In-depth analysis from Food Poisoning Bulletin Meat and poultry producers issued 65 recalls last year, up 20 from 2022, but still far below the pre-pandemic four-year average of 126, according to a Food Poisoning Bulletin review of meat and poultry recalls published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS). Twelve of the recalls were for products contaminated with pathogens, seven with Listeria, and five with E. coli. For the second straight year, there were no meat or poultry recalls for Salmonella, even though the only outbreaks caused by contaminated meat or poultry were two ground beef Salmonella outbreaks. Two Ground Beef Salmonella Outbreaks One Salmonella outbreak was linked to ground beef sold at ShopRite stores in four … [Read more...]
Takumi Frozen Ground Tuna Recalled For Histamine and E. coli
Takumi Frozen Ground Tuna is being recalled because the product has high histamine levels, high total plate count, coliforms, and E. coli contamination. The serotype of the E. coli in the product is unknown. There is no mention of any illnesses reported to the company to date because this recall was posted on the FDA's Enforcement Reports page, not the regular recall page. The recalling firm is Tokai Denpun USA Inc. of Redmond, Washington. The recall initiation date was 10/5/21, but the center classification date wasn't until 11/13/2023. The recalled product is Takumi frozen ground tuna meat, raw tuna that is ready to eat, vacuum packaged units in fiber boxes. The individual units were sold by weight at the point of sale. The tuna is a product of Fiji. Histamines are a compound … [Read more...]
How Do People Get Sick From Contaminated Pet Food?
Pet food recalls for bacterial contamination are pretty common. And occasionally, there is an outbreak linked to those types of products. Many people wonder, how do people get sick from contaminated pet food? On social media, there are often comments made about people feeding children dog food, or eating it themselves. That is not how these outbreaks happen. Any type of pet food can be contaminated with pathogens. There have been recalls linked to raw frozen pet food, to canned pet food, and to dry kibble. Just like human food, pet food can be contaminated with pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. When pets eat contaminated food, several things can happen. The animal may not get sick at all. Or they may become carriers of the pathogen … [Read more...]
How Do Pathogens Contaminate Ready to Eat Produce?
A new study looks at how pathogens contaminate ready to eat produce, causing foodborne illness outbreaks. The study was published in the February 2024 issue of Food Microbiology. Ready to eat fruits and vegetables can be contaminated with pathogens and have caused many outbreaks in the past few years. E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes have caused most of these illnesses. Multiple sources of contamination include soil, irrigation water, birds and insects, grey/blackwater, contamination in the seed itself, animal fecal matter, and post-harvest operations. Extreme weather events, including flooding and dust storms, can contaminate these foods. Consumption of fresh produce has increased across the globe, and, especially in North America, the percentage of outbreaks … [Read more...]
Future Seafoods Raw Oysters Recalled For Salmonella, E. coli
Future Seafoods raw oysters are being voluntarily recalled for possible Salmonella and E. coli contamination. The FDA issued a public health warning about these oysters on October 23, 2023, and the company issued the recall a few days later. The recalling firm is Future Seafoods, Inc. The oysters were harvested from harvest area PE9B on Prince Edward Island, Canada, on October 10, 2023 and were distributed to customers from October 10 through October 16, 2023. All Future Seafoods raw oysters from that harvest area are included in this recall. Retailers and restaurants should not sell or serve these oysters, and if consumers bought them, they should not eat them. The oysters were distributed to restaurants and retailers in these states: Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, … [Read more...]
Five Raw Milk Outbreaks Highlight the Inherent Risks
Five raw milk outbreaks occurring at the same time this fall highlight the inherent risks of this product. Raw milk is unpasteurized, that is, it is not heat treated to kill dangerous pathogens such as E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Brucella, Campylobacter, and Cryptosporidium. The issue is that a cow's udders are close to the anus. And ruminant animals such as cows can harbor pathogens and not appear sick. The pathogens are excreted in feces and can easily contaminate the udders and milk. All together, these outbreaks have sickened at least 51 people. And since the multipliers for Salmonella and Campylobacter alone are around 30, that means there could be 1500 people sick. The Outbreaks These outbreaks occurred in September and October, 2023. Two of the outbreaks … [Read more...]
FDA Warns Restaurants About Future Seafoods Raw Oysters
The FDA is warning restaurants not to serve Future Seafoods raw oysters from Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, because they may be contaminated with Salmonella and generic E. coli bacteria. Restaurants and food retailers in these states may have recently purchased those oysters: Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Consumers may have purchased the oysters. The Future Seafoods harvest number is PE 4217 SP). The oysters were harvested in October 10, 2023 from the harvest area PE9B and then sold to those restaurants and retailers. Contaminated oysters can cause serious illness if they are eaten raw. Food that is contaminated with pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli will look, smell, and taste normal, and their texture is not … [Read more...]
Wyoming Raw Milk Outbreak Sickens Four Children, One Adult
A Wyoming raw milk outbreak has sickened at least four children and one adult, according to news reports and the Wyoming Department of Health. The patients are sick with either E. coli or Campylobacter infections. Two children have been hospitalized. The raw milk was purchased through the Slow Food in the Tetons online market on either September 14 or September 21, 2023. Public health officials have traced the illnesses to the consumption of raw milk or raw milk products. The state did not identify the seller at this time. The patients live in Teton and Lincoln counties. Slow Food in the Tetons executive Director Scott Steen told the Jackson Hole News & Guide that the nonprofit organization stopped product sales after they were told about these illnesses. A press release from … [Read more...]
FDA Releases Food Safety Guidance For Producing Sprouts
The FDA has released its final food safety guidance for producing sprouts. That ingredient has been linked to many outbreaks over the years, including a Salmonella outbreak earlier this year caused by Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts that sickened at least 63 people in eight states and hospitalized 10 of those patients. The 2023 Final Guidance updates and finalizes these sections of the original draft guidance that was issued in 2017: Cleaning and Sanitizing, Agricultural Water in Sprout Operations, Seeds for Sprouting, Environmental Monitoring, and Recordkeeping. Some sections of the 2017 document have been reissued and one new section is in the revised guidance. The update and new sections are on Equipment, Tools, and buildings, Sampling and Teting of Spent Sprout Irrigation Water, and … [Read more...]
Blue Ridge Rock Festival Outbreak Sickens People in Virginia
A Blue Ridge Rock Festival outbreak has sickened concertgoers in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Health and news reports. Public health officials are asking that anyone who attended that event, which was supposed to be held September 5 through September 10, 2023, to complete an online survey, even if they didn't get sick, to help them solve this outbreak. The Southside Health District of the Virginia Department of Health is leading the investigation. The festival was canceled two days early, allegedly because of weather conditions. It was held at the Virginia International Raceway located at 1245 Pine Tree Road in Alton, Virginia. 10 News got "hundreds of messages" about the festival from patrons who said that there were unsanitary and unsafe conditions at the … [Read more...]
