The enoki mushrooms Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to Utopia Foods and Sun Hong Foods products has ended with five people sick in four states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the last update released in January 2023, there were three people sick. The case count by state is: California (2), Michigan (1), Nevada (1), and New Jersey (1). The new state added to this outbreak is New Jersey, and one more patient in California was added to the case count. Ill person's samples were collected from October 5, 2022 to February 3, 2023. The patient age range is from less than one to 63 years. There were two strains of Listeria monocytogenes that made people sick in this outbreak. Two of the patients reported eating enoki mushrooms or eating at … [Read more...]
FDA Offers Tips to Prevent Listeria Monocytogenes Illness
The FDA is offering tips to prevent Listeria monocytogenes illnesses. There is a mystery Listeria outbreak on the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table that has sickened at least 11 people in 10 states, as well as an ongoing listeriosis outbreak that is linked to Utopia Foods and Sun Hong Foods enoki mushrooms. It's important to know that some foods are more likely to be contaminated with this dangerous and often deadly pathogen. They include ready to eat refrigerated foods such as deli meats and cheeses, unpasteurized milk, and foods made with unpasteurized milk. The people most at risk for serious complications from this food poisoning infection include pregnant women and their fetuses, the elderly, anyone with a compromised immune system, and anyone with a chronic illness, … [Read more...]
New Hepatitis A Outbreak on FDA CORE Investigation Table
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
FDA Links Utopia Foods Enoki Mushrooms to Listeria Outbreak
The FDA links Utopia Foods enoki mushrooms to a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened at least 2 people in two states. The case count has not been updated since November 17, 2022. The case count by state is: Michigan (1), Nevada (1). The patient age range is from 30 to 42. Illness onset dates range from October 5, 2022 to October 8, 2022. Both patients were hospitalized because they were so ill. And both patients said they ate enoki mushrooms at home or at restaurants before they got sick. The FDA has identified imported enoki mushrooms distributed by Utopia Foods of Glendale, New York as a likely source of illnesses in this outbreak. An import sample of enoki mushrooms that carried the Utopia Foods brand name was collected by the FDA and was positive for Listeria … [Read more...]
