Global Germ Protection

05/22/2019

Del Monte vegetable trays linked to salmonella outbreak

The Food and Drug Administration is inspecting a Del Monte Fresh Produce Inc. facility after four cases of salmonellosis were linked to vegetable trays produced there.

An FDA notice on the investigation of Salmonella Infantis said Wisconsin Department of Health Services linked the illnesses to the vegetable trays from the Kankakee, Ill., plant. The trays were sold at Kwik Trip convenience stores in Wisconsin and Minnesota, with three cases in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota.

Wisconsin’s department of health reported patients became ill between April 13 and April 29. Kwik Trip voluntarily removed the deli trays from stores.

In 2018, Del Monte vegetable trays were the source of Cyclospora infections; the FDA said this outbreak is not related to that one.

The products involved in the current salmonella investigation are six- and 12-ounce Del Monte vegetable trays containing broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and dill dip. The Wisconsin health department is warning consumers not to eat those products.

The FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Wisconsin and Minnesota state health officials are investigating the source of the outbreak and the distribution of products, according to the FDA notice.

On June 15, 2018, Del Monte recalled vegetable trays sold at Kwik Trips and other stores after they were linked to a Cyclospora outbreak. The trays contained broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery and dill dip. Overall, 250 infections were reported in connection with the outbreak, which was officially declared over in September. Health officials were unable to identify “a single source or potential point of contamination for any of the items that comprised the recalled vegetable trays," according to the FDA.

03/14/2019

https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/Schwarzengrund-03-19/index.html

Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Butterball Brand Ground Turkey

03/11/2019

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2019/03/grocers-say-pillsbury-flour-has-been-recalled-because-of-salmonella-risk/

Two grocery chains are reporting that the parent company of the Pillsbury Co. has initiated a nationwide recall of flour packaged under the iconic brand

03/09/2019

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12/31/2018

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year❤️

11/23/2018

Happy Thanksgiving!

Don't Forget To Use PURE HARD SURFACE FOR FOOD SAFETY

11/21/2018

FYI

Important and unfortunate!

Pure Hard Surface can do the job on Counters and in the refrigerator, no need for Bleach!

Food Safety Alert: A multistate outbreak of E. coli Infections has been linked to chopped romaine lettuce.

11/09/2018

Duncan Hines cake mixes recalled following positive salmonella test

Conagra Brands has voluntarily recalled its Duncan Hines Classic White cake mix, along with three other varieties made during the same time period, because of a positive salmonella test result in a retail sample. The other recalled varieties are Signature Confetti, Classic Butter Golden and Classic Yellow. The company has posted the recalled products' UPC codes and best-if-used-by dates.
An illness outbreak potentially linked to the cake mix is being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The FDA saidits investigators are inspecting the Conagra facility that produced the cake mixes and collecting product and environmental samples. Meanwhile, the CDC is investigating five illnesses with the same DNA fingerprint as the salmonella found in the white cake mix, the FDA said.
Conagra said several of the individuals sickened reported consuming a cake mix at some point prior to becoming ill, and some may have also consumed these products raw and not baked. The company reminded consumers to never eat raw batter, and that cake mixes and batter can contain eggs or flour with a potential risk of bacteria that is rendered harmless by baking, frying or boiling.

Conagra voluntarily recalled the four varieties of Duncan Hines cake mix because of salmonella concerns, although only the Classic White had a positive salmonella test result. The company said it was doing so "out of an abundance of caution" because all four were made during the same time period.

Duncan Hines very recently joined Conagra's portfolio of brands following its purchase of Pinnacle Foods for approximately $10.9 billion. The deal was seen as adding a variety of well-known snack, frozen and other products to the Conagra family, such as Birds Eye, Hungry-Man, Log Cabin, Vlasic and Wish-Bone.

However, it can't be pleasant for Conagra to have to deal with a recall of a newly acquired brand. Pinnacle has been candid about challenges in moving its grocery products in a competitive environment, and Duncan Hines may have presented one of those challenges.

If Conagra executives perceive the brand as too much of a liability, it could be spun off to another owner or potentially shelved. Pinnacle dropped 16 Aunt Jemina frozen products last year after voluntarily recalling many of them for potential listeria contamination, and while the company said it was planning to do so anyway, it also noted the recall accelerated the move.

While the source of this Duncan Hines-related salmonella contamination is still under investigation, it could have stemmed from a product ingredient, or perhaps the production facility itself. Salmonella has been associated with eggs and dairy products, and flour has been linked to E. coli outbreaks.

A recall of bread and rolls by Flowers Foods this past July, for example, was caused by the possible presence of salmonella in whey powder. A huge recall of General Mills Gold Medal flour in 2016 for E. coli contamination that sickened 63 people and hospitalized 17 prompted numerous downstream recalls since so many other products used it as an ingredient.

Cake mix is heavily ingredients-based, so it's likely to take some time for FDA inspectors to complete their investigations and to then compare notes with their CDC colleagues to narrow down how the salmonella contamination occurred. Depending on the source, there could be additional recalls related to this outbreak, but that remains to be seen.

