Posts by ruth

On December 20, the CDC reported Listeria illnesses and a death in five states, linked to Almark Foods’ hard-boiled eggs. These products were packaged in plastic pails for use nationwide by foodservice operators and were used in a variety of commercial products. In this investigation, WGS showed that bacteria isolated from ill people are closely related genetically. On December 23, 2019, Almark Foods expanded its recall to include all hard-boiled eggs. These eggs were used as an ingredient in a variety of products resulting in a ripple effect causing numerous additional recalls. The recall now includes hard-boiled eggs sold at...

The CDC, FDA, and public health officials are investigating a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to romaine lettuce harvested in the Salinas area in California. As a result, like last year, romaine lettuce will be absent from the Thanksgiving table. The CDC advises consumers to void all types of romaine lettuce harvested from Salinas, such as whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, and packages of precut lettuce and salad mixes, which contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix, and Caesar salad. The current recall is connected to the Maryland Department of Health investigation of a cluster of...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its 2019 report on Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States. The report shows that antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi cause more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections and consequently more than 35,000 people die each year in the US. The data in the report indicates that the original data of the 2013 report on antibiotic resistance in the US did underestimate the problem. The 2019 report shows, using data sources not available in the past, that there were almost twice as many annual deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections as reported initially in 2013....

On September 28, 2019, Tip Top Poultry, Inc (Rockmart, GA) recalled ready-to-eat (RTE) poultry products that are potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Tip Top notified FSIS that multiple samples were positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes after being tested in Canada. The firm decided to recall all cooked, diced, or shredded, RTE chicken products produced from January 21, 2019, through September 24, 2019. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. This recall resulted in a ripple effect throughout the food industry in the US and Canada since many companies used the...