A possible Swan Bros. raw milk Listeria outbreak has allegedly sickened 10 people in Missouri and Oklahoma, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed in the District Court of Rogers County in the state of Oklahoma on January 21, 2022. Swan Bros. recalled their raw milk products in July 2021 for possible Listeria monocytogenes after testing by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services revealed the presence of that pathogen in the milk on July 6, 2021. The dairy posted a notice on its Facebook page on July 6, 2021 about that recall.
Illnesses continue to be added to a tally of people in Canada who have been sickened in a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak tied to frozen corn.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reports that there are now 110 people from five provinces who have been confirmed as outbreak patients. As of Dec. 21 there were 84 confirmed patients.
“Many of the individuals who became sick reported eating a variety of raw and cooked produce items before their illness. Initially, investigators identified that fresh avocados were reported by many cases before they became ill; however, more information was needed to confirm the source of the outbreak,” according to the PHAC outbreak update.
“As part of the food safety investigation, the CFIA collected different food items from restaurants where ill people dined. Testing found the outbreak strain of Salmonella in an unopened package of Alasko brand frozen whole kernel corn. Traceback findings identified Alasko as the common brand of frozen corn consumed at various foodservice establishments by individuals who became sick. Based on the investigation findings to date, the outbreak is linked to Alasko brand frozen whole kernel corn.”
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is collaborating with provincial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada to investigate an outbreak of E. coli O157 infections involving 2 provinces: Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Based on the investigation findings to date, the outbreak is linked to Hankook (Korean characters only) brand Original Kimchi. Many of the individuals who were sick reported having eaten Hankook (Korean characters only) brand Original Kimchi before their illnesses occurred.
The CFIA issued a food recall warning on January 28, for Hankook (Korean characters only) brand Original Kimchi sold in 2L containers with a net weight of 1670 g, UPC code 6 23431 00030 4, and best before date January 29, 2022. The recalled product was distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
For more information on the recalled product, please consult CFIA’s website. The CFIA is continuing its food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated food recall warnings.
Do not eat, use, sell, or serve the recalled kimchi or any products made with the recalled kimchi. This advice applies to individuals, as well as retailers, distributors, manufacturers and food service establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals and long-term care homes, across Canada.
This public health notice will be updated as the investigation evolves.
Investigation summary
As of January 28, there have been 14 laboratory-confirmed cases of E.coli O157 illness linked to this outbreak in the following provinces: Alberta (13) and Saskatchewan (1).
Individuals became sick between early December 2021 and early January 2022. No deaths or hospitalizations have been reported. Individuals who became ill are between 0 and 61 years of age. The majority of cases (64%) are female.
The CFIA issued a food recall warning on January 28 for certain Hankook (Korean characters only) brand Kimchi products. The recalled product wasdistributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
The CFIA is continuing its food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated food recall warnings.
Who is most at risk
E. coli O157 is more likely to cause severe illness than other strains of E. coli. Pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems, young children and older adults are most at risk for developing serious complications.
Most people who become ill from an E. coli infection will recover completely on their own. However, some people may have a more serious illness that requires hospital care or causes long-lasting health effects. In rare cases, some individuals may develop life-threatening complications, including stroke, kidney failure and seizures, which could result in death. It is possible for some people to be infected with the bacteria and to not get sick or show any symptoms, but to still be able to spread the infection to others.
What you should do to protect your health
The following advice applies to individuals, as well as retailers, distributors, manufacturers and food service establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals and long-term care homes, across Canada:
Do not eat, use, sell or serve the recalled kimchi or any products made with the kimchi. Check to see if you have recalled food products at home. If you do, throw them out and wash your hands.
Clean and sanitize all surfaces and storage areas that recalled kimchi or any products made with the recalled kimchi may have come in contact with, including countertops, containers, utensils, freezers, and refrigerators.
If you have been diagnosed with an E. coli infection or any other gastrointestinal illness, do not cook food for other people.
Symptoms
People infected with E. coli can have a wide range of symptoms. Some do not get sick at all, though they can still spread the infection to others. Others may feel as though they have a bad case of upset stomach. In some cases, individuals become seriously ill and must be hospitalized.
The following symptoms can appear within one to ten days after contact with the bacteria:
nausea
vomiting
headache
mild fever
severe stomach cramps
watery or bloody diarrhea
Most symptoms end within five to ten days. There is no real treatment for E. coli infections, other than monitoring the illness, providing comfort, and preventing dehydration through proper hydration and nutrition. People who develop complications may need further treatment, such as dialysis for kidney failure. You should contact your health care provider if symptoms persist.
What the Government of Canada is doing
The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the health of Canadians from enteric disease outbreaks.
PHAC leads the human health investigation into an outbreak and is in regular contact with its federal, provincial and territorial partners to monitor the situation and to collaborate on steps to address an outbreak.
Health Canada provides food-related health risk assessments to determine whether the presence of a certain substance or microorganism poses a health risk to consumers.
