The USDA adds a possible beef E. coli O157:H7 outbreak to its Outbreak Investigation Table. The Salmonella outbreak linked to chicken is still on the table. No more information is available about either of these outbreaks. The last outbreak of USDA-regulated foods that was identified and solved was the 2021 Salmonella Hadar outbreak linked to ground turkey that sickened at least 33 people in 14 states and hospitalized four. This outbreak is most likely not linked to ground beef, since the USDA stipulates whether or not the product is ground in its table. Outbreaks associated with whole cuts are not common. The last outbreak linked to whole beef cuts was in 2009, when 21 people in 16 states were sickened with E. coli O157:H7 infections. Beef products from National Steak and … [Read more...]
Recall of Potentially Undercooked Chicken Breast Fillets Expanded
The recall of potentially undercooked chicken breast fillets from Wayne Farms, LLC has been expanded. The original recall was for about 30,285 pounds, and the new recall is for 585,030 pounds of the product. There are also five new production codes and 66 different use by dates for these products. The update also includes new products, expanded weights, more sizes, and more distribution information. There have been no confirmed reports of illness associated with this issue. The recalled products were produced between February 9 and April 30, 2022. You can see pictures of product labels of these potentially undercooked chicken breast fillets at the USDA web site. They include: 9 pound cases containing 8 packages of 6-ounce ALL NATURAL FIRE GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST with use by dates … [Read more...]
Wayne Farms Cooked Chicken Breast Recalled For Possible Undercooking
Wayne Farms Cooked Chicken Breast is being recalled for possible undercooking. The recall is for 30,285 pounds of ready to eat chicken breast fillet product. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this item. The ready to eat Wayne Farms cooked chicken breast fillet products were produced on March 1 and March 21, 2022. They include 9 pound cases containing 8 packages of 6-ounce All Natural Fire Grilled Chicken Breast with a use by date of 5/30/22 (May 30, 2022). Also recalled is 9 pound cases containing 12 packages of 4-ounce All Natural Fire Grilled Chicken Breast with use by date of 6/19/22 (June 19, 2022). You can see pictures of product labels at the FSIS web site. These products have the establishment number "EST 20214" on the case. The … [Read more...]
One Quarter of Participants Contaminated Salad With Raw Chicken
In an NC State University study, one quarter of participants contaminated salad with raw chicken, highlighting the risks of not understanding hand washing, cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen, and washing poultry. The study was conducted to assess the impact of washing poultry on kitchen contamination, but found that participants who did not wash poultry still contaminated salad. The study was published in the International Association for Food Production. Washing raw poultry is not recommended because the researchers thought that water from rinsing the chicken would splash and spread around the kitchen. This practice can also contaminate the kitchen sink, other foods, and other surfaces, which increase the risk of foodborne illness. Ellen Shumaker, corresponding author of the … [Read more...]
USDA Investigates Possible Chicken Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak
The USDA is investigating a possible chicken Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak, according to their outbreak investigations response table. This is the first outbreak of a USDA-regulated food for 2022. The table did not give us any more information. We do not know if chicken is the definitive source or what type of chicken it may be, nor do we know how many people may have been sickened. If it is an outbreak, we do not know illness onset dates, where those sickened live, and if anyone has been hospitalized. As far as we know, no recall has been issued. Poultry and Salmonella have caused many outbreaks over the years. It's worth mentioning that Salmonella outbreaks are notoriously underreported. Epidemiologists use a multiplier of 30 to estimate how many people are actually sickened … [Read more...]
FDA’s Food Safety and Nutrition Survey Report Released
The FDA's Food Safety and Nutrition Survey, the agency's probability consumer survey designed to assess consumer awareness, knowledge, understanding, and self-reported behaviors regarding food safety, has been released for 2019. The survey was launched to help the FDA make informed regulatory, education, and policy decisions to protect public health. The survey was a mail-push to web methodology. The population includes adults who live in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. A total of 4,398 responses were collected during ht months of October and November 2019. Before this methodology change, FDA consumer surveys were conducted using phone interviews. The key findings on food safety include consumer knowledge about where they think they may contract food poisoning, … [Read more...]
USDA Makes Effort to Reduce Poultry Salmonella Illnesses
The USDA announced a new effort to reduce poultry Salmonella Illnesses, to try to achieve a national target of a 25% reduction in those illnesses. Several "key activities" are being launched to gather data and information that is needed to support future action. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement, "Far too many consumers become ill every year from poultry contaminated by Salmonella. We need to be constantly evolving in our efforts to prevent foodborne illness to stay one step ahead of the bad bugs. Today we’re taking action to help prevent Salmonella contamination throughout the poultry supply chain and production system to protect public health." USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Sandra Eskin said, in a Consumer Federation of America Virtual National … [Read more...]
Silver Maple Cooked Diced Chicken Recalled For Possible Listeria
Silver Maple Cooked Diced Chicken is being recalled in Canada for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This is an update of the recall issued on September 10, 2021 for Erie Meat frozen fully cooked diced chicken. No illnesses have been reported to the government or the company to date in connection with the consumption of this item. The recalling company is Erie Meat Products Ltd. The chicken was sold in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan at the hotel/restaurant/institutional level. That means it was likely served in restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals, and nursing homes. The recalled product is Silver Maple Frozen All White Meat Fully Cooked Diced Chicken that is packaged in 4.54 kilogram packages (2 x 2.27 kilogram). The UPC number … [Read more...]
Tyson Cooked Chicken Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreak Ends
The Tyson cooked chicken Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has ended with three people sick, three hospitalized, and one person dead, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak was declared over as of September 10, 2021. The patient case count by state is: Delaware (1), and Texas (2). The patient age range was from 60 to 95 years. Illness onset dates ranged from April 6, 2021 to June 5, 2021. All three people were living in long-term care facilities or hospitals when they got sick. Tyson recalled ready to eat chicken products in relation to this outbreak. The recall was expanded once, and there was one secondary recall for Circle K chicken salads and sandwiches that was also expanded once. The chicken may also have been used to make deli … [Read more...]
September is Food Safety Education Month to Stay Healthy
September is Food Safety Education Month to keep you and your family healthy. This year the focus is on how to prevent food poisoning when cooking at home. First, following the four step recipe for food safety is crucial: Clean (wash your hands often, clean counters with hot soapy water, don't wash chicken or meat); Separate (keep raw meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs away from produce); Cook (cook foods to safe final internal temperatures and use a food thermometer); and Chill (refrigerate leftovers promptly). Then, you should focus on preventing Salmonella infections. Salmonella causes more foodborne illnesses in the United States than any other bacteria. Chicken is a major source of these illnesses, although outbreaks linked to ground beef have also … [Read more...]
