The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is warning the public about using unsolicited seeds from China. That agency has received reports of consumers receiving the seeds in the mail. Similar cases were reported in 2020. If you got some, do not open the package or plant the seeds. The seeds are packaged in many different types of containing, including letters to parcels in a variety of colors. Most of the recipients say they did not order anything, and the packaging was labeled as containing jewelry. Some people said they ordered seeds from Amazon and got these seeds. Mike Philip, director of MDARD's Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division said in a statement, "If you receive unsolicited seeds from another country, do not open the packaging or plant … [Read more...]
Dave’s Sushi Morel Mushroom Outbreak Sickens 41 in Montana
The Dave's Sushi morel mushroom outbreak has now sickened at least 41 people in Montana, according to the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. The Table states that morel mushrooms are the suspect food in this outbreak. Two deaths have occurred in patrons of that establishment after eating there. The case count has increased to 41 from 30 since the last update was issued on May 3, 2023. In that investigation, traceback has been initiated, and sample collection and analysis has begun. The Gallatin City-County Health Department, which is also investigating the outbreak, says that ill persons ate at the restaurant between March 31 and April 17, 2023. Three patrons had "severe outcomes," including hospitalizations, and the deaths of two patrons are being investigated. No causative … [Read more...]
Enoki Mushrooms Listeria Monocytogenes Outbreak Ends
The enoki mushrooms Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Utopia Foods and Sun Hong Foods products has ended with five people sick in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the last update released in January 2023, there were three people sick. The case count by state is: California (2), Michigan (1), Nevada (1), and New Jersey (1). The new state added to this outbreak is New Jersey, and one more patient in California was added to the case count. Ill person's samples were collected from October 5, 2022 to February 3, 2023. The patient age range is from less than one to 63 years. There were two strains of Listeria monocytogenes that made people sick in this outbreak. Two of the patients reported eating enoki mushrooms or eating at … [Read more...]
Enoki Mushrooms From China Subject to Import Alert For Listeria
Enoki mushrooms from China are now subject to an FDA Import Alert after several recalls have been issued for that product for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, and a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. In July of 2022, the FDA issued an import alert for this type of mushrooms that were imported from Korea because of many recalls for possible Listeria, and Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks. The import Alert #25-21 has been expanded to include enoki mushrooms from China to detention without physical examination. From October 2020 through February 2023, state public health authorities sampled enoki mushrooms from various retail locations. Multiple states found Lsieria monocytogenes, which triggered 18 recalls of enoki mushrooms since 2021. Eight of those recalls were for … [Read more...]
FDA Warns About Possible Listeria in Sun Hong Enoki Mushrooms
The FDA is warning restaurants and retailers about possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination in Sun Hong enoki mushrooms that were sourced from China. Sun Hong Foods is located in Montebello, California. Consumers should not eat these mushrooms, and restaurants and retailers should not sell them. On November 28, 2022, Missouri state partners, as part of the FDAs Laboratory Flexible Funding Model Cooperative Agreement Program, collected enoki mushrooms from retail markets in that state. One sample labeled as Sun Hong Foods tested positive for the pathogen. The FDA is waiting for more information on any other distribution of these mushrooms. This particular strain does not appear to match any clinical isolates from active outbreaks. In other words, no illnesses have been linked … [Read more...]
APHIS Seized Prohibited Pork From China and Other Meats
APHIS seized prohibited pork sourced from China, along with poultry and ruminant products from New York City retailers in the last three months of 2021, according to a press release from the USDA. APHIS is the Animal and Plant Protection Service branch of that agency. More than 1900 pounds of prohibited products were seized. The foods were sourced from China and didn't have the required import permits and health certificates, and are considered a risk of introducing invasive plant and animal pests and diseases into the country. The prohibited pork from China and other meats were destroyed. These efforts are part of a collaboration between APHIS, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Customers and Border Protection, and New York City public health … [Read more...]
Public Health Alert For Meat and Poultry Imported From China
The USDA has issued a public health alert for an undetermined amount of imported meat and poultry products from China. A recall was not requested because the USDA has not been able to identify and contact the importers. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions associated with the consumption of these products. The meat and poultry products do not have an eligible establishment number on the packages and were not presented to FSIS for import reinsertion. They are ineligible to import into this country, which makes them unfit for human consumption. The problem was found through an investigation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). USDA is continuing to work with those agencies on this … [Read more...]
Rong Shing Trading Recalls Chinese Hot Pot Base For Ineligible Products
Rong Shing Trading of Brooklyn, New York, doing business as Double R Trading Inc. is recalling about 3,365 pounds of Rong Shing Trading Chinese Hot Pot Base because the product contains beef tallow imported from the People's Republic of China, which is a country ineligible to export beef to the United States. No confirmed reports of adverse reactions have been received by the company to date in connection with the consumption of these products. The Rong Shing Trading Chinese hot pot base products were imported on or around February 14, 2020. These are the recalled products: 450 gram Plastic vacuum wrapped packages containing a “Lee’s 52° Da Zhuang” Hot Pot Base and a Sell By date of January 29, 2022 that is printed on the label. 300 gram Plastic vacuum wrapped packages … [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...]
Congresswoman Questions USDA Equivalency of China’s Poultry Processing Plants
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) recently wrote a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, questioning the USDA's process approving China's poultry processing plants. These plants are now able to export processed chicken to the United States. She expresses concern about the way the USDA has approved those plants. Her letter states that she opposed the equivalency designation because "it irresponsibly granted equivalency to the entire country's poultry processing system despite FSIS having only audited a limited number of China's poultry processing plants." She also states that the recent release of internal emails shows that "FSIS is taking a stunningly passive approach in approving three new Chinese poultry processing as eligible to export to the United States." The … [Read more...]
