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. In early July 2004, while conducting routine surveillance, Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDOH) personnel noted an […]
The Albany Oregon Tribune reports on an unreported rise – until now – in Salmonella illnesses in 2012 linked to chicken in Oregon and some other states. According to the Tribune, over 2012, Oregon saw 56 cases of Salmonella Heidelberg, which is a marked increase over previous years. All people reportedly have recovered from their […]
Months ago the CDC reported a total of 127 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Braenderup from 15 states. 33 ill persons were hospitalized. No deaths were reported. Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicated that mangoes were the source of this outbreak. On September 13, […]
Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. is recalling select Organic Baby Spinach products over concerns they may be contaminated with (EHEC) Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli. The Taylor Farms spinach is sold under several brand names, including Central Market Organics, Full Circle Organic, Marketside Organic, Simple Truth Organic and Taylor Farms Organic, all with a best by date of […]
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. Although certainly not the first pathogen outbreak linked to leafy greens, it was one that got […]
We were hired today by a Canadian family to locate the name of the unnamed California grower. The total number of victims in Canada’s most recent E. coli lettuce outbreak caused by California lettuce hit 30. E. coli O157:H7 Illnesses by province are New Brunswick (7), Nova Scotia (10) and Ontario (13). According to the […]
Well, 32 years ago. Here is the story – straight from the “horses mouth:” During 1981, an incident involving the importation of mislabeled and adulterated meat from Australia resulted in FSIS detaining and sampling nearly 66 million pounds of boneless beef from that country. Shipments labeled as beef were found to contain horsemeat and kangaroo […]
According to the Final Reports issued by the State on October 6 and 9, 2000, the outbreak was first noted on July 24 when staff at Children’s Hospital notified the City of Milwaukee Health Department regarding a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 cases. Eventually, sixty-four confirmed cases were discovered – 62 linked to the Layton […]
And, in the US do we test for DNA in our meat? A month ago the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) published the findings of a targeted study examining the authenticity of a number of beef burger, beef meal and salami products available from retail outlets in Ireland. Those Damn Irish checking for “food […]
I am always a bit shocked that we seem never to be able to learn from history – even if it is recent. Largest Death Toll in Decades In September 2001, a total of 147 persons infected with any of the five (5) outbreak-associated strains[1] of Listeria monocytogenes were reported to CDC from 28 states. […]
And, we thought it was just about mislabeling (a.k.a. “Food Fraud”) The Guardian reports that contaminated horsemeat could prove “injurious” to people’s health, the environment secretary Owen Paterson said on Sunday as he served notice on the public to expect “further bad news” this week. Patersons’s remarks were the first government acknowledgment of a possible […]
The NARMS retail meat surveillance program is a joint effort of the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and health departments in 11 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. Its goals include providing information to promote steps for reducing resistance in foodborne bacteria. […]
On March 23, 2012 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its final update of the multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce.[1] The outbreak investigation was assigned outbreak code 1110MOEXH-2. Genetically, the outbreak strain was identified by Pulsenet pattern designations EXHX01.0047/EXHA26.0015. At the completion of the investigation on […]
Customers of the Casper, Wyoming Golden Corral filed a class action lawsuit against the restaurant today, alleging they were part of a norovirus food poisoning outbreak that was traced to food served at the restaurant in December. The lawsuit was filed in Federal District Court in Wyoming (Case Number 3CV-024-J) by The Ochs Law Firm […]
On Friday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a draft quantitative assessment of the risk of listeriosis from soft-ripened cheese consumption in the United States and Canada. The risk assessment is a joint effort between FDA and Health Canada. View the Federal Register Notice for the assessment. The new FDA/Health Canada draft risk assessment […]