A Listeria outbreak linked to Soft Serve on the Go ice cream has sickened at least two people, both of whom were hospitalized. The recalled ice cream cups were distributed to 19 states, Washington DC, and some international locations. But just where the products were made has been a mystery, until now. Real Kosher Ice Cream of Brooklyn issued a recall for the ice cream cups on August 9 and halted distribution of the products. A statement on the company’s website, says “Serve on the Go Cups are manufactured at their own dedicated facility.” But neither the recall nor the website statement indicates where that facility is located. It turns out, the mystery facility is located just blocks from Real Kosher Ice Cream. Soft Serve on the Go ice cream was made at Ice Cream House, LLC, located … [Read more...]
Confusion Over Enoki Mushroom Recall Due to So Much Listeria
The FDA's announcement this week that it had identified the source of an enoki mushroom Listeria outbreak was a breakthrough in an investigation that has seemed dormant for months. But it was also something of a headscratcher. On January 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that enoki mushrooms imported from China and distributed in the U.S. by Utopia Foods, Inc. of Glendale, NY were the source of the outbreak. The significant development in the investigation was a long time coming. It was the first outbreak update the agency has issued since late November 2022. But the weird thing was Utopia enoki mushrooms were recalled for Listeria last month. The recall, issued on December 13, 2022, stated that the problem was discovered during routine sampling conducted in … [Read more...]
Precooked Chicken Listeria Outbreak Sickens 3 in Delaware and Texas
A precooked chicken Listeria outbreak has sickened three people in Delaware and Texas. All three patients have been hospitalized, and one person who lived in Texas has sadly died. Public health officials are investigating to discover which precooked chicken products are making people sick. The investigation notice states that this outbreak may be larger than officials think, and may not be limited to Delaware and Texas. All of the patients in this outbreak were served precooked chicken at a long term care facility or a hospital. The CDC says that those types of facilities should take extra precaution and not serve any cold dishes made with precooked chicken, such as chicken salad, unless the chicken was reheated first to 165°F. The case count by state is: Delaware (1), and Texas … [Read more...]
Listeria Infections Rise for Sixth Straight Year in EU
The number of reported cases of listeriosis in the European Union rose for the sixth straight year in 2014, according to the latest annual report by European Food Safety Authority and European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC). During 2014, there were 2,161 confirmed cases of listeriosis, an increase of 16 percent from the 1,868 confirmed cases reported in 2013. Of those, 210 cases were fatal- the highest number of Listeria deaths reported in the EU since 2009. About 18 percent of the fatalities were among those over 65. Symptoms of a Listeria infection include high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Among pregnant women, Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths. Smoked fish and soft cheeses were the largest offenders. … [Read more...]
Listeria Study Prompts Kroger To Stop Selling Unrefrigerated Caramel Apples
The Kroger Co. announced yesterday that its family of grocery stores will no longer sell unrefrigerated caramel apples that have been pierced with dipping sticks because of a new study that found they support the growth of Listeria. The study, conducted by the Food Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin Madison, was prompted by the 2014 Listeria outbreak, which sickened 35 people, killing seven of them. "After reviewing the study, we have decided to voluntarily withdraw unrefrigerated caramel apples from our stores," said Dr. Payton Pruett, Kroger's vice president of food safety. "While we believe the potential health risk is minimal, we are acting out of an abundance of caution on behalf of our customers." Kroger operates 2,623 supermarkets in 34 states and the District … [Read more...]
Blue Bell Builds Inventory for Return After Listeria Outbreak
Blue Bell Creameries is building inventory for a return to retail sales after a deadly Listeria outbreak forced a temporary shutdown. In a Facebook post, the company told customers to "stay tuned in the coming weeks for details of our return." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said several strains of Listeria were involved in the outbreak tied to the nation’s third-largest ice cream maker. At least 10 people were sickened, three people died. Cultures of Listeria strains from patients were identical to those found in ice cream made at the company’s plants in Brenham, Texas and Broken Arrow, Okla. The earliest cases were identified in 2010. After the ice cream was linked to the outbreak, Blue Bell began a series of product recalls, eventually recalling all of … [Read more...]
Via Christi Hospital Cases Brought Blue Bell Outbreak to Light
Three months have passed since Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kansas, stopped serving all types of Blue Bell ice cream at the direction of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The step coincided with a major breakthrough in a festering outbreak of listeriosis that Kansas tied to Blue Bell creameries in Texas and Oklahoma. As first described March 13 in a national Listeria announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), five patients at the hospital who arrived there for unrelated problems developed invasive listeriosis and three of them died. Illness onset dates for the five patients ranged from January 2014 through January 2015 and a national database showed highly related strains of Listeria monocytogenes on file in Listeria … [Read more...]
Attorney Discusses Blue Bell FDA Inspection Reports
Attorney Fred Pritzker, who is representing people sickened in the Blue Bell ice cream Listeria outbreak, discusses the FDA inspection reports about the company's facility. Since ice cream is a ready-to-eat food with no consumer "kill step" of cooking, any finding of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in the plant is a serious issue. Listeria bacteria was present in the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Blue Bell processing plant as early as March 2013, according to the report. Blue Bell was notified of its "improper cleaning" and continued to ship product from the facility. The company knew they had a "pervasive Listeria infestation in their plant. In the Broken Arrow, Oklahoma plant, they sanitized using normal procedures, and subsequent tests found more Listeria. In other words, the cleaning … [Read more...]
Senators Urge Full Food Safety Funding After Blue Bell Outbreak
U.S. Senators urge full funding of the Food Safety Modernization Act after the deadly Blue Bell Listeria monocytogenes outbreak and the recall of potentially contaminated pasta salad at Hy-Vee stores across the Midwest. FSMA has been underfunded by less than half the amount it needs for full implementation since it was signed into law four years ago. The Senators include Brian Schatz (D-HI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). The letter states, in part, "The Food Safety Modernization Act was enacted to bring our nation's food safety system into the 21st century by enabling our agencies to prevent food contamination rather than reacting once illnesses have occurred. Prevention is … [Read more...]
How the Government Solved the Caramel Apple Listeria Outbreak
The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to commercially prepared caramel apples (and some plain apples) last fall was a scary time. People don't usually think of something as innocuous as a caramel apple as being a vehicle for pathogenic bacteria. But fruits and vegetables are often contaminated. In this particular outbreak, at least 35 people in 12 states were sickened, and the illness contributed to at least three of the seven reported deaths. The outbreak was difficult to solve, since the product was made from several ingredients, including wooden sticks and sprinkles. The Listeria Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) Project was a big help for government officials in solving the outbreak. Government scientists used samples from patients, foods, and the environment at Bidart Brothers … [Read more...]
