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...]
New Hepatitis A Outbreak on FDA CORE Investigation Table
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...]
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...]
FDA Adds New Listeria Outbreak to CORE Investigation Table

The FDA has added a new Listeria outbreak to its CORE Investigation Table. This outbreak, in a not yet identified product, has sickened at least 11 people in 10 states and has hospitalized ten of those patients. Overall, there are just three active outbreak investigations on the FDA table, which is the lowest number in quite some time. In addition to the new mystery Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, the other two are the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts, and the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to enoki mushrooms. The Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak that is linked to Sun Sprouts alfalfa sprouts has sickened at least 15 people in three states. Two people have been hospitalized. The patients live in Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, and ate the … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs In On Listeria Monocytogenes Enoki Outbreak

The CDC has weighed in on the Listeria monocytogenes enoki outbreak that has sickened at least three people in three states. Two brands of enoki mushrooms are linked to this outbreak. Utopia Foods mushrooms with bar code 8928918610017, and Sun Hong Foods Shandong mushrooms are the products in question. Both were imported from China. There are two strains of Listeria monocytogenes that have sickened people in this outbreak. The Maryland Department of Health found both outbreak strains in Sun Hong Foods mushrooms that were produced by Shandong Youth Biotechnology Company in China. The case count has not changed in the last two weeks. It remains: California (1), Nevada (1), and Michigan (1). All three patients have been hospitalized because they are so ill. The government … [Read more...]
FDA Updates Alert About Sun Hong Foods Enoki Mushrooms

The FDA is updating its alert about Sun Hong Foods enoki mushrooms, issued in December 2022, saying that this product is now linked to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least three people in three states. Consumers, restaurants, and food retailers that have received the mushrooms, labeled as "Producer: Shandong Youhe Biotechnology Co." and "Distributed by Sun Hong Foods" should not eat, sell, or serve the mushrooms. On November 28, 2022, Missouri officials collected these mushrooms and found they were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The strain of Listeria found in these products matches one of the two strains linked to ill persons in this outbreak. And more sample collection and analysis conducted by the Maryland Department of Health found both outbreak … [Read more...]
More Enoki Mushrooms Linked to Listeria Outbreak

More enoki mushrooms have been linked to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened and hospitalized three patients, according to the FDA. This outbreak, which was first reported in November 2022, was first linked to recalled Utopia Foods enoki mushrooms that were imported from China. In addition, two strains of Listeria monocytogenes have been identified in this outbreak. The bacteria was found through whole genome sequencing. The second brand of mushrooms are produced by Shandong Youth Biotechnology with an address in China, which were distributed by Sun Hong Foods, Inc. A safety alert was issued about these mushrooms on December 17, 2022 after a positive product sample was collected by officials in Missouri. At that time, the mushrooms were not linked to this … [Read more...]
FDA Warns About Possible Listeria in Sun Hong Enoki Mushrooms

The FDA is warning restaurants and retailers about possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination in Sun Hong enoki mushrooms that were sourced from China. Sun Hong Foods is located in Montebello, California. Consumers should not eat these mushrooms, and restaurants and retailers should not sell them. On November 28, 2022, Missouri state partners, as part of the FDAs Laboratory Flexible Funding Model Cooperative Agreement Program, collected enoki mushrooms from retail markets in that state. One sample labeled as Sun Hong Foods tested positive for the pathogen. The FDA is waiting for more information on any other distribution of these mushrooms. This particular strain does not appear to match any clinical isolates from active outbreaks. In other words, no illnesses have been linked … [Read more...]