Since the last update on July 18, 2018, an additional 58 people got infected. This includes six people who have been infected with a strain of Salmonella enterica subspecies IIIb, and two people infected with this strain and with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Sandiego at the same time. As of July 30, 2018, 79 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Sandiego (71 people), Salmonella enterica subspecies IIIb (6 people), or both (2 people) have been reported from nine states.
Out of 74 people with information available, 18 (24%) have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The recalled pasta salad was sold in all Hy-Vee grocery stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. @ https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/sandiego-07-18/index.html
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Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Hy-Vee Spring Pasta Salad
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The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is demanding that the Food and Drug Administration publish the names of retailers who received romaine lettuce from the recent Fresh Express recall. The romaine was implicated in a Cyclospora outbreak traced to McDonald’s salads. So far, according to the CDC, 286 people in 15 states have become ill in the outbreak and 11 people were hospitalized. Cyclospora was confirmed by FDA in a sample of Fresh Express salad mix distributed to McDonald’s. The mix contained carrots and romaine lettuce. The USDA confirmed that chopped romaine from the same lot as the positive sample had also been distributed to other stores, including Kroger, Trader Joe’s, and Walgreens. Neither Fresh Express nor the FDA has published the names of retailers other than McDonald’s who may have received lettuce from the affected lot and sold it to consumers under different brand names. Until the retailers’ names are published, CSPI is advising people to avoid eating romaine lettuce unless they can confirm with the retailer that it was not included in the Fresh Express recall. @ https://cspinet.org/news/cspi-advises-consumers-avoid-romaine-lettuce-until-fda-discloses-retailers-20180801
Update: Since the FDA has confirmed the lettuce in the lot expired by July 24, CSPI has lifted its recommendation that consumers avoid romaine.
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The FDA investigators found serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food regulation. Based on FDA’s inspectional findings and the analytical results for the environmental samples collected during the inspection, FDA determined that the cereal manufactured in the facility is adulterated because it was prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions. Some of the reasons for the letter include the fact that the hazard analysis for the cereal did not identify contamination of RTE cereal with the environmental pathogen of Salmonella as a food safety hazard requiring a preventive control. Salmonella was repeatedly found in the environment (81 positive samples and 32 positive vector samples) without corrective action procedures that must be taken if preventive controls are not properly implemented. Additionally, the facility did not implement sanitation corrective action procedures and did not verify that sanitation preventive controls are consistently implemented and are effectively and significantly minimizing or preventing a hazard with environmental monitoring as required. @ https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm615073.htm
CGMP/Food/Prepared, Packed or Held Under Insanitary Conditions/Adulterated
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July 30, 2018 – The USDA/FSIS issued an alert due to concerns about contamination of beef, pork and poultry salad and wrap products were distributed by Caito Foods LLC, an Indianapolis, with Cyclospora. The products were produced on July 15 to 18, 2018. Boar’s Head, Trader Joe’s, GFS, and Walgreens are some of the names associated with the recall. The problem was discovered when Caito Foods received notification from their lettuce supplier, Fresh Express, that the chopped romaine that was used to manufacture some of their salads and wraps was recalled. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators and that consumers may be at risk due to the length of the Cyclospora incubation period. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/news-releases-statements-and-transcripts/news-release-archives-by-year/archive/2018/pha-07302018-1
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert out of an abundance of caution due to concerns about contamination with Cyclospora.