Sick restaurant employees cause 40% of foodborne illness outbreaks, according to an article in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for the week of June 2, 2023. Hundreds of foodborne illness outbreaks associated with retail food establishments are reported every year to the CDC. The period of time included in this study was 2017 to 2019. In 2014, CDC launched the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS) to compliment the surveillance conducted by the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS). State and local health departments enter data from their outbreak investigations of retail food establishments. The data entered include characteristics of outbreaks, including factors contributing to the illnesses, … [Read more...]
Don’t Get Food Poisoning This Summer! Tips from USDA
Don't get food poisoning this summer with tips from the USDA. Warmer temperatures mean that food safety rules change, and there is more opportunity for pathogens to grow in food. Pack perishables with a cold source every time. Food that is in the danger zone of 40°F and 140°F is risky. In that temperature range, pathogen bacteria can double in volume every 20 minutes. When it's hot outside, with a temperature of 90°F or higher, you must refrigerate perishable foods within one hour, not the two hours that is commonly recommended. Keep cold foods cold by using ice to envelop the serving container, or keep it in a cooler with ice packs until you're ready to serve. Keep hot foods hot by placing food in warmings trays or in a cooler spot on the grill. And when you're done eating, … [Read more...]
FDA CORE Table Updated; And What Happened to NetCost?
The FDA CORE Table has been updated with information about the new mystery Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. And what happened to the NetCost Market deli meat and cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least 16 people? It hasn't been updated since November 9, 2022. There are currently five ongoing outbreaks listed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The three from the FDA Table, and the deadly NetCost outbreak, which does not appear on the USDA Outbreak Table, or the FDA Table, even though it contains meat that is regulated by the USDA and cheese that is regulated by the FDA. First, the mystery Listeria outbreak. At least 11 people are sick in that outbreak, with 10 hospitalized. There is no information about what food may be responsible … [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...]
What Are the Current Food Poisoning Outbreaks?
What are the current food poisoning outbreaks in the United States? At this time there are four active outbreaks that are being investigated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments. In total, these outbreaks have sickened at least 93 people and have hospitalized 33. The newest outbreak is the sapovirus outbreak linked to oysters that were harvested from a section of Galveston Bay in Texas. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, dozens of people who live in Texas and Florida are sickened in this outbreak. The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Enoki mushrooms that were imported from Korea is ongoing. That outbreak has sickened two people from Nevada and Michigan; both were hospitalized. That … [Read more...]
How Do You Know If You Have a Bacillus Cereus Infection?
Bacillus cereus infections are very common in the United States. This pathogen causes about 63,000 cases of food poisoning every year in this country. It is responsible for the so-called "fried rice syndrome," where people get sick after eating reheated rice. The problem with fried rice is that when rice is cooled at room temperature, the bacteria present in that product can grow and produce toxins. And those toxins are not destroyed by heat. So when that leftover rice is used to make fried rice, people can get sick. Rice isn't the only vehicle for this pathogen, however. It is also associated with dishes containing potatoes, pasta, and cheese. And food poisoning associated with this pathogen is common in catering situations and restaurants. One of the toxins this pathogen … [Read more...]
Food Poisoning Outbreak in McHenry County, IL at D. C. Cobb’s
A food poisoning outbreak in McHenry County, Illinois at D. C. Cobb's restaurant has sickened at least 13 people, according to the McHenry County Health Department. That restaurant is located at 1204 North Green Street in McHenry. The outbreak was identified when public health officials reviewed complaints of people who got sick after eating at that establishment. An investigation into the pathogen that caused these illnesses, and the possible source of the pathogen has been launched. We do not know the patient age range, or if anyone has been hospitalized. Those sickened ate at D. C. Cobb's restaurant in McHenry from August 29 through September 13, 2022. A survey was posted by the health department, asking for information about anyone who ate there during that time frame, but … [Read more...]
Some Outbreaks Ended on FDA CORE Outbreak Table
Some outbreaks ended on FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, and some case counts have increased in some of the still active outbreaks. There are no new outbreaks to announce. As usual, there is very little information about each outbreak until the government identifies some action consumers can take, such as discarding food or avoiding a particular restaurant. For the Salmonella Mississippi outbreak (ref# 1097) in a not yet identified product, the case count has increased from 99 to 100 cases. For the Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak (ref# 1087) in a not yet identified food, the case count has increased from 22 to 27 cases. For the mystery Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak (ref# 1095), the case count has increased from 73 to 78 cases. For the Cyclospora outbreak (ref# 1080) … [Read more...]
Aconite Poisoning Sickens 12 People In Markham, Ontario
Aconite poisoning has sickened 12 people who ate at Delight Restaurant & BBQ located at 1250 Castlemore Avenue, Unit 4 in the city of Markham, Ontario, which is near Toronto, according to officials at York Region Public Health. Mr. Right Keampferia Galanga Powder that was implicated in these illnesses has tested positive for aconite toxin. People got sick after eating there on Sunday, August 28, 2022. Other packages of that brand of Galanga Powder with the code AT119 tested negative for the toxin. However, public health officials recommend that people and businesses throw away all of this product, regardless of the packaging code, because officials do not know if there was cross-contamination between the contaminated product and other products. The distributor has voluntarily … [Read more...]
Best of Baltimore Party Illnesses Affect at Least 20 Attendees
People are apparently sick after attending the Best of Baltimore party sponsored by Baltimore Magazine that was held August 18, 2022 at the American Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore. At least 20 people have been sickened, according to posts on Facebook and news reports. Some went to the emergency room to be treated. This event offered food samples from several restaurants who won the Best in Baltimore contest, including Cosima, Clavel, Ekiben, Foraged, Gunther & Co., Gertrude's Chesapeake Kitchen, Ice Queens, JBGB's, Italian Disco, La Barrita, Linwood's, La Scala, Maximon, Magdalena, Motzi Bread, Royal Farms, Ouzu Bay, THB Bagels, Sally O's, The Food Market, The Local, Waterfront Hotel, and others, according to the Baltimore Sun. Baltimore DOH Survey The Baltimore Department … [Read more...]
