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...]
FDA Report on Food Poisoning Risk Factors in Restaurants
The FDA has released its report on food poisoning risk factors in fast food and food service restaurants. The report covers the years from 2017 t0 2018. Risk factors that can contribute to outbreaks of foodborne illness include inadequate cooking, poor personal hygiene, and using food from unsafe sources. This study is part of a ten-year study that spans the years 2013 to 2024. The restaurants used in the study were located across the country and were randomly selected by the FDA Retail Food Specialists. The key objectives of the study were to identify the occurrence of risk factors, the prevalence of food safety management systems, the prevalence of certified food protection managers, and prevalence of employee health policies. That last risk factor is important because the CDC … [Read more...]
Fifteen Tips to Avoid Food Poisoning
Whenever there is a good poisoning outbreak, odds are that the outbreak notice will include some information about how consumers can protect themselves against contaminated food. While it is illegal for companies to sell food contaminated with enough pathogens to make someone ill, it happens all the time. These 15 tips to avoid food poisoning may help. Despite efforts from the federal government, industry, food processors, and farmers, the number of food poisoning cases in America isn't going down. There are still about 48,000,000 cases of food poisoning every year in this country, with about 126,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. But there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family. In fact, there are (at least) 15 tips to avoid food poisoning. Fifteen Tips … [Read more...]
How Many Food Poisoning Outbreaks Were Unsolved in 2022?
How many FDA-regulated food poisoning outbreaks were unsolved in 2022? Taking a look at the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, there were 25 multi-state outbreaks in 2022 that the FDA believes were linked to foods that agency monitors. Of those 25 outbreaks, 13 outbreaks were unsolved. The minimum number of people sickened in those unsolved outbreaks was 483. Every year in the United States, 48,000,000 people are sickened from contaminated food. There are 128,000 hospitalizations and about 3,000 people die. The FDA and USDA started using outbreak tables to inform the public about these events. The tables do not have much information until there is some action that consumers can take. However, before the tables were introduced, the public was never informed about these … [Read more...]
Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks for 2022: Number Ten Enoki
It's time for the top 10 food poisoning outbreaks of 2022. There were not many multistate outbreaks this year; just a few more than the pandemic year of 2020 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But there were still hundreds of Americans sickened by contaminated food. And the case counts for these outbreaks are likely far lower than the actual number sickened because any people aren't diagnosed and not included. Most of these outbreaks have ended, but a couple are still ongoing. Number ten is the newest outbreak, the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that is linked to enoki mushrooms imported from Korea. (By the way, enoki mushrooms were the most recalled food of 2022.) This outbreak investigation has not been updated for more than a month. The last … [Read more...]
FDA Updates 10 Outbreaks on CORE Investigation Table
The FDA has updated 10 outbreaks on CORE Investigation Table that are still active, including adding a new Salmonella outbreak to the list. The case counts have increased for five of the 10 outbreaks. An outbreak of Salmonella Mississippi has sickened at least 99 people, which is a very high number for a first announcement. In that investigation, traceback has been initiated but no product has been identified. For the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in an unidentified food, which is probably the Wendy's romaine lettuce outbreak, traceback has been initiated, on-site inspections have been conducted, and sample collection and analysis has begun. For the mystery Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak, the case count has increased from 22 to 25. For the mystery Salmonella Braenderup outer, the … [Read more...]
List of Active Multistate Outbreaks Remaining in 2020 Include E. coli
As 2020 starts to wind down, it's important that consumers stay informed about the list of active multistate outbreaks that may still be sickening people. As of November 2, 2020, there are still four active multistate outbreaks in the United States: Two E. coli outbreaks, one Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, and a Salmonella outbreak. Just one of these outbreaks, the Salmonella outbreak linked to dried wood ear mushrooms, is associated with a recall. The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak is linked to as yet unidentified deli meats, and the foods that the two E. coli outbreaks were caused by have not yet been identified, although associations with a restaurant and romaine lettuce or leafy greens have been alleged. Salmonella Stanley Outbreak Linked to Wood Ear Mushrooms The … [Read more...]
Yes, More Tips On Handwashing to Avoid Food Poisoning and Coronavirus
Yes, here are more tips on handwashing to avoid food poisoning and coronavirus. Everyone has been told over and over again to wash their hands thoroughly during food preparation and pretty much all the time to avoid coronavirus. Still, the USDA is offering more information about why hand washing is so important. We know that many food poisoning outbreaks have been linked to improper handwashing, especially when a cook or chef is working with raw meat and poultry. We also know that washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water will eliminate coronavirus. When you are washing your hands, first wet your hands with clean running water. Turn the faucet off and add soap. Lather your hands by rubbing them together. Make sure that you lather under your nails (scrub the nails into … [Read more...]
What Food Poisoning Outbreaks Are Carrying Over From 2019?
As we enter 2020, there are four multistate food poisoning outbreaks that have not ended, and may still grow. There were many outbreaks in 2019, sickening thousands of people, hospitalizing hundreds, and even killing some. These food poisoning outbreaks that were first announced in 2019 and are still not over include: A deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Almark Foods hard cooked eggs. was first announced on December 19, 2019. This outbreak has triggered seven secondary recalls for products that were made with those eggs. Seven people are five states are sick. Four of those patients have been hospitalized, and one person who lived in Texas died. Almark Foods has now recalled all hard cooked eggs produced at its facility in Gainesville, Georgia for potential … [Read more...]
Top 10 Multistate Food Poisoning Outbreaks For 2019
These top 10 multistate food poisoning outbreaks for 2019 sickened thousands of people, hospitalized hundreds, and killed some people. They ranged from multiple cyclospora outbreaks to outbreaks linked to ground beef, turkey and chicken, pig ear dog treats, and romaine lettuce. Many lawsuits were filed in response to these outbreaks. Cyclospora Outbreaks. This collection of individual and multistate outbreaks sickened more than 2400 people in 2019. This number represents a substantial increase over the cyclospora outbreaks in 2017 and 2018. JBS Tolleson ground beef Salmonella Newport outbreak. This outbreak sickened more than 400 people and hospitalized 117. Several recalls were issued, since the ground beef was sold under many different brand names. Raw Turkey Salmonella … [Read more...]
