Amy's Kitchen Enchilada Verde Whole Meal is being recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination because it was made with cheese from Rizo Lopez Foods, according to a notice on the Publix web site. Some Rizo Lopez products are linked to a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least 26 people in 11 states and hospitalized 23. Two people who lived in California and Texas died. No illnesses have been reported to the company to date in connection with the consumption of this product. The recalling firm is Amy's Kitchen. The recall is based on a notice by Rizo-Lopez telling Amy's Kitchen about the possible presence of Listeria in the cheese used to produce the meal. No other Amy's Kitchen products or lots are involved in this recall. The recalled item … [Read more...]
Largest Multistate Food Poisoning Outbreaks 2015: #10, Blue Bell
The 10th largest multistate food poisoning outbreak of 2015 was the Blue Bell ice cream Listeria outbreak. The outbreak, linked to the nation’s third-largest ice cream maker, sickened at least 10 people from four states. Three of them died. Health officials used DNA tests to identify cases as far back as 2010 that were part of the outbreak. Confirmed cases were identified in Arizona (1), Kansas (5), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (3). The three fatalities were in Kansas where all five patients were hospital patients who ate ice cream or milkshakes made from a Blue Bell single-serving product called Scoops. After the Kansas patients were identified, the hospital was told to hold all Bell Bell products in quarantine. Testing on these products found Listeria in single serving chocolate ice … [Read more...]
Listeria Patient Who Sued Blue Bell Barely Escaped Death
The former Texas resident who is the first person to sue Blue Bell ice cream in connection with a deadly Listeria outbreak endured well over a year of intensive neurological treatment, therapy and rehabilitation, according to the formal complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas. The plaintiff, 32-year-old D. Philip Shockley, fell ill in October 2013 and continues to suffer from posterior fossa syndrome (PFS), a severe neurological syndrome caused by damage to the brainstem and cerebellum, the complaint said. The Listeria Blue Bell lawsuit, filed May 19 on Shockley's behalf, states that Listeria monocytogenes in Blue Bell ice cream infected the victim's blood and migrated to his brain, where it caused extensive damage, leaving him unconscious and near death inside his … [Read more...]
FDA 483 Report on Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
The FDA has released Form 483 about their inspection of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams facility in Columbus, Ohio. That firm recalled all of their products in April 2015 because Listeria monocytogenes was found in the ice cream. The report states that the Regulatory manager and the Director of Operations, who are responsible for assuring compliance with current good manufacturing practices to all personnel, demonstrated a lack of competency. The observations follow. They did not have an environmental sampling and testing program in place. Neither the Regulatory Manager nor the Director of Operations were aware that "employees on the p.m. shift were not sanitizing the food contact surfaces of the inside of the batch freezers at the end of the production day." Towels which were being used … [Read more...]
Listeria Outbreak Prompts Kroger to Pull Blue Bell Products
Kroger has pulled recalled Blue Bell products from its stores after they were linked to a Listeria outbreak that sickened five people at Via Christi hospital in Wichita. The company is also using its recall notification system to warn customers of the problem. Between January 2014 and January 2015, five patients at Via Christi contracted listeriosis from contaminated Blue Bell ice cream they were served while hospitalized for unrelated illnesses. Although the first case occurred during January 2014, the outbreak was not discovered until this month when health officials noticed that two people sickened with the rare outbreak strain had both been Via Christi patients. Lab tests have shown that the rare Listeria strains cultured from the five patients at Via Christi are a match to … [Read more...]
If You Purchased Happy Apple Caramel Apples, Here’s What to Do
A Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has been linked to commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples and has sickened dozens of people. Five people have died in connection with this outbreak. Brands that may be associated with this outbreak include Carnival and Kitchen Cravings apples sold in Minnesota, and Happy Apple caramel apples sold in various states. Happy Apple issued a recall for all of these caramel apples with a best by date between August 25 and November 23, 2014. Those apples are no longer available in stores, but they do have a shelf life of up to a month. Consumers may still have them in their homes. The recalled apples were sold in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, … [Read more...]
Karm’l Dapples Caramel Apples Recalled for Possible Listeria
California Snack Foods is issuing a voluntary recall of California Snack Foods brand Karm'l Dapples caramel apples because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. All styles of Karm'l Dapples are recalled. There is a 10-state outbreak of listeriosis linked to caramel apples that has sickened at least 29 people and killed five. Bidart Brothers, who also supplied Happy Apple caramel apple manufacturers with apples, notified California Snack Foods that there may be a connection between that outbreak and apples supplied to them. The recalled products have a "best use by" date between August 15 and November 28, 2014. They were sold in single packs and three packs. Each package has the best use by date on the front of the label. They were sold through grocery, … [Read more...]
Lawsuit Prompts Happy Apple Caramel Apples Recall
A wrongful death lawsuit and Listeria outbreak has prompted Happy Apple Company to recall caramel apples with a best use by date between August 25th and November 23rd, 2014. The recall was issued on Christmas Eve. According to the Complaint (a document filed with the court), in late October, 2014, Shirlee Frey went to the Safeway store in Felton, California. While there she purchased a prepackaged caramel apple and later ate it. About a week later, she began to feel ill. On December 2, 2014, the family was informed that Mrs. Frey was suffering from literiosis (a Listeria infection). She died that day. The listeriosis wrongful death lawsuit was filed on behalf of Mrs. Frey's family on December 22, 2014. On Christmas Eve, Happy Apple Company announced the caramel apple recall. Happy … [Read more...]
Safeway Sued in Wrongful Death Lawsuit Linked to Caramel Apple Listeria Outbreak
The family of an 81-year-old California woman who died after contracting listeriosis from a caramel apple has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Safeway grocery stores. Shirlee Jean Frey purchased the tainted treat from a Safeway store just before Halloween and began to feel illl the first week of November. Symptoms of a Listeria infection include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. Among pregnant women, listeriosis can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn baby. Symptoms begin from 3 to 70 days after eating food contaminated with the bacteria. In early November, Frey fell and hit her head. She was airlifted to a hospital for surgery and remained there for a week, according to the … [Read more...]
