A new report from U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) found that hospitalizations and deaths from food doubled in 2024. The report, titled Food For Thought 2025, states that hospitalizations and deaths were the highest last year in five years. Food contaminated with Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli increased by 41%. and 98% of all illnesses were linked to just 13 outbreaks. There were 241 FDA recalls in 2024, and 55 USDA recalls. The FDA number is and increase of 8% over 2023, while the USDA number is a 38% decline. Most of the recalls were from undeclared allergens. Recalls for Listeria contamination were next, followed by Salmonella recalls. But the recall numbers only tell half the story. Almost 1400 people got sick from food poisoning in 2024. Twelve … [Read more...]
FDA Updates CORE Table with New Salmonella Outbreak
The FDA updates CORE Table with a new Salmonella outbreak. There are four outbreaks on the Table that are being actively investigated. Two of them have not been solved. The first outbreak is a Salmonella Newport outbreak that has sickened at least 27 people. The food linked to this outbreak has not been identified. The FDA has initiated traceback but has not initiated an inspection and not collected any items for sampling. . The second outbreak is the Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that is linked to recalled Sweet Cream mini pastries. That outbreak has sickened at least 18 people in seven states. There is a similar outbreak in Canada, where at least 69 illnesses have been reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not yet reported on this outbreak, so we do … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs in on Sysco ReadyCare Shakes Listeria Outbreak
The CDC weighs in on the Sysco ReadyCare shakes Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has sickened 38 and caused 12 deaths. The supplemental nutritional shakes have been recalled. The case count by state is: Alabama (1), California (4), Colorado (1), Connecticut (2), Florida (2), Illinois (2), Indiana (3), Maryland (1), Michigan (2), Minnesota (1), Missouri (1), North Carolina (2), Nevada (1), New York (3), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (1), Tennessee (2), Texas (5), Washington (1), and West Virginia (1). The patient age range is from 43 to 101 years. Sick person's samples were collected from August 17, 2018 to January 23, 2025. Twelve people have died, an increase of one more death since the last update was issued on February 21, 2025. Those people lived in California, … [Read more...]
Lyons and Sysco Shakes Listeria Outbreak Sickens 38, Kills 11
A Lyons and Sysco Shakes Listeria monocytogenes outbreak has sickened at least 38 people and has killed eleven, according to the FDA. Ill persons live in 21 states. The products are Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes. The patients live in these states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. We do not know how many patients live in each state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides that information, but they have not posted any info about this outbreak. We also do not know where the eleven people who died lived. These products have been voluntarily … [Read more...]
Inspection Reports from Boar’s Head’s Other Plants
After filthy conditions were discovered at the plant where meat linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak was produced, the Boar's Head's facility in Jarratt, VA was permanently closed. But Boar's Head's other locations have also had food safety violations, according to inspection reports obtained by Food Poisoning Bulletin through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). At Boar’s Head plants in Forrest City, Arkansas; New Castle, Indiana; and Petersburg, Virginia inspectors found some of the same conditions discovered at the Jarratt plant - mold, slime, pools of blood on the floor, meat buildup on equipment, walls, and doors and insects dead and alive. Boar's Head Petersburg, Virginia Some violations inspectors found at the Boar's Head Plant in Petersburg, Virginia include: Heavy … [Read more...]
USDA Reveals Unsanitary Conditions in Boar’s Head Facility
The USDA is revealing unsanitary conditions in Boar's Head facility in a report in the wake of a deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that occurred between May and November 2024. The outbreak was linked to liverwurst produced at that facility in Jarratt, Virginia. FSIS undertook a thorough review of the outbreak to identify contributing factors and evaluate responses in the future. The USDA conducted document reviews and in-person assessments at the Jarratt facility and at all establishments owned and operated under the Boar's Head Provisions Corporate umbrella. The reviews were for years 2022 through 2024. FSIs also reviewed its own practices and procedures, given that the conditions in the Jarratt plant were so bad, including sampling programs, inspector training, and … [Read more...]
FDA Alerts About Use of Amanita Muscaria in Food
The FDA is alerting industry and consumers about the use of amanita muscaria, its extracts, and some of its byproducts, including muscimol, ibotenic acid, and muscarine, in food. The agency has decided that these ingredients do not meet the standard for use in food and that their use as ingredients may be harmful. People should avoid eating foods made with these ingredients. One of the products that did use amanita mascara extracts was Diamond Shruumz. Muscimol, a substance found in Amanita muscaria and related mushrooms, was found in nine Diamond Shruumz chocolate bar samples and four infused cones samples. Those products were linked to a deadly outbreak that sickened at least 180 people and hospitalized 73. There are three deaths potentially associated with that outbreak. These … [Read more...]
FDA: Taylor Farms Safety Issues Yielded Contaminated Onions
CBS filed a Freedom of Information Act with the FDA over the deadly McDonald's E. coli outbreak linked to Taylor Farms onions. The report states that Taylor Farms safety issues yielded contaminated onions. And the report states that dozens of violations were found by FDA inspectors.. The FDA issued a Form 483, which is only used when inspectors think that conditions exist that could be "injurious to health." In that outbreak, at least 104 people were sickened, 34 were hospitalized, and one person died. Four people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. The outbreak, which ended in October 2024, was the sixth largest outbreak of 2024. The report states that Taylor Farms did not implement their sanitation preventive controls. Pooling water was found on … [Read more...]
Top 10 Food Poisoning Outbreaks of 2024
These are the top 10 food poisoning outbreaks of 2024, in reverse order. There were quite a few outbreaks last year, with many illnesses and a few deaths. These are the top 10, in reverse order, with an addendum of five more outbreaks of interest. Addendum: Five Notable Outbreaks Five outbreaks that were important were added in an addendum this year. They were the Grimmway Farms carrot E. coli O121:H9 outbreak, the Infinite Herbs Salmonella outbreak, the deadly Rico Lopez soft cheese Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, the deadly Yu Shang Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, and the Gibson Farms walnuts E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Number 10: Boar's Head The 10th outbreak of 2024 was the deadly Boar's Heat deli meat Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that sickened at least 61 people in … [Read more...]
Number Three Outbreak of 2024 is Deadly Cantaloupe Salmonella
The number three outbreak of 2024 is the deadly cantaloupe Salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 407 people in 44 states. That outbreak was declared over in January 2024 and is included in this year's list because last year at this time there were only 302 people sick. The case count by state was: Alaska (1), Arizona (15), Arkansas (2), California (56), Colorado (11), Connecticut (2), Florida (4), Georgia (8), Illinois (22), Indiana (9), Iowa (12), Kansas (2), Kentucky (10), Maryland (9), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (7), Minnesota (29), Mississippi (1), Missouri (15), Montana (3), Nebraska (7), Nevada (5), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (8), New Mexico (2), New York (14), North Carolina (7), North Dakota (1), Ohio (14), Oklahoma (4), Oregon (8), Pennsylvania (5), Rhode … [Read more...]
