Author: Kit Redwine
Owings Mills, Maryland-based Totally Cool, Inc. has issued a nationwide recall of several ice cream products due to the potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes (“Listeria”). Listeria is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in vulnerable populations such as young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems. Background This recall comes after recent FDA sampling detected the presence of Listeria in certain products. The affected products were distributed across the United States and were available through both retail locations and direct delivery services. Totally Cool, Inc. has halted production and distribution of the affected…
Recent research has uncovered a concerning trend in infant care: over half of baby bottles tested positive for E. coli bacteria. This discovery, published in the Journal of Community Medicine & Public Health, has prompted health experts to emphasize the critical importance of proper sterilization techniques for infant feeding equipment. The study revealed a wide range of potentially harmful microorganisms present in baby bottles, including klebsiella, enterobacter, citrobacter, staphylococcus aureus, bacillus cereus, shigella, and salmonella. Most alarmingly, E. coli was detected in 56.3% of the bottles examined. Dr. Pamela Mason, co-author of the research review, explains that milk residue creates…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the conclusion of a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections linked to organic basil. The outbreak, which affected 14 states, was investigated in collaboration with public health and regulatory officials across the country and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Poisoning News reported on the initial alert and subsequent recall expansion in April. According to the CDC’s final report, released on June 18, 2024, a total of 36 confirmed cases were identified. The outbreak strain was traced back to Infinite Herbs brand organic basil, which is believed to…
When we take antibiotics to fight a bacterial infection, we rarely consider the microscopic war raging within our bodies. Recent research from the Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway sheds new light on how bacteria respond to antibiotic attacks, particularly focusing on the widely used antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, according to a recent article on phys.org. Ciprofloxacin works by targeting the DNA of bacterial cells, binding to a protein crucial for maintaining DNA structure. This interference creates chaos within the bacterial cell, leading to the formation of incomplete DNA strands. The…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety alert regarding a specific lot of live Pacific oysters from British Columbia, Canada distributed by Dailyfresh Shellfish, Inc. due to potential contamination with toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Food Poisoning News recently reported on similar concerns about PSP along the Oregon and Washington coasts. Background This alert stems from recent monitoring by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which detected elevated levels of paralytic shellfish toxins in shellfish from the harvest area in British Columbia. PSP toxins, also known as saxitoxins, are produced by naturally occurring marine…
Weston, OH-based Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. has initiated a voluntary recall of a specific lot of their Sun Seed Vita Prima Hedgehog Food due to potential Salmonella contamination. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause serious infections, especially in vulnerable populations such as young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems. Background The contamination was discovered through routine random testing conducted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture on June 18, 2024. Distribution of the affected lot spans 16 states: Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a critical alert to restaurants, food retailers, and consumers in Hawaii and California regarding potentially contaminated oysters imported from South Korea. The advisory concerns individually quick frozen (IQF) oysters produced by Central Fisheries Co., LTD, in the Republic of Korea, harvested on February 28, 2023, from Designated Area No. 2. This notice comes in response to potential norovirus contamination, a highly contagious pathogen that can cause severe gastroenteritis. Background On June 13, 2024, health officials in Hawaii alerted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about an outbreak of norovirus infections linked…
Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) is investigating three linked food poisoning clusters involving nine individuals who dined at the Coffee House restaurant in The Kimberley Hotel, located in Tsim Sha Tsui. The incidents, which occurred on June 17 and 18, have raised concerns about food safety and hygiene practices in the establishment. The first cluster affected three women aged 54 to 82 who fell ill approximately 28 hours after consuming a lunch buffet on June 17. The second and third clusters affected six individuals who experienced symptoms about 12 to 14 hours after dining at the restaurant’s dinner…
Rochestery, NY-based Wegmans Food Markets has issued a voluntary recall of select Abilyn’s Ice Cream Cakes due to the potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes (“Listeria”). Listeria is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in vulnerable populations such as young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems. Background In a statement, Abilyn’s Frozen Bakery said that, on June 21, one of their production partners notified them that recent product testing by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found the presence of potential Listeria contamination on the production line used to make the company’s…
Green Bay, WI-based Snapchill LLC has announced a voluntary recall of all its canned coffee products currently within their expiration dates, citing a potential risk of botulism, a potentially fatal illness caused by a potent toxin that attacks the nervous system. Background The recall comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the company that the company’s manufacturing process for low acid canned foods had not been properly filed as required by regulations. The recalled products were distributed across the United States through coffee roasters, retail locations, and direct online purchases from Snapchill. Snapchill is currently working on…