Pepper Salami Recalled- salmonella outbreak
Filed under: Beef Recalls, Dangerous Foods, Product Recalls, Recall, Recalled Foods, Salmonella
Salami recalled in multistate salmonella outbreak
A Rhode Island company, Daniele Inc., recalls 1.24 million pounds of pepper-crusted salami after officials trace the outbreak to its product, based on a comparison of shopping receipts.
A Rhode Island meat company recalled 1.24 million pounds of pepper-coated salami Saturday, after officials conducting a months-long, multistate investigation of a salmonella outbreak compared shopping receipts of those who got sick.
The recall by Daniele Inc. comes amid an outbreak that has sickened 184 people in 38 states since July.
Daniele has been identified as the source of the ongoing outbreak by William Keene, a senior epidemiologist at the public health division in Oregon, where eight people have fallen ill.
Keene said Saturday that some questions remain, such as whether it was the meat or the pepper that was contaminated.
Investigators in Washington state found that many of the 14 residents there who got sick shopped at Costco, Keene said. Costco did not return calls seeking comment on the recall Saturday, but it has posted notice of it on its website.
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390 Tons of Ground Beef Recalled- Huntington Meat Packing Inc
Filed under: Banned Foods, Beef Recalls, Product Recalls, Recall, Recalled Foods, e-coli
Some 390 tons of U.S. ground beef recalled
Mon Jan 18, 4:46 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Some 390 tons of ground beef produced by a California meat packer, some of it nearly two years ago, is being recalled for fear of potentially deadly E. coli bacterium tainting, U.S. officials said on Monday.
The beef was produced by Huntington Meat Packing Inc of Montebello, California, and shipped mainly to California outlets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food safety arm said.
An initial problem, in ground beef shipped by the plant from January 5 to January 15, was discovered during a regular safety check, the Food Safety and Inspection Service said.
It said it had received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of the recalled products.
During a follow-up review of the company’s records, government inspectors determined additional products produced and shipped in 2008 to be of concern because they may have been contaminated with E.coli, the service said in a notice on its web site.
This batch was produced from February 19, 2008, to May 15, 2008. It also had been shipped to distribution centers, restaurants and hotels within California, the notice said.
“While these products are normally used fresh, the establishment is taking this action out of concern that some product may still be frozen and in commerce,” it said.
E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause kidney failure in the most serious cases.
The service said it routinely conducts checks to verify that recalling firms notify customers, including restaurants, of the recall and that steps are taken to make sure the product is no longer available to consumers.
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Tylenol Recall includes more products, (childrens meds, rolaids, and more)
Tylenol Recall Broadens; Now Includes Tylenol Extra Strength, Rolaids
More Tylenol Products Recalled Due to Noxious Chemical
By JOSEPH BROWNSTEIN
ABC News Medical Unit
Jan. 15, 2010—
A recall of Tylenol products that began last month with the popular Tylenol arthritis caplet expanded this morning to include more than two dozen other over-the-counter products manufactured by McNeil Healthcare LLC, the arm of Johnson & Johnson that manufactures Tylenol products.
The broadened directive adds 54 million bottles of product to the recall, boosting the total number of bottles recalled by McNeil to 60 million, according to the company.
McNeill initiated a voluntary recall of Tylenol Arthritis Relief Caplets at the end of December after consumer complaints of stomach problems. The problems were linked to the presence of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA), which results from the breakdown of a chemical in wood pallets used to transport and store packaging materials for the drugs.
Now it appears that the problem extended into other Tylenol products as well, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Tylenol Extra Strength, Rolaids and a number of children’s medicines are now included in the recall, which affects 27 products in various packaging quantities.
McNeil released a statement today in which it said the voluntary recall is being conducted in consultation with the FDA and affects a number of products for which there have been no complaints.
The company added that the musty-smelling chemical thought to be the cause of the sickness posed no fatal risk to those who ingest it.
“The health effects of this chemical have not been well studied, but no serious events have been documented in the medical literature,” the statement read.
“In addition to the product recall, McNeil Consumer Healthcare is continuing its investigation into the issue and is taking further actions that include ceasing shipment of products produced using materials shipped on these wood pallets and requiring suppliers who ship materials to our plants to discontinue the use of these pallets.”
In its statement, the company advised consumers who purchased the affected products to stop using them and contact McNeil for information about how to get a refund or a replacement. The company provided the address for its Web site, www.mcneilproductrecall.com, as well as a toll-free number: (888) 222-6036.
