Author: Jennifer Harper, M. Ed.

According to one victim in what is alleged to be an outbreak of 60+ patrons, a food poisoning outbreak (she contracted salmonella) is currently being investigated by the Bexar/Comal County Health Departments in Texas. According to one source, multiple food items were served, including Whataburger and cake, among other things. The victim who has come forward, Sarah Castillo, however, ate chicken piccata, a Caesar salad, angel hair pasta, and green beans. According to Ms. Castillo, she began experiencing symptoms of salmonella shortly after attending a wedding at a local, and very popular, venue called Lost Mission. Lost Mission is located…

Back in mid-to-late June of 2022, Daily Harvest, a popular vegan food source, became the focal point for hundreds of complaints after consumers began to experience significant illness after eating the company’s lentil crumbles. About 28,000 12oz pouches of Daily Harvests French Lentil + Leek Crumbles were voluntarily recalled as a result, but not until the FDA, CDC, and independent labs began investigated approximately 470 complaints of gastrointestinal and liver issues after consumers ate the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles. A number of the victims eventually had to have their gallbladders removed. Since then, and together with the FDA, the CDC…

It’s that time of year when the sun is out, the deck is cleaned, and the grill comes out! Nothing says summer more than friends and family dining around a BBQ dinner. But, unfortunately, food poisoning spikes in the summertime. So, how does one make sure we keep the guests safe when handling the food? Let’s review the top four ways to stay safe around food: cleanliness, keeping foods apart, checking the temperature of food, and keeping hot food hot and cold food cold. Before a summer chef starts grilling, he or she will get the BBQ clean and ready to…

Every state but Rodhe Island and Alaska are reporting cases of Salmonella poisoning. That is forty-eight states with Texas reporting thirty-seven of those cases. Almost six hundred people have fallen ill, over ninety hospitalized and sadly, two have died (one in Tennessee, one in Wyoming). According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) media release, these outbreaks of Salmonella were related to backyard poultry. In most cases, this is ducks and chickens. To reduce your risk of contracting Salmonella from these animals, the CDC recommends washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after touching the animals, their eggs, or…

Let’s not give our guests food poisoning, shall we?! Summer is the time to bring friends and family together. Whether for a BBQ on Father’s Day, a birthday celebration, fun in the sun, or any excuse to get bring people together. And while we want to enjoy the time, we also want to keep our friends and family safe. We have all heard the term food poisoning but let’s dive into this a bit more. Food poisoning is caused by a foodborne bacteria that is thriving in its environment and that is what can make us sick. Thankfully, there are…

Certain bags of Freshpet Select Fresh From The Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe have potentially been contaminated by the food-borne bacteria, salmonella. A voluntary recall of a single lot of the 4.5lb bags has been issued. Consumers are warned to look for a sell-by date of 10/29/22 and to refrain from feeding dogs and pups this potentially contaminated dogfood. In a statement made by Freshpet’s owner, Freshpet says “the safety of pets and pet parents and the quality of our products are of the greatest importance, and we value the trust placed in Freshpet.” Unfortunately, from a lot that was…

USDA Finds Salmonella in a Third of Ground Chicken. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the nation’s meat supply. Their primary role is to protect consumers from this bacteria, salmonella, which can cause serious illness. To protect consumers, Consumer Reports (CR) tested 351 packages of ground meat and found dangerous bacteria in almost a third of the chicken samples. Salmonella was found in 31%, or 23 of the 75, samples of ground chicken that the group tested. Each year, more than 212,000 Americans are sickened with antibiotic-resistant salmonella in food, and 70 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease…

Georgia’s A&M Farm, known for their sweet Vidalia onions, is voluntarily recalling onions packed on a single pack line between June 20 – June 23, 2022. Prior to the July 4 weekend, internal testing teams found listeria affecting select onions. Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious (sometimes fatal) infections in young kids, pregnant women, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems. The sweet onions recalled were sold only in bulk, under the brand name Little Bear, and quickly traced to impacted retailers. They were sold at two retail chains across 5 states with a PLU 4159 sticker July 22-24. See…

Barry Callebaut Group has suspended production of their chocolates due to salmonella. On June 25, 2022, one of the world’s leading Swiss manufacturers of high-quality chocolate & cocoa products, halted the production of its chocolates. In a news release, Barry Callebauet said they detected a salmonella-positive production lot manufactured in Wieze, a small town in Belgium. A Barry Callebaut Group internal food safety team quickly identified lecithin, an emulsifier used in chocolate, as the culprit. Because lecithin is used in most of their products, an investigation is currently underway to track the spread. At this time, all production at this factory has…