. Those people should watch for the symptoms of hepatitis A and contact their doctor if they get sick. All other clients should contact their doctors for … [Read more...]
Heinz Turkey Stew Baby Food Recalled in Canada For Insects
Kraft Heinz Canada is recalling Heinz Turkey Stew baby food from the marketplace "due to the presence of insects," according to the recall notice posted on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website. No illnesses have been reported in connection to this problem. The recalled product is Heinz Turkey Stew 8+ Months Baby Food that is packaged in 213 ml containers. The UPC number on the product is 0 572200 6, and the code on the package is 2021JN04. This product was sold in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. There is no picture of the product available on the CFIA web site. The recall was triggered by a consumer complaint. The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of more products. The public will be … [Read more...]
