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Read MoreSpartanburg El Mexicano Restaurant Outs Itself as E. coli Link
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control finds no ongoing transmission of disease or current public health threat related to a Spartanburg-area Mexican restaurant, the agency announced today.
"While it is our policy not to release information during a pending investigation unless it affects the health of the citizens of South Carolina, the El Mexicano on East Main Street in Spartanburg has voluntarily agreed to release its name to the public." DHEC Director Catherine Templeton said. "We’ve found no conclusive link between the restaurant and those who have gotten sick during this outbreak."
Templeton said the management of El Mexicano #6 has cooperated fully with DHEC inspectors, who found no substantial violations during the restaurant’s most recent inspection on May 11 where the facility scored an “A” rating. The restaurant also scored an “A” rating during an unannounced routine inspection in February.
"We've willingly answered all questions, as well as reviewed our menu items practices since DHEC inspectors first approached us in the early stages of their investigation," El Mexicano #6 Owner Martin Mata said. "We're glad that DHEC has found that our restaurant presents no health threat to our valued customers. This is the first problem we've had like this in more than 15 years in the business.
“In the interest of all Mexican restaurants in Spartanburg, we felt it was important to come forward and share what DHEC has determined so far in its investigation and our willingness to assist the agency any way that we can,” Mata said. “We’ll continue to work with DHEC to get to the bottom of this situation.”
According to Templeton, DHEC’s investigation will continue in an effort to determine a possible link between these cases of human illness and a food product.
The ongoing investigation includes one lab-confirmed case of E. coli O157:H7, two cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which often follows E. coli infection in children, and seven other cases of diarrheal illness. The most recent case began experiencing symptoms on May 3.
Anyone experiencing severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting should seek care from their health care provider.
Attorney Marler Calls for Increased Transparency in Spartanburg E. coli Investigation
Citing previous instances in which government suppression of data in foodborne illness outbreaks has proven misguided, food safety expert and attorney William Marler calls on DHEC to release the name of the Mexican restaurant responsible for the recent E. coli outbreak.
According to South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) officials a “Spartanbug-area Mexican restaurant” is to blame for a recent E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. While health officials have stated that victims became ill during the last week of April and the first week of May, they have opted not to disclose the restaurant’s name – something that many, including food safety expert and E. coli attorney William Marler, as well as area Mexican restaurants whose business is, or may be, affected by DHEC’s failure to identify the restaurant – find troubling.
“Our public health agencies are fantastic at detecting the source of an outbreak; however it is a disservice to American consumers when these agencies fail to disclose their findings to the public,” said Marler. “Not only is it unfair to the other “Spartanburg-area Mexican restaurants” that are not at fault, but history has shown us that such behavior can be incredibly detrimental to food safety.”
Health officials maintain that it is unnecessary to publically name the restaurant because it no longer poses a health threat. However, citing previous outbreaks, Marler argues that a practice of data suppression can have negative long term consequences.
2012 Taco Bell Salmonella Outbreak
In January of 2012 the CDC announced that a Salmonella outbreak had sickened 68 people in 10 states. While the CDC tracked the source of the outbreak, publically it has only named “a Mexican-style fast food chain restaurant – Restaurant Chain A”. Reporters at Food Safety News, a daily online news source sponsored by Marler Clark, ultimately learned from the Oklahoma State Department of Health that the chain in question was Taco Bell.
2011 Schnucks Romaine Lettuce E. coli Outbreak
In October of 2011, health officials in Missouri announced that they were investigating an E. coli outbreak. By October 31, county health officials named romaine lettuce from Schnucks salad bars as the likely source of the outbreak. On December 7, the CDC released a report linking the outbreak to “a single grocery store chain (Chain A).” In a December 8 news report, Schnucks confirmed that it was “Chain A”, though it refused to name its lettuce supplier.
In December of 2011, Marler Clark filed two separate lawsuits against Schnucks on behalf of people who were hospitalized due to E. coli O157:H7 infections contracted in the outbreak [1]. Marler Clark added Moore, Oklahoma-based Vaughan Foods to both lawsuits when, through its own investigation, the law firm learned the company was the supplier of E. coli-contaminated romaine lettuce to Schnucks stores.
2009 Caudill Seed and Jimmy John’s Salmonella Outbreak
Between February and March of 2009, 235 people in 14 states became ill with Salmonella. The CDC conducted an investigation that uncovered alfalfa sprouts from a single unnamed grower to be the source of the outbreak. Many of those sickened ate at a restaurant dubbed “Chain A” by the CDC. While the CDC never did release the names of any of the companies involved, on March 15, 2009 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert indicating the contaminated seeds came from Caudill Seed Company. Later it was discovered that “Chain A” was Jimmy John’s. Jimmy John’s would go on to be involved in a total of 5 foodborne illness outbreaks tied to sprouts before finally pulling sprouts from it menus.
