The CDC releases report of Northeast Seafood Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 115 people in 15 states in the fall of 2021. The report was released in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). This serotype is not usually associated with seafood, but with leafy vegetables, chicken, and beef. From May through October 2021, the outbreak sickened at least 115 people. The case count by state was: (1), California (1), Colorado (93), Connecticut (1), Iowa (1), Minnesota (2), Missouri (1), Nebraska (2), New Jersey (2), Pennsylvania (1), Texas (2), Virginia (3), Washington (1), Wisconsin (2), and Wyoming (2). The patient age range was from less than one year to 85. Twenty patients were hospitalized. Most patients reported that they ate seafood in Colorado before … [Read more...]
Court Enjoins Irvington Seafood From Distributing Products
A federal court has enjoined Irvington Seafood from Alabama from distributing adulterated seafood products, according to the United States Department of Justice. The civil complaint for permanent injunction was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama on April 25, 2023. The complaint alleges that Irvington Seafood violated the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by distributing adulterated ready-to-eat crabmeat products. Multiple FDA inspections of the defendant's facility, that took place between 2006 and 2022, allegedly revealed that the defendants "prepared, packaged, and held crabmeat products under insanitary conditions and failed to comply with required current good manufacturing practices and seafood hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) … [Read more...]
Number 2 Outbreak of 2022: Mariscos Bahia Seafood Salmonella
The number two outbreak of 2022 was the Mariscos Bahia seafood Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 39 people in four states. That seafood was recalled on October 20, 2022, and included fresh salmon fillet, fresh deep skin salmon fillet, fresh salmon portions, Chilean seabass (fillet and portions), halibut (fillet and portions), tuna (fillet and portions), and swordfish (loin, fillet, and wheel). The case count by state was: Arizona (13), California (24), Illinois (1), and Texas (1). The patient age range was from 1 year to 80 years. Of 32 people who gave information about their illness to public health investigators, 15 were hospitalized. That's a hospitalization rate of 47%, more than twice the average for a Salmonella outbreak. Of those 18 patients, 13 of them said they … [Read more...]
Mariscos Bahia Seafood Salmonella Outbreak Ends With 39 Sick
The Mariscos Bahia seafood Salmonella Litchfield outbreak has ended with 39 people sick in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an increase of six more patients since the last investigation update that was issued on October 25, 2022. The outbreak has ended as of December 14, 2022. The patient case count by state is: Arizona (13), California (24), Illinois (1), and Texas (1). Illinois has been added to the state list. The new patients live in California and Arizona. Illness onset dates range from June 14, 2022 to October 23, 2022. The patient age range is from 1 to 80 years. Of 32 people who gave information to investigators, 15 were hospitalized, for a hospitalization rate of 47%, which is high for a Salmonella outbreak. Eighteen … [Read more...]
What Are the Current Food Poisoning Outbreaks?
What are the current food poisoning outbreaks in the United States? At this time there are four active outbreaks that are being investigated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments. In total, these outbreaks have sickened at least 93 people and have hospitalized 33. The newest outbreak is the sapovirus outbreak linked to oysters that were harvested from a section of Galveston Bay in Texas. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, dozens of people who live in Texas and Florida are sickened in this outbreak. The Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Enoki mushrooms that were imported from Korea is ongoing. That outbreak has sickened two people from Nevada and Michigan; both were hospitalized. That … [Read more...]
FDA Studies Seafood Consumption Role in Child Development
The FDA is studying seafood consumption roles in child development and growth, with the aim of limiting the exposure of babies and young children to heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium that may be in those foods. The independent study is funded by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and is called The Role of Seafood Consumption in Child Growth and Development. The FDA is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency on this study. While seafood consumption is healthy and should be an important part of a child's diet along with a pregnant women's diet, seafood is the primary dietary source of mercury. That heavy metal can damage the … [Read more...]
FDA Results on PFAS in Seafood; Canned Clams From China A Concern
FDA results on PFAS in seafood were released yesterday, with the finding that the percentage of seafood samples with detectable PFAS were higher than the general food supply obtained from FDA's Total Diet Study. Canned clams imported from China were a particular concern. PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which include perfluorooctanoic acid acid (PFOA). Exposure to that chemical is associated with developmental effects, reduced immune response, changes to liver function, and increases in some types of cancer. Seafood may be at increased risk for PFAS contamination from the environment. This "limited survey" was conducted as a first step to see if that agency needs to conduct a more targeted or larger study on PFAS in seafood. Eighty-one samples of clams, cod, … [Read more...]
Felix Custom Smoking Enjoined From Distributing Seafood Products
Felix Custom Smoking has been enjoined from distributing seafood products through a consent decree filed on March 9, 2022 by the FDA and the U.S. Justice Department. The owner of that establishment, Diane Zollinger, has allegedly violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by distributing "adulterated ready-to-eat seafood products, including fish jerky and cold- and hot-smoked salmon," according to the complaint. The business sells products directly to consumers from its location and through farmers markets, as well as providing custom processing for fishermen and other wholesalers. The facility is located in Monroe, Washington. The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trail, the government must prove by a preponderance of … [Read more...]
Nine Multistate Salmonella Outbreaks in 2021 Sickened More Than 1,200
Nine multistate Salmonella outbreaks in 2021 sickened more than 1,200 Americans and hospitalized 250, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The only Salmonella outbreak that has continued into 2022 is the Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak linked to fresh onions imported from Mexico. All of these outbreaks were linked to a specific product, and all were associated with at least one recall or public health alert. The outbreaks include: Plainville Farms ground turkey Salmonella Hadar outbreak In this outbreak, 33 people in 14 states were sickened and four were hospitalized. The patient case count by state was: Arizona (1), Connecticut (2), Indiana (1), Maine (1), Maryland (1), Massachusetts (7), Missouri (2), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (3), New York (4), … [Read more...]
New Salmonella Javiana Outbreak on FDA Core Investigation Table
A new Salmonella Javiana outbreak has been listed on the FDA's Core Outbreak Investigation Table. At least 19 people are sick in this outbreak, which was posted on November 24, 2021. The product linked to the illnesses has not been identified. According to the information that the FDA has released at this time, no recall has been initiated, no traceback has started, there have been no on-site investigations, and no sample collection or analysis has begun. This is typical for the first outbreak notice on this table, which only provides information to the public if there is some type of action that consumers can take.. Another change on the table is that the non-viral hepatitis outbreak linked to recalled Real Water alkaline bottled water has been closed. There are still three … [Read more...]
