In the news

The Food and Drug Administration and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced that Mann Packing Co. (Salinas, CA), Inc. recalled a series of vegetable products sold to select retailers in the United States and Canada due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses are associated with this recall. The recalled products include various vegetable and ready meal products sold by the company under the brand names Del Monte, HEB, Hungryroot, Kroger Organic, Mann’s, Marketside, O Organics, Signature Farms, Sysco and Trader Joe’s. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/mann-packing-co-inc-voluntarily-recalls-vegetable-products-sold-united-states-and-canada-due

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the USDA-FSIS are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Dublin infections linked to ground beef. A total of 10 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Dublin have been reported from 6 states (California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas). One person in California died,  and a total of eight have been hospitalized. Of nine ill people with information available, eight (89%) were hospitalized, which is much higher than we would expect for Salmonella infections.  Salmonella Dublin illnesses are more severe because they can cause bloodstream infections, which are serious and require hospitalization. The investigation has not identified a single, common supplier of ground beef. @ https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/dublin-11-19/index.html

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results triggered Sobeys Inc. to recall some of its Compliments brand sweet kale bagged salad blend because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Sobeys Inc. reported the bagged, chopped kale salad was distributed in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan. The recalled kale salad is packaged in 255-gram plastic bags with a UPC number of 0 68820 13305 6 and one of the following best-by dates: 19 OC 28; 19 OC 31; 19 NO 01; 19 NO 02; 19 NO 03. @ https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9159570/possible-listeria-contamination-in-sweet-kale-bagged-salad-blend/

On October 31, the FDA shared news of a recent E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, involving 23 illnesses that were likely associated with romaine lettuce. No deaths were reported. It looks like the authorities kept the investigation hidden for six weeks before going public after it was over. It raises the concern that failing to reveal the outbreak as soon as the CDC and FDA became aware of it is an example of an uncalled-for lack of transparency. said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannas said that “E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that was likely associated with romaine lettuce. We do not believe there is a current or ongoing risk to the public and we are not recommending the public avoid consuming romaine lettuce”. The FDA announced that the active investigation had reached its end, and the outbreak appears to be over.  The CDC notified the FDA of this illness cluster in mid-September 2019. A total of 23 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 were reported from 12 states: Arizona (3), California (8), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (2), Maryland (1), North Carolina (1), Nevada (1), New York (1), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (2) and South Carolina (1). Eleven people were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported. Illnesses started on dates ranging from July 12, 2019, to Sept. 8, 2019. No illnesses were reported after the CDC began investigating the outbreak on Sept. 17, 2019. Investigators were sent to visit farms located in California’s central coast region, which were identified through the traceback investigation. The investigation did not identify a common source or point where contamination occurred. @ https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-brief/fda-cdc-and-other-health-partners-investigated-outbreak-e-coli-o157h7-possibly-linked-romaine