The FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table has been updated to include more information about three of the current investigations. This table does not provide a lot of information about outbreaks. It just informs consumers that outbreaks have occurred. For the new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to imported enoki mushrooms, the CDC investigation notice has been added. The outbreak has sickened at least two people in two states; both have been hospitalized. Traceback has been initiated, and sample collection and analysis has also been initiated. For the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak in an unidentified food, the case count has increased from 264 cases to 269 cases. Traceback was initiated and sample collection and analysis has begun. It's unusual that an outbreak this … [Read more...]
Expert Advice: Don’t Eat Enoki Mushrooms At This Time
Consumer Reports is offering expert advice on enoki mushrooms: Just don't eat them at this time. That type of mushroom is linked to a new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least two people in two states. Two years ago, a deadly Listeria outbreak was also linked to enoki mushrooms that were likely imported from Korea. At least 36 people in 17 states were sickened. Thirty-one people were hospitalized, four people died, and there were two fetal losses. That outbreak prompted the FDA, in July 2022, to issue a country-wide import alert for enoki mushrooms imported from the Republic of Korea. That allows officials to "detain without physical examination." FDA testing found that 43% of enoki mushrooms sampled from that country were contaminated with Listeria … [Read more...]
Did Banned Enoki Mushrooms Make Their Way to Store Shelves?
On November 17, Green Day Produce of Vernon, CA issued a Listeria recall for enoki mushrooms imported from Korea. But why were they on store shelves in the first place? Due to widespread problems with Listeria contamination in enoki mushrooms from Korea, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a countrywide import alert for them four months ago. This action essentially bans the import of all enoki mushrooms from the Republic of Korea. Companies seeking an exemption can submit documentation that the product has been tested and is pathogen-free, but even this does not guarantee that the product will be admitted to the U.S., according to the FDA website's information about import alerts. Firms that meet the criteria for exemption from an import alert are added to a "green … [Read more...]
New Listeria Outbreak Linked to Enoki Mushrooms Sickens Two
A new Listeria outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms has been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At least two people in two states are sick. The case count by state is: Michigan (1) and Nevada (1). The patient age range is from 30 to 42. Illness onset dates range from October 5, 2022 to October 8, 2022. Both patients have been hospitalized. And both reported eating enoki mushrooms or eating at restaurants that served items containing enoki mushrooms before they got sick. Whole genome sequencing conducted on patient isolates showed that they likely both got sick from eating the same product, since they are closely related genetically. And in November 2021, the FDA found Listeria monocytogenes in one sample of enoki mushrooms that were collected at … [Read more...]
Green Day Produce Enoki Mushrooms Recalled For Listeria
Green Day Produce enoki mushrooms are being recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. These mushrooms were imported from Korea. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of these mushrooms. The distribution of this product has been suspended. The recalling firm is Green Day Produce Inc. of Vernon, California. The recalled product is Green Day Produce enoki mushrooms that are packaged in a 200 gram (7.05 ounce) clear plastic package. The descriptor "Enoki Mushrooms" is on the front and Green Day Produce Inc. is on the back. The UPC number that is stamped on the back side of the package is 16430-69080. There are no lot codes or dates on this package. No picture of the product package was provided. The potential for contamination … [Read more...]
Enoki Mushrooms Recalled in Canada For Possible Listeria
Enoki mushrooms have been recalled in Canada for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this product. The recalling firm is Goldenway Import and Export. The recalled product does not have a brand name. It is Enoki Mushrooms that are packaged in 200 gram (7.05 ounce) plastic bags. The UPC number that is printed on the label is 6 950319 388815. The codes on the package are YH22081713013 2022.10.31. The mushrooms were sold in British Columbia and Manitoba at the retail level, and may have been sold in other provinces and territories. This recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results. A food safety investigation has been launched. If you bought these mushrooms, do … [Read more...]
FDA Launches Safety Strategies Starting with Onions and Enoki
The FDA has launched new food safety strategies to help protect the public, starting with onions and enoki mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms. Those products have been linked to several food poisoning outbreaks in the last few years, including the deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms in 2020. There was also a Salmonella Stanley outbreak in 2020 linked to wood ear mushrooms that sickened at least 55 people. Before these enoki and wood ear mushroom outbreaks, the FDA was not aware of outbreaks liked to those products in the last 20 years. The 2021 Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak linked to onions sickened more than 1,000 people. And the 2020 outbreak of Salmonella Newport linked to red onions sickened 1127 people. The enactment of the FDA's Food Safety … [Read more...]
K-Fresh Enoki Mushrooms Recalled in Canada For Listeria
K-Fresh Enoki Mushrooms are being recalled in Canada because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of this product. The recalling firm is Kam Ding Investment, Inc. The recalled product is K-Fresh Fresh Produce Enoki Mushrooms in 200 gram plastic bags. The UPC number that is stamped on the label is 4 892742 010234 and the code on the product is SN: 080202. The mushrooms were sold in British Columbia at the retail level, and may have been sold in other provinces and territories. If you bought K-Fresh Enoki Mushrooms, do not eat them, even if you plan to cook the mushrooms first because of the possibility of cross-contamination. You can throw the mushrooms away in a … [Read more...]
WK Produce Enoki Mushrooms Recalled For Possible Listeria
WK Produce Enoki Mushrooms are being recalled in Canada for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. No illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of this product. The recalling firm is WK Produce. The mushrooms were sold in British Columbia at the retail level. The recalled product does not have a brand name. It is Enoki Mushrooms packaged in a 150 gram (5.29 ounce) plastic bag. The UPC number that is stamped on the label is 6 950319 388884. All products sold up to and including August 31, 2022 are included in this recall. If you purchased WK Produce Enoki Mushrooms, do not eat it, even if you plan to cook the mushrooms thoroughly first, because of the possibility of cross-contamination between the mushrooms and items in your … [Read more...]
Import Alert Issued For Korean Grown Enoki Mushrooms
The FDA has issued an import alert for Korean grown Enoki mushrooms because so many of them have been recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination in the past few months. This alert is "designed to protect public health and help prevent the importation of enoki mushrooms that could be linked to human infections," according to the FDA. In fiscal year 2021, testing conducted by the FDA found that 43% of Enoki mushrooms sampled from that country were contaminated with Listeria. This pathogen grows well in moist environments, in decaying vegetation, and in soil and water. It grows and survives even under refrigeration and freezing does not kill it. The sampling was conducted after an investigation into a multisite Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that took place from … [Read more...]
