Author: Kit Redwine

Madagascar ANTANANARIVO – 20 Dead from Food Poisoning The number of fatalities from a poisoning incident in a suburb of Madagascar’s capital has climbed to 20, government officials announced Wednesday. The incident occurred during a birthday party in the Ambohimalaza rural district near Antananarivo. Incident Details Approximately 50 people gathered for the birthday celebration on Saturday in the rural area outside the capital city. Following the event, multiple attendees developed severe symptoms including dizziness and impaired vision. Those affected required immediate medical attention due to the severity of their conditions. Government Response and Investigation Authorities have classified the incident as…

A 12-year-old girl has died and seven other children have been hospitalized following a severe food poisoning outbreak in Saint-Quentin, a town in northern France. The outbreak has prompted authorities to close two local butcher shops as a precautionary measure while investigations continue. Timeline and Symptoms The first symptoms appeared on June 12 in and around Saint-Quentin, with affected children being admitted to hospitals over the subsequent days. The outbreak has impacted children ranging in age from 1 to 12 years old. All eight hospitalized children presented with severe digestive symptoms, including bloody diarrhea. The 12-year-old victim died on Monday…

Public health officials in King County, Washington have completed their investigation into a Salmonella outbreak linked to an IHOP restaurant in Bellevue, Washington. The outbreak resulted in 33 confirmed cases, 6 hospitalizations, and no deaths over a period spanning from October 2023 to September 2024. Outbreak Origins and Contamination Source The outbreak began with contaminated diced onions that were part of a nationwide Salmonella contamination incident in 2023. These onions were delivered to the Bellevue IHOP location and subsequently caused illness among customers. The contaminated onions were recalled and disposed of in October 2023 following the national recall notice. Despite the…

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Chaeban Ice Cream, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada have issued a recall for Chaeban Mediterani Mascarpone Fresh Soft Cheese due to possible contamination with E. coli, a pathogen that can cause serious, and sometimes severe, foodborne illness in certain populations. Background No information was provided as to how the contamination with E. coli was discovered. This has been classified as a Class II recall, meaning that there is some risk that consuming the recalled food item may lead to short-term but non-life threatening health issues. Distribution The recalled product was distributed to a retail…

A recall first announced on April 10, 2025 by Bakkavor Foods USA Inc, based in Carson, California, for California Pizza Kitchen Tequila Lime Base due to possible contamination with wood remains ongoing. Food contaminated with foreign objects, such as wood, has the potential to cause severe harm, including choking, injury, illness, damage to teeth and tongue, or even death. Background The recall was issued after the company was notified by a supplier that the affected product may be contaminated with pieces of wood. This recall has not yet been classified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Distribution The affected…

The modern diet is saturated with processed foods containing thousands of approved additives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, preservatives, and colorants, designed to enhance texture, shelf life, and appeal. While deemed safe individually by regulatory bodies like the FDA and EFSA, emerging research reveals complex interactions between these substances and our digestive system, particularly concerning gut microbiome balance and intestinal barrier integrity. Unlike whole foods, many additives aren’t digested by human enzymes but are metabolized by gut bacteria, potentially triggering cascading effects on health. Emulsifiers: Gut Barrier Disruptors Common emulsifiers like sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and polysorbate 80, prevalent in ice cream and…

The United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union has triggered significant recalibrations in food safety governance, altering regulatory alignment, border protocols, and surveillance mechanisms between the two jurisdictions. Initially, the UK maintained continuity through the Retained EU Law framework, preserving standards like the General Food Law Regulation (EC) 178/2002. However, divergence has accelerated since 2022, exemplified by Great Britain permitting titanium dioxide (E171) in foods after its EU ban and authorizing gene-edited crops, a policy contrasting with the EU’s stricter GMO framework. Northern Ireland, bound by the Windsor Framework, remains aligned with EU standards, creating internal UK regulatory asymmetries. Maximum…

Each year, billions of birds traverse continents along established migratory routes, creating dynamic networks for pathogen dispersal. Research confirms that these movements facilitate the spread of viruses, bacteria, and parasites across agricultural landscapes, posing significant biosecurity challenges. The convergence of wild and domestic birds at shared habitats, particularly wetlands and stopover sites, enables cross-species transmission of infectious agents. Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) demonstrate the clearest linkage to migration patterns. Phylodynamic analyses reveal that AIV dispersal rates are 4 to 13 times higher within migratory flyways than between them, with waterfowl (Anseriformes) and shorebirds (Charadriiformes) acting as primary reservoirs. Highly pathogenic H5N1 strains…

A recall has been issued by Medtech Products Inc., a Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. company and based in Tarrytown, New York for five lots of Little Remedies Honey Cough Syrup due to contamination with Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) and loss of shelf-stability. B. cereus is a spore-forming pathogen that can produce toxins capable of causing food poisoning in humans. Background The recall notice did not specify how the contamination with B. cereus in the recalled product was discovered. Distribution The affected items were distributed across the United States through online sales and retail outlets from December 14, 2022 and June 4, 2025. Product…

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and public health officials are currently investigating a multi-state Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) outbreak that has sickened 17 individuals across 13 states. The outbreak has resulted in three deaths and one fetal loss as of June 17, 2025. On Tuesday, June 17, the FSIS announced that FreshRealm had issued a recall for several chicken fettuccine alfredo products because they were possibly contaminated with the outbreak strain of Listeria. Health officials have confirmed that the outbreak strain of Listeria affected people between August 2024 and May 2025. Laboratory testing revealed the same bacterial strain in a routine…