The FDA CORE Investigation Table has been updated with a new outbreak and an increase in the number of cases in the hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen organic strawberries. There are currently four active outbreak investigations on that Table. The new outbreak has sickened at least 13 people. We don't know where those people live, illness onset dates, if anyone has been hospitalized, or the patient age range. We also do not know the pathogen, or if it was a food sold from a grocery store or served at a restaurant that caused these illnesses. In the hepatitis A outbreak, the case count has increased from seven to eight. Several bands of frozen organic strawberries, including Kirkland Signature, Simply Nature, Vital Choice, Made With, Meijer, PCC Community Markets, and Trader … [Read more...]
What Does the FDA Want You to Know About Food Recalls?
What does the FDA want you to know about food recalls? Many food recalls are issued every month, from the FDA and the USDA, depending on which foods they regulate. The FDA regulates all foods except meat, poultry, and processed egg products. Food recalls can be for undeclared allergens, for foreign material contamination, or for possible contamination with pathogens, which can include bacteria such as E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes, viruses such as norovirus or hepatitis A, or parasites such as cyclospora. All food that contains one of the nine major food allergens (sesame, milk, wheat, finfish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and eggs) must list that ingredient on the label, as well as an allergen statement warning consumers that the product contains that … [Read more...]
Salmonella Hartford Outbreak Case Count Grows to 47 Sick
The Salmonella Hartford outbreak that is listed on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table has grown from 31 to 47 cases since the last update was issued on March 8, 2023. There are three other active outbreak investigations on that table. The Salmonella Hartford outbreak has not been linked to any specific food. Traceback has been initiated, but no on-site inspection has taken place, there is no recall, and no sample collection and analysis has started. We do not know where the patients live, their age range, or illness onset dates. And we do not know if anyone has been hospitalized. The other outbreak investigations are unchanged. The hepatitis A outbreak in a not yet identified food, which has sickened at least five people, is unchanged. In that investigation, traceback … [Read more...]
The FDA’s “Best” Worst Warning Letters of 2022
When the FDA discovers that a company has significantly violated federal regulations, the agency issues a warning letter. These letters enumerate some of the key violations and instruct the offender to devise and execute a plan to correct them within a designated timeline. All of these letters deal with serious food safety violations - filth, pests, bacteria, but some really stand out. Here are some of the notable warning letters the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent in 2022. "A History of Infestation" Dollar Tree Inc. This letter, sent November 8, 2022, pertains to an FDA inspection that took place January 11 - February 11, 2022, at Family Dollar Distribution Inc., located at 1800 Family Dollar Parkway, West Memphis, AR. At that time, the facility stored and distributed … [Read more...]
Recall Roundup For The Week of December 3, 2022
We're bringing back the recall roundup! This is a collection of all Class 1 recalls issued during the past week. Class 1 recalls include those items where there is a "reasonable probability that eating the food will cause health problems or death." So let's get started. The first recall is for James Farms Frozen Raspberries, for possible hepatitis A contamination. The recalling firm is Exportadora Copramar. The berries were imported from Chile. The frozen raspberries were packaged in two 5 pound bags per 10 pound carton. The UPC number on this product is 76069501010, with the lot code CO 22-165. They were sold through Restaurant Depo/Jetro locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. A public health … [Read more...]
James Farms Frozen Raspberries Recalled For Hepatitis A
James Farms Frozen Raspberries are being recalled for possible Hepatitis A contamination. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this item. About 1260 cases are included in this voluntary recall. The recalling firm is Exportadora Compramar. The raspberries were imported from Chile. The recalled product is James Farms Frozen Raspberries that are packaged in foodservice 10 pound James Farm brand cartons. The product is sold exclusively through Restaurant Depot/Jetro locations in the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. All inventories of this product have been removed from those locations, and they are contacting their customers about this recall. The … [Read more...]
Three New Outbreaks on FDA CORE Investigation Table
Three new outbreaks have been posted on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. A new E. coli O157:H7 outbreak and two Salmonella outbreaks have been added. And two outbreak investigations have ended. This table doesn't tell us very much about these outbreaks. And unless there is some action that consumers can take, such as a recall, the FDA doesn't identify any probable cause. The new E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has sickened at least 29 people in Michigan and Ohio. Nine people are hospitalized. Traceback has been initiated in that investigation. A new Salmonella Senftenberg outbreak has sickened at least 19 people. No traceback has been initiated in that outbreak. And a new Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak has sickened at least 44 people. Traceback has been initiated in that … [Read more...]
New Cyclospora Outbreak, Two Outbreaks Ended Unsolved
A new cyclospora outbreak has been added to the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, while two other outbreaks have ended unsolved. The new cyclospora outbreak has sickened at least six people. The food responsible has not yet been identified. And traceback has been initiated. This joins the other cyclospora outbreak that was announced last week, with at least 60 sick and no food, again, identified. Traceback has been initiated in that investigation, and samples have been collected for analysis. The two outbreaks that have ended are the Salmonella Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate+ that sickened at least 14 people. Although traceback was conducted, no food was identified. And a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that sickened at least 12 people has also ended unsolved. The only … [Read more...]
FDA and USDA Outbreak Tables Updated: More Illnesses
FDA and USDA Outbreak Tables have been updated with new information. The USDA table, which does not have as many outbreaks listed, had one outbreak of Salmonella Muenchen, with beef as a suspected source, that is now closed with no resolution. On the FDA outbreak table, the Salmonella Braenderup outbreak that is not solved now has 70 illnesses, up from 63 on the last update. Every other outbreak remains the same. There are eight active investigations, plus the Cronobacter illnesses investigation in infants, which has been transferred to an IMG group. The Big Olaf ice cream Listeria monocytogenes outbreak case count remains the same, with 23 illnesses, 23 hospitalizations, one death, and one fetal loss. The last illness onset date was 6/12/2022. Investigators found Listeria … [Read more...]
FDA CORE Table Updated: Big Olaf Ice Cream Listeria Outbreak
The FDA Core Outbreak Investigation Table was updated, with ten active investigations. The FDA states that the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least 23 people is linked to big Olaf ice cream. The quote is, "For the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, a product linked to illnesses is ice cream from Big Olaf Creamery, located in Florida." There is still no recall on the FDA recall page about this ice cream, but according to news reports Big Olaf started recalling the ice cream over the weekend. The CDC reiterated their warning to consumers about the ice cream on July 8, 2022. Anyone who has this ice cream in their freezer should discard it immediately, even if some has been consumed and no one is sick. Listeria bacteria can cluster in tiny clumps and may not be … [Read more...]
