Food Poison Journal

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Containing Products Salmonella Recall List

Bill Marler — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:02:05 -0800

Bouillon Products

Herbox

Dressing and Dressing Mix Products

Follow Your Heart

Reser's

Trader Joe's

Flavoring Base and Seasoning Products

Garden Harvest

Minor's

Publix

Frozen Food Products

Casa Solana

E-Z Eats!

El Pasado

Giant Eagle

Jose Ole

Posada

Tornados

Gravy Mix Products

McCormick

Publix

Prepared Salad Products

Reser's

Ready-to-Eat Meal Products

Follow Your Heart

Sauce and Marinade Mix Products

Durkee

French's

Weber

Snack and Snack Mix Products

Austinuts

Barcel

CVS

Great Nut Supply

HK Anderson

Hawaiian

Herr's

National Pretzel Company

President's Choice

Pringles

Quaker

Rouses Louisiana's Best

Safeway

Spec's Wines & Fine Foods

Sunflower Markets

Soup/Soup Mix and Dip/Dip Mix Products

Castella

Concord Foods

Culinary Circle

De la Casa

Dean's

Delicioso

Follow Your Heart

Fresh Food Concepts

Great Value

Healthwise

Homemade Gourmet

Johnny's Fine Foods

Kroger

McCormick

Mrs. Gerry's

Oak Lake Farms

Produce Valley

Publix

Reser's

Rojo's

T. Marzetti

Spread Products

Mrs. Gerry's

Spreadables

Stuffing Products

McCormick

Full List

Confirmed Lombard Subway Shigella Illnesses Now At 78

Colin Caywood — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:33:27 -0800

An update was announced today on the DuPage County Health Department's investigation into the Shigella outbreak stemming from the still-closed Subway restaurant located in Lombard, Illinois. The number of confirmed cases of Shigella now stands at 78, with 11 of those injured requiring hospitalization.

According to the article in today's Nation's Restaurant News, "Dave Hass, public information officer for the DuPage County Health Department, said the Lombard Subway remains closed after two weeks, as his agency and the Illinois Department of Public Health continue to investigate the cluster of Shigella illnesses. Ten of the 11 people hospitalized as a result of their illness have been discharged, he said."

Les Winograd, a spokesman for Doctor’s Associates Inc. of Milford, Conn., franchisor of the 32,502-unit Subway chain, said the franchisee at the Lombard store voluntary closed the restaurant after learning of the outbreak of illnesses.

"The chain’s incident management team, along with the franchisee, and members of our regional office, have been working closely with the health department to aid in the investigation, which is still ongoing," Winograd said. He added that the source of the outbreak has not been determined.

In a related development, the Seattle-based law firm of Marler Clark, in conjunction with Newland, Newland and Newland of Arlington Heights, Ill., has filed three lawsuits against the owner of the Lombard Subway at 1009 E. Roosevelt Road on behalf of people allegedly sickened after eating at the restaurant.

The lawsuits filed by Marler Clark and Newland, Newland & Newland in the Circuit Court of the 18th Judicial Circuit in DuPage County accuse the Lombard restaurant's operator, Neel Subway Inc., of being negligent in allegedly selling adulterated food or drink in breach of implied and expressed warranties. The suits seek unspecified compensation for actual, consequential and incidental damages tied to the illnesses suffered by the plaintiffs, which include three adults and a child.

FDA seeks permanent injunction against Louisiana sprout company

Drew Falkenstein — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:06:39 -0800

Sprouts are a food item that have been associated with outbreaks of foodborne disease on multiple occasions in the past decade, including a major Salmonella saintpaul outbreak between February and April of 2009. In the 2009 outbreak, the CDC counted 235 confirmed outbreak victims, and likely thousands more people across the country were sickened.

Today,the FDA issued a press release on a Louisiana sprout company that is doing its sprout-growing brethren across the country a major disservice by staying in business. Hopefully, the FDA's actions will shut the company down permanently. The press release states as follows:

The Department of Justice, in an action initiated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is seeking a permanent injunction against A Chau Sprouting Co., a sprout grower in Gretna, La., company owner and manager Quang “Mike” Trinh, and Hue Nguyen, the company production manager.

The complaint, filed on March 16, 2010, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, charges the defendants with violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by preparing, packing, and holding sprouts under insanitary conditions, where they may have become contaminated with filth.