Regardless of what happens next, though, Conagra seems to have acted quickly and efficiently to deal with the problem. The company voluntarily recalled more product than it needed to given the salmonella sample results, but that's a prudent act for a company that plans to move on and not let a recall tarnish its reputation nor that of its brands going forward.

07/18/2018

McDonald’s officials decided to pull salads from 3,000 of their U.S. restaurants while they work with federal and state investigators to find the specific source of Cyclospora parasites that have infected more than 100 people.

The outbreak of cyclosporiasis linked to the McDonald’s salads is not thought to be related to another ongoing outbreak of the parasitic infections associated with pre-cut vegetable and dip trays marketed under the Del Monte brand, according to federal officials.

Investigators from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in recent days that the implicated salads were pulled from McDonald’s restaurants in 14 states.

“Many ill people reported eating salads from McDonald’s restaurants located in the Midwest. People reported eating a variety of McDonald’s salads,” according to the CDC.

A statement from the multi-national fast food chain reported the states where the implicated salad was distributed as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

“McDonald’s has been in contact with public health authorities from Iowa and Illinois about an increase in Cyclospora infections in those states,” according to the McDonald’s statement. “In addition, the CDC also has received reports of people who became sick in Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin who ate salads sold at McDonald’s locations in those states.

“… we voluntarily stopped selling salads at impacted restaurants until we can switch to another lettuce blend supplier.”

As of Friday the CDC was reporting 61 confirmed infections from Cyclospora parasites in people across seven states — Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. However, Illinois officials have reported 90 confirmed cases in their state alone.

The discrepancy is not unusual, though, especially with Cyclospora. There can be up to six weeks lag time between when a person becomes ill from the parasite and when their confirmed lab tests are reported to federal officials. The CDC says Cyclospora illnesses that began after June 1 likely have not yet been added to the federal case count.

Illnesses in the parasitic outbreak linked to the McDonald’s salads started on or after May 1. The most recent person known to have been infected became ill on July 10. The sick people range in age from 16 to 79 years old. Two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

To view the full sized graphic about the transmission and life cycle of Cyclospora parasites, please click on the image.

“If you have eaten a salad from a McDonald’s restaurant in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, or Wisconsin since mid-May — on or after May 14 — and you developed diarrhea, see a healthcare provider to be tested for Cyclospora infection and to be treated if you are sick,” the CDC advised consumers.

“Do not eat leftover salads from McDonald’s restaurants that were purchased in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, or Wisconsin. Throw them away.”

The FDA reports it has not identified which salad ingredient could be the source of the microscopic Cyclospora parasite. The agency is working with McDonald’s officials to trace all of the salad ingredients back through the supply chain.

“… multiple components of these salads are under consideration. The investigation is ongoing and the FDA is currently reviewing distribution and supplier information,” according to the agency’s outbreak report.

Anyone who has eaten a McDonald’s salad in any of the 14 states where the salad blend was distributed and developed symptoms of cyclosporiasis should seek medical attention. Specific laboratory tests are needed to diagnose cyclosporiasis, which sometimes mimics symptoms of flu and other illnesses.

It takes Cyclospora parasites days to weeks after being passed in a person’s bowel movement to become infectious for another person. Therefore, it is unlikely that cyclosporiasis is passed directly from one person to another. It is commonly spread via fresh produce. Washing and rinsing food does not remove or kill the parasite, according to the CDC and FDA.

Some people infected with the parasite do not develop symptoms, but they can infect others.

“Most people infected with Cyclospora develop diarrhea, with frequent, sometimes explosive, bowel movements. Other common symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps/pain, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue. Vomiting, body aches, headache, fever, and other flu-like symptoms may be noted,” according to the FDA notice on the outbreak.

“If not treated, the illness may last from a few days to a month or longer. Symptoms may seem to go away and then return one or more times.”

07/13/2018

3,000 McDonald’s locations removing salads due to cyclospora link

Health authorities in Illinois and Iowa have reported 105 recent cases of cyclosporiasis and have linked some of them to McDonald’s salads.

The fast-food chain is cooperating with state and federal health agencies as they investigate the outbreak.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to voluntarily stop selling salads at impacted restaurants until we can switch to another lettuce blend supplier,” McDonald’s said in a statement. “We are in the process of removing existing salad blends from identified restaurants and distribution centers, which includes approximately 3,000 of our U.S. restaurants, primarily located in the Midwest.”

McDonald’s declined to answer further questions about the salads.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported that it identified 15 people this week who ate McDonald’s salads in late June or early July before falling ill. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 90 cases of cyclosporiasis and noted that about 25% of those illnesses have been connected to McDonald’s salads.

“Although a link has been made to salads sold in McDonald’s restaurants in some Illinois cases, public health officials continue to investigate other sources,” Illinois Department of Public Health director Nirav Shah said in a news release.

Health authorities in Iowa and Illinois encouraged people to seek treatment from a doctor and get tested for cyclosporiasis if they ate a McDonald’s salad and experienced symptoms including diarrhea and fatigue.

In June, federal agencies investigated cyclosporiasis cases that were linked to Del Monte vegetable trays. More than 225 illnesses have been reported in that outbreak.

At this time, no link has been made by health authorities between the outbreak linked to McDonald’s salads and the outbreak linked to Del Monte vegetable trays, which included broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and dip.