Kroger Company is recalling store brand salsa and pico de gallo because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. This recall may be related to the recall of fresh jalapenos by Castellini Produce earlier in the month
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Category Archives: Food Illness
Ireland Rise in Campylobacter Cases?
Experts are puzzled at the rise in cases of Campylobacter — the most common cause of food poisoning.
There were 2,440 official cases notified in the Republic last year, which is a rise of 46.9pc over 2010.
Its largest group of victims are children under four years of age, according to the disease watchdog, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of Ireland.
It pointed out that the increase in cases has been examined in a range of countries in the past but beyond theories about consumption of poorly cooked poultry no firm explanation for any rise was found.
I was discussing this at a meeting yesterday and we wondered if it was linked to the current economic climate and chicken being a cheaper meat than beef or lamb?
Norovirus Threat to Olympics Matches Al-Qaeda
Foodborne diseases, such as norovirus, are as big a threat to the Olympics as terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, according to a Home Office risk assessment.
US – E.coli O157 Alert in Imported Canadian Products
Sysco Seattle Inc. is recalling approximately 16,800 pounds of ground beef patties distributed to restaurants in Colorado, Arizona, Texas and Washington because of possible E. coli contamination according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
The producer, New Food Classics of Burlington, Ontario, notified Sysco Seattle of the possible contamination earlier this month.
The following products are subject to recall:
•10 lb. boxes of PRIME RIB BEEF PATTIES 8 oz, with product code 55317, and production code 11 NO 22.
•10 lb. boxes of PRIME RIB BEEF PATTIES 71g, with product code 55391 and bearing a production code of 11 SE 01 or 12 JA 04.
Canada – Salmonella Found in Caterers Products
According to CBC News, Salmonella was found in ground beef and Halal chicken samples from The Lunch Lady Catering service in Ottawa, Canada.
This links the caterer to the Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 50 people. One dozen schools and a day care center have been the epicenter of the outbreak.
Salmonella Typhimurium was found in frozen uncooked ground beef, and Salmonella Heidelberg was found in raw Halal chicken.
California Announces Raw Milk Recall – Campylobacter
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) today announced a recallof “raw milk, raw nonfat milk and raw cream produced by Claravale Farm of San Benito County.”
The action was based on results of testing that revealed the presence of Campylobacter bacteria in the company’s raw cream.
US – Update – E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak
The CDC reports as of March 21, 2012, 58 persons infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 were reported from 9 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state was as follows: Arizona (1), Arkansas (2), Illinois (9), Indiana (2), Kansas (2), Kentucky (1), Minnesota (2), Missouri (38), and Nebraska (1). Two cases were removed from the case count because advanced molecular testing determined that they were not related to this outbreak strain. Among persons for whom information was available, illnesses began from October 9, 2011 to November 7, 2011. Ill persons ranged in age from 1 to 94 years, with a median age of 28 years. Fifty-nine percent were female. Among the 49 ill persons with available information, 33 (67%) were hospitalized, and 3 developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No deaths were reported
Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, STEC
Tagged science
US – Salmonella Outbreak Live Chicks
Are you thinking of getting some chicks so you can produce your own eggs? Have the recalls of eggs from Daizen Farms, Michael Foods Inc., and the huge outbreak of foodborne illness from Wright County Eggs in 2010have you forgoing eggs at the grocery store?
Your own hatchery may not be the answer. The CDC just released a study of an outbreak of Salmonella Altona and Salmonella Johannesburg infections linked to chicks and ducklings from a mail order hatchery last year.
Two clusters of human Salmonella infections from baby chicks were identified in 2011 through pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). From February 25, 2011 to October 10, 2011, 68 cases of Salmonella Altona and 17 cases of Salmonella Johannesburg had contact with live poultry the week before their illness developed
Food Poisoning Could Have Lifelong Consequences
Two stories from the Mail Online, one about the long term consequences of foodborne illness and the other about Selfridges ‘Raw Milk’ sales.
Stomach bugs may not only make you feel miserable at the time. Salmonella, E coli and other types of food poisoning may have lifelong consequences.
Studies have shown that people caught up in food poisoning outbreaks are more likely to develop a host of lengthy illnesses, including diabetes, arthritis, kidney failure, high blood pressure and even heart attacks and strokes.
Some, such as kidney damage thought to be caused by powerful poisons released by the bugs and arthritis triggered by a faulty immune response, occur within weeks. Others, such as high blood pressure, take years to appear.
Upmarket store Selfridges has been accused of potentially putting customers at risk and breaking the law by selling ‘raw’ milk.
It is selling the milk, produced on an organic farm in Sussex, from a vending machine and insists it is hugely popular and regularly sells out.
Many traditionalists enjoy raw milk, believing it tastes nicer and may even be better for them.
However the Government’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) and its experts insist that raw milk, which is not heat-treated or pasteurised to kill off harmful bugs, is a public health threat.
Euro 2012 – Clostridium botulinum Warning
Irish fans planning to travel to the Euro 2012 championships have been warned about the dangers of botulism.
Poland has a particularly high incidence of the serious food poisoning, which can be food-borne if the dish is improperly canned or preserved.
Up to 12,000 fans are expected to travel to the championship where rip-off hotel prices could be the least of their worries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), which has issued a health checklist for football fans who plan to follow their national teams to the championships in June and July, has warned of the perils of improperly prepared food.
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