“The agency has repeatedly warned the company over several years that corrective actions need to be taken in this facility,” said Michael Chappell, acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs at the FDA. “While no illnesses have been reported to date, this action is necessary to ensure that it remains that way.”

The ready-to-eat sprouts are distributed to wholesale suppliers, who in turn distribute them to customers located in Gulf Coast states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Texas.

Five FDA inspections over the past nine years, including an inspection conducted between August 2009 and September 2009, revealed that the defendants failed to implement basic food sanitation principles and practices for their sprout growing operation, according to the complaint.

The complaint alleges violations that include equipment and facilities that were unclean or unable to be sufficiently cleaned, insanitary employee practices, and a poorly maintained facility.

Over 40 claims currently pending in Subway shigella outbreak

Drew Falkenstein — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:28:12 -0800

At Marler Clark, we represent foodpoisoning victims from across the country. Many of our foodpoisoning clients are people sickened with bacteria and viruses like E. coli, Salmonella, campylobacter, Hepatitis A, norovirus, and of course Shigella. As has been widely publicized, a major outbreak has occurred at the Subway restaurant on Roosevelt Road in Lombard, Illinois. The outbreak has likely left hundreds of people ill, including over 40 people who have contacted our firm for representation in claims against the restaurant.

The Lombard Subway shigella outbreak prompts a basic question: why is this outbreak so large? Why have so many people fallen ill? Answers will come, as the Dupage County Health Department continues its investigation into the circumstances and causes of the outbreak. But there are certain, readily apparent circumstances that have likely contributed to the large scale of the outbreak.

The nature of the product, and how the finished sandwiches are ultimately produced, with hand-to-food contact with virtually every individual sandwich component, means that there are multiple opportunities for insidious bacteria from an infected worker to contaminate the food. And without a kill step, there is virtually no way to rid the food of bacteria once it becomes contaminated.

See complete article.

We will have to wait for the results of Dupage County Health Department's investigation before knowing for sure what failures occurred at Subway restaurant to cause such a large outbreak. Notably, however, the restaurant has been closed for some time now, which is not something that always happens in restaurant outbreak situations. Generally, the closure of a restaurant is an extreme step taken when the investigating health department believes that there is the potential for environmental contamination--i.e. contamination of surfaces and equipment, likely from ill employees and poor sanitation practices--at the restaurant.

Subway in Lombard faces third Shigella Lawsuit filed by Marler Clark

Bill Marler — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:47:09 -0800

Second Salami recall of 2010 issued by Siena Foods LTD

Drew Falkenstein — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:31:46 -0800

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert tonight due to illnesses possibly associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) deli meat products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The products subject to the recall were produced by Siena Foods LTD, a Toronto, Ontario, establishment. Recalled products include, but are not limited to, "Cacciatore Salami, Mild," "Coppa," "Prosciuttini," "Prosciuttini Hot," and "Prosciutto Cotto." The individually wrapped products have variable weights and a "Best Before" date through June 22, 2010, as well as the establishment number "Est. 212" inside the CFIA mark of inspection. However, the original brand and/or best before dates may not have been transferred at the deli counters to consumer packages. Persons who may have purchased any of these products and do not know original brand and code are advised to check with their retailer or supplier to determine if they have the affected product.

FSIS was informed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) that products subject to recall in Canada may have been exported to the United States. This public health alert was initiated after positive test results and an investigation by CFIA in response to a listeriosis illness outbreak. At this time, no confirmed linkage has been made between the products subject to recall and the reported illnesses.

Lian How brand sesame seed recall due to Salmonella

Drew Falkenstein — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:31:13 -0800

On March 13, Spice Industrial Group, Inc., of Industry, California, recalled white sesame seeds sold under the Lian How brand name and supplied by Specialty Commodities Corp. The affected products were distributed from november 6 to December 11, 2009. The sesame seeds were recalled because of potential contamination by Salmonella bacteria, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

If the words Lian How and Salmonella are familiar at all, in conjunction, it's because the Lian How brand was implicated in a large spring 2009 outbreak/recall due to Salmonella contamination, and linked to black and white pepper products. The company at the epicenter of the 2009 recall was Union International Food; and the outbreak linked to its contaminated pepper products ultimately sickened more than 87 people in Western states between December 2008 and April 2009; the majority of the illnesses were in California. Public health officials traced the outbreak to white pepper manufactured by Union International and sold under the brand names Uncle Chen and Lian How. Ultimately the company recalled more than 50 products, including spices, oils, and sauces, due to potential contamination with Salmonella.

