Eight Washington state and Oregon residents have been confirmed ill with E. coli infections since eating E. coli-contaminated ground beef sold by Interstate Meat Dist., Inc. of Clackmas, Oregon, under the Northwest Finest brand. The ground beef was sold in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington between July 19 and July 30, 2007. Health officials believe
Consumer confidence in food supply drops
A new article from the Investor’s Business Daily focuses on a drop in consumer confidence in the American food supply:
"There’s a great interest by both the supplier community and retailers to identify and trace foods," said Jill Hollingsworth, FMI’s group vice president of food safety programs. "Retailers want to know more about where foods
Spinach recalled for Salmonella contamination
A Salinas Valley spinach grower recalled bagged spinach products today after Salmonella was detected in some of the company’s products. Metz Fresh of King City, California, released the following information about the recall, which was published in the Westfall Daily News:
The recalled spinach was distributed throughout the 48 states and Canada and sold
Hepatitis A exposure extends beyond Jamba Juice
A food worker at a Jamba Juice restaurant recently tested positive for hepatitis A, and KCBS out of San Jose, California, reported that the same worker prepared smoothies at the National Gymnastics Championships in August. According to the report:
The female worker, who is now recovering from her infection, used good hygiene and food
Cheese recalled for Listeria contamination
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia health officials discovered Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of Italian-made Ricotta Salata cheese. Listeria causes an illness known as listeriosis, which can be particularly severe in pregnant women and elderly people. The AJC reported:
The agriculture department said the contamination was found in a package imported under the brand
Norovirus food safety infosheet
This week’s Food Safety Infosheet from the International Food Safety Network gives us some good information about Norovirus, a common foodborne illness:
More than 100 people reported getting sick after attending a conference at the Hilton Chicago hotel in July. Health officials say the kitchens at the hotel passed an inspection and hotel employees
Almond update: pasteurization required as of Sept. 1
The California Almond Board recently requested an extension on a September 1, 2007 requirement that all California almonds be pasteurized before sale, stating that not all almond growers had the ability to get necessary equipment and processes i place to avoid an interruption in the almond supply. Monday, USDA denied the request. In a statement,
Sheetz Salmonella case gets its day in court
Today’s Altoona Mirror reported on a hearing yesterday regarding the Sheetz Salmonella outbreak of 2004. At yesterday’s hearing, a Blair County Judge dismissed eight defendants from the case, stating that Sheetz and the company who supplied Salmonella-contamianted tomatoes to Sheetz, Coronet Foods, had not provided enough proof to implicate one or more Coronet suppliers as
Another botulism recall
Everlasting Distributors, a New Jersey firm, is recalling Blue Ocean Smoked Mackerel that was distributed in retail stores in New York and New Jersey in uncoded styropor foam trays and was vacuum-packed with a clear plastic bag. The mackerel products may be contamianted with Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism.
300 detainees sick in Pierce County
The Seattle Times reported today that 300 detainees being held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma/Pierce County became ill with food poisoning Sunday night. Some workers at the facility also fell ill with symptoms of food poisoning, including diarrhea and vomiting. The Times’ report on the outbreak included the following:
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department