The USDA has expanded the recall list of Wolverine Packing Company ground beef for E. col O157:H7 to include more stores in more states.The USDA has stated that "this list may not include all retail locations that have received the recalled product or may include retail locations that did not actually receive the recalled product." Make sure that you check product-specific information to see if you have purchased the recalled hamburger. The USDA believes that the ground beef was sent to distribution centers nationwide. Missouri stores of Gordon Food Service Marketplace chain have been added to the list. In Illinois, Butcher Block Plus in Decatur may have sold the beef. In Minnesota, the Harvest Moon Co-op in Long Lake may have sold the hamburger. And in North Carolina, Foscoe Country … [Read more...]
Use a Food Thermometer This Holiday Weekend
The USDA is reminding consumers to use a food thermometer when cooking this holiday weekend. There is an ongoing E. coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with undercooked hamburgers that has sickened at least 11 people in four states. That outbreak is also associated with a recall of 1.8 million pounds of ground beef produce by Wolverine Packing Company. Just remember to practice safe food handling techniques to protect yourself and your family. The pathogenic bacteria that cause foodborne illness are killed when foods are heated to the correct temperature. For ground beef and other ground meats, that is 160°F. Hot dogs should be cooked to 165°F, poultry to 165°F, whole cuts of pork, beef, lamb, and veal to 145°F (followed by a three-minute rest time), and fish to 145°F. Whole cuts of … [Read more...]
USDA Store List for Ground Beef Recalled for E. coli O157:H7
The USDA has posted a retail list for ground beef packed by Wolverine Packing Company that is being recalled for possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. The beef is associated with an E. coli outbreak in four states that has sickened at least 11 people. Most of those in the outbreak ordered rare hamburgers at restaurants. The outbreak count is as follows: five people are sick in Michigan, four in Ohio, 1 in Missouri and 1 in Massachusetts. The ground beef was sold in many states. The following stores may have sold the hamburger: Gordon Food Service Marketplace in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. In Florida, Surf N Turf Market in Sebring and Giorgio's Italian Deli in Stuart are listed. In Georgia, Blairsville Seafood Market in … [Read more...]
CDC: E. coli O121 on Sprouts Hospitalizes 5
Clover sprouts contaminated with E. coli O121 on sandwiches from Jimmy John's and other stores have put five people in the hospital and sickened five others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Seven of those sickened are in Washington and three are in Idaho. Health authorities are warning consumers not to eat sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Idaho. A recall for the sprouts has not been issued. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning, which include abdominal cramping and bloody diarrhea, usually develop within three days of exposure but can take anywhere from two to eight days. The case patients in this outbreak experienced first symptoms between May 1 and May 13. They range in age from 22 years to 45 years old. The median age is 27. Nine of them are … [Read more...]
Jimmy John’s Sprouts: 5 Food Poisoning Outbreaks in 5 Years
For the fifth time in five years, sprouts served at Jimmy John's sandwich shops are the source of a food poisoning outbreak. Seven people in Washington and Idaho have confirmed cases of E .coli poisoning and three others have probable cases, Washington health officials announced yesterday. Last fall, an E. coli outbreak linked to Jimmy John's in the Denver area sickened eight people. The source of that outbreak was identified as fresh produce other than sprouts. But sprouts have been such a repeat offender for the chain that the company said it was permanently pulling them from the menu after a 2012 E.coli outbreak. But six months after he announced the sprouts were gone for good, the company's founder, Jimmy John Liautaud, brought them back. “I am rolling out a new sprout. Costs … [Read more...]
Jimmy John’s Sproutbreak: E.coli on Sprouts Sickens 10 in WA, ID
Raw clover sprouts on Jimmy John's and other fast food sandwiches are the likely source of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 10 people in Washington and Idaho, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Seven people have confirmed cases of E. coli O121 poisoning and three have probable cases. Five people have been hospitalized. Health officials are warning consumers not to eat raw clover sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Idaho. They were distributed to restaurants and grocery stores in the northwest. “If you have these products at home, you should throw them out.,” said Washington State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy. In Washington, the sprouts were served on sandwiches at Jimmy John's locations in King and Spokane counties and two Pita Pit locations in … [Read more...]
Michigan E. coli Outbreak Warning for Memorial Day Grillers
The ongoing E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 11 people and hospitalized 6 associated with undercooked hamburgers served at restaurants serves as a warning to consumers who are going to grill this Memorial Day weekend. That outbreak, linked to 1.8 million pounds of recalled ground beef sold by Wolverine Packing Company of Detroit, has sickened people in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, and Massachusetts. Memorial Day is traditionally the start of the grilling season. The FDA has tips on how to grill safely, especially during summer holidays. You can protect your family by following some simple rules. Remember, raw meats that are in your home should be treated as if it is contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, because much of it is, according to research. Make sure you … [Read more...]
E. Coli Outbreak Triggers 900 Ton Recall of Restaurant Ground Beef
An E.coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 11 people in four states has triggered a recall of 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products produced for restaurant use by Wolverine Packing Company of Detroit, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS). The ground beef products were produced between March 31, 2014 and April 18, 2014. FSIS said the size of the recall stems from "lack of microbiological independence between lot production, as well as a deficiency in supportive record-keeping by distributors." The USDA has released 97-page list of recalled products, including beef patties and Angus burgers. A list of retailers that received the recalled meat will be posted when possible, the agency said. The recalled products … [Read more...]
E. coli O157 Sickens 10 in MI and OH
E. coli O157 has sickened at least 10 people in Michigan and Ohio in what may be a multistate outbreak linked to ground beef. All of the Michigan cases reported eating a rare hamburger at a restaurant before becoming ill. The Ohio Department of Health is investigating four cases of E. coli O157, three in Lucas County and 1 in Portage county. The case patients range in age from 19 to 42 years old. Three of them were hospitalized but none developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which leads to kidney failure. Laboratory testing has shown that the Ohio cases are a genetic match to at least five cases reported in MI earlier this week. Those cases patients, who range in age from 20 to 41, all reported eating rare hamburgers at different restaurants in late April. Now, a sixth … [Read more...]
As Michigan Struggles with E. coli Outbreak, USDA Studies Cattle
A new study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and published in Agricultural Research magazine is finding that about 2% of cattle in this country may be "supershedders" who shed high levels of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 in their manure. This information comes as an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in Michigan and Ohio is associated with undercooked ground beef. Supershedding is very problematic because it could "increase the amount of E. coli O157:H7 that makes its way from pasture or feedlot pen into the packing houses where steaks, roasts, ground round, or other beef products are prepared." This study may provide new ways to curb shedding of this bacterium. The study was conducted on 6,000 head of feedlot cattle and more than 13,000 manure, hide, and carcass samples. … [Read more...]
