The outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate_(+) and Salmonella Weltevreden infections linked to frozen raw tuna may be over, but this product has a long shelf life and could still be in freezers, both in consumers' homes and in restaurants. The CDC has advice about this product and the outbreak. Retailers should not sell of serve any of the recalled frozen tuna products from one processing plant in Indonesia. It was imported by Osamu Corporation, sold throughout the U.S., and was recalled. All frozen tuna, including loin, saku, chunk, slice, and ground market forms, with the four digit purchase order numbers 8563 through 8599 are recalled. They were sold from May 9, 2014 to July 9, 2015. In addition, one lot of frozen yellowfin tuna chunk meat distributed to AFC … [Read more...]
Simply Organic and Frontier Products Recalled for Salmonella in Canada
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has recalled Frontier and Simply Organic products because they may contain Salmonella bacteria. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the consumption of these products. The products were sold nationally. You can see the long list of recalled products, along with sizes, product codes, and UPC numbers at the CFIA web site. The products include vegetarian chili seasoning, ranch dip mix, guacamole dip mix, fajita seasoning, vegetarian broth powder, onion soup & dip mix, and powdered garlic, among others, sold under the Simply Organic and Frontier brand names. If you purchased any of these products, do not eat them. Discard in a sealed container or return to the place of purchase for a refund. … [Read more...]
Questions About Foster Farms Chicken Salmonella Outbreak
Earlier this year, there were a few vague announcements about a Salmonella outbreak associated with Foster Farms chicken. In March, the CDC announced an outbreak that sickened at least 128 people in 13 states. Most of the ill persons lived on the West coast, but there were people sick on the East coast as well. At the time, the report stated that "Foster Farms brand chicken was the most likely source of the infections." There was no recall, either from the company or from the USDA. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg was found in four intact samples of Foster Farms chicken taken from the homes of three patients. That announcement said that "an investigation by USDA-FSIS is ongoing." A final report was issued on July 12, 2013, in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and … [Read more...]
Smiling Hara Tempeh Is Source of NC Salmonella Outbreak
Smiling Hara tempeh is the source of the Salmonella Paratyphi B outbreak that has sickened 46 people and hospitalized seven in North Carolina, officials announced today. Laboratory tests have confirmed that the Salmonella in samples of Smiling Hara tempeh discovered by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture during routine testing last week is a match to the outbreak strain. Testing of the raw ingredients used to make the tempeh is underway to determine the exact source of the outbreak. Results of those tests should be back next week. The patients range in age from 4-79 years old with a median age of 34, according to Buncombe county health officials. Most of those who have been sickened, 60 percent, are female. Earlier this week, Smiling Hara of Asheville, issued a recall of … [Read more...]
N.C. State Epidemiologist: We Expect More Cases In Salmonella Outbreak
A routine inspection of an Asheville food manufacturer has advanced the investigation of a Salmonella outbreak in North Carolina that has sickened 38 people, but the state’s leading health official expects to see more cases before the outbreak reaches an end. “We’re in the midst of the investigation and interviewing patients,” North Carolina State Epidemiologist Megan Davies, MD, told Food Poisoning Bulletin in an interview this week. “We’re expecting more cases to develop.” A break in the investigation came this week when, during a routine inspection by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, samples of soybean tempeh, produced by Smiling Hara of Asheville tested positive for Salmonella. Further testing is underway to determine if the Salmonella found in the … [Read more...]
After Smiling Hara Salmonella Recall, Industrial Kitchen Releases Statement
After Smiling Hara of Asheville, N.C. today announced a recall of unpasteurized soybean tempeh due to possible Salmonella contamination, Blue Ridge Food Ventures, a shared-use food production facility in Buncombe County where the product is made, released a statement. Smiling Hara, which supplies frozen tempeh to local restaurants and stores, is one of several businesses in the community that is being investigated for a possible link to the Salmonella outbreak that has sickened dozens of people in the Asheville area, according to Blue Ridge Food Ventures. Smiling Hara is one of 20 small, local food companies that rents time and industrial kitchen space at Blue Ridge Food Ventures, the statement said. "Each of these businesses is its own legal entity and operates independent of Blue … [Read more...]
Grocery Stores and Restaurants Involved in Salmonella Bareilly Outbreak Not Named by CDC
Both grocery stores and restaurants sold sushi, sashimi and similar products to some of the people sickened in the Salmonella Bareilly outbreak that has sickened over 100 people in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Jim Beasley, Public Information Director for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, told Food Poisoning Bulletin that at least one of the three confirmed Salmonella Bareilly cases in that state ate sushi, sashimi or another product containing raw tuna that had been purchased from a grocery store. According to the initial Salmonella Bareilly outbreak announcement from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 35 of the 51 case patients with available information at the time reported consuming sushi, sashimi, or similar foods in the … [Read more...]
Washington DC: Two Confirmed Salmonella Cases, Source Unknown
Washington DC has two confirmed cases of Salmonella poisoning, but has not issued a health alert because a source of the Salmonella Bareilly infection has not yet been identified, Najma Roberts, a spokeswoman for the District of Columbia Department of Health, told Food Poisoning Bulletin in an interview today. Health officials in DC have been involved in the investigation of a multi-state Salmonella Bareilly outbreak since the end of January, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notified them of two confirmed cases, Roberts said. At least one of them required hospitalization. A health alert cannot be issued until a source, foodborne or otherwise, of the illness is identified, she said. Salmonella is pathogen which, if ingested can cause an infection called … [Read more...]
Sixteen Children Ill in Ottawa Salmonella Outbreak
According to the Ottawa Public Health department, 16 children are sick in an outbreak in Ottawa; three of them are hospitalized. A lunch catering service is suspected. The children are between the ages of 15 months and 14 years, at one day care and three schools. The cases are lab-confirmed and are Salmonellosis. Ottawa Public Health is investigating a catering service, including catering kitchens, as a possible source of the outbreak. The schools in question include Turnbull School, École élémentaire catholique Jean-Paul-II, and Steve MacLean Public School. The daycare is Tiny Hoppers Daycare in Kanata. Fourteen of the cases have been confirmed with lab reports. Ottawa Public Health is monitoring the outbreak. The Lunch Lady, a caterer used by Tiny Hoppers Daycare, is one suspect … [Read more...]
Eat a Pita Reopens; Salmonella Cases Increase
The Eat a Pita restaurant in Hamilton, Ontario has reopened after closing because of a possible Salmonella outbreak. There have now been six confirmed cases linked to the restaurant; 36 other cases are suspected. Staff from the department of public health trained the restaurant staff on safe food handling practices and quality assurance measures. Two inspections earlier in the month had found violations, including chicken held at unsafe temperatures. Chicken is a source of Salmonella. When cooked chicken is held at temperatures between 40 degrees F. and 140 degrees F., bacteria can easily grow and multiply. The restaurant will now test the temperature of food at different preparation stages, and keep records of the test results. The health department itself is reviewing its … [Read more...]
