A new mystery Salmonella Infantis outbreak has sickened at least 12 people, according to the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. There are now five active outbreak investigations on that table. For the new mystery Salmonella Infantis outbreak, there is no recall, we don't know where ill persons live, there is no patient age range, and we don't know if anyone has been hospitalized. The only action that the government has taken so far is traceback. In the mystery Salmonella Hartford outbreak in a not yet identified product, the case count has increased from 50 to 53 cases. In that investigation, traceback has begun, an on-site inspection has begun, and samples have been collected and analyzed. The hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen organic strawberries remains unchanged, … [Read more...]
Mystery Salmonella Hartford Outbreak Grows to 50 Sick
The mystery Salmonella Hartford outbreak has grown to include 50 patients, according to the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. There are three other active outbreak investigations on that table. In the Salmonella outbreak, traceback has been initiated and on-site inspection has begun. The FDA has collected samples and has begun to analyze those samples. No recall has been initiated, we don't know the patient age range of illness onset date, or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. The hepatitis A outbreak linked to recalled frozen organic strawberries remains the same. Five patients in Washington state are sick and two people have been hospitalized. Two recalls have been issued: one for Kirkland Organic Frozen Strawberries packaged in a 4 pound bag, and one for … [Read more...]
FDA Strategy Enhances Safety of Soft Queso Fresco Cheeses
The FDA has released a prevention strategy to try to enhance the safety of soft Queso Fresco cheeses (QFT) after several foodborne illness outbreaks. From 2014 to 2017 there were five listeriosis outbreaks in the United States that were linked to the consumption of soft fresh Queso type cheeses. There were 12 more outbreaks of listeriosis in the United States during the time period of 1998 to 2014 that were associated with soft cheeses made from pasteurized milk. Most were associated with soft Queso Fresco type cheeses. And in 2021 the FDA investigated a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to El Abuelito Cheese products that sickened at least 13 people in four states and killed one person who lived in Maryland. Historically, these outbreaks have been associated with … [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...]
What Happened to the Deadly Listeria Outbreak Linked to Delis?
What happened to the deadly Listeria outbreak linked to deli meats and cheeses? This outbreak investigation is not on the FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table or on the USDA's Outbreak Table, and it has not been updated since November 9, 2022, more than three months ago. In this outbreak, at least 16 people in six states have been sickened. Thirteen of those patients were hospitalized, and one person who lived in Maryland died. In addition, one person got sick during a pregnancy, resulting in a fetal loss. Illness onset dates range from April 17, 2021 to September 29, 2022. The states where ill persons live include California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. Of 13 people who gave ethnicity information to public health officials, 11 are of Eastern … [Read more...]
FDA Adds Salmonella Hartford Outbreak to CORE Investigation
The FDA has added a new Salmonella Hartford outbreak to its CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. It joins three other outbreak investigations that are still active as of March 8, 2023. The Salmonella Hartford outbreak has sickened at least 31 people so far. No food has been identified yet. There is no information about illness onset dates, if anyone has been hospitalized, or the patient age range. So far, traceback has been initiated in this outbreak investigation. The hepatitis A outbreak investigation has been updated. There are now just five illnesses in that outbreak. That number was reduced from nine cases, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) excluded some suspect cases from the overall count. Sample collection and analysis, along with traceback, has … [Read more...]
New Hepatitis A Outbreak on FDA CORE Investigation Table
A new hepatitis A outbreak has been issued on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. At least nine people have been sickened in this new outbreak. And there are still two Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks on the table, while the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts has ended. This new hepatitis A outbreak is not yet linked to any particular food. We do not know the patient age range, illness onset dates, or whether or not anyone has been hospitalized. The FDA has initiated traceback, but there has not been any on-site inspection, recall, sample collection, or laboratory analysis yet. And there is a mystery Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that is still unsolved. In that investigation, traceback has been initiated, and an on-site inspection has … [Read more...]
Enoki Mushrooms From China Subject to Import Alert For Listeria
Enoki mushrooms from China are now subject to an FDA Import Alert after several recalls have been issued for that product for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, and a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak. In July of 2022, the FDA issued an import alert for this type of mushrooms that were imported from Korea because of many recalls for possible Listeria, and Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks. The import Alert #25-21 has been expanded to include enoki mushrooms from China to detention without physical examination. From October 2020 through February 2023, state public health authorities sampled enoki mushrooms from various retail locations. Multiple states found Lsieria monocytogenes, which triggered 18 recalls of enoki mushrooms since 2021. Eight of those recalls were for … [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...]
How Many Enoki Mushroom Listeria Recalls Have Been Enacted?
How many enoki mushroom Listeria monocytogenes recalls have been enacted in the past few months? For starters, enoki mushrooms were the most recalled food of 2022. And some imported recalled enoki mushrooms are linked to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least three people in three states. This product has been problematic for years. In 2020, a deadly outbreak sickened at least 36 people in 17 states, hospitalizing 31 of them. Four people died, and two fetal losses were recorded. In fact, last fall the FDA launched a food safety strategy to try to protect the public from contaminated enoki mushrooms. Here's the list, along with outbreak information: In November 2022, Green Day Produce enoki mushrooms were recalled for possible Listeria. These mushrooms … [Read more...]
