Category Archives: Death

India – Two more arrested in food poisoning case

The Hindu

The police team probing the death of a 33-year-old woman due to food poisoning from a restaurant in Kottayam on Wednesday arrested two more persons from Malappuram in connection with the case.

USA – Woman’s estate wins big award from Big Olaf in wrongful Listeria death lawsuit – $4 Million

Herald Tribune

SARASOTA — The estate of a 79-year-old Illinois woman who died after eating listeria-tainted ice cream from a Sarasota creamery was awarded $4 million by a U.S. District Court judge in Tampa this week.

The ruling came Tuesday in the wrongful death suit filed last year by Bill Marler, a nationally known foodborne illness attorney who represented the estate of Mary Billman. Marler was retained following Billman’s death on Jan. 29, 2022, and the listeria outbreak identified by federal and state regulators last summer that gained national attention.

Estonia improves fish controls after Listeria outbreak

Food Safety News

Measures taken by Estonian authorities following a Listeria outbreak have improved the fish control system, according to the European Commission.

A remote DG Sante audit, in October 2020, looked at checks to ensure smoked fish meets microbiological food safety criteria, as well as measures taken by authorities in non-compliances.

Eight Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) reports for Listeria monocytogenes in smoked fishery products from Estonia have been issued since 2015. All but one concerned the same establishment.

A multi-country outbreak of 22 listeriosis cases linked to cold-smoked salmon and trout pointed toward M.V Wool, an Estonian processing company as the manufacturer of these fish products. This was based on traceability information and a match between the outbreak strain and samples on the processing line and in four batches of the final product. Five countries were affected from 2014 to 2019 and five people died.

USA – Botulism from food causes the death of a respected outdoorsman from Jackson Hole

Food Safety News

Wyoming social media reports the death of 55-year-old Hans Russell, who succumbed to botulism after being conscious but also completely paralyzed for several weeks in a Salt Lake City hospital.

Russell was a popular outdoorsman and river guide in Jackson Hole, WY. His death is blamed on a solo camping trip to Idaho where he consumed a can of soup that was not properly refrigerated. The doctors in Salt Lake City who fought to keep him alive came to believe that the single can of soup was the source of the botulism toxin Russell consumed.

USA – Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O121:H19 Frozen Falafel (October 2022)

FDA

The FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, investigated a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121:H19 infections linked to Earth Grown frozen falafel.

As of December 1, 2022, CDC announced that the outbreak is over. There have been a total of 24 illnesses in six states. The last illness onset was October 24, 2022.

On October 7, 2022, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development collected Earth Grown frozen falafel for testing from a sick person’s home. Whole Genome Sequencing done at the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services showed that the E. coli strain in the falafel sample was closely related to the strain causing illness in this outbreak.

On October 6, 2022, the manufacturer of Earth Grown frozen falafel, Cuisine Innovations, initiated a voluntary recall. Recalled products include Earth Grown vegan traditional falafel and garlic & herb falafel distributed and sold exclusively by ALDI. Additional information on recalled products is available in the firm’s recall notice.

Recommendation

These items are no longer available for sale but were sold frozen and have a long shelf-life of 18 months, so consumers should check their freezers for any recalled Earth Grown vegan traditional falafel and garlic & herb falafel that was sold by ALDI. If you have recalled frozen falafel in your freezer, do not eat or serve them.


Product Images

Outbreak Investigation E.coli Frozen Falafel October 2022 - Sample Product Images

Map of U.S. Distribution

Outbreak Ecoli Falafel Distribution Map

Case Count Map Provided by CDC

Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O121: Frozen Falafel (October 2022) - CDC Case Count Map as of December 1, 2022

Case Counts

Total Illnesses: 24
Hospitalizations: 5
Deaths: 1
Last illness onset: October 24, 2022
States with Cases: FL (2), IA (2), KS (1), MI (13), OH (1), WI (5)
Product Distribution: Nationwide

Viet Nam – Mass food poisoning at Nha Trang school caused by Salmonella bacteria

VN Express

Health officials confirmed over 600 students of Ischool in Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa were poisoned with the Salmonella bacteria that is sensitive to most antibiotics.

Khanh Hoa Health Department announced the cause four days after the mass food poisoning case on November 17. Among the victims, a 6-year-old boy died on Sunday en route to a HCMC hospital.

Doctor Doan Uyen Vy, an anti-poison expert of Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC, told VnExpress that Salmonella is a common culprit in many food poisoning cases from mild to severe.

