Category Archives: food bourne outbreak

USA – New E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Added to FDA CORE Investigation Table

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A new E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has been added to the FDA’s CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. At least 10 people are sick. We do not know the states where the ill persons live, their age range, illness onset dates, or if anyone has been hospitalized. Traceback has been initiated, but no recall has been issued, there has been no on-site inspection or sample collection, and no analysis of any product has started. This new E. coli O157:H7 outbreak is probably associated with an FDA-regulated food.

USA – Fudge in Minnesota recalled over Salmonella concerns

Food Safety News

Klein Foods, Inc. of Marshall, MN is recalling Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge because of potential Salmonella contamination.

The products were distributed in Minnesota.

See link above for the product list.

USA – FDA Core Outbreak Tabel Update

FDA

Date
Posted
Ref Pathogen
Product Total
Case Count

Status
6/8/

2022

1068 E. coli
O157:H7
Not Yet Identified 10 Active
6/1/

2022

1066 Hepatitis A Virus Strawberries See Outbreak
Advisory
Active
5/25/

2022

1067 Salmonella 
Senftenberg
Peanut Butter See Outbreak Advisory Active
4/20/

2022

1064 Not Yet
Identified
Dry Cereal 558 adverse
event reports
Active
4/13/

2022

1057 Listeria
monocytogenes
Not Yet
Identified
21 Active
3/30/

2022

1060 Not Yet
Identified
Meal Replacement
Drink
6 adverse
event reports
Closed
3/16/

2022

1055 Salmonella
Saintpaul
Not Identified 60 Closed
2/17/

2022

1056 Cronobacter
sakazakii
Powdered
Infant
Formula
See
Advisory
Active (IMG)
2/9/

2022

1040 Listeria
monocytogenes
Not Identified 20 Closed
2/2/

2022

1054 Enteroinvasive
E. coli
O143:H26
Not
Identified
16 Closed
1/10/

2022

1050 E. coli
O121:H19
Romaine 4 Closed

USA – Prairie City Bakery Recalls Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes Because of Possible Health Risk – Salmonella

FDA

Summary

Company Announcement Date:
FDA Publish Date:
Product Type:
Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:
Due to potential for Salmonella contamination
Company Name:
Prairie City Bakery
Brand Name:
Prairie City Bakery
Product Description:
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Company Announcement

Prairie City Bakery of Vernon Hills, IL is voluntarily recalling select lots of Prairie City Bakery® Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. The product contains Jif® peanut butter that was voluntarily recalled by the J.M. Smucker company on May 20, 2022, due to the potential for Salmonella contamination.

Salmonella is 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 fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

At the time of this release, there have been no illnesses reported.

This recall affects 50,220 individually wrapped cakes sold in 2 ounce packages and in ten packs of 2 ounce packages of Prairie City Bakery® Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ooey Gooey Butter Cake containing cooked peanut butter. They were sold at gas stations and convenience stores nationwide.

The recalled product should not be consumed or handled outside of its package. The product should be disposed of or returned to place of purchase. The recalled product can be identified using the following information:

Product UPC information:
Ten Pack UPC: 7-97884-36719-9
Individual Unit UPC: 7-97884-36718-2

The lot and date codes below are recalled:

1357-1 Best by 6/23/2023
2085-1 Best by 9/25/2023

The recall was initiated after our copacker who produces and packages this item for Prairie City Bakery was alerted that the peanut butter used had been recalled by Jif®.

Consumers who have purchased this product may contact the company at (800) 338-5122 with the package code information for refunds Monday thru Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Central Time


Company Contact Information

Consumers:
Prairie City Bakery
 800-338-5122

Product Photos

USA – Norovirus implicated in Carnival Splendor outbreak

Outbreak News Today

In a follow-up on the gastrointestinal outbreak that affected 93 people (passengers and crew) onboard a recent voyage of Carnival Cruise Line’s, Carnival Splendor, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now states that norovirus was the causative agent of the outbreak.

Seventy-seven passengers and 16 crew members suffered with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea during the May 24–31, 2022 voyage.

Research – France and UK most affected in Ferrero Salmonella outbreak; one case in U.S.

Food Safety News

France and the United Kingdom have the most patients in the Ferrero chocolate Salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 450 people.

The UK has 122 monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium patients.

Santé publique France reported that as of June 2, there were 118 sick people in the country. This is up from the 81 cases reported on May 4.

French patients have a median age of 4 years old and includes 57 girls and 61 boys. Onset of symptoms occurred between Jan. 20 and April 4, 2022.

Twenty-two people were hospitalized because of salmonellosis but they have since been discharged and no deaths were reported.

Fifty-one cases have been interviewed by Santé publique France and all of them, except one, reported consumption of Kinder chocolates.