1993 Jack in the Box E. coli Outbreak
It has become common knowledge that a 1993 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened over 500, hospitalized 144, and killed four was linked to undercooked hamburgers from Jack in the Box. Nonetheless, to this day the CDC only refers to it as “chain A restaurant”.
1982 McDonald’s E. coli Outbreak
While the Jack in the Box outbreak is commonly credited with introducing E. coli O157:H7 to the masses, a decade earlier at least 47 people became ill with severe symptoms of E. coli. Almost all of those sickened had eaten undercooked hamburgers from McDonald’s – referred to only as “a fast food restaurant chain” in medical journals.
“Perhaps if researchers had made the 1982 McDonald’s outbreak more public, the Jack in the Box tragedy never would’ve happened,” said Marler. “Perhaps if Jimmy John’s had been publically identified as playing a role in the 2009 Salmonella outbreak the company would’ve taken corrective food safety measures and stopped selling sprouts sooner. And, in each of these cases, perhaps innocent people wouldn’t have been needlessly sickened, hospitalized, and killed.”
6 Raw Milk Outbreaks in 2012 - 152 Sickened, some seriously
Campylobacter, E. coli and Cryptosporidium.
It has been a bad few months for raw milk hucksters and even worse for their customers.
- January to April – Campylobacter in raw milk from Organic Pastures in California – 10 Ill.
- April – E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium in raw milk from Foundation Farm in Oregon – 21 Ill including 4 with HUS.
- March to April – E. coli in raw milk from Stroupe Farm in Missouri – 14 Ill including 1 with HUS.
- March – Campylobacter in raw milk from Claravale Farm in California – 9 Ill.
- January to February – Campylobacter in raw milk from Family Cow Dairy in Pennsylvania – 80 Ill.
- January – Campylobacter in raw goat milk from unnamed dairy in Kansas – 18 Ill.
Raw Dairy Outbreaks and Recalls from 1998 to the present:
119 total outbreaks
86 fluid milk: 18 cow, 4 goat, 64 unspecified milk type
27 cheese: 2 aged, 3 homemade, 17 Mexican-style queso fresco, 1 goat chevre, 1 curds, 3 unspecified
6 multiple raw dairy products (fluid milk, cheese, and/or colostrum)
2,147 total illnesses, 2 deaths
1,514 fluid milk-related illnesses, no deaths: 249 cow, 63 goat, 1,202 unspecified
576 cheese-related illnesses: 46 aged, 80 homemade, 324 Mexican-style queso fresco (2 deaths), 5 goat chevre, 63 curds, 58 unspecified cheese type
57 multiple raw dairy products-related illnesses (fluid milk, cheese, and/or colostrum)
A risky elixir! For the facts about raw milk, see Real Raw Milk Facts.
16 Sick From Salmonella Diamond Pet Food: Recall List
Diamond Pet Foods has recalled nine brands of dry pet food formulas that were manufactured in Gaston. All batches manufactured between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012 are affected.
Consolidated list of recalled dry pet food products (as of May 11, 2012)
- Apex Chicken and Rice Dog (20-lb and 40-lb bags; Production code ACD0101B32; Best by date 24-Jan-2013)
- Canidae Dog Dry Dog Food, All Life Stages (All packages sizes; Best before date between December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production code must have the number “3″ in the 9th digit AND the letter “X” in the 10th or 11th digit)
- Canidae Dog Dry Dog Food, Chicken Meal & Rice (All packages sizes; Best before date between December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production code must have the number “3″ in the 9th digit AND the letter “X” in the 10th or 11th digit)
- Canidae Dog Dry Dog Food, Lamb Meal & Rice (All packages sizes; Best before date between December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production code must have the number “3″ in the 9th digit AND the letter “X” in the 10th or 11th digit)
- Canidae Dog Dry Dog Food, Canidae Platinum (All packages sizes; Best before date between December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production code must have the number “3″ in the 9th digit AND the letter “X” in the 10th or 11th digit)
- Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number “2″ or “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 10th or 11th digit)
- Country Value (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number “2″ or “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 10th or 11th digit)
- Diamond (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number “2″ or “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 10th or 11th digit)
- Diamond Naturals (All package sizes and formulas; Best before dates between December 9, 2012 and April 7, 2013; Production codes have a number “2″ or “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 10th or 11th digit)
- Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 11th digit)
- Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 11th digit)
- Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 11th digit)
- Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 11th digit)
- Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 11th digit)
- Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 11th digit)
- Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013; Production codes have a number “3″ in the 9th digit and the letter “X” in the 11th digit)
- Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison Dog (5 lb bag; Best by December 12, 2012; December 13, 2012; March 13, 2013)
