The Salmonella Carrau outbreak that is linked to precut melon products sold at Target, Walmart, Kroger, and other stores has prompted questions about prepared produce. And unfortunately, the history of prepared produce outbreaks is long. Any food can be contaminated with pathogens. The fruits and vegetables can pick up bacteria in the fields, during harvest, during transport, and during processing. While people don't naturally think of produce as a cause of outbreaks, Salmonella in produce is in the top ten pathogen-food combinations that cause food poisoning. And in our modern food production and distribution system, produce that is harvested around the world is brought to huge central processing centers. The fruits and vegetables are cleaned and cut and packaged together. That … [Read more...]
Lawyer Gives Advice About Long History of Prepared Produce Outbreaks
Jensen Tuna Recalls Frozen Raw Ground Tuna For Salmonella
Jensen Tuna of Louisiana is recalling frozen raw ground tuna imported form JK Fish because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. A Salmonella Newport outbreak that has sickened at least 13 people is linked to this recalled product. The product is individually packaged in clear plastic one-pound bags and is sold in white wax 20 pound boxes. This product is only sold as a wholesale case with twenty bags in each case. The lot numbers on the cases are z266, z271, and z272. The raw tuna was sold to wholesalers in Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, and Washington. It was distributed from November 30, 2018 to March 15, 2019. Illness onset dates in the outbreak range from January 8, 2019 to March 20, 2019. As of today, the ground tuna samples public health … [Read more...]
Salmonella Newport Outbreak Linked to Frozen Raw Ground Tuna
A Salmonella Newport outbreak linked to frozen raw ground tuna supplied by Jensen Tuna has sickened at least 13 people in 7 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two people have been hospitalized. The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Iowa (1), Illinois (1), Minnesota (1), New York, (1), North Dakota (4), and Washington (4). Illness onset dates range from January 8, 2019 to March 20, 2019. The patient age range is from 29 to 85 years. Jensen Tuna, based in Houma, Louisiana, has recalled their frozen raw ground tuna, which was imported from JK Fish. The tuna was sold in Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, and Washington, and may have been distributed to other states. Anyone who orders sushi, from a restaurant or … [Read more...]
Salmonella Carrau Melon Outbreak: How To Prepare Safe Melons
Ever since the huge and deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that was linked to whole melons produced by Jensen Farms in Colorado, I have been wary of cantaloupes, honeydew, and watermelon. While I did sometimes purchase precut melons, that ended when a Salmonella outbreak linked to precut melons sickened dozens in 2018. The current Salmonella Carrau melon outbreak has increased my resolve. How do you prepare safe melons in this day and age? The problem with this fruit is that the surface of melons is the perfect space for bacteria to grab onto and hold on. Melons, especially cantaloupe, have deep crenelations and a webbed, rough surface. Bacteria love to hide in those nooks and crannies. Even worse, some pathogens can produce a biofilm that covers bacterial colonies, protecting … [Read more...]
Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan Hard Hit by Precut Melon Salmonella Outbreak
People in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan have been hard hit by the melon Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 93 people in 9 states. The case count in each state is: Ohio (27), Indiana (18), Kentucky (16), and Michigan (19). The other states involved include Alabama (1), Illinois (5), Minnesota (3), Missouri (3), and Wisconsin (1). The pathogen that has sickened people, Salmonella Carrau, is relatively rare in the United States. Officials are using the PulseNet system to find people who may be part of this outbreak, and more may be identified. PulseNet identified the outbreak on April 2, 2019. It makes sense that most of the victims are in those states, since the outbreak has been linked by the CDC and FDA to precut melons that were produced and … [Read more...]
Salmonella Contaminated Precut Melons Sold at Target, Kroger, Walmart, Trader Joes, Amazon/Whole Foods
The Salmonella Carrau outbreak linked to precut melons produced by Caito Foods has sickened at least 93 people. The Salmonella contaminated precut melons were sold at Kroger, Target, Trader Joes, Amazon/Whole Foods, Walmart stores, and independent grocery stores in several states under several different brand names. Caito Foods recalled precut melons in many different combinations and iterations on April 12, 2019, the day the outbreak was announced by the FDA and CDC. These products were sold in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The outbreak states line up with where the melon was available: people are sick in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, … [Read more...]
History of Melon Outbreaks Is Long and Deadly
The Salmonella Carrau outbreak just announced by the CDC that is linked to precut melons produced by Caito Foods has sickened at least 93 people. This is not the first time that melons have caused food poisoning outbreaks in the United States. In fact, the history of melon outbreaks is long. Since 1985, there have been 1,520 illnesses, 297 hospitalizations, and 36 deaths linked to contaminated melon. Most of these outbreaks were linked to cantaloupes. One of the big problems with contamination on ready-to-eat foods is that there is no "kill step" before the food is eaten. That means the consumer does not heat the product, which would destroy pathogens. There is zero tolerance for Listeria monocytogenes contamination on ready-to-eat foods, but no such law exists for … [Read more...]
How Does Salmonella Contaminate Precut Melon? Lawyer Explains
The Salmonella Carrau outbreak linked to Caito Foods precut melon has sickened at least 93 people in 9 states. We asked lawyer Brendan Flaherty: how does Salmonella contaminate precut melon? He said, "This isn't the first time that precut melons have been contaminated by pathogenic bacteria. In 2018, a Salmonella Adelaide outbreak was linked to precut melon that was also produced by Caito Foods. At least 77 people were sickened in that outbreak. And in 2017 a Salmonella Newport outbreak in Washington state and Oregon was linked to precut fruit sold at several grocery stores. "Fresh fruit is not a natural vehicle for pathogens such as Salmonella. Salmonella outbreaks are typically linked to foods like chicken. So the fruit had to be contaminated somewhere along the chain of … [Read more...]
Salmonella Carrau Outbreak Linked to Caito Foods Precut Melons
A Salmonella Carrau outbreak is linked to Caito Foods precut melons, and has sickened at least 93 people in 9 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Twenty-three people are hospitalized because their illnesses are so severe. The patient case count by state is: Alabama (1), Illinois (5), Indiana (18), Kentucky (16), Michigan (19), Minnesota (3), Missouri (3), Ohio (27), and Wisconsin (1). Illness onset dates range from March 4, 2019 to March 31, 2019. The patient age range is from less than one to 98. No deaths have been reported in this outbreak. Epidemiologic and traceback evidence indicate that precut melons supplied by Caito Foods are the likely source of this outbreak. Caito recalled a huge list of precut honeydew, cantaloupe, and … [Read more...]
Salmonella Carrau Outbreak Linked to Precut Melons
A Salmonella Carrau outbreak that is linked to precut melons traced to Caito Foods has been announced by the FDA. At least 93 people in 9 states are sick with the outbreak strain. Twenty-three people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. The states where ill people live are Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The FDA report did not state how many people are sick in each state. The last illness onset date was March 31, 2019. There was a Salmonella Adelaide outbreak in 2018, also linked to Caito Foods precut melons, that sickened at least 77 people in 9 states. Thirty-six people were hospitalized in that outbreak. The FDA is recommending that people not eat these precut melon products, which include cantaloupe, … [Read more...]