Nicolas Neykov, the head of Ferrero France, told the newspaper Le Parisien in May that more than 3,000 tons of Kinder products have been withdrawn and the incident will cost the company “tens of millions of Euros.”

Research – Salmonella Newport Outbreaks Associated with Ground Beef Outbreak Investigation After-Action Report, 2016-2019

FSIS USDA

Outbreaks at a Glance
Illnesses 542 States included 36 Hospitalizations 163 Deaths 1
Response at a Glance
Ill people with 40 documentation to identify foods
Recall or Public Health Alert Yes Process improvement – Yes
•This Salmonella Newport strain associated with ground beef has been characterized as a reoccurring strain because it has caused repeated outbreaks of human illnesses with similar epidemiologic characteristics. Every month, FSIS monitors selected Salmonella serotypes, including Newport, for directional changes and trends, and compares them to a 3-year historical average for that particular serotype.

Highlights

•A strain of Salmonella Newport caused reoccurring human infections and two outbreaks associated with ground beef.

•There were over 100 illnesses for each outbreak (106 in outbreak 1 and 436 in outbreak 2), which is unusual for ground beef outbreaks.

•The investigations prompted a government-industry collaboration on innovative methods of obtaining shopper history. Shopper history best practices and success stories are highlighted in an article on the Association of Food and Drug Officials webpage.

What Happened?

From 2016 to 2019, in collaboration with public health partners, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) investigated two Salmonella Newport outbreaks:

•The majority of reported ill people lived in the Southwestern area of the United States.

•The analyzed isolates did not show any predicted antimicrobial resistance.

•At least 80% of the ill people had eaten ground beef in the week before illness. At least one ground beef sample tested positive for Salmonella Newport and was closely related by whole genome sequencing (WGS) to clinical isolates.

•Ill people reported eating or possibly eating undercooked ground beef.

Research – International outbreak of salmonellosis in young children linked to the consumption of Kinder brand products. Update in France as of June 2, 2022.

Sante Publique

Following the investigations carried out by the Belgian health authorities, together with their English, European and in particular French counterparts, the company Ferrero proceeded on April 5, 2022 to the recall of several Kinder range products manufactured in a factory in Belgium due to suspected contamination by Salmonella Typhimurium . On April 8, 2022, the recall finally affected all Kinder products from this factory, regardless of their expiry date. On April 14, 2022, an update of the recalled products, including the 2021 Christmas Advent Calendars, was released.

Case of salmonellosis in France: update on June 2, 2022

In total, as of 02/06/2022: 118 cases of salmonellosis with a strain belonging to the epidemic have been identified by the National Reference Center (CNR) for salmonella at the Institut Pasteur in France (figure 1) .

Figure 1 – Epidemic curve: number of confirmed cases of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella Typhimurium, monophasic variant (cluster 1 HC5_296366 and cluster 2 HC5_298160), by week of isolation (with in red the week corresponding to the recall of products from the production plant) ‘Arlon in Belgium) – Metropolitan France, weeks 2 to 18, 2022 (N=118)
Figure 1 - Epidemic curve: number of confirmed cases of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella Typhimurium, monophasic variant (cluster 1 HC5_296366 and cluster 2 HC5_298160), by week of isolation (with in red the week corresponding to the recall of products from the production plant) 'Arlon in Belgium) - Metropolitan France, weeks 2 to 18, 2022 (N=118)

The 118 cases are spread over 12 metropolitan regions (Ile-de-France (24 cases), Grand-Est (19 cases), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (17 cases), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (17 cases) , Hauts-de-France (9 cases), Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (7 cases), Occitanie (7 cases), Normandy (6 cases), New Aquitaine (6 cases), Brittany (3 cases), Corsica (2 cases) and Pays de la Loire (1 case)) with a median age of 4 years, and concern 57 girls and 61 boys.

Figure 2 – Geographical distribution of confirmed cases of salmonellosis due to Salmonella Typhimurium, monophasic variant (cluster 1 HC5_296366 and cluster 2 HC5_298160), by region of residence – metropolitan France, weeks 2 to 18, 2022
Figure 2 - Geographical distribution of confirmed cases of salmonellosis due to Salmonella Typhimurium, monophasic variant (cluster 1 HC5_296366 and cluster 2 HC5_298160), by region of residence - metropolitan France, weeks 2 to 18, 2022

Fifty-one cases were questioned by Public Health France. All the cases, except 1, report, before the onset of their symptoms (which occurred between 20/01 and 04/04/2022), the consumption of chocolates of the brand cited here.

Twenty-two people were hospitalized for their salmonellosis, all since discharged. No deaths were reported.

The foods in question having been identified and the management measures taken, the weekly situation updates are drawn up. Public Health France continues to monitor the reporting of cases by the NR, which are expected due to the different delays inherent in monitoring ( see the infographic dedicated to food alerts ).

