Organic Pastures raw milk recalled for E.coli was sold at 159 stores in Northern California, according to a retail distribution list posted by the California Department of Public Health. The list includes co-ops and natural grocery stores including several locations of the Sprouts, Nugget and New Leaf chains. The recalled milk has been linked to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened six children with a unique strain of shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157. The illnesses occurred in January. The recalled product, Organic Pastures raw whole milk, had "use by" dates of 1/23/16 (lot code 20160105-1) and 1/26/16 (lot code 20160106-2). Consumers who purchased and froze the milk ay still have it in hand and should not drink, health officials say. Symptoms of an E. coli … [Read more...]
California Finds E. coli O111 in High Hill Ranch Apple Juice
State health officials have found E. coli O111 in a sample of apple juice from High Hill Ranch establishing a link to an outbreak that has sickened 13 people with the same strain. El Dorado health officials have compiled a time line that should clear up some of the confusion surrounding the outbreak. After the illnesses were reported, owners of the ranch issued a statement suggesting that visitors to ranch contaminated the sample jug with a virus that was the source of the illnesses. But E. coli isn't a virus, it's bacteria that lives in the intestines of animals and is shed in their feces. It causes illness when food or beverages contaminated with microscopic amounts of fecal matter containing the bacteria are ingested. That's what happened at High Hill Ranch in October. Here is the … [Read more...]
