Author: Malin Chambers

Frozen organic strawberries have been recalled by a Gresham, Oregon company called Scenic Fruit Company due to potential Hepatitis A virus (HAV) contamination. The potentially contaminated frozen strawberries were sold to several companies, including Aldi, Costco, KeHe, PCC Community Markets, Vital Choice Seafood, and frozen organic tropical blend sold to Trader Joe’s nationwide. California Splendor, Inc. of San Diego, California, has also issued a recall on Kirkland Signature brand Frozen Organic Strawberries product. Investigators believe the frozen organic strawberries are likely responsible for a Hepatitis A outbreak in Washington States which has identified (so far) 5 confirmed illnesses and 2…

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298 Reported Illnesses in Raw Oyster Outbreak – Outbreak Now Over The CDC has just finished an investigation, in tandem with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Texas Department of State Health Services, into a norovirus outbreak that was wide-spread in the end of 2022. The multistate norovirus outbreak is believed to have been linked to raw oysters that were originally harvested in “harvest area TX 1, of Galveston, Texas.” As of December 20, 2022, an estimated 298 illnesses had been reported in 8 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. The contaminated…

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The CDC, alongside the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and local and state regulatory officials, has officially closed their investigation of the Seafood Salmonella Outbreak of October 2022. The investigation began on October 19, 2022, after 33 Salmonella Litchfield infections were reported in Arizona, California, and Illinois. Since then, officials have traced 39 Salmonella infections to the outbreak in 4 states: Arizona (13), California (24), Illinois (1), and Texas (1). The Salmonella Litchfield outbreak was traced to Mariscos Bahia, Inc., raw fish products, which were confirmed to have been distributed in Arizona and California, though the product may have…

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has made a major breakthrough for public food safety, announcing Salmonella as an official adulterant of some chicken products. Although it may seem like common knowledge that chicken products have a proclivity for causing Salmonella infections, Salmonella was never officially declared as an adulterant in chicken products and has remained unregulated. Unlike Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli were declared to be adulterants, or substances that compromise the safety of a products, in chicken products decades ago, after multiple outbreaks. Listeria was first declared to be an adulterant in…

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The Tazewell County Health Department (TCDH) of Tremont, Illinois, is currently investigating a norovirus outbreak believed to be caused by local restaurant Monical’s Pizza in Washington. A suspected 150 illnesses have been connected to eating at Monical’s Pizza in Washington and 3 cases of norovirus have been laboratory-confirmed and identified. Reports of illnesses first surfaced on Saturday, November 26, after members from a larger party that had recently eaten at Monical’s Pizza in Washington began reporting symptoms. Officials of TCDH began their investigation soon after receiving reports of illnesses from both the larger party and other restaurant patrons. Of the…

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The CDC is currently leading an active investigation on a Listeria outbreak that has been linked to enoki mushrooms. Two people became ill after consuming enoki mushrooms and subsequently required hospitalizations for their infections. Enoki mushrooms are white with long, thin stems and are popular in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean dishes, such as stir-fried dishes, soups, and hot pots. Enoki mushrooms are generally sold by the bunch with roots in clear sealed packaging and are typically consumed cooked. Investigators have not been able to identify a specific brand of enoki mushrooms that are contaminated, however, both victims reported consuming enoki…

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As of November 16, 2022, a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak (reference # 1113) has been identified in the United States with no known source as the cause of the outbreak. A total of 264 cases have been identified in connection with the outbreak, though the number of actual cases is thought to be much higher and the investigation remains ongoing. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is leading the investigation in collaboration with both federal, state, and local partners. The FDA is currently working vigilantly to find the source of the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak and will update the public accordingly. Statistically,…

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Cooper’s Hawk Cyclospora Outbreak: Florida Statute of Limitations Leaves Open the Right to Bring a Clam until Early June of 2023 The final investigation of the 2019 Cyclospora outbreak in Duval County, Florida found the most likely cause of the Cooper’s Hawk outbreak was serving food containing contaminated fresh basil – ironically, to-date Cooper’s Hawk continues to deny it served contaminated food. The Florida Department of Health of Duval County (DOH-Duval) first announced the potential outbreak on June 22, 2019 after one of Cooper’s Hawks own restaurant managers notified them of an estimated 20 employees who had became sick with…

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Seven Seas Smoked Salmon Recalled Due to Potential Listeria Contamination The St. Petersburg, Florida, company Seven Seas International USA, LLC, has issued a voluntary recall for their Giant Food Private Label Sockeye Smoked Salmon due to the product’s potential for Listeria Monocytogenes contamination. Approximately 540 cases of the potentially violated Smoked Salmon were distributed in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. by the American supermarket chain Giant Food. The affected product was sold with UPC code 68826715832 and lot number R4132. The 4 oz. smoked salmon product requires refrigeration and was sold in a clear plastic vacuum sealed bag with…

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Brie and Camembert Cheese Listeria Outbreak: Recall Expanded Sold under multiple brand names and nationwide throughout the United States and in Mexico, additional recalls have been issued for Brie and Camembert cheese. The newest recall issued on November 1, is for Brie and Camembert Soft Cheese sold in bulk to 80 stores in Alabama, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The full list of stores can be found here. The Brie and Camembert Listeria outbreak has been connected to 6 total illnesses and 5 total hospitalizations confirmed in the combined states of California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan,…

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