In the news

On August 16 FDA and CDC issued an update of their report issued on July 25th. The FDA, and CDC, and state and local partners are investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora illnesses linked to fresh basil exported by Siga Logistics de RL de CV located in Morelos, Mexico. Siga Logistics de RL de CV recalled the potentially affected basil on July 24, 2019.  At this time, the recommendation not to buy or serve any fresh basil exported by Siga Logistics de RL de CV remains the same. As this outbreak investigation continues, the FDA will update this advisory as more information becomes available. This outbreak involves 205 ill people with 5 hospitalizations. Cases were reported in CT, FL, GA, IA, MA, MN, NY, OH, RI, SC, WI. Exposures occurred at restaurants in five states: FL, MN, NY, OH, and WI. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-cyclospora-illnesses-linked-imported-fresh-basil-july-2019

The FDA cautioned pet owners not to feed their pets certain lots of Texas Tripe raw pet food after samples from some of these lots tested positive for Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes. Texas Tripe Inc. has recalled 35 lots for each of 23 product varieties. The Office of the Texas State Chemist (OTSC) collected 23 finished product samples at Texas Tripe Inc. Of the 23 samples, 16 tested positive for L. monocytogenes and/or Salmonella. The recalled Texas Tripe Inc. products are sold frozen in 20-pound and 40-pound cases. These cases contain multiple plastic pouches, and were sold direct to consumers online and by phone in the  following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. This recall extends a previous recall from July. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/fda-cautions-pet-owners-not-feed-texas-tripe-inc-raw-pet-food-due-salmonella-listeria-monocytogenes?utm_campaign=FDA%20Cautions%20Pet%20Owners%20Not%20to%20Feed%20Texas%20Tripe%20Inc.%20Raw%20Pet%20Food&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

The results of sampling for Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella sp. in romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma, AZ, were published by the FDA. The testing was conducted after the 2018 outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. The sampling of romaine lettuce begun on December 17, 2018, shortly after the season’s harvest began, to monitor the risk of contaminated romaine lettuce entering the market from this region. Sampling was done at commercial coolers, and cold storage facilities to allow the testing of from multiple farms at the same time from centralized locations. Twenty-six commercial coolers and cold storage facilities were tested. The FDA collected and tested 118 samples for each pathogen. Salmonella was not detected in any of the samples. A single non-pathogenic Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) was found. These results indicate that there was no widespread STEC or Salmonella spp. contamination of romaine lettuce from the Yuma growing region during the period when the sampling occurred. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-releases-results-romaine-lettuce-sampling-assignment-yuma-growing-region

Food Safety News reported that in 2018, 886 potential foodborne outbreaks with 2,787 illnesses were reported similar to the year before (875). Six deaths were reported due to the outbreaks (two due to salmonellosis and four from listeriosis). Campylobacter spp. was reported in 377 outbreaks with 914 illnesses. Salmonella spp. Caused 274 outbreaks with more than 1,000 ill, including 34 outbreaks with five or more cases. The number of outbreaks rose slightly compared to 2017. One outbreak was caused by Salmonella enteritidis complex type (CT) 1734 cause 191 illnesses, due to eggs. Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) caused), 55 outbreaks with 172 ill people. Listeria monocytogenes caused 13 outbreaks with 58 ill people. In a 2018 to 2019 outbreak of listeriosis, a meat product was identified as the likely source. There were 109 cases between August 2018 and the end of March this year, with 87 infections last year.

Hepatitis A was linked to 46 outbreaks with 185 sick and Hepatitis E to eight and 17 illnesses. @ https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2019/08/germany-had-almost-900-foodborne-outbreaks-last-year/