Prior to today’s recall, the FDA had cited at least two of the company’s products in a letter to McNeil, as these products had been the subject of complaints about an “uncharacteristic smell,” similar to the one that helped trigger the recall of the arthritis caplets.
“Since the date of the discovery, your firm did not extend the assessment of the event to other products that received packaging components from the same supplier,” said the FDA’s letter, which was signed by Jose R. Lopez, an investigator, and Raquel Gonzalez Rivera, a chemist.
The letter goes on to cite over 10 “musty-moldy odor” complaints about Rolaids and over 39 similar complaints about Tylenol Extra Strength, “including three adverse event reports.”
The letter is dated Jan. 8, 2010, but was posted to the FDA’s Web site Jan. 13.
“Certainly, the FDA report raises serious questions about the manufacturer’s response,” said Robert Field, professor of health management and policy at the Drexel University School of Public Health. “The report has found that the investigation was limited…that the procedures for quality control were not in writing…and various other lapses that were fairly significant.”
The FDA report further criticized McNeil for inadequate responses to complaints, noting that they first received heightened complaints about the musty odor in 2008 and testing confirmed its presence in September of that year.
“Your quality unit failed to conduct additional testing to evaluate the possibility of chemical contamination or other change or deterioration in the distributed drug product,” the FDA letter says.
Current problems with Rolaids and Tylenol Extra Strength are attributed to another testing failure.
“Investigations of an unexplained discrepancy did not extend to other batches of the same drug product and other drug products that may have been associated with the specific failure or discrepancy,” the report said.
In response to an inquiry from ABC News correspondent David Kerley, the company responded on Thursday:
“McNeil Consumer Healthcare has received an FDA form 483 dated Jan. 8, 2010, and is actively working with the FDA to address their concerns.”
Effects of Tainted Pills Not Deadly
One positive for consumers is that, as ABC News Senior Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser noted in December, after the first recall was announced, the effects of the tainted pills were not life threatening.
“They’re not that severe, we’re talking about vomiting, diarrhea,” said Besser. However, he advised, “if you have this product, you should get rid of them, safely dispose of them in your trash. You don’t want them around.”
Field agreed, following news of the initial recall.
“It does not look like there were serious health effects, if any,” he said, “but why take a chance? These products are supposed to improve your health, not hurt it.”
Updated More Products
Johnson & Johnson issued a massive recall Friday of over-the-counter drugs including Tylenol, Motrin and St. Joseph’s aspirin because of a moldy smell that has made people sick.
It was the second such recall in less than a month because of the smell, which regulators said was first reported to McNeil in 2008. Federal regulators criticized the company, saying it didn’t respond to the complaints quickly enough, wasn’t thorough in how it handled the problem and didn’t inform the Food and Drug Administration quickly.
The recall includes some batches of regular and extra-strength Tylenol, children’s Tylenol, eight-hour Tylenol, Tylenol arthritis, Tylenol PM, children’s Motrin, Motrin IB, Benadryl Rolaids, Simply Sleep, and St. Joseph’s aspirin.
The FDA and Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare Products said they did not know the number of bottles recalled. It included caplet and geltab products sold in the Americas, the United Arab Emirates, and Fiji.
Consumers should check the full list at http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com to identify the recalled batches.
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Two deaths linked to ecoli outbreak in beef, northwest area, usa
WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) – An outbreak of food-borne illness, linked to dangerous bacteria in ground beef, sickened 28 people and caused at least one death, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday.
The CDC said a New York adult with underlying medical conditions had died and another possibly related death in New Hampshire was under investigation. State officials attribute the New Hampshire death to the O157:H7 E. coli bacteria.
All but three of the 28 cases listed by the CDC were in the U.S. Northeast and 18 were in the New England states. Sixteen hospitalizations were reported, said a CDC spokeswoman. The bacteria involved were from a common strain, so tests were under way to see if all of the reported cases were related.
Over the weekend, Fairbank Farms of Ashville, New York, recalled 545,699 lbs (248,450 kg) of ground beef products.
The Agriculture Department, which oversees meat safety, said an investigation led it to conclude “there is an association between the fresh ground beef products and illnesses in Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts.” USDA worked with state and federal officials in examining a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses.
A potentially deadly bacteria, E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.
