Moore Family Farms Cheddar Curds are being recalled because they nay be contaminated with generic E. coli and have high coliform counts. Generic E. coli is not the strain that can make people very sick, but high coliform counts do indicate some type of fecal contamination. Because this recall was posted on the FDA's Enforcement Reports Page, and not the regular recall page there is no mention about whether or not any illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of this product. The recalling firm is Moore Family Cheese LLC of Maquoketa, Iowa. The recalled product is Moore Family Farms Cheddar Cheese Curds. The product is packaged in a 1 pound plastic bag, with white ties. The date code for this product is 5/13/2024, and the expiration date … [Read more...]
Pennsylvania Sues Farmer Amos Miller For Illegal Raw Milk Sales
The state of Pennsylvania sues farmer Amos Miller to stop the illegal distribution of raw milk and other products, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry and the state's Department of Agriculture. The complaint is against Miller's Organic farm, its owners, and related businesses. Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture searched the farm after two people were sickened with E. coli infections after allegedly consuming eggnog made with raw milk from that facility. The lawsuit was filed after "years of attempts by state and federal officials to bring the farm into compliance with the law," according to the Attorney General. The complaint outlines violations of Pennsylvania’s Milk Sanitation Law, Food Safety Act, Retail Food Facility … [Read more...]
PA Ag Department Searches Amos Miller Farm After illnesses
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has searched the Amos Miller farm in Upper Leacock Township after illnesses were reported when people allegedly consumed raw dairy products from that facility, according to news reports. The search took place on Thursday, January 4, 2023. Mr. Miller has been in litigation with the federal government for years because of alleged violations in food safety guidelines and food and meat inspection. Last year a consent decree was filed against the farm for allegedly avoiding USDA inspections and selling uninspected, misbranded meat. At that time the company was permanently enjoined, and, "Miller’s acknowledges that it has violated the injunction and agrees to pay fines for denying access to inspectors, and will either adhere to procedures for … [Read more...]
2023 Meat and Poultry Recalls
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...]