Canadian Cattle Producers Willing to Make Changes to Prevent E. coli O157 Contamination on their Farms

Bill Marler — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:02:52 -0800

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. (TSX: BNC), a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, today announced that a survey conducted among a random sample of 771 Canadian beef and dairy farmers in all regions of Canada showed that the majority are willing to implement changes on the farm to prevent contamination by E. coli O157.

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. has developed and licensed (in Canada) the world's first vaccine to reduce the shedding by cattle of E. coli O157. Econiche(TM) received full licensing approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in October, 2008 and is available for unrestricted use by Canadian cattle producers and their veterinarians. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) cleared the path for a conditional license for the vaccine in February, 2008, and the Company is awaiting issuance of that license.

In the independently conducted survey, just over half of the producers surveyed expressed a willingness to vaccinate, but there was sensitivity to the potential cost of a vaccination program. Those surveyed believe the cost of a national vaccination program, if it were to be implemented, should be shared between government and producers, with 88% of respondents expressing willingness to vaccinate if the vaccine was provided free of charge. Their main reasons for supporting vaccination were: Food safety, the potential impact of recalls, and access to export markets.

"The use of chlorinated water, bacteriophages and probiotics help control the organisms, but vaccination provides the greatest reduction in fecal shedding," said Dr. Roy Lewis, a large animal veterinarian in Westlock, Alberta (in the January, 2010 issue of Canadian Cattlemen magazine). "With the vaccine, you are hitting the problem at its very source, before the bacteria numbers get too high."

Added Dr. Lewis: "Vaccination, together with all the other preventive steps, will hopefully keep this dreaded disease to a minimum and keep consumer confidence in our beef as high as possible."
Econiche is a Canadian discovery developed by Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. The vaccine has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of E. coli O157 shed into the environment by beef and dairy cattle. This organism does not cause illness in cattle, but cattle are the primary reservoir for it. Most strains of E. coli are harmless but some, like O157:H7, can cause severe illness and even be fatal when ingested by humans from contaminated meat, vegetables or water. Vaccination of cattle with Econiche can help reduce the risk of food and waterborne contamination with E. coli O157.
On-farm interventions to reduce the shedding of E. coli O157 by cattle, such as simple vaccination of cattle with Econiche, have the potential to reduce food and water contamination and the consequences associated with human infection with the deadly bacteria.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) developed a risk assessment method to estimate how much human illness caused by E. coli O157 can be prevented through the use of "pre-harvest interventions" such as vaccination (Streamlined Analysis for Evaluating the Use of Preharvest Interventions Intended to Prevent Escherichia coli O157:H7 Illness in Humans, Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, Volume 6, Number 7, 2009). Researchers created two economic production functions where the input was the number of vaccinated cattle and the output was human illness prevented. Although this was a hypothetical case study, it showed that, "... vaccinating the entire U.S. herd at a cost of between $2.29 and $9.14 per unit (depending on overall effectiveness of the vaccine) would be a cost-effective intervention for preventing E. coli O157:H7 illness in humans."

Human exposure and infection with E. coli O157:H7 can result in serious health consequences, including abdominal pain and severe bloody diarrhea. In severe cases, kidney damage can occur and progress to serious complications and even death. In one of the reported outbreaks, in Nestle Toll-House cookie dough, 76 persons from 31 states in the U.S. have been infected with E. coli O157:H7, with 35 of these hospitalized and 11 with Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) (see below).
Econiche is manufactured in the Bioniche production facility in Belleville, Ontario, where a $25-million expansion is taking place, supported by the Ontario and Canadian governments. Vaccine supply will be limited during this manufacturing expansion period.

Lombard Subway faces 34 cases in Shigella outbreak

Drew Falkenstein — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:22:00 -0800

The Subway restaurant located on Roosevelt Road in Lombard, Illinois is at the epicenter of a major shigella outbreak that began in late February and continued into early March. Latest reports estimate the number of confirmed cases in the outbreak at around 50, but there are surely many, many more people who have been sickened in the outbreak. We have been contacted by the families of 34 people who have family members sickened in the outbreak, and are litigating the individual claims of all 34 people. We have filed two cases thus far, on behalf of the son of Ron and Sarah Bowers, and Barbara Romero. Tomorrow, we will file suit on behalf of Mike Carpino, another victim of the outbreak.

