Author: Kit Redwine
China HONG KONG – Food Poisoning Cases Attributed to Airline Salad The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of Hong Kong’s Department of Health has concluded its investigation into two food poisoning incidents on Cathay Pacific flights from Kathmandu to Hong Kong in early January 2025. The investigation identified beetroot salad contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus as the likely cause of the outbreak. Forty-three passengers aboard flight CX640, arriving on January 8 and 9, experienced symptoms including vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea within 10 to 60 minutes of consuming their in-flight meals. The affected passengers, ranging in age from 11 to…
In cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Gerber Products Company, based in Fremont, Michigan, has initiated a voluntary recall and discontinuation of its Gerber Soothe N Chew Teething Sticks due to a potential choking hazard for babies and young children. Background The recall was initiated after the company received complaints from consumers of choking incidents. Distribution The affected products were distributed across the country through the internet and to distributors and retail locations in AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO,…
A public health alert for Wegmans breaded chicken breast nuggests due to potential contamination with extraneous material, specifically bone fragments, has been issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Food contaminated with extraneous material has the potential to cause severe harm, including choking, injury, illness, damage to teeth, or even death. Background Wegman’s notified FSIS after it received multiple complaints from consumers that bone fragments had been found in the implicated chicken product. Distribution The impacted product was only produced for Wegmans Food Markets stores and sold in those retail locations in Delaware, Maryland,…
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Euro Harvest Wholesale Bakery, and Importations Pie Che Dolci Inc. have issued a voluntary recall of D. Effe T. lemon delight and tartlet with forest fruits due to potential Salmonella contamination in connection with a Salmonella outbreak in Canada. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause serious infections in animals and humans, especially those in vulnerable populations such as young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems. Background The recall was initiated as part of an investigation into an outbreak of foodborne illness by the CFIA. The investigation is still active. So…
The Canadian Food Inspection Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Naz’s Falafel House Inc., dba Mawasem Trading Inc., have issued a voluntary recall of Al-Watan brand tahini due to potential Salmonella contamination. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause serious infections in animals and humans, especially those in vulnerable populations such as young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems. Background The company did not say how the potential presence of Salmonella was discovered. This is classified by the CFIA as a Class II recall, meaning that the recalled product has a remote chance of causing a health hazard. The…
A voluntary recall has been initiated by New York Wholesale Group, based in Hicksville, New York, of Zaarah Herbals Shatavari Powder due to potential contamination with elevated levels of lead. Lead is a neurotoxin that can affect nearly every system in the human body and is especially dangerous for young children. Background The recall was initiated after testing by the Food and Standards Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection uncovered the presence of elevated levels of lead. Distribution The impacted product was distributed to retailers in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York between October 21, 2022 and April…
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has announced a recall and quarantine of raw milk produced by Schoch Family Farmstead, Inc., based in Salinas, California, due to contamination with Campylobacter jejuni. Campylobacter jejuni is a bacteria that causes infectious disease in the intestines, resulting in cramping, diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain. Background The recall and quarantine was initiated after Campylobacter jejuni was detected in a sample tested by CDFA. Distribution Product Details No other lots or products are included in the recall order. Consumer Action Consumers in California who have purchased raw milk from Schoch Family Farmstead are…
Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has finished an epidemiological investigation into two food poisoning clusters affecting passengers on Cathay Pacific Airways flights from Kathmandu, Nepal, to Hong Kong. The primary focus was flight CX640, which arrived in Hong Kong on January 8 and 9, where 43 passengers experienced food poisoning symptoms. The affected travelers included 22 men and 21 women, ranging in age from 11 to 75 years old. Passengers reported symptoms characteristic of food poisoning, including vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The symptoms emerged rapidly, occurring 10 to 60 minutes after consuming in-flight meals. Despite the…
Taiwan’s Control Yuan, the highest ombudsman in the country, has ordered comprehensive corrective measures against the Taipei City Government following a devastating food poisoning incident at the Polam Kopitiamrestaurant that claimed six lives and affected 33 people last year. The Malaysian restaurant’s Xinyi District branch became the epicenter of an investigation after the fatal outbreak in March 2024. Prosecutors have already taken legal action, indicting five restaurant personnel, including the owner and chefs, on charges of negligent homicide. Detailed investigations revealed a series of critical administrative and investigative failures. When initial notifications about suspected food poisoning cases were received, city…
The CGIAR Initiative on One Health has concluded a two-year food safety intervention program across multiple Vietnamese provinces, targeting critical food safety challenges in slaughterhouses and traditional markets, according to cgiar.org. CGIAR describes itself as “the world’s largest global agriculture innovation network” providing “evidence to policy makers, innovation to partners, and new tools to harness the economic, environmental, and nutritional power of agriculture.” The initiative, which ran from 2022 to 2024, addressed significant food safety concerns identified through earlier research by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Preliminary studies had revealed alarming levels of Salmonella contamination, with nearly 40% of…