A Minnesota raw milk Salmonella outbreak has sickened five children in the Twin Cities Metro area, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. The pathogen sickening the children is Salmonella Typhimurium. One child was infected with two types of pathogenic E. coli in addition to the Salmonella. The families of two of the children have confirmed that they drank unpasteurized milk. Officials could not get information from the remaining families, but the bacteria from the cases is identical through lab analysis, which indicates the infections came from the same source. The patient age range is from 3 months to 10 years. The children got sick between the end of June and early July 2023. One child was hospitalized. Raw milk is milk that has not been heated to kill harmful … [Read more...]
Green Garden Mint Recalled in Canada for Generic E. coli
Green Garden Mint is being recalled in Canada because it may be contaminated with generic E. coli. The presence of that pathogen can indicate fecal contamination. The recall notice did not state 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 Green Garden. The recalled product is Green Garden Mint that is packaged in eight pound containers. There is no UPC number for this product, and there are no codes on the item. It was sold in the provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick at the retail level. Generic E. coli is found in the intestinal tract of human and animals. If it is found in ready to eat foods that product should not be consumed. Studies have shown that including … [Read more...]
2021 Chipotle and Panera Romaine E. coli Outbreak
In 2021, health departments in Washington and Minnesota did something that doesn't happen very often. They solved an E. coli outbreak linked to leafy greens. "It is rare to be able to identify the outbreak vehicle for commercially distributed food like romaine lettuce (much less link back to a farm source) with only four laboratory-confirmed cases who consumed the romaine lettuce at four different restaurant locations in two states," Doug Schultz, an information officer at the Minnesota Department of Health told Food Poisoning Bulletin. The outbreak was never announced because, by the time investigators identified the specific grower, there was no ongoing risk to the public, he said. Stream of Unsolved Outbreaks Leafy greens recently overtook ground beef to become the leading … [Read more...]
Triple Wash Your Veggies, WVU Extension Advises
Triple wash your veggies, researchers at West Virginia University Extension advises consumers, to reduce bacterial counts and avoid food poisoning. Researcher Cangliang Shen, associate professor of human nutrition and foods at the university, has studied the microbial safety of farmers market produce, which revealed a risk for microbial contamination from pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes. Outbreaks linked to fresh produce are very common; in fact, they are more common than people think. For instance, there were 40 outbreaks linked to leafy greens from 2009 to 2018. And last year a Salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe sickened at least 88 people in 12 states. A 2015 study conducted by Shen and graduate students KaWang Li and Wentao Jiang at the … [Read more...]
What Does the FDA Want You to Know About Food Recalls?
What does the FDA want you to know about food recalls? Many food recalls are issued every month, from the FDA and the USDA, depending on which foods they regulate. The FDA regulates all foods except meat, poultry, and processed egg products. Food recalls can be for undeclared allergens, for foreign material contamination, or for possible contamination with pathogens, which can include bacteria such as E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes, viruses such as norovirus or hepatitis A, or parasites such as cyclospora. All food that contains one of the nine major food allergens (sesame, milk, wheat, finfish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and eggs) must list that ingredient on the label, as well as an allergen statement warning consumers that the product contains that … [Read more...]
Mother Dairy Paneer Fresh Cheese Recalled For Generic E. coli
Mother Dairy Paneer Fresh Cheese is being recalled for generic E. coli contamination. This does not mean that pathogenic E. coli bacteria are in the product, but it is an indication of possible fecal contamination. No illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of this cheese. The recalling firm is Mother Dairy. This cheese was sold to hotels, restaurant, institutions, and at the retail level in these provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. The recalled products include Mother Dairy Paneer Fresh Cheese that is packaged in 340 gram containers. The UPC number that is printed on the label of this product is 6 98708 98763 3. All best before dates from March 9, 2023 up to and including May 1, 2023 (2023/03/09 and … [Read more...]
New Ozone Marinade Kills Pathogens on Meat and Surfaces
A new ozone marinade kills pathogens on meat and food contact surfaces, according to research from the ARS Meat Safety and Quality research Unit. Microbiologists Mick Bosilevac and Nor Kalchayanand, along with food technologist Tommy Wheeler, conducted the research about spraying beef and pork carcasses with an ozone solution. The "marinade" is applied at meat processing plants. Bosilevac said in a statement, "This project was part of a large farm-to-fork project that focused on cattle and swine, following them through harvest and concluding with finished beef and pork products ready for consumers. During harvest we improved on many processes to help reduce contamination." Beef and pork are often contaminated with pathogens that include E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and … [Read more...]
Mother Dairy Paneer Fresh Cheese Recalled For Generic E. coli
Mother Dairy Paneer Fresh Cheese is being recalled in Canada for generic E. coli contamination. Generic E. coli isn't a health risk, but it is an indication that fecal contamination has occurred. The recall notice did not state whether or not any illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with this problem. The recalling firm is 1228300 Alberta Ltd. (Mother Dairy). The cheese was sold in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec to hotels, restaurants, and institutions and at the retail level. The recalled items are Mother Dairy Fresh Paneer Cheese that is sold in 1.9 kilogram packages. The UPC number that is printed on the label is 6 98708 98764 0 and the code for this product is 23MR08 (March 8, 2023). Also recalled is Mother Dairy Fresh Paneer Cheese that is packaged in … [Read more...]
Fullei Fresh Alfalfa Sprouts Recalled For Possible E. coli
Fullei Fresh alfalfa sprouts are being recalled for possible E. coli contamination in a corrected recall notice on the FDA's web site. The pathogen is Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) that can cause serious illness in humans. No known illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of these sprouts. The recalling firm is Fullei Fresh of Miami, Florida. The recall notice states that STEC is a bacterial strain that "is not part of our routine microbial testing conducted in compliance with the FDA's Produce Safety Rule Subpart M on every lot we produce. It was detected upon sampling of finished product by the FDA." The recalled product is Fullei Fresh alfalfa sprouts with the lot number 336. The lot numbers are printed on the 8 ounce retail … [Read more...]
The FDA’s “Best” Worst Warning Letters of 2022
When the FDA discovers that a company has significantly violated federal regulations, the agency issues a warning letter. These letters enumerate some of the key violations and instruct the offender to devise and execute a plan to correct them within a designated timeline. All of these letters deal with serious food safety violations - filth, pests, bacteria, but some really stand out. Here are some of the notable warning letters the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent in 2022. "A History of Infestation" Dollar Tree Inc. This letter, sent November 8, 2022, pertains to an FDA inspection that took place January 11 - February 11, 2022, at Family Dollar Distribution Inc., located at 1800 Family Dollar Parkway, West Memphis, AR. At that time, the facility stored and distributed … [Read more...]
