A new Jimmy John's E. coli O103 outbreak that has sickened at least 14 people in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, and Utah was just announced by Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response at the FDA. And yes, it is linked to clover sprouts served at Jimmy John's restaurants in those states. This is a different outbreak from the one that was announced in December 2019 that has sickened 22 people in Iowa alone, and about which the FDA sent a warning letter to Jimmy John's and Sprouts Unlimited this week. Yiannas said, "These 14 new cases are not associated with the warning letter that the FDA issued to the company yesterday, but they do underscore the seriousness of the issue as we work with Jimmy John's to prevent outbreaks like these in the future." The case … [Read more...]
New Jimmy John’s E. coli O103 Outbreak Sickens People in IA, IL, MO, TX, and UT
Natural Grocers Dark Chocolate Peanut Clusters Recalled For Almonds
Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets of Lakewood, Colorado is recalling Natural Grocers Dark Chocolate Peanut Clusters because they contain almonds, or tree nuts, one of the major food allergens, that is not declared on the label. Anyone who is allergic to almonds could have a serious allergic reaction if they eat this product. There have been no reports of illness or allergic reactions received by the company to date in relation to this issue. Natural Grocers is acing out of an abundance of caution to protect consumers. The recalled product is Natural Grocers Dark Chocolate Peanut Clusters sold in clear plastic bags that weigh 8 ounces each. The package has the "Natural Grocers" label. The UPC number on the product is 000087562088, and the packed on dates range from 19-190 through … [Read more...]
FDA Warning Letter to Sprouts Unlimited Details Info About Outbreak
An FDA warning letter to Sprouts Unlimited, located in Marion, Iowa, details information about problems at the company's facility in the wake of a 2019 E. coli O103 outbreak in Iowa linked to their raw clover sprouts served at Jimmy John's restaurants. The FDA has determined that the company's clover sprouts are adulterated in that they "bear or contain an added poisonous or deleterious substance which may render them injurious to health." The FDA inspected the Sprouts Unlimited facility from December 31, 2019 to January 9, 2020. Inspectors documented "numerous serious violations of the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption regulation (PSR), Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 112 (21 CFR Part 112) that may have resulted … [Read more...]
FDA Lists Jimmy John’s Sprout Outbreaks in Warning Letter
The FDA has finally sent a warning letter about Jimmy John's sprout outbreaks in the wake of the latest one: an E. coli O103 outbreak that has sickened at least 22 people in Iowa that is lined to raw clover sprouts produced by Sprouts Unlimited of Marion, Iowa. There are five food poisoning outbreaks linked to that restaurant chain that go back to 2012, and more earlier than that. These are the outbreaks listed in the FDA warning letter: The current E. coli O103 outbreak is linked to 15 Jimmy John's restaurants in Iowa. Clover sprouts from Sprouts Unlimited are the culprit. At least 22 people are sick. Illness onset dates range from November 21, 2019 to December 14m 2019. In 2018, at least 10 people were sickened with Salmonella Montevideo infections after eating raw sprouts … [Read more...]
E. coli O103 Jimmy John’s Clover Sprouts Outbreak Sickens 22 in Iowa
An E. coli O103 Jimmy John's clover sprouts outbreak has sickened at least 22 people in Iowa, according to a warning letter the FDA sent to Jimmy John's and Sprouts Unlimited on February 21, 2020. This outbreak was briefly mentioned by the FDA in a recall notice on December 18, 2019, but there were very few details about the outbreak at that time. The FDA warning letter details information about five food poisoning outbreaks linked to Jimmy John's restaurants going back to 2012. The outbreaks were caused by E. coli O103, Salmonella Montevideo, E. coli O102, E. coli O157:H7, and E. coli O26. The letter states that, "Taken together, these outbreaks, which spanned over the past seven years and impacted no fewer than seventeen states demonstrate the corporate-wide supplier control … [Read more...]
Sierra Soups Recalls Pasta e Fagioli Soup Mix For Undeclared Gluten
Sierra Soups of Fresno, California is recalling its Pasta e Fagioli because the soup mix contains an individually wrapped package of pasta which contains gluten from wheat, one of the major food allergens. The soup mix product label states that it is "Gluten-Free (without Pasta)." Anyone who is allergic to wheat or who has celiac disease could have a serious allergic reaction if they eat this product. No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported to date in connection with this issue. The recalled product is Pasta e Fagioli soup mix that was distributed nationwide in retail stores and also through mail order. The product is packaged in a 13 ounce, clear plastic package with the product name as well as the gluten-free statement. The recall was issued after the company … [Read more...]
Celebrate Frozen Profiteroles Recalled in Canada For Salmonella
Celebrate Frozen Profiteroles recalled in Canada for possible Salmonella contamination. Giant Tiger Stores in Canada is recalling Celebration Frozen Profiteroles and Eclairs from the marketplace because they may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. These products were distributed at the retail level in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec. The products were sold at these Giant Tiger locations in Canada: 417 Wellington St., St. Thomas, Ontario 350 Scott St., St. Catharines, Ontario 29 Chambers St., Smith Falls, Ontario 2480 Walkley Rd., Ottawa, Ontario 6061 Hazeldean Rd. Stittsville, Ontario 4501 Tecumseh Rd. East, Windsor, Ontario 330 avenue St-Laurent, Louiseville, Quebec 1254 boulevard Louis-XIV, Quebec City, Quebec 46 Robie St., Truro, Nova Scotia The … [Read more...]
FDA Addresses Issue of China Coronavirus and Imported Products
On our Facebook page recently, one person asked if anyone should be concerned about the safety of products arriving from China as the coronavirus outbreak continues. The virus has been named COVID-19, as it is a virus causing coronavirus disease that was first identified in 2019. Is there a danger regarding coronavirus and imported products? The FDA is working to surveil the medical product supply chain and is using enforcement tools to oversee the safety and quality of FDA-regulated products. The FDA isn't able to conduct inspections in China now, as the U.S. State Department's Travel Advisory is not to travel to China because of the outbreak. Here's the takeaway line: "Fortunately, currently, we are not seeing the impacts of this outbreak resulting in an increased public health … [Read more...]
Natural Grocers Recalls Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters For Peanuts
Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets in Lakewood, Colorado, is recalling Natural Grocers Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters because the product contains a peanut allergen that is not declared on the label. Anyone who is allergic to peanuts could have a life-threatening allergic reaction if they eat. this product. No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The recalled product is Natural Grocers Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters Non-GMO that is packaged in clear plastic bags. The package size is 8 ounces. It has the "Natural Grocers" label. The UPC number that is printed on the label is 000087236088. The pack dates for this product that are between 2019 and 20-035 are being recalled at this time. This product was distributed to 157 Natural … [Read more...]
Fresh Sprouts Bean Sprouts Recalled in Canada For Possible Salmonella
Fresh Sprouts Bean Sprouts are being recalled in Canada for possible Salmonella contamination, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The sprouts were distributed in Ontario at the retail level. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue. The recalled product is Fresh Sprouts Bean Sprouts, which were sold in 454 gram containers. The UPC number on the product is 8 27468 00100 0, and the code on the package is 20/FEB/28. This recall was triggered by test results. The Canadian Food InspectionAgency is conducting a food safety investigation which may lead to the recall of more products. If this happens, the public will be informed by a notice on the CFIA web site. The government is also verifying that industry is removing this product from the … [Read more...]
