FDA Releases a report on its investigation of the summer 2020 outbreak of Salmonella in peaches

The FDA has released a report on the investigation of Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak in peaches in the summer of 2020. The outbreak caused 101 reported illnesses across 17 states, including 28 hospitalizations. This appears to be the first time a Salmonella outbreak has been linked to peaches. While no test results matched the 2020 outbreak strain, four tests conducted on peach and peach tree leaf samples from an orchard adjacent to a poultry operation yielded positives for Salmonella Alachua, further linked to 2019 and 2020 chicken isolates. During the follow-up investigation, two tests of peach tree leaf samples collected from orchards adjacent to a cattle feedlot yielded positives for Salmonella Montevideo that were genetically similar via WGS to 2018-2020 beef and cattle isolates. The investigational findings reinforce the FDA’s concern about the potential impact that adjacent land uses can have on the safety of produce. The finding reinforces the need to implement appropriate science- and risk-based measures to improve the safety of fresh produce. The FDA encourages all growers to be mindful of and assess risks posed by adjacent and nearby land uses, including the potential impact of dust exposure. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-releases-investigation-findings-following-summer-2020-outbreak-linked-peaches