CFIA conducts food safety investigations into the possible food source of an outbreak.
Epidemiological information
Figure 1 is an epidemiological curve for this outbreak, which shows the numbers of new cases by week. Outbreak investigators use this information to show when illnesses begin, when they peak, and when they trail off. It can take several weeks from the time a person becomes ill to when the illness is reported and testing confirms a link to the outbreak. Data are available for 14 cases.
Figure 1. Number of people infected with E. coli O157:H7
Food safety issues occur more frequently than you might think, especially in recent times, with an increase of 125% in grocery recalls in recent years. And while the risks may be fairly benign (think: a gluten-free product that may have come into contact with wheat during manufacturing) some contaminants can have devastating—even deadly—consequences for consumers. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that foodborne illness from infectious pathogens or harmful chemicals causes 48 million people to get sick each year, with 148,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths on average.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes product recalls based on the potential severity of effects. The least serious is a Class III recall, with minimal risk for adverse health consequences. Class II means that the effects of exposure or use can lead to temporary or reversible health consequences. Class I is the most severe, marked when “there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”
But tragically, there have been dozens of Class I product recalls in the past decades that caused hundreds of illnesses and some deaths to consumers. These are seven of the most catastrophic food recalls in grocery history.
Federal officials are reporting that an outbreak of E. coli O121:H9 infections linked to romaine lettuce has ended.
Four illnesses were confirmed in the outbreak. Little other information was available from the Food and Drug Administration.
“The information collected over the course of this investigation indicated that romaine lettuce was the likely source of this outbreak; however, it appears that this outbreak is over, and there is no actionable advice for consumers,” according to FDA officials.
“FDA has been conducting a traceback investigation and other activities in an effort to learn more about possible sources or routes of contamination.”
The FDA first reported the outbreak two weeks ago but has not shared any information about patient demographics or what states are involved. The agency did not report when the first illness was reported or when the last one was logged by public health officials.
As of Jan. 26, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had not posted any information about the outbreak. That is generally standing procedure for the agency if a specific product is not identified.
At Consumer Reports, we’ll always tell you what we find with our testing—it’s important to highlight when products and services excel and when they fall short. When we look at food through a safety lens, unfortunately we often find reasons to be concerned—whether that’s because of substances like heavy metals in supplements, baby food, or spices, or disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli in ground beef.
But sometimes, as is the case with CR’s recent tests of frozen fruits and veggies, we get good news. Our food scientists recently tested more than 300 samples of eight types of frozen produce and didn’t find any harmful bacteria.
Most frozen vegetables are blanched in hot water or steamed before freezing, which may lead many to think they are already cooked and risk free—people let their toddlers snack on frozen veggies, or might toss them into a salad without cooking them first. But though frozen produce is convenient and generally safe, it may still harbor bacteria that cause foodborne illness, such as Listeria monocytogenes or salmonella.
In March of this year it will be 4 years since I boarded a flight from Seattle to Johannesburg (20 plus hour flight) to speak at a food safety conference just days after the South African health authorities announced that a Listeria outbreak had been linked to a product named polony manufactured by the largest food manufacturer in Africa.
I recall how similar it felt to the early days of the Jack-in-the-Box E. coli outbreak of 1993– how everyone seemed honestly shocked that such a tragedy could happen.
I have spent the last 4 years working (being 10 hours behind has required far too many late nights and early morning calls) with a cadre of amazing lawyers and more amazing staff moving forward in the first foodborne illness class action in Africa. We have much to do to find justice to the more than 1,000 sickened and their families. I am saddened by the pace of the litigation, but determined to take care of our class members – we have to work harder.
Listeria was the top pathogen source of food recalls and related deaths in 2021, according to an in-depth analysis by Food Poisoning Bulletin. After our second annual analysis of recalls for meat and poultry, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), we turned our attention to recalls for all other foods which are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Listeria findings are some of the key takeaways from our deep dive into 2021 food recalls.
A joyful party ended in a hospital visit for 34 guests due to food poisoning.
The party took place on January 21 at a water treatment plant in Snom Prampi Village, Mak Prang Commune, Teuk Chhou District, Kampot.
According to the authorities at around 6 p.m. there were reports of mass food poisoning. The party was reportedly hosted by the water treatment plant. After the report came to the authorities, those suffering were sent to the hospital to be treated. A total of 34 people ended up in the emergency room.
Authorities said that 26 of the victims were admitted to Kampot Provincial Referral Hospital and eight other people were sent to a private clinic for treatment. As of January 22, all victims have recovered.
More than 60 students from a primary school in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya got food poisoning and had to be admitted to Hospital Shah Alam last Thursday, according to Majoriti.
It is believed that the food provided by the school under the supplementary meal plan (RMT) is the cause of the food poisoning. Allegedly, all the students had eaten the food provided, and many later showed signs of food poisoning such as vomiting.
Students from Year 1 to Year 6, including those in the Special Education Integration Program (PPKI), who are part of the supplementary meal plan programme were affected.
FoodWorld 