A string of food-borne safety scares led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass legislation this summer to require more inspections and oversight of food manufacturers and would give the government new authority to order recalls.
Fairbank Farms announced the recall on Saturday. The beef was produced in mid-September and probably was labeled for sale before the end of the month, said USDA.
It went to retailers including Trader Joe’s, Price Chopper, Lancaster and Wild Harvest, Shaw’s, a unit of Supervalu (SVU.N), BJ’s (BJ.N), Ford Brothers and Giant, a unit of Ahold (AHLN.AS), in eight states — Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
A complete list of products is available at:
link.reuters.com/vyx27f
The beef was produced Sept. 14 to 16, and the company urged consumers to check their freezers for products listed in the recall. Labels of the recalled packages will say EST 492 inside the USDA
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10 Foods that can cause you to get sick
10 Foods Most Likely to Make You Sick
Leafy Greens, Eggs, and Tuna Are Among Foods Mostly Like to Cause Food-borne Illness
By Todd Zwillich
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Oct. 6, 2009 — Here’s a surprise: Some of the healthiest foods may also be the most likely to cause food-borne illness.
That’s the conclusion in a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The report shows leafy greens, sprouts, and berries are among the most prone to carry infections or toxins.
“We don’t recommend that consumers change their eating habits,” says Caroline Smith DeWaal, the CSPI’s head of food safety programs. Instead, the group is trying to point out vulnerabilities in the nation’s food safety system as it lobbies Congress to beef up enforcement.
The group analyzed CDC data on food illness outbreaks dating back to 1990. They found that leafy greens were involved in 363 outbreaks and about 13,600 illnesses, mostly caused by norovirus, E. coli, and salmonella bacteria.
The rest of the top 10 list included:
* Eggs, involved in 352 outbreaks and 11,163 reported cases of illness.
* Tuna, involved in 268 outbreaks and 2,341 reported cases of illness.
* Oysters, involved in 132 outbreaks and 3,409 reported cases of illness.
* Potatoes, involved in 108 outbreaks and 3,659 reported cases of illness.
* Cheese, involved in 83 outbreaks and 2,761 reported cases of illness.
* Ice cream, involved in 74 outbreaks and 2,594 reported cases of illness.
* Tomatoes, involved in 31 outbreaks and 3,292 reported cases of illness.
* Sprouts, involved in 31 outbreaks and 2,022 reported cases of illness.
* Berries, involved in 25 outbreaks and 3,397 reported cases of illness.
It is unclear how many of the outbreaks can be blamed on the foods themselves. The CDC’s database can’t discriminate between outbreaks caused by tomatoes, for example, vs. those caused by other ingredients in a salad. Foods like potatoes are almost always consumed cooked, so it is unlikely that potatoes themselves caused 108 outbreaks.
Still, Smith DeWaal called the list “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to food-borne illnesses in the U.S. Not all outbreaks are reported to public health authorities. In addition, the analysis focused only on foods regulated by the FDA; that leaves out beef, pork, poultry, and some egg products, which are policed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Consumers always want to know what they should do to avoid getting sick,” says Sarah Klein, lead author of the report. She recommends “defensive eating,” including keeping food cold and cooking it thoroughly, chilling oysters and avoiding them when raw, and avoiding raw eggs or using them in homemade ice cream.
Several bills that are circulating in Congress aim to crack down on food safety by requiring all food producers to keep written safety plans and giving the FDA more power to inspect plans and enforce rules.
“In a relative scale our food supply remains quite safe,” says Craig Hedberg, a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. The CDC says 76 million Americans get sick from food-borne illnesses each year.
“Because most people don’t experience a bad outcome from a lapse in good behavior it’s difficult to enforce,” he says.
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More Pistaschios Recalled, scare is not over, buyer beware
A California company is recalling pistachios over fears they are contaminated with salmonella. They were packaged in 6-oz. plastic bags and distributed to airports and hotels nationwide.
The pistachios have sell-by dates of “7/30/09″ and “8/30/09.”
From Orca Distribution West Inc. of Anaheim, Calif., they are part of the April recall by Setton Pistachios of Terra Bella Inc. The company, in central California, is the second pistachio processor in the U.S.
For a list of all recalled pistachio, go to to the Food and Drug Administration Web site here.
