The Maryland Department of Health is investigating a cluster of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157) illnesses in seven patients in Maryland. All seven consumers reported eating Ready Pac Bistro® Bowl Chicken Caesar Salad purchased from various Sam’s Club locations in Maryland. There has been one hospitalization and no deaths associated with these cases. The same salads are also sold at many other retailers. One unopened salad that had been purchased by one of the patients identified in the outbreak was tested, and the presence of E. coli O157 was detected in the salad’s romaine lettuce. There was no recall of the product because, by the time the investigation was completed, the products identified are already significantly past their use-by dates. @ https://health.maryland.gov/newsroom/Pages/Maryland-Department-of-Health-investigating-E–coli-cluster.aspx
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This month the FDA will begin testing romaine lettuce for the presence of pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) and salmonella. This undertaking is a result of contaminated romaine lettuce caused three separate, multistate E. coli outbreaks. The three outbreaks killed five people and made another 295 sick. The purpose of the study is to identify sources of contamination and factors that may be contributing to them. Neither the FDA nor the industry has been able to determine exactly where all the outbreaks occurred, or how the romaine lettuce became contaminated. The testing program, which will continue until November 2020, is intended to help identify the cause of contaminated romaine lettuce. The agency will take 270 samples throughout the year, increasing the frequency during the spring and fall, when foodborne illness outbreaks associated with romaine lettuce consumption have most frequently occurred. Sampling will only include raw romaine lettuce before it is commingled during fresh-cut processing. If the FDA detects Salmonella spp. or pathogenic E. coli in a sample, the agency will notify the firm of the findings and work with the firm to take appropriate action to protect the public health. The agency may consider multiple compliance and enforcement actions based on the available evidence and the adequacy of the firm’s response to prevent future contamination. Enforcement activities include actions to correct and prevent violations and to remove contaminated food from the market, as appropriate. @ https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/11/19/FDA-begins-testing-romaine-lettuce-after-E-coli-outbreaks-sicken-hundreds/1711574113189/
The Food and Drug Administration this month will begin wide-scale testing of romaine lettuce for the presence of E. coli and salmonella.
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The FDA and state health authorities investigated scombrotoxin fish poisoning linked to yellowfin tuna (sometimes called ahi tuna). As a result of this investigation, FDA has placed Truong Phu Xanh Co, LTD of Vietnam, on Import Alert. The detained product will not enter the United States unless the importer proves that it meets U.S. food safety standards. FDA asked Truong Phu Xanh Co., LTD, to initiate a voluntary recall of all of its imported yellowfin tuna with production dates from January 2019 to the present. At this time, the firm has not recalled any product. The investigation has identified 47 illnesses of scombrotoxin fish poisoning that occurred between August 8, 2019, and October 15, 2019. Multiple samples have been collected and analyzed; with positive results for decomposition or high histamine levels in products imported from Truong Phu Xanh Co., LTD. While recalls were conducted at various points in the supply chain, additional products may still on the market that could cause illness. Truong Phu Xanh Co., LTD as identified as the common supplier of tuna that was likely consumed by most of the ill people. Because scombrotoxin fish poisoning causes temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences this incident did not meet the threshold for the use of FDA’s mandatory recall authority. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-scombrotoxin-fish-poisoning-linked-yellowfinahi-tuna-fall-2019
FDA recommends discarding or destroying yellowfin tuna imported from Truong Phu Xanh Co., LTD with production dates in 2019
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Central Valley Meat Co., Inc. (Hanford, CA) recalled approximately 34,222 pounds of ground beef products due to potential contamination with Salmonella Dublin. The ground beef items were produced on July 23, 2019. These items were shipped to retail locations in California. FSIS was notified of an investigation of Salmonella Dublin illnesses on September 9, 2019. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health partners, FSIS determined that there is a link between ground beef products from Central Valley Meat Co., Inc., and this illness cluster. The traceback investigation indicated that a case-patient consumed ground beef produced by Central Valley Meat Co., Inc. Based on epidemiological investigation, 10 case-patients have been identified in 6 states with illness onset dates ranging from August 8, 2019, to September 22, 2019. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-113-2019-release
Central Valley Meat Co., Inc., a Hanford, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 34,222 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Dublin.