Category Archives: Uncategorized

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced today that it has identified the likely source of the Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak in Hopkins. A set of cooling towers at Citrus Systems, Inc., at 415 11th Avenue South in Hopkins tested positive for the pathogenic bacteria.

FDA 

Fort Washington, PA – Nutrisystem Everyday, LLC, the retail division of Nutrisystem, Inc., is voluntarily recalling the Nutricrush Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar, manufactured by Noble Foods, Inc. This bar contains a chocolate chip cookie dough ingredient supplied by a third party supplier, which advised that its ingredient might potentially contain Listeria monocytogenes.

The product had very limited distribution of 1 lot/455 cases to ShopRite and Hannaford stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and online through Amazon.com and Walmart.com. No other code dates of this product or other Nutrisystem® products in retail are affected. No Nutrisystem ‘direct to consumer’ product is impacted in any way.

FDA

LAKELAND, Fla – Aspen Hills, the supplier of the cookie dough pieces used as an ingredient in the Publix Chocolate Cookie Dough Ice Cream, notified Publix that some of their product could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Publix Super Markets is issuing a voluntary recall for Publix Premium Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream due to the possibility of the product containing Listeria monocytogenes.

The ice cream was sold at Publix stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and North Carolina with a UPC of 000-41415-03843, and a sell by date of May 27 2017, which is printed on the bottom of the half gallon container.

FDA 

Camden, MI – Kuster’s, Inc. of is voluntarily recalling 14,238 pounds of its shredded, sliced and cubed cheese out of an abundance of caution.  Kuster’s, Inc., was notified by its supplier, Farm Country Cheese, Lakeview, MI, that the cheese has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.  Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Kuster’s, Inc. is complying with this recall and recalling any product that may have been processed on its manufacturing equipment after the cheese in question was processed.

The shredded cheese was distributed in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Products included in this voluntary recall are: sharp white cheddar, mozzarella/muenster/provolone, Monterey Jack, pepper jack,four blend, three blend; pepper jack cubes; and co/jack slices.Product dates can be found in the bottom center of the label.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recall was the result of confirmation from the cheese manufacturer of a possible contamination of the product received.  Kuster’s, Inc. has ceased production and distribution of the product as the FDA and the company continue their investigations.

Consumers who have purchased any of these products are urged not to consume the product and to return it to Kuster’s, Inc. for a full refund. Customers with questions may contact the company at 517-368-5174 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST.

Eurosurveillance

A prolonged outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis occurred in northern France between December 2014 and April 2015. Epidemiological investigations following the initial notification on 30 December 2014 of five cases of salmonellosis (two confirmed S. Enteritidis) in young children residing in the Somme department revealed that all cases frequented the same food bank A. Further epidemiological, microbiological and food trace-back investigations indicated frozen beefburgers as the source of the outbreak and the suspected lot originating from Poland was recalled on 22 January 2015. On 2 March 2015 a second notification of S. Enteritidis cases in the Somme reinitiated investigations that confirmed a link with food bank A and with consumption of frozen beefburgers from the same Polish producer. In the face of a possible persistent source of contamination, all frozen beefburgers distributed by food bank A and from the same origin were blocked on 3 March 2015. Microbiological analyses confirmed contamination by S. Enteritidis of frozen beefburgers from a second lot remaining in cases’ homes. A second recall was initiated on 6 March 2015 and all frozen beefburgers from the Polish producer remain blocked after analyses identified additional contaminated lots over several months of production.

The Hitavada

AT least 97 people including women and 23 children fell ill due to suspected food poisoning after consuming food at a religious function held as part of auspicious Mahashtami celebrations at Eitgram village, some 11 kilometers away from district quarters on Sunday.
As per information received, soon after consuming prasad and meals, people started complaining of nausea and vomiting. Following which they were all rushed to district hospital for treatment. Doctors on duty provided necessary medicines and treatment to bring them in normal condition.
According to reliable sources, the incident happened on Sunday when people had gathered at the residence of Mahesh for Mahaashtami Pujan.

ASAHI

CDC Photo

Chicken sashimi and “tataki” (seared chicken breasts and livers) are a common menu item in yakitori bars and restaurants across Japan.

However, eating undercooked or raw chicken can cause food poisoning via the campylobacter bacteria, which can cause severe stomach pain and diarrhea.

Raw beef liver and raw pork are banned, but no such restrictions have been imposed on raw chicken, despite many cases of food poisoning caused by eating tainted bird meat.

Food Safety News

An “urgent” product recall issued Thursday and encouraging “immediate action” to remove breaded trout from commerce because it contains General Mills flour linked to an E. coli outbreak was still not available on the Food and Drug Administration website Monday afternoon.

Clear Springs Foods Inc. of Buhl, ID, sent the recall notice to purchasing officers and distributors Oct. 6, describing it as an “FDA recall for ingredient with E. coli 0121.” The most recent information from FDA related to the E. coli outbreak traced to General Mills flour was posted Sept. 29.

Food Safety News

At least 160 people who say they ate at Mighty Taco locations in New York are confirmed in a foodborne illness outbreak possibly linked to refried beans.

Public health officials in Erie and Niagara Counties say they are working with the state’s health and agriculture departments to determine what pathogen is the culprit.

Erie County health department had documented 142 illnesses “associated with eating at Mighty Taco” as of the end of business Monday a department spokeswoman said. Niagara County has not updated their outbreak report since Thursday when there were 18 sick people who reported eating at Mighty Taco locations.

“No pathogen has been determined at this time.”

FDA 

Blue Bell Ice Cream is voluntarily recalling all products that were made with a cookie dough ingredient supplied by a third party supplier Aspen Hills, Inc., due to the potential for them to contain Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Rapid Microbiology 

A child’s death from E. coli O157 infection has lead to a dispute over the recall of the implicated cheese products. The affected child was just one of 20 confirmed infection cases detected between the 2^nd to 15^th of July 2016, 11 of whom were treated in hospital.

Health Protection Scotland (HSP) investigations identified the Dunsyre blue cheese (made from unpasteurised milk) as the most likely cause of the outbreak however the company firmly disputed the evidence insisting that their cheeses are safe to eat based on their independent and external testing. HSP however found that of those affected, the majority had consumed the cheese product before falling unwell adding that despite their widespread investigation efforts, no other link could be established to the majority of cases of this incident.

As a result, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have administered a ban on all cheese products made by the producer, Errington Cheese who are based in South-Lanarkshire.