The successive withdrawals and recalls of the Kinder brand products concerned, produced by the Belgian factory with its closure by the Belgian authorities, should limit the occurrence in France of new cases of salmonellosis in connection with these chocolates.

The possible identification of new cases with dates of isolation at a distance from the recall withdrawal measures will be the subject of investigations if necessary.

To find out the list of products concerned by the withdrawal-recall: https://rappel.conso.gouv.fr/

People who have consumed the products mentioned above and who present symptoms (gastrointestinal disorders, fever within 72 hours of consumption), are invited to consult their doctor without delay, notifying him of this consumption.

In order to limit person-to-person transmission (especially in households with young children), it is recommended to wash your hands well with soap and water after using the toilet, after changing your child, and before to cook.

USA – CDC investigates two cruise ship outbreaks – Cause Unknown

Outbreak News Today

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) reports investigating two outbreaks on recent cruise ship voyages- Seabourn Cruise Lines, Seabourn Odyssey and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Splendor.

Seabourn Odyssey: 20 passengers and crew on a recent voyage (April 28–May 19, 2022) were sickened with symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.

The etiology of the outbreak is unknown.

In response to the outbreak, Seabourn Cruise Lines and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions:

  • Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to the ship’s outbreak prevention and response plan.
  • Sent daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to VSP.
  • Consulted with VSP about sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases.

Carnival Splendor: 93 passengers and crew have reported being ill during the May 24–31, 2022 voyage.

Like the Seabourn outbreak, individuals affected on this cruise suffered from vomiting and diarrhea. The cause of the outbreak is unknown.

USA – Outbreak Investigation of Hepatitis A Virus: Strawberries (May 2022)

FDA

The FDA, along with CDC, and state and local partners, is investigating a multistate outbreak of hepatitis Ainfections in the United States linked to fresh organic strawberries. These potentially contaminated strawberries were imported from Baja California, a state in northern Mexico and branded as FreshKampo and HEB by a common supplier; they were purchased between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022. The Public Health Agency of CanadaExternal Link Disclaimer and the Canadian Food Inspection AgencyExternal Link Disclaimer are also investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A. Imported fresh organic strawberries have been identified as the likely source of that outbreak.

Currently, these fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo and HEB products are past shelf life and are not available for purchase in stores. People who purchased FreshKampo and HEB fresh organic strawberries between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022, and then froze those strawberries for later consumption should not eat them. These products may have been sold at the following retailers, including, but not limited to:

  • HEB
  • Kroger
  • Safeway
  • Sprouts Farmers Market
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Walmart
  • Weis Markets
  • WinCo Foods

If you are unsure of what brand you purchased, when you purchased your strawberries, or where you purchased them from prior to freezing them, the strawberries should be thrown away.

Epidemiologic and traceback data show that fresh organic strawberries are a likely source of illness in this outbreak. Illness onset dates range from March 28 – April 30, 2022. Records from outbreak-associated cases in California and Minnesota show cases having purchased FreshKampo brand fresh organic strawberries prior to becoming ill. These purchases occurred between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022. The traceback investigation for these cases shows that the strawberries were imported from Baja California, Mexico by a common supplier.  Strawberries that were identified in shipments purchased by cases were sold under both the FreshKampo and HEB brands.

As this investigation is ongoing, additional products may be included. More information will be provided in this advisory as it becomes available.

Recommendation

Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not sell, serve, or eat any fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo or HEB if purchased between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022. People who purchased the fresh strawberries and then froze those strawberries for later consumption should not eat them. They should be thrown away. Currently, the potentially contaminated product is past its shelf life. If you are unsure of what brand you purchased, when you purchased your strawberries, or where you purchased them from prior to freezing them, the strawberries should be thrown away.

If consumers purchased fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo or HEB between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022, ate those berries in the last two weeks, and have not been vaccinated against hepatitis A, they should immediately consult with their healthcare professional to determine whether post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is needed. PEP is recommended for unvaccinated people who have been exposed to hepatitis A virus in the last two weeks because vaccination can prevent a hepatitis A infection if given within 14 days of exposure. Those with evidence of previous hepatitis A vaccination or previous hepatitis A infection do not require PEP.

Contact your healthcare provider if you think you may have symptoms of a hepatitis A infection after eating these fresh organic strawberries, or if you believe that you have eaten these strawberries in the last two weeks.

Product Images

Outbreak Investigation of Hepatitis A Virus: Strawberries (May 2022) - Sample Product Images

Case Counts

Total U.S. Illnesses: 17
Hospitalizations: 12
Deaths: 0
Last illness onset: April 30, 2022
States with Cases: CA (15), MN (1), ND (1)
Product Distribution: Nationwide

Useful Links