The Dave’s Sushi morel mushroom outbreak has now sickened at least 41 people in Montana, according to the FDA‘s CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. The Table states that morel mushrooms are the suspect food in this outbreak. Two deaths have occurred in patrons of that establishment after eating there. The case count has increased to 41 … Read more
As food safety lawyers, people have been asking us (from a distance) how worried they should be about COVID-19 and the safety of their takeout food? While we can’t tell them about viral transmission rates via various sources – we’re lawyers, not scientists – we can tell them what we have learned from years of … Read more
The Minnesota Department of Health has identified 35 lab-confirmed cases of cyclospora that are associated with three Minnesota restaurants in different areas of the state. Basil is implicated in these illnesses, according to Doug Schultz, Information Officer for the DOH. This Minnesota cyclospora outbreak may be linked to the multistate cyclospora outbreak announced by the … Read more
According to a study by North Carolina State University and published in the Journal of Food Protection, front line staff in restaurants do not do a good job explaining risks of undercooked meat to customers. Undercooked meat served at restaurants, especially ground beef, has been the source of food poisoning outbreaks in the past. … Read more
The Salmonella outbreaks at the Fig & Olive restaurant in Washington, D.C. and Chipotle restaurants in Minnesota are not uncommon. Just in the last year, there have been six other Salmonella outbreaks linked to restaurants in the United States. Contaminated cucumbers sold in salads at Red Lobster restaurants in Minnesota sickened many people with Salmonella infections … Read more
At least 77 people who ate at a Simi Valley, California Chipotle last week got food poisoning, one of them was hospitalized. Health officials are investigating the outbreak that includes sixty customers and 17 employees. Symptoms of the illnesses, associated with food eaten on August 18 and August 19, include diarrhea, vomiting, chills and fever. … Read more
A Salmonella outbreak has been reported at Tallulah’s restaurant in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, according to the Seattle Times. King County reports that about 200 to 300 Salmonella cases are reported every year. In this outbreak, at least 16 people were sickened. The outbreak occurred June 21, 2015; the restaurant is at 550 19th Avenue … Read more
A Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak in 2013 was linked to ground beef produced by Jouni Meats and sold at Gab Halal Foods. At least 22 people in 6 states were sickened in this outbreak. Half of all ill persons interviewed were hospitalized, which is a very high number. Usually only about 20 to 25% of sick … Read more
The history of food safety, corporate irresponsibility, and workers’ rights is long and tortuous (as well as tortious). From the days of Upton Sinclair (rotten and diseased meat), unpasteurized and tuberculosis-laden milk, all the way through the present, the dangers of unsafe food have been compounded by improperly trained and poorly paid food workers. In … Read more
Can Twitter be used to identify sources of food poisoning? FoodBorne Chicago, found success with a trial run and now Boston and New York are considering similar programs. FoodBorne Chicago is a project of the Smart Chicago Collaborative, a civic organization with the goal of using technology to improve the lives. Using an algorithm, FoodBorne Chicago tracked tweets … Read more