Author: Alicia Maroney
Vanguard Enterprises, LLC Recalls Monarch Premium Kratom Powder Over Salmonella Risk On October 28, 2025, Vanguard Enterprises, LLC, operating as Bedrock MFG in Boise, Idaho, announced a voluntary recall of its Monarch Premium kratom powders, specifically the Bali Gold, Red Bali, Green Maeng Da, and White Elephant varieties, because of potential contamination with Salmonella infection. According to the recall notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune…
Gift Baskets and Mail-Order Foods: Are They Safe to Ship? Sending a gift basket or a mail-order food box is a generous, convenient way to celebrate, comfort, or congratulate someone. The aroma of freshly baked cookies arriving at the doorstep or a curated basket of cheeses and charcuterie can make a special moment memorable. The same generosity can quickly turn sour, however, if perishable items are temperature abused or mishandled during packing, transit, or final delivery. The Basic Problem: Perishable Food Plus Time and Transport Food safety is basically a race against time, temperature and contamination. Perishable items, meat, poultry,…
Outbreak Investigation of Listeria: Prepared Pasta Meals and Expanded Recalls A multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes tied to prepared pasta meals has prompted an expanding series of recalls, intense laboratory work, and urgent warnings from federal agencies. What began in mid-2025 as a cluster of severe illnesses linked to heat-and-eat chicken fettuccine alfredo has grown into an investigation that spans dozens of product lines, multiple manufacturers and distributors, and the discovery of Listeria in a pre-cooked pasta ingredient. Public-health authorities emphasize swift product removal and careful cleaning because Listeria causes disproportionate harm to pregnant people, older adults, and anyone with…
New Hoque & Sons Inc Issues Alert on Uneviscerated Dry Ghoinnya Fish: The Hidden Botulism Risk in Ungutted Dry Fish On October 30, 2025, New Hoque & Sons Inc. of Maspeth, New York, issued an alert about a single lot of its product marketed as Dry Ghoinnya Fish (FDA.gov) after state testing showed the item had been sold uneviscerated. Federal and state food-safety authorities warn that uneviscerated, salt-cured, or dried fish have a well-documented association with foodborne botulism and can pose a life-threatening hazard to consumers. New Hoque & Sons’ alert asks retailers and consumers to check for a clear…
Purity Products Recalls One Lot of MyBladder After Detection of Escherichia coli O7:K1 and 1303 Purity Products announced a voluntary recall on October 27, 2025, for a single lot of its dietary supplement MyBladder after routine testing indicated the product “has the potential to be contaminated with Escherichia coli O7:K1 and 1303” (FDA.gov). The company described the action as a precautionary measure to protect consumers and ensure product safety. The announcement was posted as a company recall notice on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recall portal. Purity Products’ public statement, posted to the FDA recall page, makes clear that…
The Truth About “Shelf-Stable” Snacks and Jerky: Hidden Outbreak Risks When we think of food recalls and outbreaks, the mind often jumps to frozen vegetables, deli meats, or leafy greens, not the shelf-stable snack that sits in a pantry for months. Yet “shelf-stable” snacks such as jerky, meat sticks, dried seafood, and protein bars carry their own set of hidden risks. According to the national food poisoning lawyer, Ron Simon, “These products are often marketed as safe to consume without refrigeration, but under certain conditions, they still can become vehicles for pathogens or other hazards. The risks are low overall,…
Food Poisoning Risks and Halloween: How to Keep Tricks from Turning Toxic Halloween is about costumes, candy, spooky fun, and an often overlooked risk: foodborne illness. Between neighborhood trick-or-treating, classroom parties, haunted-house concessions, and potluck Halloween gatherings, October piles up opportunities for bacteria and viruses to travel from farms, kitchens, and unclean surfaces into mouths. This is the season when rushed food handling, improvised treats, and an explosion of shared snacks create the right conditions for contamination. Understanding the risks, spotting the red flags, and practicing a few simple habits will keep the celebration spooky in the right way and…
FDA Warns Against Consuming Black Sheep Egg Company Eggs Amid Expanding Salmonella Recall The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers, retailers, and distributors not to eat, sell, or serve eggs produced by Black Sheep Egg Company following a widening recall tied to potential Salmonella contamination. The federal warning, issued on October 20, 2025, follows growing concern that contaminated eggs distributed through third-party brands have reached store shelves across several states. One of the latest companies affected is Kenz Henz, a Santa Fe, Texas–based distributor that announced on October 16, 2025, that it was recalling its 12-count packages…
The Autumn Rise in Norovirus and “Stomach Flu” Cases Norovirus season returns every autumn like clockwork. As nights lengthen and temperatures fall, hospitals, schools, care homes, and cruise ships start reporting clusters of vomiting and diarrhea that sweep through groups in days. Those outbreaks are not mere nuisances. Norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide and a top driver of foodborne illness; its seasonality makes the cooler months a predictable period of heightened risk. Understanding why norovirus peaks in fall and winter, and how indoor gatherings amplify transmission, helps households, employers, and institutions reduce illness, avoid closures, and…
Harvest Season Contamination: How Soil, Rain, and Equipment Spread Bacteria Harvest time is a double-edged sword. Acres of ripening produce, abundant crop yields, and brisk market demand bring excitement, but they also bring elevated risks of microbial contamination. During fall harvests, bacteria from soil, rain, and equipment can move into produce in surprising ways. These pathways have underpinned numerous foodborne illness outbreaks worldwide, and without vigilance, even the freshest produce can carry harmful microbes into your kitchen. The Soil as a Reservoir: Microbes Beneath the Surface Soil is more than inert dirt. It’s a living ecosystem, teeming with bacteria, fungi,…