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DA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Nestle Toll House Prepackaged, Refrigerated Cookie Dough
For Immediate Release: June 19, 2009
Media Inquiries: Michael Herndon, 301-796-4673, michael.herndon@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Nestle Toll House Prepackaged, Refrigerated Cookie Dough
Nestle Voluntarily Recalls all Varieties of Prepackaged, Refrigerated Toll House Cookie Dough
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning consumers not to eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that causes food borne illness).
The FDA advises that if consumers have any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products in their home that they throw them away. Cooking the dough is not recommended because consumers might get the bacteria on their hands and on other cooking surfaces.
Retailers, restaurateurs, and personnel at other food-service operations should not sell or serve any Nestle Toll House prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough products subject to the recall.
Nestle USA, which manufactures and markets the Toll House cookie dough, is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation by the FDA and CDC. The warning is based on an ongoing epidemiological study conducted by the CDC and several state and local health departments. Since March 2009 there have been 66 reports of illness across 28 states. Twenty-five persons were hospitalized; 7 with a severe complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). No one has died.
E. coli O157:H7 causes abdominal cramping, vomiting and a diarrheal illness, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for developing HUS, which can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.
Individuals who have recently eaten prepackaged, refrigerated Toll House cookie dough and have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care provider immediately. Any such illnesses should be reported to state or local health authorities.
The FDA reminds consumers they should not eat raw food products that are intended for cooking or baking before consumption. Consumers should use safe food-handling practices when preparing such products, including following package directions for cooking at proper temperatures; washing hands, surfaces, and utensils after contact with these types of products; avoiding cross contamination; and refrigerating products properly.
For more information on safe food handling practices, go to http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm109899.htm.
Consumers who have additional questions about these products should contact Nestle consumer services at 1-800-559-5025 and/or visit their Web site at www.verybestbaking.com.
For a complete listing of the recalled products go to:
http://www.nestleusa.com/PubNews/PressReleaseLibraryDetails.aspx?id=133CC131-A79F-4E84-9C43-C9F99FE5BC99.
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Raw Cookie Dough cause of E. Coli outbreak?
By dan.mitchell
It’s not known for sure yet whether Nestle Toll House cookies are to blame for an outbreak of E. coli that has sickened at least 66 people in 28 states, but it seems likely. “Many” of the afflicted people had eaten raw Toll House cookie dough, according to ABC News.
Nestle has recalled the refrigerated product and warned people against eating it raw, as incredibly delicious as it might be. They shouldn’t eat it cooked either, the company said, until the source of the outbreak has been discovered. Cooking would normally kill the bacteria, but, of course, Nestle is taking no chances.
The E. coli strain "has not been detected in our product," Nestle said in a statement announcing the recall. But people "who have purchased these products should not consume them. Instead, we are asking that consumers return these products to their local grocer for a full refund."
Raw cookie dough is, to many of us, tastier than the cookies themselves, but Nestle advises on its packages that people shouldn't eat it raw.
Usually, though, it's OK to do so (or at least so we thought) with one exception: homemade raw cookie dough. As the people at WiseGeek point out, the homemade stuff contains raw eggs, which can pose a real danger.
The outbreak "points to the need for better funding for health surveillance," said lawyer Bill Marler, who sues food companies for a living. Oddly quoting himself on his blog, Marler wrote that the " 'fact that this outbreak was not detected until more than sixty people were ill in 28 states is precisely why we urgently need increased funding for the agencies responsible for public health,' said Marler. 'From the CDC to state and local health agencies, many dedicated people are working hard to protect consumers from tainted food, but they just don't have enough resources to do the job we ask of them.' "
Marler also posted a list of the particular products that have been recalled.
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Consumers need to make sure their food is Safe?
Food Companies Are Placing the Onus for Safety on Consumers
By MICHAEL MOSS
The frozen pot pies that sickened an estimated 15,000 people with salmonella in 2007 left federal inspectors mystified. At first they suspected the turkey. Then they considered the peas, carrots and potatoes.
Banquet pot pies sickened thousands with salmonella in 2007. The corporate parent, ConAgra Foods, and others have decided to leave the “kill step” to eliminate pathogens up to the consumer’s cooking at home.
Found significant levels of harmless bacteria that show ingredients still raw when pies leave the factory.
Lab Test of Banquet Chicken Pot Pie (pdf)
Found significant levels of harmless bacteria that show ingredients still raw when pies leave the factory.
