Consumers should now avoid all types of romaine lettuce, the CDC informed us, based on “new information” in the E. coli O157:H7 HUS outbreak that has sickened dozens in 16 states. That information came from Alaska, where an E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak at the Anvil Mountain Correctional Center, which sickened 8 people, was linked to whole romaine lettuce heads.
265 sick, 94 hospitalized and 1 death.
On February 21, 2018, Triple T Specialty Meats, Inc. recalled all chicken salad produced from January 2, 2018 to February 7, 2018. The recalled chicken salad was sold in containers of various weights from the deli at Fareway grocery stores in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota from January 4, 2018, to February 9, 2018.
The CDC recommends people do not eat any remaining recalled chicken salad sold at Fareway grocery stores, including any that has been frozen. Throw it away or return it to the place of purchase. Even if some of the chicken salad was eaten or served and no one got sick, throw the rest of it away, including any chicken salad in your freezer. Put it in a sealed bag in the trash so that children, pets or other animals can’t eat it. Wash and sanitize countertops as well as drawers or shelves in refrigerators or freezers where recalled chicken salad was stored. If you don’t remember the date when you purchased chicken salad from Fareway, don’t eat it. Throw it away or return it to the place of purchase.
Posted in CDC, Salmonella, Uncategorized
The CDC is working with several states to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella illnesses, an agency spokesperson said Monday evening. Earlier in the day the FDA posted a recall notice from Natural Grocers for its branded “Coconut Smiles Organic” because of Salmonella contamination.Six illnesses have been reported in connection with the Natural Grocers coconut, according to the company’s recall notice. The Lakewood, CO, company and the Food and Drug Administration both found Salmonella in packages of the coconut
Natural Grocers distributed the implicated “Coconut Smiles Organic” to 145 stores in 19 states.
Last year at this time we told you about a new strain of norovirus, called GII.4 Sydney that the CDC was tracking. Last week, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services issued a warning about an outbreak in that state.
The CDC has been studying this new strain. They now have information and statistics on the strain, and have analyzed data from outbreaks in five states.
Almost half of all foodborne illness outbreaks that occur every year in the U.S. are associated with restaurants and delis. The CDC has released new findings and prevention tools to improve food safety in restaurants. Public health officials say that increased awareness and implementation of proper food safety in restaurants and delis may prevent many of the foodborne illness outbreaks reported every year in the U.S.
Education of restaurant workers and public health surveillance are two critical tools necessary in preventing these illnesses. Food preparation and handling practices, worker health policies, and hand-washing practices are some of the factors that are not reported during outbreaks. Carol Selman, head of the CDC’s Environmental Health Specialists Network team said, “inspectors have not had a formal system to capture and report the underlying factors that likely contribute to foodborne outbreaks or a way to inform prevention strategies and implement routine corrective measures to prevent future outbreaks.”
As of November 15, 2013, a total of 389 persons infected with seven outbreak strains of Salmonella Heidelberg have been reported from 23 states and Puerto Rico.
40% of ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
Most ill persons (74%) have been reported from California.
Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback investigations conducted by local, state, and federal officials indicate that consumption of Foster Farms brand chicken is the likely source of this outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg infections.
Posted in Bacteria, CDC, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella
Tagged cdc, ill persons, Salmonella Heidelberg
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