Barry Estabrook has published a great story on the problems with FDA oversight – it is worth a full read, but I like these parts: “It’s like doing 100 miles an hour on a lonely stretch of highway in Montana,” says William Marler, a Seattle-based attorney who has represented food-poisoning victims in court for 20 […]
Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicated that Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter, manufactured by Sunland, Inc. of Portales, New Mexico, was a likely source of this outbreak. On November 14, 2012, FDA issued a document that lists observations made by FDA investigators during inspections of Sunland, Inc. […]
I think this might be my fifth or sixth year of doing this conference. The first couple of years it was in Scottsdale where the temperature is near 80 today – Chicago, not so much.
The McLean County Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health are currently investigating a cluster of salmonella cases who reported eating at a variety of restaurants in Central Illinois from October 18 through November 11. The McDonalds on South Main Street in Bloomington was found to have a suspected connection to the salmonella […]
The FDA suspends Sunland Inc.’s Food Facility Registration; Facility Prohibited from Distributing Food In the interest of protecting public health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suspended the food facility registration of Sunland Inc., a producer of nuts, and nut and seed spreads. Registration with the FDA is required for any facility that manufactures, processes, […]
For a company that has poisoned its customers, recalled years of product and been closed for months, China’s decision likely does not come as a surprise. According to China Daily, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine will suspend import of nuts produced by Sunland Inc. The Quarantine branches will step up checks […]
I am beginning to sound a bit like a broken record. How many of these outbreaks have to happen until WE rethink what WE are exposing our kids to? For those interested, see my post on Food Safety News – “Publisher’s Platform: Time to Ban Petting Zoos, Yet?” Now, here is the reality of this […]
• A total of 22 persons infected with the outbreak-associated strain of Listeria monocytogenes were reported from 13 states and the District of Columbia. • 20 ill persons were hospitalized. Four deaths were reported. Public health officials determined that two of these deaths were related to listeriosis. One fetal loss was reported. • Collaborative investigation […]
Rio Queen Citrus, Inc. of Mission, TX is recalling 840 cartons of 12/1 Dry Pints of Mexican cherry tomatoes in “Karol” brand boxes, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune […]
The CDC just reported that four leftover packages of Wegmans brand Organic Spinach and Spring Mix blend collected from four ill persons’ homes yielded the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 that has sickened a total of 28 persons. The number of ill people identified in each state with the outbreak strain is as follows: […]
I had a rare Sunday afternoon where I got to focus of something other than yet another company sickening yet another customer (well, I did do some work). I got to see my two youngest daughters get awards for community service at a local church – one for being an “Island Ambassador” and the other […]
At least 20 people have been counted ill in the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to packaged Wegmans spinach & spring mix sold at Wegmans stores in New York state. Six of those victims were hospitalized, but all have since been discharged. Patients ranged in age from 6 to 66 years old. No other states […]
Publix Super Markets has issued a voluntary recall for 45 various cake products due to the fact that they may contain the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Publix says it received a notification of the contamination from their supplier, Maplehurst, and that the recall is precautionary. The company says the cake products were distributed to stores between […]
I get a lot of emails from people asking food safety questions. The latest was about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and its centerpiece – a turkey. So, I turned to someone who knows, Beth Weiss of USA Today. Here are the high lights: 1. Thaw it in the refrigerator: You, of course, thawed the turkey […]