In 2000, the California Department of Health Services investigated the foodborne outbreak linked to Viva Mexico restaurant. Dr. Janet Mohle-Boetani, of the Division of Communicable Disease Control Branch, reported that: “Between October 19 and 24, approximately 221 individuals became ill after eating at the Viva Mexico restaurant in Redwood City, CA. One death occurred in […]
My favorite quote of the day (AP): Bill Marler, an attorney who represented many of the victims in the peanut case, has specialized in food safety law for 20 years. He says this is the first time he can remember such a scathing indictment on a food poisoning case. “If I were an executive of […]
Matt McClure, Mr. E. coli at the Calgary Herald, reports tonight that frozen burgers now being recalled from Safeway stores across the western half of the country originated from the same Ontario plant that was at the center of a tainted meat outbreak just two months ago. Officials at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) […]
I have been working my way through an early release of “Salt Sugar Fat,” and was pleased to see the New York Times Magazine devote 14 pages to an excerpt entitled “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food.” Both the article and the book are worth a serious read. It is changing the way I […]
I have a cold, so woke up in the middle of the night only to find my inbox filled with recall notices. Listeria Recall: In what must be the most recalled product in the last six months, smoked salmon was recalled a few hours ago. MKG Provisions of Miami, FL is recalling Atlantic Smoked Salmon […]
According to Tony Burbeck and Rad Berky of WCNC report that a bartender who works at both of those locations has a confirmed case of the virus and was serving food and drinks, but not touching the food, health officials said. The dates, times and locations of concern include: The Hooters on February 7th or […]
This is another it what will be a long – too long – series of outbreak investigations where we have represented consumers in what I hope will be a cautionary tale, and a learning experience, for manufacturers of food. During June of 1999, both the Washington State Health Department and the Oregon Health Division independently […]
I had lunch with an old friend (now days, all my friends are) yesterday who asked me why Foster Farms and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Services (FSIS) have not recalled chicken – presumably whole or cut and not ground – even after 124 have been sickened (at least 30 hospitalized) […]
The CDC reports at least 124 people sickened in a dozen states as of Thursday. Washington and Oregon account for nearly 100 ill with 30 of those hospitalized. Health officials link the illnesses to Foster Farms chicken, but neither the USDA FSIS nor Foster Farms officials recall the product – Why? The Reality in Your […]
The Alaska Division of Public Health reports on a recent and potentially ongoing outbreak of Campylobacter infections that have been associated with consuming raw milk. Since late January 2013, four people with confirmed Campylobacter infection and at least one person with probable infection reported consuming raw (unpasteurized) milk in the few days preceding illness. One infant […]
Fact: Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illness worldwide, with an estimated 1.4 million cases each year in the United States alone. Lynne Terry of the Oregonian touched on the issue of Salmonella as or as not an adulterant in her story yesterday: “Foster Farms chicken linked to Salmonella cases in Oregon and Washington, […]
Likely linked to Foster Farms chicken. CDC is collaborating with public health officials in many states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections. Public health investigators are using DNA “fingerprints” of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, […]
More states likely to report more illnesses in coming days. In 2012, 43 confirmed human cases of infection by Salmonella Heidelberg bacteria in Oregon were caused by a particular strain linked to chicken processed by Foster Farms, according to patient reports and laboratory testing of randomly purchased chicken. Since last June, at least 56 people […]