The Subway outbreak is an unfortunate set of circumstances. The nature of the product, and how the finished sandwiches are ultimately produced, with hand-to-food contact with virtually every individual sandwich component, means that there are multiple opportunities for insidious bacteria from an infected worker to contaminate the food. And without a kill step, there is virtually no way to rid the food of bacteria once it becomes contaminated.

These circumstances have been brought to bear in a big way against the people of Lombard Illinois. If there are an estimated 50 confirmed illnesses, there are likely hundreds of people who have contracted Shigella but simply have not been confirmed positive by stool test.

North Dakota Salmonella Outbreak Investigation Costs $38,000

Colin Caywood — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:44:34 -0800

The final tally is in for the North Dakota Department of Health's investigation into the Salmonella outbreak that poisoned over 180 people last summer. According to an article published in today's Bismark Tribune, the total investigation costs are nearly $38,000.

Loreeta Canton, public information officer for the health department, said travel and laboratory costs for the investigation totaled $10,054.

An additional cost for staff time devoted to investigation was $27,372 for a total of $37,426.

Canton said that did not include costs incurred by the First District Health Unit of Minot, the local health unit with jurisdiction in the investigation.

Salmonella bacteria are one of the most common causes of intestinal infection in the United States. The reported incidence of Salmonella illnesses is about 14 cases per each 100,000 persons (MMWR Weekly, 2006), amounting to approximately 30,000 confirmed cases of salmonellosis yearly in the U.S. (CDC, 2005, October 13). In 2005, just over 36,000 cases were reported from public health laboratories across the nation, representing a 12 percent decrease compared with the previous decade, but a 1.5 percent increase over 2004 (CDC, 2007).

As only about 3 percent of Salmonella cases are officially reported nationwide, and many milder cases are never diagnosed, the true incidence is undoubtedly much higher (Mead, 1999). The CDC estimates that 1.4 million cases occur annually (CDC, 2005, October 13). Approximately 600 deaths are caused by Salmonella infections in the U.S. every year, accounting for 31 percent of all food-related deaths (CDC, 2005, October 13; MMWR Weekly, 2001).

Whole Foods in California, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut to Stop Raw Milk Sales

Bill Marler — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:42:27 -0800

According to David Gumpert, blogger at the Complete Patient, and confirmed by raw milk dairyman, Mark McAfee, owner of Organic Pastures Dairy, Whole Foods will stop raw milk sales in California, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.

Mr. Gumpert quoted Mr. McAfee:

The reason for the action He says he was told the order came from Whole Foods' corporate based on difficulties the company had gaining insurance coverage. "The insurance will not cover any liability if they include raw milk," according to McAfee.

There is some speculation that the cessation of sales had something to do with a Marler Blog post several months ago - "Risky Business - Why would a retailer, like Whole Foods, sell Raw Milk?" However, it most likely is simply that Whole Foods values its customers like:

Margot Standish was seven years old in June 2008, when she became infected with E. coli O157:NM as the result of consumption of raw milk. Her symptoms began in late June, with diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. Her regular physician treated Margot over the period of more than a week, but her condition began to deteriorate, and she was admitted to the hospital on July 8. Laboratory tests conducted that day provided evidence that Margot had been suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Thankfully, Margot’s renal insufficiency did not deepen to the point that dialysis was required. She remained hospitalized through July 14. Medical bills exceeded $30,000. As a result of her HUS, Margot will need to have her renal function monitored regularly for the rest of her life.

And, Kalee Prue, a 27-year-old mother of one, became infected with E. coli O157:NM in June 2008, as the result of consumption of raw milk. Her symptoms began in early July, and intensified for several days. On two occasions, Kalee sought treatment in the emergency room. On July 12, it became apparent that she was developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). She was then admitted to the hospital on July 13. Kalee’s renal failure was complete and prolonged, and she required plasmapharesis from July 13 through August 11. Severe anemia necessitated repeated transfusions with packed red blood cells as well. By the time she was released from the hospital on August 14, she had incurred over $230,000 in medical bills. Kalee has not recovered full renal function. She is at severe risk for long-term renal complications, including end stage renal disease (ESRD), dialysis, and transplant.

