Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

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…

Brote de salmonela es Vinculado a productos de ensalada de BrightFarms. El 15 de Julio de 2021, los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) y la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos (FDA) anunciaron un nuevo brote de salmonela. Se ha informado de que este brote reciente ya ha enfermado a once personas en Wisconsin, Illinois y Michigan. Aunque la investigación del brote es nueva, la fuente de las enfermedades parece ser la ensalada de productos vendidos por la empresa BrightFarms. BrightFarms publicó una retirada de varios productos de ensalada inmediatamente después del anuncio del brote. En…

Domestically Acquired Cyclosporiasis Sends 21 to Hospital as the CDC States No Source Yet Identified On the 14th of July, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the report of domestically acquired Cyclosporiasis cases, now totaling 208 cases, including 21 hospitalizations. While the CDC reports annually on domestically acquired Cyclosporiasis cases in the U.S., the report is usually expected to include the source of the afore-mentioned intestinal illness, which is not the case regarding this year’s Cyclosporiasis report. According to the CDC, “many cases of cyclosporiasis cannot be directly linked to an outbreak, in part because…