In the news

The FDA announced on their website that Lipari Foods is expanding their January 6, 2020, and January 13, 2020, recalls of Premo and Fresh Grab sandwiches to include all sandwiches with a Best By date of 2/6/20 and prior, due to potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes.  The products were distributed exclusively by Lipari Foods in Warren, Michigan to foodservice and retail stores throughout Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. This recall was brought to Lipari’s attention by JLM Manufacturing (of Shelbi, MI) after environmental samples tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes and as a result, further expanding their recent recall to include additional sandwiches with additional Best Buy dates. The company has ceased production at the producing facility while continuing to work in close collaboration with the FDA to further investigate the issue. No illnesses have been reported to date concerning this recall. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/lipari-foods-issues-voluntary-recall-expansion-additional-sandwiches-due-potential-contamination-0?utm_campaign=Lipari%20Foods%20Issues%20Voluntary%20Recall%20Expansion%20on%20Additional%20Sandwiches&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

The FDA advised consumers to stop using certain lots of Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (powder) and Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (capsules) due to possible Salmonella contamination. The FDA collected a product sample of senna leaves powder, an ingredient used to manufacture the Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (powder) and Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (capsules), that tested positive for three types of Salmonella including Salmonella Gaminara, Salmonella Kentucky, and Salmonella Oranienburg. The FDA notified the firm of the results. To date, we are not aware of illness linked to these products. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplement-products-ingredients/public-health-alert-concerning-nopalina-flax-seed-powder-and-nopalina-flax-seed-capsules-and?utm_campaign=Outbreak_SalmonellaFlaxSeed_01232020&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

The FDA announced on its website that Northern FishFive Star Food Inc, Garden City, MI is recalling 100 cases of Excellent tahina 800 g and 100 cases of excellent tahina 400 g containers because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The product was distributed in states of Michigan, Ohio, New York, Florida, North Dakota, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Texas and is sold in 800 grams and in 400 grams. Expiration dates (Best By Nov 2020) are printed on the lid of the container. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the Sham Gardens Tahini. This potential problem was discovered as a result of random sampling by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/five-star-food-recalls-sham-gardens-excellent-tahina-because-possible-health-risk

A study published in Emerging Infectious Disease (26, 2) reports that compared with other major foodborne illnesses, Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections have been steadily increasing. The CDC estimated that the average annual incidence of all Vibrio infections increased by 54% during 2006–2017. V. parahaemolyticus is believed to be responsible for ≈35,000 human infections each year in the United States alone. Since the 1990s, it has been identified as a leading cause of foodborne infections in China. ST36 infections were reported in the northeastern United States in 2012. Later, they were reported in a single large outbreak in Spain. The ST36 is a highly dynamic population and that the V. parahaemolyticus strains to cause infections in the northeastern United States had diverged from the original lineage in the Pacific Northwest throughout the cross-continent eastward expansion. The study reports a transcontinental expansion of ST36 V. parahaemolyticus into South America. International trade of shellfish might be involved in the dispersal of Vibrio parahaemolyticus populations into the United States and Spain. The study found that severe weather, such as El Niño conditions in Peru, provide ideal conditions for the proliferation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. ST36’s ability for intercontinental dispersal, along with its highly pathogenic nature, makes this Vibrio population a major public health concern. Peru has shown that implementation of systematic surveillance for Vibrio species can facilitate the detection of emerging transnational epidemic strains. @ https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/2/19-0362_article