The fourth Salmonella outbreak linked to fresh cucumbers since 2013 sickened people in at least eight states and spurred a national grocery chain to pull mini cucumbers from shelves this past spring — but federal officials didn’t go public about it until this week. In a report dated today, eight months after the outbreak, scientists… Continue Reading
Seven separate Salmonella outbreaks across 35 states sickened more than 300 people in the first four months of this year and are ongoing. All the outbreaks are being blamed on live poultry from “backyard flocks.” Public health officials from local to federal levels, along with veterinary and agriculture officials across the country are collaborating with… Continue Reading
Opinion
Well, other than two things – both contain items with orange colored flesh and both absorbed last week’s news cycle – nothing else. But, I got your attention. What do we know about the current frozen food Listeria outbreak and recall? In March of 2016, as part of a routine investigation into a report of… Continue Reading
CHICAGO — The federal government is rolling out a powerful new, and increasingly affordable food safety weapon to about 30 states next year and to all 50 within two years. Dr. Robert Tauxe, who runs the foodborne, waterborne and environmental disease division of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, told attendees at the… Continue Reading
An outbreak traced to fresh sprouts appears to be over, according to federal officials who say 11 people in two states were sickened by E. coli bacteria in Jack & The Green Sprouts alfalfa sprouts. Eight people in Minnesota and three in Wisconsin were confirmed with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157, with symptom… Continue Reading
Producer proclamations and consumer testimonials to the contrary, the new evidence is about the risk of raw milk with the latest discovery being Listeria infections — one of them fatal — now linked to raw milk from Miller’s Organic Farm in Pennsylvania. Federal officials announced today that two people, one in California who recovered and one in Florida who died,… Continue Reading
Those who believe government should operate like a successful business ought to be happy about the ROI on the $7.3 million annual cost of PulseNet, which is saving half a billion each year by preventing an estimated 270,000 illnesses. By using DNA analysis of pathogens and sharing data, the network of 83 state and federal… Continue Reading
Nov. 6 update: The Oregon Health Authority stated Friday, Nov. 6, that there are now 13 E. coli O26 illnesses in Oregon connected with eating at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. That is one more reported case since Thursday. Four people have been hospitalized. Meanwhile, the Washington State Department of Health has revised its case count down by… Continue Reading
On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced funding for states to help them fight infectious disease outbreaks more quickly and develop better interventions to protect the public’s health. The nearly $110 million in awards includes $13 million over fiscal year 2014 funding for vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, foodborne-disease prevention and advanced molecular… Continue Reading
Days ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its most recent yearly summary of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States. The summary covered the year 2013, and it found that 818 foodborne outbreaks were reported in the country during that year — a number consistent with the 800 to 850… Continue Reading