Bllomberg’s Stephanie Armour posted “Cantaloupe Outbreak Targeted by U.S. Prosecutors, Lawyer Says” a few moments ago. Here is the story: The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado is investigating a deadly 2011 listeria outbreak traced to a cantaloupe processor in the state, according to a lawyer for victims. The outbreak triggered by the contaminated fruit killed […]
I got this helpful email over the weekend: Hey Bill, Section 303, the fine provisions of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, 21 U.S.C. section 333, have been superseded by 18 U.S.C. section 3571, so that the maximum criminal fines for a misdemeanor conviction of the FD&C Act are $250,000 (misdemeanor for individual resulting […]
Well, you never know where Romney is on an issue, but we do know where Congressman Ryan is on Food Safety. On July 30, 2009, Congressman Ryan voted Nay on HR 2749, Food Safety Regulation Amendments. It passed 283 – 142. On Dec. 21, 2010, Congressman Ryan voted Nay on HR 2751, the FDA Food […]
I was going to take the weekend off. It has been a long few weeks of long days, and more than a few nights, working on putting the cases together of the 22 injured people and the families of 20 who died in the 2011 Listeria cantaloupe outbreak that I represent. We have a court […]
There have been no illnesses reported to date. Burch Equipment LLC, North Carolina, is expanding its recall to include all of this growing season’s cantaloupes and honeydew melons that may remain on the market because they may possibly be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The whole cantaloupes are identified by a red label reading Burch Farms […]
Sliced apples distributed to fast-food and grocery chains across the country are among packaged products being recalled due to possible Listeria contamination. No illnesses have been reported, but listeria was found on equipment used to produce apple products by Missa Bay LLC, owned by Ready Pac Foods Inc. of Swedesboro, N.J. Packaged apple slices distributed […]
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is alerting consumers to not eat fresh cilantro that was sold at certain stores after routine testing by the Department found a sample of the product to be contaminated with Salmonella. MDA is working with the FDA and the State of California regulatory agencies to determine the source of […]
Menno Beachy of Cresco, Iowa, is recalling one pint containers of Certified Organic Grape Tomatoes 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 systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience […]
Today the FDA posted a press release from Reichel Foods of Rochester, Minnesota that it is recalling a limited amount of Dippin’ Stix Sliced Apples & Caramel with Peanuts and Armour Active Packs Cheese Pizza Lunch Kits because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported to date. […]
The Dupage County Health Department confirmed that at least 140 people have been culture confirmed with Shigella sonnei infections contracted at a Chicago-area Subway restaurant in March of 2010. Ten were hospitalized. Health authorities closed the restaurant at 1009 E. Roosevelt in Lombard and launched an investigation into the source of the outbreak. Shigella is […]
Twenty-three “confirmed” and “probable cases,” and forty-one “suspect cases.” Most of the time I am traveling the country – I have done E. coli cases in most states – So, it is good to have one within driving distance. Snohomish County Health District (SCHD) Communicable Disease (CD) program received the first report of a confirmed […]
I love the folks at the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute for keeping track of all the data of foodborne illness burden and publishing it last month in the Journal of Food Protection. The top ten alone cost us over $8,000,000,0000 yearly. Here is the Top 40 List by number of illnesses caused on […]
The number of ill persons identified in each state is now as follows: Maine (1), Massachusetts (3), New Hampshire (2), New York (18), Rhode Island (2), Vermont (11), Virginia (2), and West Virginia (1) according to the CDC. Eleven ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Among 40 persons for whom […]
Reichel Foods, a Rochester, Minnesota establishment, is recalling approximately 15,880 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products subject to recall include: • 5.6 oz. packages of “Armour Active Packs Turkey & Cheese Wrap” […]
Facts: 1. It is only 11 months since the Jensen Farms cantaloupe outbreak that sickened 147 with likely 37 dead. 2. The USDA’s Microbiologic Data Program (MDP) prompted the original recall, which leads to an inspection of Burch, which lead to the recall of more cantaloupes. 3. It appears that Burch did not know what […]