A Salmonella Sun Sprouts warning letter was sent to that company by the FDA after an outbreak, which happened from December 2022 to January 2023, linked to those raw sprouts sickened at least 63 people in eight states. The case count by state was: Arizona (1), Iowa (6), Kansas (6), Missouri (9), Nebraska (26), New Hampshire (1), Oklahoma (1), and South Dakota (13). Ten people were hospitalized. The FDA inspected the sprouting operation of Rhodes Legacy Inc. doing business as Sun Sprouts, because of the outbreak. FDA's traceback investigation identified the brand's alfalfa sprouts as a likely source of illnesses in that outbreak. The inspection revealed "serious violations of the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption … [Read more...]
New Hepatitis A Outbreak on FDA CORE Investigation Table
A new hepatitis A outbreak has been issued on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. At least nine people have been sickened in this new outbreak. And there are still two Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks on the table, while the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts has ended. This new hepatitis A outbreak is not yet linked to any particular food. We do not know the patient age range, illness onset dates, or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. The FDA has initiated traceback, but there has not been any on-site inspection, recall, sample collection, or laboratory analysis yet. And there is a mystery Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that is still unsolved. In that investigation, traceback has been initiated, and an on-site inspection has … [Read more...]
Sun Sprouts Alfalfa Sprouts Salmonella Outbreak Ends
The Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak has ended, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with 63 sick in eight states. That is an increase of 48 more patients and five more states since the last update on December 30, 2022. Ten people were hospitalized because they were so sick. The sprouts were recalled on December 29, 2022. The case count by state is: Arizona (1), Iowa (6), Kansas (6), Missouri (9), Nebraska (26), New Hampshire (1), Oklahoma (1), and South Dakota (13). New states added to this outbreak are Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and New Hampshire. The patient age range is from less than one to 83 years. Of 59 people who gave information about their health to government officials, 10 were hospitalized. The illness onset … [Read more...]
FDA CORE Table Updated; And What Happened to NetCost?
The FDA CORE Table has been updated with information about the new mystery Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. And what happened to the NetCost Market deli meat and cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least 16 people? It hasn't been updated since November 9, 2022. There are currently five ongoing outbreaks listed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The three from the FDA Table, and the deadly NetCost outbreak, which does not appear on the USDA Outbreak Table, or the FDA Table, even though it contains meat that is regulated by the USDA and cheese that is regulated by the FDA. First, the mystery Listeria outbreak. At least 11 people are sick in that outbreak, with 10 hospitalized. There is no information about what food may be responsible … [Read more...]
FDA Adds New Listeria Outbreak to CORE Investigation Table
The FDA has added a new Listeria outbreak to its CORE Investigation Table. This outbreak, in a not yet identified product, has sickened at least 11 people in 10 states and has hospitalized ten of those patients. Overall, there are just three active outbreak investigations on the FDA table, which is the lowest number in quite some time. In addition to the new mystery Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, the other two are the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts, and the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms. The Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak that is linked to Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts has sickened at least 15 people in three states. Two people have been hospitalized. The patients live in Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, and ate the … [Read more...]
Fullei Fresh Alfalfa Sprouts Recalled For Possible E. coli
Fullei Fresh alfalfa sprouts are being recalled for possible E. coli contamination in a corrected recall notice on the FDA's web site. The pathogen is Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) that can cause serious illness in humans. No known illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of these sprouts. The recalling firm is Fullei Fresh of Miami, Florida. The recall notice states that STEC is a bacterial strain that "is not part of our routine microbial testing conducted in compliance with the FDA's Produce Safety Rule Subpart M on every lot we produce. It was detected upon sampling of finished product by the FDA." The recalled product is Fullei Fresh alfalfa sprouts with the lot number 336. The lot numbers are printed on the 8 ounce retail … [Read more...]
FDA Closes Mystery Salmonella Outbreak With 274 Sickened
The FDA has closed another mystery Salmonella outbreak with no resolution. The Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 274 people has ended, and the investigation has been closed; no food source was identified. This is the 14th outbreak in the last year that has been unsolved by the FDA. It's unusual that with so many people sick, a food source could not be found. The pathogen responsible for those illnesses was Salmonella Typhimurium. The FDA did initiate traceback, and conducted sample collection and analysis, but couldn't solve this mystery Salmonella outbreak. That means there are only two active outbreaks going on in the United States right now that are linked to FDA-regulated foods. Both outbreaks are active, and the investigations are ongoing. Those outbreaks are the … [Read more...]
Nebraska On Salmonella Sun Sprouts Alfalfa Sprouts Outbreak
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is updating the Salmonella Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts outbreak. At least 16 people are sick in three states: Nebraska, South Dakota, and Oklahoma, according to the CDC. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), in collaboration with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Douglas County Health Department, Sarpy/Cass Health Department, and Three Rivers Public Health Department, are investigating a cluster of Salmonella Typhimurium illnesses. State Epidemiologist Dr. Matthew Donahue said in a statement, "This investigation and rapid pathway to results underscores the critical role of public health investigations. From the first individuals that reported illness to the state and local health departments that … [Read more...]
CDC On Sun Sprouts Alfalfa Sprouts Salmonella Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released its investigation into the Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak that has sickened at least 15 people in three states. Two people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. The case count by state as of December 29, 2022 is: Nebraska (8), Oklahoma (1), and South Dakota (6). The age range is from 19 to 78 years. Illness onset dates range from December 2, 2022 to December 13, 2022. This outbreak was first announced by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services on December 24, 2022. At that time the case count was 12. Epidemiologic and traceback data show that alfalfa sprouts may be contaminated with Salmonella. Officials have been interviewing people about the foods they ate … [Read more...]
Sun Sprouts Alfalfa Sprouts Recall For Salmonella Expands
The Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts recall for possible Salmonella contamination has expanded to include two more lot numbers. Those sprouts are associated with a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak that has sickened at least 15 people in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Oklahoma, even though the recall notice states that, "To date, SunSprout has received no complaints or reports of illness due to this recalled product." In fact, the company acknowledges that a preliminary investigation of an outbreak of illnesses likely associated with alfalfa sprouts triggered this recall. But the recall notice also states that "SunSprout, out of an abundance of caution, is initiating this voluntary recall while it further investigates how this alfalfa product was handled and stored after it left its Nebraska … [Read more...]
