Author: Clara Maroney

The Los Amigos Taqueria in Brighton, a neighborhood in Boston, has been closed down due to to the possibility it is linked to a salmonella outbreak. This came following complaints of illnesses after eating food bought from the restaurant. The number of illnesses remains unclear, but the health department’s investigation is ongoing. Los Amigos has at least five locations. The Boston Public Health Commission, the Massachusetts Department of Health, and the Boston Inspectional Services Department investigated the restaurant after receiving multiple reports of illnesses. They suspended the restaurant’s health permit after inspectors found health violations which included mold and other…

AH USA Group Inc. is recalling Golden Koi’s Black Fungus (Nam Meo) due to potential salmonella contamination. Black fungus is a common seasoning or spice used in Japanese ramen noodles. It is an edible mushroom. The state of Pennsylvania found three different strains of salmonella in the sample of black fungus they were testing. The names of these strains of salmonella: Salmonella Javiana, Salmonella Mgulani, and salmonella Weltevreden.  Health officials are concerned, even though there have been no reported human illnesses yet, as any potential outbreak could be draw out because many people keep black fungus in their homes and…

Foodborne Illness Kills Two People in Montana and Leads to a Wrongful-Death Lawsuit. On April 30th, a 64 year old woman, Donna Ventura, died of a suspected foodborne illness. The county police officer reports that she was a regular at Dave’s Sushi restaurant. One week before, a 74 year old man named William Lewis also died of a foodborne illness. He was also a patron of Dave’s Sushi. The cause of death is currently under investigation, though morel mushrooms are suspected. While the two deaths have not been “directly” linked to the sushi restaurant, yet, at least three dozen other…

Salmonella is Commonly Found in Raw Chicken Around 1.35 million people are sickened from salmonella each year. Nearly one fifth of those cases are from raw chicken. Nearly every 1 in 25 packages of chicken found in a local grocery store is contaminated with salmonella. Ironically, nothing has been done to stop producers from selling chicken infected with salmonella and there are no rules that require companies to sell salmonella-free chickens.  Instead, facilities that sell poultry are required to test their chickens for salmonella monthly. and there are limits to how high the “percentages of salmonella” can be until the…

FDA Releases Outcome of 2022 Cantaloupe Salmonella Outbreak Investigation The FDA performed an investigation to look into the source of the cantaloupe that caused the salmonella outbreak in 2022. The investigators visited three farms in Indiana. They tested the farms, the packinghouses, and nearby land for salmonella. All three farms tested positive for the salmonella strain. These specific strains, however, did not match the particular strain of salmonella that caused the outbreak. During the months of July, August, and September, 88 people reported being sick after eating cantaloupe. I this particular cantaloupe salmonella outbreak, at lest 32 of those 88…

In late February, the Florida Department of Health issued a recall on one of the state’s most prominent oyster producing regions after oysters harvested from Cedar Key in Levy County were found to contain Salmonella. By February 28th, 8 people had been reported to have contracted food poisoning across the three southern states of Florida, Alabama, and Georgia after eating infected oysters from the region The likely number of ill persons is much higher as many food poisoning cases go unreported. According to USA Today, the recall of potentially contaminated salmonella oysters was put into effect on February 24th, 2023. The FDA advised…

The CDC has reported an outbreak of hepatitis A in the state of Washington. This particular outbreak has been traced back to Kirkland’s Signature Frozen Organic Whole Strawberries, the latest in a string of hepatitis A outbreaks linked to frozen berries. The company issued a recall on frozen strawberries nationwide – Kirkland’s Signature is exclusive to Costco. As such, Costco shoppers should be wary of what strawberries they are buying, or have bought, and check their refrigerators. According to abcnews, the evidence has not been sufficient to target a single lot or specific type of strawberries, and as such, “out…

In 11 states across the U.S., 12 people have fallen ill after eating food that contained raw flour. These states include Oregon, California, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, and New York. The CDC says that the outbreak is not yet controlled, and the bacterial outbreak is not limited to these states. The specific brand of flour that sourced the outbreak has not been identified yet, so it is recommended that consumers cook or bake all flour, cake mixes, and cookie dough mixes before eating. Cbsnews.com has confirmed a dozen ill and says three people have been hospitalized…

Eight Different Farms Implicated in Ireland Chicken Salmonella Outbreak Farming Independent has reported a salmonella outbreak in Ireland that spread across eight different poultry farms. The Department of Agriculture made it a priority to deal with the outbreak as quickly and efficiently as possible. Therefore, extra measures were taken to prevent further infection. Poultry Med has stated this resulted in 7,000 chickens being isolated and put down. All infected poultry were removed and handled in a humane manner. The Department of Agriculture continues to search for the source of the outbreak but claims it was due to their proactive policies…