Both Margot and Kalee where part of the same E. coli O157:NM Outbreak. The milk they consumed was purchased at Whole Foods.

Marler Clark Files Second Shigella Lawsuit Against Chicago Subway

Bill Marler — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:23:39 -0800

A second lawsuit has been filed against Subway in connection with an outbreak of shigella from food served at the west suburban sandwich shop.

Barbara Romero claims she had to be hospitalized after eating toasted chicken and onion teriyaki sandwiches from the Subway restaurant in Lombard.

The DuPage County Health Department closed that Subway on March 4 following several reports of illness from customers. Health officials confirm at least 50 cases of shigella poisoning are linked to food from that restaurant. Ten of those people were hospitalized.

Marler on food safety - U.S. should do more against food-borne illness

Bill Marler — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:54:04 -0800

By Hope Belli Tinney, WSU Today

PULLMAN - Americans don’t tend to take a “buyer beware” approach to food consumption, but perhaps they should.

William D. “Bill” Marler, an expert in food-borne illness and the law, spoke at WSU Pullman Wednesday to say that food-borne illness is far more prevalent than most people realize and the United States should be doing more to confront the problem.

“It’s not easy being an eater in America,” Marler said. “There’s a lot of stuff out there that can kill you.”

'Chasing the Ambulance Away'

Marler, a WSU alumnus and former regent, delivered a talk titled, “Chasing the Ambulance Away: Reshaping the Role of the Personal Injury Lawyer in Society and the Law,” as part of the WSU Common Reading lecture series that centers around this year’s book selection, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” by Michael Pollan.

In some people’s mind, personal injury lawyers are “ambulance-chasing, bottom-sucking” parasites, Marler said, and he doesn’t disagree.

“I’ll tell you right now, that’s me,” he said. “That’s who I am.” But, he said, “There is a place in society for a parasite like me.”

Make it painful

Marler’s Seattle firm, Marler Clark, has earned more than $500 million for victims of food-borne illness caused by organisms such as E. coli, salmonella and listeria. His goal is to make the settlements so painful that businesses will guard food safety as if their lives depend on it because, in fact, our lives do depend on it.

According to statistics from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, about 76 million people are sickened by a food-borne illness each year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and about 5,000 die. A report last week, funded by the Pew Charitable Trust, estimated that those illnesses cost the United States $152 billion annually in health care and other losses.

Memory lane of food poisoning

During Marler’s 90-minute presentation he took the audience down a memory lane of significant food-borne illness cases, from tainted hamburger at Jack-in-the-Box in 1993, through the Odwalla apple juice poisoning in 1996, to tainted spinach in the Salinas Valley in 2006, to contaminated peanut butter at a ConAgra plant in 2007.

Marler said he sometimes feels like the boy who sticks his finger in the dike to hold back the water, but as soon as he does, another leak spouts.

“If you don’t like lawyers, one of the things to do is to fix the food system,” he said.

Europe does better job

The European Union does a much better job of protecting its food system, he said, mostly through increased regulation and rigorous enforcement on the front end and criminal prosecution on the back end.

In the United States, he said, there are regulations on the books, but often there is insufficient funding to monitor or enforce food safety laws. In the nearly two decades that he has been involved in these issues, he said, only a handful of people in the United States have been fined and only two people have been jailed.

Execution

In China, by contrast, two men were executed in 2009 for their role in a melamine-tainted milk scandal that killed six and sickened 300,000.

Marler’s list of recommendations for improving food safety include:

- increased surveillance
- more cooperation among government agencies
- better training of food handlers
- stiffer licensing requirements
- more food inspections
- reform so agencies are more proactive
- heavier legal consequences
- use of technology to make food traceable from field to fork
- funding and promotion of food safety research
- tax breaks to companies that have low profit margins
- improvement of consumer understanding

“I think what I do is honorable,” Marler said. "It’s right, but it’s not complete.” The government and the consumer have to do their parts as well, he said.

