A new Listeria outbreak has been posted on the FDA's CORE Investigation Table. And the case count for the Salmonella Africana outbreak that is stil unsolved has increased to 141 patients. There are now four outbreak investigations on the table. The new Listeria outbreak has sickened at least two people. No recall has been initiated, but the FDA has started traceback. No inspections have begun, and no samples have been collected or analyzed. The Salmonella Africana outbreak has grown from 100 sick to 141 sick. The only action the FDA has taken so far has been traceback. No food has been linked to this outbreak. The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that is allegedly linked to recalled Gibson Farms organic bulk walnuts is unchanged. That outbreak has sickened at least 12 people in two … [Read more...]
New Salmonella Outbreak on FDA Core Table Sickens 100
A new Salmonella outbreak on the FDA's Core Outbreak Investigation Table has sickened at least 100 people, according to the latest update. There are only two other outbreaks on the Table at this time: The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak allegedly linked to walnuts, and the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak that is allegedly linked to organic fresh basil. The new Salmonella outbreak is caused by Salmonella Africana, a variant that has not caused any illnesses in the United States since at least 2011. There are 100 people sick. The FDA has initiated traceback, but has not started inspections, and has not collected or tested samples. The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak allegedly linked to organic Gibson Farms walnuts remains unchanged since the last update was issued on May 1, 2024. There are 12 … [Read more...]
Long History of Nut and Nut Product Outbreaks
In the wake of the current E. coli outbreak linked to organic walnuts, there is a long history of nut and nut product outbreaks. Nuts are an agricultural product, and just like leafy greens, herbs, and berries, can be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. And nuts, like other types of produce, are often eaten without a consumer "kill step," in other words, cooking. History of Nut and Nut Product Outbreaks The current E. coli O157 outbreak allegedly linked to Gibson Farms organic walnuts and walnut pieces has sickened at least 12 people in two states, California and Washington. Seven of those patients have been hospitalized, and two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. The walnuts have been recalled. In 2022, a Salmonella Senftenberg … [Read more...]
Gibson Farms Organic Walnuts Recalled For Possible E. coli O157
Gibson Farms organic walnuts sold in bulk are being voluntarily recalled for possible E. coli O157 contamination. There is an outbreak allegedly linked to bulk organic walnuts that has sickened at least 12 people in two states (California and Washington). Seven of those patients have been hospitalized, and two have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. Traceback conducted by the FDA found that Gibson Farms supplied the bulk walnuts to stores where some patients shopped. The Gibson Farms organic walnuts were sold shelled, as "Light Halves and Pieces." They were packaged in bulk boxes in net weight 25 pound quantities. The lot numbers for these walnuts are 3325-043 and 3341-501, and the expiration dates are 5/21/25 and 6/7/25. The company voluntarily … [Read more...]
Organic Bulk Walnuts E. coli Outbreak Sickens 12 in 2 States
An organic bulk walnuts E. coli O157 outbreak has sickened at least 12 people in two states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Seven of those patients have been hospitalized. Two have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. The patient case count by state is: Washington (6), and California (6). Illness onset dates range from February 1, 2024 to April 4, 2024. The patient age range is from six to 84 years. State and local pubic health officials interviewed patients about the foods they ate before they got sick. Of the 10 interviewed, all said they ate walnuts. That percentage is significantly higher than the 26% of respondents who said they ate walnuts in the FoodNet Population Survey during the same time frame. And all … [Read more...]
FDA On End of Raw Farm Raw Cheddar E. coli Outbreak
FDA on end of Raw Farm raw Cheddar cheese E. coli outbreak states that at least 11 people in five states were sickened. Five people were hospitalized, and two people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. The case count by state is: California (4), Colorado (3), New Jersey (1), Texas (1), and Utah (2). This case count has not changed since the last update was issued by the FDA and CDC on February 28, 2024. Illness onset dates ranged from October 18, 2023 to February 5, 2024. No deaths were reported. Public health officials collected various Raw Farm branded products for testing, and all samples tested negative for E. coli. But epidemiologic evidence shows that Raw Farm raw Cheddar cheese is the likely source of this outbreak. Most of the patients … [Read more...]
Raw Farm Raw Cheddar Cheese E. coli Outbreak Ends: 11 Sick
The Raw Farm raw Cheddar cheese E. coli outbreak has ended with at least 11 people sick in five states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Five people were hospitalized beaus they were so sick. No recall was issued, although the CDC is warning against eating all raw cheese products from this firm. The raw cheddar cheese that sick people may have eaten included original and jalapeño flavors. All sizes of blocks with best by dates through 10/4/2024 and all sizes of shredded cheese packages with best by dates through 5/10/2024 were included in that warning. The patient case count by state is: California (4), Colorado (3), New Jersey (1), Texas (1), and Utah (2). This case count has not changed since the last update was issued on February 28, 2024. … [Read more...]
West Seattle PCC Community Markets E. coli Outbreak Alleged
An alleged West Seattle PCC Community Markets E. coli outbreak has sickened at least five people, according to Public Health - Seattle & King County. One person has been hospitalized. That facility is located at 2749 California Avenue SW in Seattle, Washington. The strain of E. coli that is allegedly making people sick is Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 (STEC). This pathogen produces Shiga toxins, which can travel through the bloodstream destroying red blood cells. If enough damaged red blood cells reach the kidney, they can clog small tubes in that organ called glomeruli and can cause kidney damage and failure, which is known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The illness onset date range is from February 14, 2024 to February 28, 2024. The date that the suspected … [Read more...]
Raw Farm Raw Cheddar E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Sickens 11
The Raw Farm raw Cheddar E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has now sickened at least 11 people in five states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Raw Farm voluntarily recalled their cheese on February 19, 2024 but has since withdrawn that recall. The FDA and CDC continue to recommend that people not eat the cheese because epidemiological evidence indicates that, "Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese is making people in this outbreak sick." In interviews with public health officials, 7 of 9 people interviewed, or 75%, said they ate Raw Farm raw Cheddar cheese before they got sick. This percentage is significantly higher than the 4.9% of respondents who reported eating any raw milk cheese in the FoodNet Population Survey. In addition, whole genome sequencing … [Read more...]
FDA Weighs in on Raw Farms Raw Cheddar E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak
FDA weighs in on the Raw Farms raw Cheddar E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 10 people in four states. Four people have been hospitalized in this outbreak, and one person has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. The cheese has been voluntarily recalled by Raw Farm. The recalled products include original flavor, all sizes of blocks and shredded packages, and Cheddar with added Jalapeño Flavor, all sizes of blocks and shredded packages. The cheese was sold at retailers nationwide. Ill patients have reported buying the cheese at Sprouts Farmers Market and Bristol Farms. The FDA will update the advisory if they discover other retailers who have sold this cheese. The patient case count by state is: California (4), Colorado (3), Texas … [Read more...]
