Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

New Salmonella Outbreak Associated with yet another Mexican Restaurant: This time its La Mex Restaurant in Morris, Illinois According to public health officials, a recent Salmonella outbreak associated with food served at La Mex restaurant in downtown Morris, Illinois, has caused 8 people to contract food poisoning illness. La Mex restaurant, located at 115 E. Jackson Street in Morris, Illinois, has voluntarily closed its doors while the Grundy Health Department continues to investigate the source of the outbreak. The Morris radio station, WCSK, stated in a recent broadcast that the time frame of potential Salmonella exposure at La Mex restaurant…

Multistate Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Antipasto Meats On August 24, 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that two ongoing and allegedly separate Salmonella outbreak strains—Salmonella Infantis and Salmonella Typhimurium—will be combined into one investigation, as further information revealed a probable common source of contamination: Fratelli Beretta brand prepackaged Uncured Antipasto meats. Antipasto, which literally means “anti” meaning “before” and “pastus” meaning “meal”, is the first course of a formal Italian meal which typically includes meats such as salami and prosciutto, as well as a variety of cheeses and vegetables. As reported on August 25, 2021,…

Italian Meats are Linked to a Salmonella Outbreak that has Already Hospitalized a Dozen At least three dozen people have already been identified in an outbreak of salmonella that has hit people in 17 states, this according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or “CDC.” The real number of victims, says national food poisoning lawyer Ron Simon, interviewed for this story, is likely closer to ten times that, or more. Simon stated “these victims are the ones who were sick enough to present to a hospital even with COVID protocols, and to be lucky enough to be tested. …

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), all fully cooked, frozen chicken and chicken products supplied by Tyson Foods Inc. have been recalled due to Listeria contamination. This follows the identification of a Fatal Listeria Outbreak that it has linked to Tyson Foods. The CDC identified Tyson Food’s fully cooked, frozen chicken as the likely source of the lissteria that has caused the hospitalization of 3 and death of one individual in the state of Texas. Following the identification of these injuries, Tyson issued a voluntary recall of the fully cooked chicken and chicken products. According to Ron Simon,…

Safe Summer Canning Canning is a great way to preserve an abundant harvest for later. There are a few different methods for canning, such as Boiling and Pressure Canning. Regardless of the method, the goal is to alter the conditions as such to prevent the growth of unwanted microorganisms-bacteria, molds, and yeasts by inhibiting the interaction of food enzymes, oxygen exposure, and moisture loss. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) is a trusted authority on all things related to canning, especially regarding safe home canning practices. In order to properly preserve canned fruits, vegetables, and meats, and to…

Greater Omaha Packing Company Recalls 300,000 Pounds of Raw Beef For E. coli Contamination On July 29, 2021, Greater Omaha Packing, based in Omaha, Nebraska, recalled 295,236 pounds of raw beef after routine samples taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) returned positive for the presence of E. coli O157:H7. This is a Class I Recall, which means that there is a high to medium risk that coming into contact with or consuming the recalled product will result in serious adverse health consequences. The recalled meat was raw beef intended for non-intact use. The…

Food Safety Practices at Farmer’s Markets Public appreciation for Farmer’s Markets is rapidly on the rise, as some argue that they provide the freshest of vegetables, fruits and even meats. Buying organic foods and other such products from Farmer’s Markets has become a regular part of the many American families’ grocery shopping schedule. But with their proliferation, it is important to keep in mind a few practical food safety tips when shopping at Farmer’s Markets. Meat Any meat and meat products sold at Farmer’s Markets should be stored in clean, air tight coolers with the proper amount of ice. Like…

Multistate E. coli Outbreak Investigation Points Towards Consumption of Raw Cake Batter You may remember your mom telling you not to taste the raw cake batter when you were young, but why? Cake batter, whether from a store bought mix or homemade, contains raw ingredients, such as eggs, which can harbor harmful bacteria that cause gastrointestinal illness if consumed prior to being cooked. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121 which is most likely caused by this very issue. On July 28, 2021, the CDC announced an ongoing…

Salmonella Outbreak in Midwest Linked to BrightFarms Salads BrightFarms announced a voluntary recall on various packaged salad greens after becoming aware that eleven people fell ill after having purchased or consumed their salad products in June, 2021. Local and state health officials’ investigation and traceback information indicate that the salad produced on a farm in Rochelle, Illinois is likely the origin of the Salmonella contamination. Consequently, on July 15, 2021, out of an abundance of caution, BrightFarms issued a voluntary recall of its packaged salad greens produced in Rochelle, Illinois (Ogle County) greenhouse farm distributed in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and…

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to BrightFarms Salad Products. A new salmonella outbreak was announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 15, 2021. This recent outbreak has been reported to have already sickened eleven people in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan. Although the outbreak investigation is new the source of the illnesses seems to be salad products sold by the company BrightFarms. A recall on multiple salad products was issued by BrightFarms immediately following the outbreak announcement. In their recall, BrightFarms stated that the only salad products affected by the potential…