Marler Clark Clients Speak to Senators about Foodborne Illness

Bill Marler — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:44:45 -0800

Victims of foodborne illness gathered in the nation's capital last week to speak to Senators about the need to move food safety legislation forward. Senate bill 510 (S510, the Food Safety Modernization Act) passed unanimously out of committee in November, but has yet to come to the floor of the Senate for a vote.

"We all know that Congress has been focused on health care and the economy," said food safety attorney William Marler. "But with last week's report that foodborne illness is costing the US $152 billion dollars annually, moving this legislation forward will address both of those issues, and make our country a safer place to live."

The attorneys at Marler's firm, Seattle-based Marler Clark, have represented victims of contaminated food since the landmark outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 at Jack in the Box in 1993. As part of its food safety advocacy, the firm is active in connecting clients past and present with outlets to make their stories known. On March 4, more than a dozen clients were part of a daylong effort organized by the Make Our Food Safe coalition to convince Senators to bring S510 to a vote.

"I think it went really well," said Peter Hurley, whose three-year-old son Jake Hurley fell ill to Salmonella during the 2009 Peanut Corporation of America peanut butter outbreak. Hurley has taken an active roll in lobbying members of Congress to strengthen food safety laws. "We had some really good meetings with Senators and their staff. Everybody is on board with this."

"Most of the Congressmen we spoke with were very receptive to our message," said Elizabeth Armstrong, whose children were sickened by E. coli O157:H7-tainted spinach in 2006. "Most of them did see the need for stricter food safety legislation. The frustrating part for us, though, was the general feeling that it was going to take some time to make this happen."

Lauren Bush explained how the trip affected her: "Going to Washington to lobby for food safety altered my perception of what happened to me. When I contracted E. coli O157:H7, I felt like a powerless victim whose entire life had been turned upside down by an invisible force that didn't have a face to confront. However, being involved with S.T.O.P. and going to D.C. changed that because I was able to sit in front of people who have the power to modify the laws that shape our country. It was incredibly powerful to discover that my voice matters."

ABOUT MARLER CLARK: Marler Clark has represented victims of every major foodborne illness outbreak since 1993. The firm's attorneys have litigated high-profile food poisoning cases against such companies as ConAgra, Wendy's, Chili's, Chi-Chi's, and Jack in the Box, securing over $500,000,000 for their clients. Marler Clark currently represents thousands of victims of outbreaks traced to tenderized steaks, ground beef, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, peanut butter, and spinach, as well as other foods. For further information contact Mary Siceloff at 206-719-4705 or msiceloff@marlerclark.com or visit www.MarlerClark.com and www.marlerblog.com.

Food Safety News IPhone App is up and running - download is free

Bill Marler — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:44:24 -0800

Food Safety News IPhone Application Approved by Apple - Should be at App Store in 24 Hours

Bill Marler — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:03:58 -0800

Food Safety News coming to an Iphone Application in 24 hours.

Black pepper recall grows

Drew Falkenstein — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:51:05 -0800

The FDA announced yesterday that yet another company is recalling black pepper products as a result of Salmonella contamination. This recall is related to the Mincing Overseas Spice Company recall that occurred on the heels of a major salmonella outbreak linked to Salami products manufactured and sold by Daniele Inc.

The FDA announcement reads as follows: As a result of a recall of Black Pepper by Mincing Overseas Spice Company and distributed by Dutch Valley Food Distributors due to the possibility of contamination with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, a product recall is being issued. 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.

Dutch Valley Food Distributors, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall for the following products with a Bulk Foods Inc. label:

5 Pound boxes of Seasoning Salt, item 808530, with a Mfg. date of 1/4/10 and 2/2/2010
5 Pound boxes of Perfect Pepper Seasoning, item 808399, with a Mfg. date of 1/4/2010
5 Pound boxes of Perfect Pepper Dip Mix, item 278115, with a Mfg. date of 12/7/2009
5 Pound boxes of Vegetable Dip Mix, item 278112, with a Mfg. date of 1/4/2010 and 2/2/2010
5 Pound boxes of Southwest Dip Mix, item 278109, with a Mfg. date of 2/2/2010

