The ShopRite ground beef Salmonella outbreak is over after sickening at least 18 people in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an increase of two more patients since the last update on July 26, 2023. The report states that most of the patients reported eating 80% lean ground beef before they got sick. Traceback did not identify a common source for the meat, although most people bought the ground beef at ShopRite stores in the northeastern United States. The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (1), New Jersey (11), and New York (5). The patient age range is from 0 to 97 years. Illness onset dates ranged from April 27, 2023 through July 6, 2023. Seven people were hospitalized because they were so ill. Ground … [Read more...]
Ground Beef Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 16 in Four States
A ground beef Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least 16 people in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many of those sickened bought the ground beef from ShopRite stores in the northeastern United States. Six people have been hospitalized because they are so ill. The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (1), New Jersey (9), and New York (5). Illness onset dates range from April 27, 2023 through June 16, 2023. The patient age range is from 0 to 97 years. Nineteen percent of the patients are under the age of five. Public health officials are interviewing people about what they ate before they got sick. Of the 14 people interviewed, nine, or 64%, said they ate ground beef. All nine purchased the ground beef from … [Read more...]
Ground Beef Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 26 in Illinois
A ground beef Salmonella outbreak has sickened at least 26 people in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Public health (IDPH). That agency is working with local health departments, the CDC, and the USDA to investigate this outbreak. A source of the ground beef has not been identified. As always, use care when handling raw meat and treat it as if it was contaminated. Ground beef can often be contaminated with pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli. The cut the ground beef is made from can have pathogens on the surface, and those pathogens are mixed throughout the meat when it is ground. Avoid cross-contamination, wash your hands and utensils after working with ground beef, and always cook it to 160°F and measure that temperature with a food thermometer. And … [Read more...]
Consumer Reports Lists 10 Risky Recalled Foods From 2017-2022
Consumer Reports lists 10 risky recalled foods from 2017 to 2022 that you should know about. These foods were recalled because of bacterial contamination and many were linked to foodborne illness outbreaks. The 10 risky recalled foods that are listed in rank order include: Leafy Greens. These types of vegetables were linked to 50 outbreaks and recalls. There were 614 illnesses and 11 deaths as a result of E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes bacterial contamination on these products, including the deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Fresh Express packaged salads that sickened and hospitalized 10 people in 10 states, and the Wendy's E. coli romaine outbreak that sickened at least 109 people in six states. Contaminated water used to irritate crops is one source of these … [Read more...]
Persistent Strain of E. coli O157:H7 in United States, Says CDC
The CDC says that there is a persistent strain of E. coli O157:H7 in the United States that has caused illnesses and outbreaks. Illnesses caused by this strain, REPEXH01, occur year round but are less common in the winter. This strain has sickened people through contaminated food and contaminated recreational water. Persistent is a term used by the CDC to describe strains that have caused illnesses for years. Even though the number of illnesses may change over time, they continue to cause sickness. And these strains are sometimes linked to more than one course, making them more difficult to control. The strain is "relatively" diverse genetically, within 21 allele differences of one another. That is more diverse than pathogens that cause typical multistep foodborne illnesses … [Read more...]
USDA Starts Testing Ground Beef For Big Six E. coli Strains, O157
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has started testing ground beef, bench trim, and other raw ground beef components for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains (STEC) that are adulterants. They include the "Big Six" O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145 as well as O157. The testing started on February 1, 2023. This new program was announced in the Federal Register on June 4, 2020. Before this new program, the government only tested beef manufacturing trimmings for the Big Six and O157:H7. Otherwise, all raw beef products are tested for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella bacteria. FSIS has also started testing for the non-O157 STEC in ground beef samples collected at retail stores and in samples of imported raw beef products. Any positive results will be subject to … [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...]
HelloFresh Ground Beef E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak is Number Eight of 2022
The HelloFresh ground beef E. coli O157:H7 outbreak is the number eight outbreak of 2022, with at least seven people in six states. Six people were hospitalized because they were so ill. The ground beef was in some Hello Fresh meal kits and has the establishment number "EST. 46841" stamped inside the USDA mark of inspection. The kits were shipped from July 2 to July 21, 2022. The case count by state is: Maryland (1), New Jersey (2), New York (1), Pennsylvania (1), Virginia (1), and Washington state (1). The patient age range is from 17 to 69 years, and illness onset dates ranged from June 8, 2022 to August 17, 2022. This is a long illness onset date range, but is explained by the fact that HelloFresh meal kits can be frozen up to two months. Some people may still have those kits … [Read more...]
Hill Country Fare Ground Beef Recalled For Foreign Material
Hill Country Fare Ground Beef and HEB ground chuck ground beef are being recalled for possible foreign material contamination, more specifically pieces of reflective mirror-like material. This poses a choking, mouth injury, and esophagus injury hazard. About 93,697 pounds of the raw ground beef products are included in this recall. No confirmed reports of adverse reactions have been received by the company to date. The recalling firm is Tyson Fresh Meats of Amarillo, Texas. The raw ground beef items were produced on November 2, 2022. They include: 10 pound chubs containing “HILL COUNTRY FARE GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN/ 27% FAT with BEST BEFORE OR FREEZE BY: NOV 25, 2022.” 5 pound chubs containing “HILL COUNTRY FARE GROUND BEEF 73% LEAN/ 27% FAT with BEST BEFORE OR FREEZE BY: NOV 25, … [Read more...]
Ground Beef HelloFresh E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Ends; 7 Sick
The ground beef HelloFresh E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has ended, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with seven people sick and six hospitalized. The last update for this outbreak was September 14, 2022. The ground beef was packed into some HelloFresh meal kits that were shipped from July 2 to July 21, 2022. The ground beef was in 10 ounce plastic vacuum-packed packages, and was labeled "Ground Beef 85% lean/15% fat." The establishment number inside the USDA mark of inspection was EST. 46841. The patient case count by state is: Maryland (1), New Jersey (2), New York (1), Pennsylvania (1), Virginia (1), and Washington state (1). Illness onset dates did not change, and range is from June 8, 2022 to August 17, 2022. HelloFresh meals can be frozen for one … [Read more...]
