Author: McKenna Madison Coveny

What is Bacillus Cereus? Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) is a spore-forming pathogen that can produce toxins capable of causing food poisoning in humans. It is often associated with rice, grains, vegetables, spices, and dairy products, although it can contaminate a wide range of foods. The bacteria can survive and multiply in various environmental conditions, making it a concern for food manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike. Bacillus cereus was first discovered in the late 1800s but it wasn’t until the 1950s that many outbreaks began to occur in Europe. What are the symptoms of Bacillus Cereus and how long do they…

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Lamb has been on the dinner-table for over 9000 years in human civilization, longer than any of the other large domesticated animals. When first imported into the U.S. territories, it was contentious as it conflicted with beef production for usable grazing land. In fact, between the 1870s and 1900, there were “Sheep Wars” in and around Texas. The sheep were nomadic, often causing sheepo herders to remove fences necessary for cattle, and some were infected with “scab” that could then infect the cows. In short, sheep were bad for cattle business – which was king. Cattlemen pushed for a law…

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Just last month, Rizo-López Foods Inc., a product supplier of cheese manufacturer/distributor Sargento, was forced to recall a large mount of its product (see below -including about 60 cheese products). That recall came after an announcement that listeria had been detected in Rizo-López cheese products. As is common in outbreaks, initial recalls are allowed by more and more potentially contaminated product recalls, in this case, Sargento Cheese that incorporated Rizo-López cheese. Sargento issued its recall, at lest initially, limiting the scope of the recall to a small portion of its product supply. Sargento apparently also severed all ties with the…

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Since childhood, most people have held the belief, often repeated, that leafy greens (aka “salads”) are the healthiest choice in food.  And while there is a great deal of truth to this, from a certain point of view, leafy greens are also a common conduit for food borne illness pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria,  certain viruses like hepatitis A, and parasites, like Cyclospora. But recent research has also noted that the propensity to contain or carry such pathogens is not equal among the common leafy greens.  In fact, one particular leafy green, romaine lettuce, seems to have been…

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FDA Update on the WanaBana Applesauce Lead and Chromium Announcement: Lead Poisoning Lawsuit Claims Extremely High Levels of Lead in Cinnamon There are now a total of 90 Adverse Event Reports in the FDA database, and 468 likely cases (101 confirmed and 320 probable) in the CDC database, which likely represent only a portion of the actual number of victims. Only those cases in which the two federal agencies have received information are included in the FDA and CDC numbers.  To constitute a “confirmed case” in the CDC’s database, a victims must have had a blood lead level of 3.5…

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Norovirus causes about 110 thousand hospitalizations each year and nearly 1000 deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, keeps track of all positive tests for Norovirus. Since the test is not routine, only a small subset of the actual number of victims is recorded “officially” each year. Estimates put the number of Norovirus victims in the United States at between 19 and 21 million, with the average victim suffering gastrointestinal illness, often including vomiting and diarrhea with severe cramping, for 2 to 4 days. Most victims do not seek medical attention, but about 109,000 victims require hospitalization…

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Food Safety Should be Taken Seriously, Says Ron Simon, one of the food poisoning lawyers who handled many of the PCA cases. Michael Parnel is 65 now, and serving a 20-year sentence (to be followed by three years of probation) at the low-security federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, for crimes related to the submitting of false salmonella tests for Peanut Corporation of America. Acting as food broker for PCA, his company P.S. Sales, transported the peanut products to Kellogg’s. He was convicted on 31 charges. His older brother Stewart Parnell, was the owner of the Blakely, Georgia headquartered PCA.…

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Raw Milk Cheese E. Coli Outbreak Sickens Nearly a Dozen – So Far The hope, at least, is that the recall will prevent any further injury to consumers of Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese. At least 4 people have now been hospitalized, along with one who has been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, that can lead to kidney dialysis and kidney transplantation.  It is a very serious condition where the blood cells clog the kidneys, leading to acute kidney failure. Another half dozen sought medical care but avoided hospitalization. According to the CDC and FDA, along with…

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RAW FARM-Brand Raw Cheddar Cheese Linked to Nearly a Dozen E. Coli Cases in Four States The FDA and CDC have identified 10 individuals, so far, who have been infected with E. coli bacteria following consumption of RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese.  The recall applies to RAW FARM- brand Raw Cheddar blocks and shredded cheese, including all sizes of blocks and shredded packages of Original Flavor and of Cheddar with added Jalapeño Flavor.  Both flavors have been implicated in the outbreak to date.  The recall includes all product within its current shelf-life.  These products are sold mostly through Sprouts Farmers…

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Lead and Chromium Found in WanaBana Applesauce Pouches Favorited by Children – No Testing was Performed on the Final Product Before Importation According to the FDA, the cinnamon sticks that were processed for use in the WanaBana Cinnamon Applesauce that contained high levels of lead was sourced from Sri Lanka. According to Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (known by the acronym “ARSCA”), the Sri Lanka cinnamon sticks were “negative” for lead poisoning when they were provided to Negasmart or Carlos Aguilera, the two Ecuadorian companies involved in manufacturing the product. According to ARSCA, the cinnamon sticks were…

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