Food Borne Infection / Food Safety

Here is a rundown of the most popular and significant stories we covered this past week.

The federal agency has reported 1 death and 22 hospitalizations stemming back to January of 2021.

Green Pharmaceuticals Inc. issued a voluntary recall of their SnoreStop NasoSpray after FDA testing found the product contaminated with the microbe Providencia rettgeri.

The FDA and other health agencies are investigating fresh organic strawberries, branded as FreshKampo or HEB, that are believed to be the source of hepatitis A infections in the US and Canada.

The company issued the voluntary action due to potential salmonella contamination concerns.

The voluntary recall issued by the company last December was investigated by federal, state and local partners.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the company is concerned about a limited number of jars that may contain a small fragment of stainless steel from a piece of manufacturing equipment.

Here’s a roundup of popular foods and products that were recalled this week by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The federal agency is advising people to not eat Fratelli Beretta brand prepackaged uncured antipasto trays.

The federal agency identified 3 more illnesses and the shrimp supplier expanded their recall.

CDC says infections linked to the consumption of Jule’s Cashew Brie, a vegan, or plant-based cheese alternative, was linked to the cashews used in the ingredients.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the company is concerned about cyclospora contamination on the company’s Dole Fresh Blueberries brand.

The US Food and Drug Administration released an investigation report on the fall 2020 outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 linked to leafy greens grown in California and updated the Leafy Greens Action Plan.

In addition to 7 people in 4 states who have become sick after eating queso fresco from a New Jersey-based company, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published an updated warning.

The US Food and Drug Administration has sent the sandwich chain a warning letter over citing involvement in several outbreaks of Salmonella and Escherichia coli over the past 7 years.

The FDA investigation of fruit mix linked to a recent outbreak has discovered 33 laboratory confirmed illnesses of Salmonella thus far.

In this novel type of outbreak, contamination was not isolated to a single food or facility, suggesting industry-wide contamination.

CDC officials have notified the public of an ongoing investigation regarding a multistate outbreak of E coli O157:H7 infections likely linked to romaine lettuce.

While the outbreak appears to be over, health officials are alerting the public and encouraging continued improvement of industry practices.

Comparisons between strains show little crossover between ESBL-E coli in meat and in humans.

Several cases of scombroid poisoning were reported on September 4, 2019, among individuals who consumed tuna steaks purchased from 3 different Kroger retail stores in Ohio.

Bacteriocin operates effectively by damaging the cell walls of the target species, inducing cell perforation and blebbing, thus killing the cells.

Prior to 2017, Salmonella isolates with resistance to azithromycin had occurred in fewer than 0.5% of isolates from ill Americans.

Since 2017 there have been 24 cases of Listeria associated with the outbreak, with no source of infection identified thus far.

As of July 24, 2019, 132 individuals have been diagnosed with Cyclospora infection as part of a multistate outbreak linked to consumption of fresh basil.

Videos of individuals licking ice cream and placing these cartons back on freezer store shelves have gone viral, and this practice can pose public health risks.

Vibrio vulnificus is a serious gram-negative pathogen that can lead to wound and intestinal infections and has high rates of mortality.

Health officials indicate this outbreak is not related to the 2018 Cyclospora outbreak linked to Del Monte’s vegetable trays, which sickened 250 individuals.

According to the CDC, the outbreak is not connected to with the Salmonella outbreak resolved in February that was linked with tahini and sickened 8 individuals across 4 states.

Consumption of oysters from a Mexican estuary has led to infections caused by multiple pathogens, with some individuals infected by more than 1 bug.