There’s nothing better than gathering around the grill to prepare a good meal. Don’t forget the rules of food safety this grilling season.
Wash Your Hands
USDA recommends washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water. In our recent consumer research study (PDF, 49 KB), 97% of participants who attempted to wash their hands failed to wash them properly. Additionally, 56% of participants didn’t attempt to wash their hands at all during meal preparation. Most participants in this study claimed that they always wash their hands before preparing food; but in reality, most failed to wash their hands properly when observed.
Use a Food Thermometer
You can’t see, smell, or taste germs that can cause foodborne illness. USDA doesn’t recommend tasting food to check if it’s fully cooked. Using a food thermometer is the only way to ensure that your food is fully cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature. When grilling ground meats (beef, pork, veal or lamb), make sure they reach an internal temperature of 160 F on a food thermometer. Ground poultry is safe to eat once it has reached an internal temperature of 165 F.
Avoid Cross Contamination
Cross contamination is one of the main causes of foodborne illness. Here are some tips:
Use separate cutting boards—one for raw meat and poultry, and the other for fruits and vegetables.
USDA recommends not washing meat products, because bacteria can spread from the meat onto your sink and kitchen surfaces.
Use separate plates while grilling—one for bringing raw meat and poultry to the grill, and the other for removing cooked meat and poultry off the grill.
For more information, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or email MPHotline@usda.gov to reach a food safety expert or chat live at ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
Dozens of British tourists have been handed compensation after falling ill on a ‘nightmare’ holiday.
Families were among 89 people who stayed at the all-inclusive Holiday Village on Lanzarote when they suffered from acute gastrointestinal infections, nausea, diarrhoea and cramps in summer 2019.
Representing some victims in a legal battle with Tui, barrister Charles Crow said: ‘Fresh food was added to older food, food appeared to be recycled/re-presented at later meals.
‘Maggots were reported in the milk, which was sometimes curdled. Food, restaurant and general hygiene standards were poor.
As many as 20 train passengers, including children, were admitted to the Thrissur General Hospital on Tuesday with symptoms of food poisoning. They were travelling in Maveli Express from Mookambika to Thiruvananthapuam. All were discharged after receiving treatment.
The passengers, belonging to one family, were returning after a dance arangettam programme at Mookambika. According to the passengers, they had consumed food bought from the Mangalore railway station.
At least 200 people got food poisoning in Gujarat’s Katargam, after they had dinner at a wedding in the area. One day after the function, 200 out of 200 guests complained of fever, and vomiting. Out of the 200, at least 9 people were admitted to a hospital nearby.
The wedding took place at Nityanand Dham, and the menu consisted of grapes, and Bengali sweets named Oreo Sake, Angoor Rabri and Kesar Kumkum. The ones who were admitted to the hospital, also said that they had a problem walking.
Lititz, Pa.(May 23, 2022) – Cargill is voluntarily recalling select lots of Milk and Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz® Crackers, Peanut Butter Meltaways, Peanut Butter Eggs and Fudge sold locally through the Wilbur Chocolate Retail Store in Lititz, Pa. and online at Wilburbuds.com. The products contain Jif® peanut butter that was 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.
Recalled product information
This recall affects 795, 8-ounce boxes of peanut butter containing products. These products were sold at the Wilbur Chocolate store in Lititz, Pa. and online at Wilburbuds.com between Feb. 9, 2022 and March 28, 2022. The recalled items can be identified using the following information:
K119D Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs – 8 oz. Box
Lot 220216AC, Best if Used by Date of 5/16/2022
K119M Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs – 8 oz. Box
Lot 220216AF, Best if Used by Date of 5/16/2022
K120D Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Meltaways – 8 oz Box
Lot 220224AA, Best if Used by Date of 4/24/2022
Lot 220219AB, Best if Used by Date of 4/19/2022
Lot 220215AC, Best if Used by Date of 4/15/2022
K120M Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Meltaways – 8 oz. Box
Lot 220222AA with Best if Used by Date of 4/22/2022
Lot 220218AG with Best if Used by Date of 4/18/2022
Lot 220215AE with Best if Used by Date of 4/15/2022
K121M Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz® Crackers – 8pc. 8 oz. Box
Lot 220302AF with Best if Used by Date of 6/2/2022
Lot 220216AJ with Best if Used by Date of 5/16/2022
Lot 220209AF with Best if Used by Date of 5/9/2022
K508 Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge – 8 oz. Box
Lot 220219AF with Best if Used by Date of 4/19/2022
K509 Peanut Butter Fudge – 8 oz. Box
Lot 220219AC with Best if Used by Date of 4/19/2022
No other Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate or Wilbur products are involved in this recall.
No illnesses or health-related complaints in connection with this recall have been reported to Cargill to date. However, there is an ongoing outbreak associated with the consumption of Jif peanut butter.
Customers who purchased this product should not consume it and dispose of or return any unconsumed portions to the Wilbur Chocolate Retail Store. To return products and/or request a refund, contact Amy Weik at Aweik@cargill.comor call 717-627-7946 between 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Eastern, Monday-Friday.
Cargill and Wilbur Chocolate are taking this action in the interest of consumer safety.
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Tackling foodborne outbreaks faster and revealing the root cause are essential for the prevention of future outbreaks. We have a plan to do that.
Foodborne disease remains a significant public health problem in the United States. The FDA’s Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan (FORIP), described in this document, is an important step that the FDA is taking to enhance the speed, effectiveness, coordination, and communication of outbreak investigations. (Unless stated otherwise, this report focuses exclusively on the response to human food and not animal food.)
Our ultimate goal is to bend the curve of foodborne illness in this country.
A consumer watchdog has filed a complaint against Nestlé and Ferrero in relation to recent E. coli and Salmonella outbreaks involving the companies.
In the action, Foodwatch France lists seven offences including placing on the market products harmful to health and failure to implement procedures to withdraw or recall such a product, endangering the lives of others and export to a non-EU country of food potentially harmful to health.
The two complaints include the case of Louna, a 6-year-old, who was hospitalized because of a Salmonella infection after eating Kinder chocolate, said Foodwatch. The multi-country outbreak has sickened hundreds.
The Nestlé E. coli outbreak involves 56 cases and two deaths from Buitoni brand Fraîch’Up pizzas in France. Production at the factory in Caudry was stopped in April. The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal inquiry into the incident.
The Ferrero monophasic Salmonella typhimurium chocolate outbreak has affected at least 324 people in 16 countries. Belgian authorities halted production at the Arlon facility in April, and an investigation has been launched by the Luxembourg Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The two Foodwatch complaints against Nestlé and Ferrero were filed in Paris this week by the law firm Teissonniere Topaloff Lafforgue Andreu et Associés (TTLA) on behalf of the group and several victims. They are seeking sanctions against the companies and compensation for the victims.
SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio (WCHS) — More than 100 people are now sick after an outbreak at a Girl Scout “camporee” in Scioto County, Ohio, including two children hospitalized, a county health official said Wednesday.
At least 112 people are experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, fever or chills after attending the “camporee” at Camp Molly Lauman in Lucasville this past weekend, according to Molly Dargavell, the regional epidemiologist for Scioto and Lawrence counties.
Dargavell said two children have been hospitalized with the illness and secondary cases from people who did not attend the event have also been reported.
Officials said they believe the common factor between all those who have fallen ill is that they drank water and/or lemonade at the camp. Dargavell said they believe the illness may be norovirus.
FoodWorld 