Denmark – Health and Economic Burden of Seven Foodborne Diseases in Denmark, 2019

Mary Anne Liebert

We ranked seven foodborne pathogens in Denmark on the basis of their health and economic impact on society in 2019. We estimated burden of disease of infections with Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Yersinia enterocoliticaListeria monocytogenes, norovirus, and hepatitis A virus in terms of incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), and economic burden in terms of direct and indirect health costs. These seven pathogens accounted for 268,372 cases, 98 deaths, and 3121 DALYs, and led to a total expenditure of 434 million Euro in 1 year in a country with 5.8 million citizens. Foodborne infections by CampylobacterSalmonella, and norovirus caused the most DALYs, whereas Campylobacter, and norovirus and STEC had the higher costs. A combination of disease burden and cost of illness estimates is useful to inform policymaking and establish food safety priorities at the national level.

Outbreak Investigation of Listeria monocytogenes: Ice Cream (July 2022)

FDA

The FDA, along with CDC, is assisting the Florida Department of Health (FL DOH) and Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) in investigating an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to ice cream supplied by Big Olaf Creamery of Sarasota, Florida. As of August 2, 2022, CDC reports 25 illnesses in 11 states.

This is an ongoing investigation, and the FDA is continuing to work with the FL DOH and FDACS to investigate. FDA will update this advisory should additional consumer safety information become available.

Recommendation

Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve any recalled Big Olaf ice cream products and should throw the product away, regardless of the “Best By” or expiration date.

Listeria is most likely to sicken pregnant people and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have these symptoms after eating Big Olaf ice cream products:

  • Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
  • People who are not pregnant may experience headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches.

Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received any recalled Big Olaf ice cream products should throw the products away, follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice and use extra vigilance in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Listeria can survive in refrigerated temperatures and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.

Product Images

Big Olaf Ice Cream Product Image

The Big Olaf brand ice cream was sold to consumers in plastic pint size containers, plastic ½ gallon containers, and plastic 2.5-gallon tubs, scoopable are sold to the independent retail stores. All flavors, lots, codes, and all expiration dates through 6/30/2022 are included in this recall.

Case Count Map Provided by CDC

Outbreak Investigation of Listeria Monocytogenes in Florida-Based Big Olaf Ice Cream (July 2022) - CDC Case Count Map as of August 4, 2022

Map of U.S. Distribution of Recalled Big Olaf’s Ice Cream Products

Outbreak Investigation of Listeria Monocytogenes from Florida-Based Ice Cream - Map of U.S. Distribution of Recalled Ice Cream (July 13, 2022)

Case Counts

Total Illnesses: 25
Hospitalizations: 24
Deaths: 1
Fetal Loss: 1
Last illness onset: 6/24/2022
States with Cases: CO (1), FL (13), GA (1), IL (1), KS (1), NE (1), MA (2), MN (1), NJ (1), NY (2), PA (1)
Product Distribution*: FL, OH
*Distribution has been confirmed for states listed, but product could have been distributed further, reaching additional states

USA – Listeria Outbreak Connected to Big Olaf Creamery Allegedly Causes Death of One Woman

Food Poisoning News

A recent outbreak of Listeria infections is believed to be linked to an ice cream producer in Sarasota, Florida, called Big Olaf Creamery. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there have been 23 people affected by the outbreak with 22 of these people seeking hospitalization due to the severity of their symptoms. One woman, Mary Billman, has passed away, allegedly due to the consumption of Big Olaf ice cream. Ms. Billman’s estate is pursuing legal action in response to her death.

Spain – Seven face charges in deadly Listeria outbreak in Spain

Food Safety News

Seven people are set to stand trial as part of Spain’s largest ever Listeria outbreak, which occurred in 2019.

A judge in a court in Seville this week decided to continue proceedings against seven defendants for offences including alleged crimes against public health and injury to a fetus resulting in abortion. At the conclusion of an investigation into the outbreak, Pilar Ordóñez also considered that Seville Council could be held civilly liable, this means it would have to pay compensation if convicted.

The outbreak from “La Mecha” brand chilled roasted pork produced by Magrudis affected almost 250 people. During the health alert between mid-August and mid-October 2019, four people died and there were six abortions.

Those investigated are José Antonio Marín Ponce, administrator of Magrudis; his wife, Encarnación Rodríguez Jiménez, responsible for production and the company’s self-control system; their children Sandro José and Mario Marín Rodríguez as well as a local veterinary inspector and two other people. Action against another four people has been stopped.