2008 C.D.C. Report on Salmonella in Pot Pies (pdf)
Relevant portion begins on the 5th page.
Food Safety for People Who Don’t Cook
Room for Debate Should consumers bear responsibility for the safe handling of the processed foods they eat?
* ConAgra Foods Incorporated
Banquet pot pies include exacting cooking instructions in order to kill any possible pathogens.
The pie maker, ConAgra Foods, began spot-checking the vegetables for pathogens, but could not find the culprit. It also tried cooking the vegetables at high temperatures, a strategy the industry calls a “kill step,” to wipe out any lingering microbes. But the vegetables turned to mush in the process.
So ConAgra — which sold more than 100 million pot pies last year under its popular Banquet label — decided to make the consumer responsible for the kill step. The “food safety” instructions and four-step diagram on the 69-cent pies offer this guidance: “Internal temperature needs to reach 165° F as measured by a food thermometer in several spots.”
Read whole story on
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Six tons of egg rolls recalled; spice recall expanded – Salmonella
Six tons of egg rolls recalled; spice recall expanded – Salmonella
HAYWARD
April 4, 2009 6:27pm
• Possible contaminated pepper used in egg rolls
• Still more spices recalled
More than six tons of egg rolls stuffed with chicken are being recalled by EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC of Hayward. The egg rolls were sold to restaurants throughout California, the government says.
Meanwhile, the company at the center of a recall of the pepper used in the egg rolls has expanded its recall of still more spices.
The egg rolls contain black pepper spice products that may be linked to a multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says Saturday.
The following products are subject to recall:
• 9.38 lb. packages of EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC “Chicken Egg Roll” which contains 100 pieces of 1.5 ounce chicken egg rolls
• 18.75 lb. packages of EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC “Chicken Egg Roll” which contains 100 pieces of 3.0 ounce chicken egg rolls
The frozen chicken egg rolls were produced between July 28, 2008 and March 27, 2009 and bear case codes “80210 through 80365″ or “90001 through 90089.”
The packages bear the establishment number “P-20350″ within the USDA Mark of Inspection printed on the side of the packages.
FSIS says it learned of the problem from the California Department of Public Health as a result of an ongoing investigation into the dry spice recall announced by FDA. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with the consumption of these frozen chicken egg rolls.
The chicken egg roll products were distributed to restaurants and institutions in California.
Union International Food Co. of Union City is recalling 15-pound and smaller size packages of its Lian How brand dry spices, 30-pound boxes and smaller size packages of Lian How crushed chili, Uncle Chen brand black pepper (whole and ground) in 5-oz. retail containers, Uncle Chen white pepper (whole and ground) in 5-oz. retail containers and 5 pound plastic bags and the Uncle Chen brand Wasabi powder in 2.2 pound foil bags, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
But there’s more. Also recalled by Union as of Saturday evening are the following:
• Cumin powder
• Cloves
• Crushed chili powder
• Dried cloves powder
• Orange peel powder
• Coriander powder
• Black sesame seed
• Coriander
• Peppercorn powder
• Fennel seed
• White sesame seed
• Fennel seed powder
• Tumeric
• Cinnamon powder
• Ginger powder
• Garlic salt
• Meat tenderizer
• Black pepper salt
• Bay leaves
• Five Spicys powder
• Nutmeg
• Star anise powder
Officials are investigating a multi-state Salmonella outbreak isolated Salmonella from an open container of Lian How White Pepper, which was found at a restaurant where some outbreak victims ate.
The Uncle Chen and Lian How brand spices are distributed in the states of California, Oregon and Washington to wholesalers, distributors, restaurant suppliers and restaurants.
The Lian How brand products are packaged in 10 or 15lbs. boxes with plastic liners, 5-pound plastic jars or 5-pound plastic bags.
The Lian How crushed chili is sold in 30-pound boxes, 8-pound boxes and 3-pound plastic jars.
The Lian How brand products are not generally sold directly to the retail consumer.
The Uncle Chen brand white & black pepper products (whole or ground) are sold at retail in 5oz. containers.
The Uncle Chen brand white pepper (whole or ground) is sold in 5-pound plastic bags.
The Uncle Chen brand Wasabi powder is sold in 2.2 pound foil bags.
Union International Foods Company says it has ceased the production and distribution of these products as the FDA, the California Department of Public Health and company continue the investigation as to nature and full extent of the potential contamination.
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