In the news

The FDA, CDC, and state and local partners are investigating an outbreak of hepatitis infections linked to frozen organic strawberries imported by a common supplier from Baja, California, Mexico. The frozen organic strawberries were sold to various retailers under multiple brand labels. Based on epidemiological data collected by CDC, 7/7 (100%) people (5 from WA and 2 from CA)who provided information about what they ate before becoming ill reported eating frozen organic strawberries. Two people were hospitalized. FDA’s traceback investigation identified a common supplier of frozen organic strawberries. Strawberries were imported from farms in Baja, California, Mexico, in 2022. Additionally, the strain of hepatitis A virus causing illnesses this year is genetically identical to the strain that caused the outbreak in 2022, which was linked to fresh organic strawberries imported from Baja California, Mexico, and sold at various retailers. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-hepatitis-virus-infections-frozen-strawberries-february-2023?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

The FDA reported that Meijer, its supplier, and Revolution Farms announced a voluntary recall of select Fresh from Meijer premade salads because they can potentially be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall is part of a broader Revolution Farms lettuce recall and includes premade salads carried at Meijer stores in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Meijer is unaware of any illnesses from Meijer brand salad products included in this recall. The recalled premade salads have a Fresh From Meijer sticker on a clear plastic container. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/meijer-recalls-select-premade-salads-due-potential-health-risk?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

A publication in Microbial Risk Analysis entitled “Classification and ranking of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) genotypes detected in food based on potential public health impact using clinical data( (Lindqvist et al. Vol 23, April 2023) describes a new approach for ranking and classifying STEC strains genotypes based on their probabilities to cause severe illness. Data on the probability of causing severe illness was the proportion of reported STEC cases with different clinical outcomes such as hemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), hospitalization, and bloody diarrhea (BD). The research created a list of STEC genotypes in descending order of potential public health burden per case. The researchers combined the estimated probability of the strain causing severe illness with the public health burden associated with sickness in terms of disability-adjusted life years. This is illustrated by arbitrarily separating the ranked list of genotypes into classes based on the potential public health burden and characterizing collections of strains isolated from different foods into different classes. The new approach addresses the limitation of not considering the severity of illnesses, improving transparency of risk management decisions, and is risk-based regarding the probability and consequences of severe illness. It is not risk-based in terms of the risk associated with the presence of a STEC genotype in the food since this would involve genotype specific risk assessments considering exposure which would involve more work and data that are not always available. @ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352352223000014

The USDA/FSIS issued a public alert for ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh salad products with chicken and ham that FDA regulated lettuce recalled due to possible Listeria monocytogenes. The fresh salads with chicken and ham were produced on various dates from March 10, 2023, through March 24, 2023. The following products are included (i) 5.5-oz. clear plastic packages containing “Fruit Ridge Farms White Chicken Caesar Salad” with sell by dates 03/10/23 through 04/14/23. (ii) 4.6-oz. clear plastic packages containing “Fruit Ridge Farms Chef Salad with Ham” with sell by dates 03/10/23 through 04/14/23. (iii) 5.5-oz. clear plastic packages containing “BELL’S BISTRO White Chicken Caesar Salad” with sell by dates 03/10/23 through 04/14/23. (iv) 4.6-oz. clear plastic packages containing “BELL’S BISTRO Chef Salad with Ham” with sell by dates 03/10/23 through 04/14/23. The products were shipped to retail locations in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The problem was discovered when the firm notified FSIS that they used FDA-recalled lettuce to produce the fresh salad with chicken and ham products. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of these products. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-fresh-salads-chicken-and-ham-containing-lettuce