FSIS today released the identities of retail stores that may have received E. coli O157:H7-contaminated ground beef involved in the current recall by Fairbank Farm. All Shaw’s stores in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachussets, and Vermont may have received contaminated meat; and all Price Chopper stores in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York and Vermont may have received contaminated
Recall Announced in Mass./R.I. E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak
New information on the cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses among Rhode Island students sickened through consumption of ground beef at a camp in Massachusetts, as reported on by the Rhode Island Department of Health:
The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) advises Rhode Islanders that the South Shore Meat packing plant in Brockton has
Why Food Traceability Is so Important
It’s not much good to announce the recall of 4,000 pounds of ground beef for E. coli O157:H7 contamination when no one knows where the beef went. According to this report, state health officials in Texas are working with the owner of Culebra Meat Market No. 1 in San Antonio to determine which restaurants purchased meat there that may
Pennsylvania Food Safety Director: “Think Hard” Before Selling Raw-Milk
Some interesting quotes and figures from Bill Chirdon, director of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Food Safety regarding the sale of raw milk, as reported in the American Agriculturalist. Chirdon warned potential sellers to closely examine the decision, addressing the sellers liability for sales of contaminated product:
It’s an enormous risk….There are times when
Bacteria in Leafy Greens – Following the Light?
New research conducted in Israel suggests that the method that some bacteria, including Sallmonella, are enetering leafy greens is connected to light exposure, as reported today on an L.A. Times blog.
The new study was published in the journal "Applied and Environmental Microbiology." The findings, as reported by the L.A. Times:
Salmonella penetrates the lettuce leaf’s
Missouri DNR Spokewoman Testifies on E. coli Cover-up
New information in a continuing story we have been following here: Susan Medley, the former spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) told Senate investigators that the delay in the release of information about high bacteria levels at Lake of the Ozarks "stemmed from a department failure to quickly gather information to put the
Risk Posed by Non-O157 E. coli Greater Than Recognized
According to the results of a study recently published by the CDC, the incidence of dangerous and under-reported non-O157 E. coli infection is on the rise. E. coli is the term given to a large family of bacteria. Within that family, E. coli O157:H7 has been recognized as pathogenic to humans. As a result, E.
Another Petting Zoo in UK Closes as E. coli Fears Spread
The "World of Animal Life" exhibit in Devon, England, has closed as health officials investigate links to three more people with E. coli O157:H7 infections. According to a BBC report:
In a statement, the Health Protection Agency said: "East Devon District Council and the Health Protection Agency this afternoon advised the precautionary closure of the World of Country
The Ugly Side of Foodborne Illness
I haven’t been in half as many living rooms as the partners at Marler Clark have, but I’ve certainly seen a lot of suffering over the past six years, doing what we do. Kids on dialysis; adults suffering in the miserable comfort of a hospital bed after having big pieces of their intestines surgically removed
2006 Spinach E. coli Outbreak Revisited
The 2000 movie called “The Perfect Storm” loosely chronicled the destruction of an Atlantic nor’easter that formed due to the random convergence of several destructive weather patterns. Twelve people died in the storm, including six sword fishermen aboard the Andrea Gail (captained by George Clooney’s in the movie). Today is September 14, 2009, marking three