According to a study by North Carolina State University and published in the Journal of Food Protection, front line staff in restaurants do not do a good job explaining risks of undercooked meat to customers. Undercooked meat served at restaurants, especially ground beef, has been the source of food poisoning outbreaks in the past. Unfortunately, servers in restaurants are a high turnover position with relatively low wages. These workers want to give their customers a positive experience, so they typically don't want to mention potential problems with food. Inaccurate information provided by servers often contracts science-based information people need to make informed food safety decisions. All of the 50 states in this country have adopted some version of the FDA's … [Read more...]
Two E. coli Outbreaks in NH and CO and Two Recalls: Coincidence?
Something unusual happened this week. The USDA posted two recalls for beef products on the same day, recalled for E. coli O157:H7. And in those recall notices there was information that the products had been linked, or possibly linked, to two E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks; one in New Hampshire and one in Colorado. The first recall was for more than 8,000 pounds of PT Farm raw beef products that were produced in June 2016. The illness cluster associated with this recall has sickened at least 14 people in New Hampshire. Traceback for 8 case-patients who were interviewed as a result of their illnesses "led back to a single day of production at PT Farm," according to the USDA release. There is a link between beef products from PT Farm and this illness cluster. The second recall was for … [Read more...]
In Canada, Fraser Vallley Meats Ground Beef Recalled for E. coli
In Canada, Fraser Valley Meats in Chilliwack, British Columbia.is recalling lean and extra lean ground beef for E. coli. Consumers who have purchased this product should not eat it.The meats have "Packed On" dates ranging from MR.05.16 to MR.08.16. At the time of the recall, no illnesses were reported, but E. coli can cause serious illness and death.Symptoms of an E. coli infection include abdominal pain and diarrhea that can be bloody. A complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) affects some people with E. coli. HUS leads to kidney failure, seizures, strokes and coma. … [Read more...]
E. coli in Ground Beef from Snapp’s Ferry Packing Sickens 13 in Tennessee
An E. coli outbreak linked to ground beef from Snapp's Ferry Packing has sickened 13 people in Tennessee, according to the Knox County Health Department. None of those who became ill, required hospitalization. Over the last two months, county health officials worked with the Tennessee Department of Health to investigate 13 cases of E. coli in Knox County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reecntly joined the investigation. On Jan. 20, 2016, Snapp’s Ferry Packing Company of Afton, Tenn. issued a recall for ground beef. The recalled beef, which was processed Nov. 20, 2015, was sent to three restaurants in the Knoxville area. It was not distributed to grocery stores or other retail locations. The recalled product has been removed from all … [Read more...]