50 Pound boxes of Medium Black Pepper, item 808464 with a lot number of 3309 (B, F, G, K, P and T) and 3258 (B, D, G, L, P, Q, R, T and X)
20 Pound boxes of Coarse Black Pepper, item 808465 with a lot number of 3309 (B, F, G, K, P and T) and 3258 (B, D, G, L, P, Q, R, T and X)
25 Pound boxes of Fine Black Pepper, item 808466 with a lot number of 3309 (B, F, G, K, P and T) and 3258 (B, D, G, L, P, Q, R, T and X)
50 Pound boxes of Fine Black Pepper, item 808467 with a lot number of 3309 (B, F, G, K, P and T) and 3258 (B, D, G, L, P, Q, R, T and X)
25 Pound boxes of Whole Black Peppercorns, item 808468 with a lot number of 3309 (B, F, G, K, P and T) and 3358 (B, D, G, L, P, Q, R, T and X)
20 Pound boxes of Medium Black Pepper, item 808469 with a lot number of 3309 (B, F, G, K, P and T) and 3358 (B, D, G, L, P, Q, R, T and X)
5 Pound pails of Whole Black Peppercorns, item 808470 with a lot number of 3309 (B, F, G, K, P and T) and 3358 (B, D, G, L, P, Q, R, T and X)

All items packaged and sold within the parameters mentioned are subject to this recall, including items sold on our website, www.dutchvalleyfoods.com1. The items were distributed nationwide. Retailers are advised to remove all these products from store shelves based on lot number or manufacture dates. Consumers who have purchased these products are asked to destroy them. Consumers with questions regarding the products listed may call Dutch Valley Foods at 1-800-733-4191 and speak with customer service. For more information on FDA’s ongoing investigation, visit the FDA’s website at www.fda.gov2.

Stephen Colbert For FDA Spokesperson

Colin Caywood — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:28:47 -0800

What do you think, should the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hire Stephen Colbert to do all of its consumer alerts for recalled products?

Based on his informational (and comedic) handling of the latest product to be recalled in the ever-expanding Salmonella HVP outbreak, Pringles Cheeseburger and Taco Night flavored chips, Mr. Colbert has my vote. As an aside, when did Cheeseburger and Taco Night become a flavor that people craved in chip form? And who decides what "Taco Night" should taste like? "Well Bob, it's coming along nicely but I still think it needs a little more Night to really give it that authentic Taco Night flavor."

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Consumer Alert - Pringles

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Skate Expectations

Honestly, would you rather go to the FDA's website here and attempt to locate the information yourself, or watch Stephen Colbert?

Subway Shigella outbreak update: 21 confirmed cases

Drew Falkenstein — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:28:05 -0800

As lawsuits commence, the Dupage County Health Department continues to receive reports of illness linked to the Lombard, Illinois Subway restaurant that is at the epicenter of a major shigella outbreak. Spokesperson David Hass recently stated that lab tests have confirmed 21 illnesses in the outbreak. At least seven people have been hospitalized.

We have been contacted by 12 families now seeking representation due to illness amongst family members. Of those, several have been confirmed by stool tests as outbreak cases, but many have not. The reality of any foodpoisoning outbreak, no matter the bacteria and no matter the food vehicle, is that many more people than simply the confirmed cases were sickened.

In fact, some estimates indicate that the number of people sickened in foodpoisoning outbreaks is actually 20 or even 30 times the number of "confirmed cases." These additional "cases" of illness may not have had a stool sample tested; they may not have had medical attention at all; or they may have received antibiotics prior to submitting the stool test. Whatever the case, they are no less outbreak cases than the "confirmed cases."

How many people are actually ill in the Lombard, Subway outbreak? The math is a little scary. 21 X 30 equals . . . a lot of sick people.

More on HVP: bad news for Basic Food Flavors

Drew Falkenstein — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:26:04 -0800

Today, yet another company had to recall products due to Salmonella-contaminated hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) manufactured by Basic Food Flavors, a Las Vegas, Nevada company. Today's recall was by Ruiz Foods, Inc., a Denison, Texas establishment, who had to recall 115,700 pounds of a ready-to-eat beef product that contained HVP as an ingredient.

But Ruiz Foods is just another casualty in what is shaping up to be a long list of incredible recall-related losses for many, many companies. How will the many companies who have had to recall products, including Ruiz Foods, take the news that their HVP supplier may have known about the salmonella contamination in their Las Vegas plant but decided to continue to manufacture and sell HVP for nearly a month afterward, until, apparently, one of their customers discovered the Salmonella contamination and issued a recall?

See the FDA's report written after inspections at Basic Food's plant.