Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

The initial Blue Bell ice cream recall was limited to product that was known to be contaminated with Listeria. Listeria Lawyer Ron Simon predicted that the recall would likely be expanded, and it has been. “The problem,” says Listeria Lawyer Simon, “is that in this outbreak the contamination seems to be wide-spread. Anytime more than one product is affected, and it seems to have been affected for some time, it is likely that a good deal of the rest of the product is in danger of being infected too.” In this case, in addition to the five victims in Kansas,…

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), in conjunction with other state and local health agencies, is currently investigating an outbreak of a rare strain of salmonella bacteria. So far at least 80% of the reported victims (and 25 have been confirmed so far) have identified eating sushi, and in particular sushi made with raw tuna, in the days leading up to the onset of salmonellosis. This particular strain of salmonella has not been found in humans or animals prior to this outbreak – as such, according to county Health Officer Robert Levin, “we are not flying with the experience…

A number of health code violations, and at least 5 cases of a rare strain of salmonella (Salmonella Schwarzengrund) have led to the closure of the and Pho Tam Vietnamese restaurant, located at 1098 N. Orchard St. in Boise, Idaho. The first case of Salmonella Schwarzengrund was identified in February of this year, and the others thereafter. According to Boise’s KTVB, the Central District Health Department (CDHD) discovered a number of health code violations at Pho Tam in an inspection prompted by the reports of Salmonella Schwarzengrund. Local reports indicate that the inspection, which was not readily available, includes a…

The Windmill Winery, in Florence, Az., is a popular wedding location and also provides dining and wine-tasting events. Now, it has had its food establishment permit revoked for the time being. The Pinal County Public Health Services District took the strong action after it became aware of an outbreak of salmonella food poisoning following a March 19th wedding on the premises. As part of the investigation, Pinal County health investigators soon discovered that the owner, Harold Christ, had exceeded his legally allowable level of food preparation and used a non-permitted caterer. According to Health District Director Tom Schryer, these “are…

The CDC has increased the official count of the number of Blue Bell Listeria victims from 5 to 8, and in so doing added a second “cluster.” This cluster has been identified in the State of Texas and marks the first time the CDC has confirmed that illnesses outside Kansas were linked to the Listeria recently found in Blue Bell ice cream. The original cluster was identified earlier this year when 5 patients in a Kansas hospital, three of whom later died, were linked to blue Bell ice cream through the work of health investigators as far away as South…

Blue Bell Creameries, a maker of premium ice cream headquartered in Brenham, Texas, has issued a newly expanded list of recalled items that are made at its Broken Arrow, Oklahoma plant. The plant was previously linked to the illness of five hospitalized individuals, three of whom subsequently died. The new recall includes Banana Pudding Ice Cream that comes in pints, following testing that has confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in that particular flavor, as well as a number of other ice cream flavors that are manufactured on the same production line. The locations that received product from Broken Arrow…

At least 22 people have been sickened in an isolated outbreak of salmonella food poisoning, this following at least one wedding at the Windmill Winery in Florence, Arizona. The outbreak has hospitalized at least four of the victims, including a young child. Authorities have yet to name the victims or their current condition. Health authorities expect this number to rise. The Pinal County Public Health Services District, which is leading the investigation into the Windmill Winery salmonella outbreak, has cancelled the winery’s food permit at this time. During the investigation of the outbreak officials observed that the Windmill Winery was…

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now recommending that consumers refrain from eating any Blue Bell Ice Cream made at Blue Bell Creameries’ Broken Arrow plant in Oklahoma. Ice cream made at the Broken Arrow plant can be readily identified by looking for the O, P, Q, R, S, and T following the date printed on the bottom of the ice cream packaging. This follows an acknowledgement that ice cream produced at that facility was likely responsible for an outbreak of Listeria at a Kansas hospital which infected at least five patients – three of whom…

A Salmonella outbreak has been linked to an unnamed restaurant in Boise, ID. At present, five confirmed cases have been identified, but consistent the Central District Health Department in Boise’s public policy the restaurant has not been named. According to information officer Christine Myron, speaking about the restaurant, “we’ve gone in and inspected and looked at appropriate food safety controls . . . [but] have not determined a definite source yet, and they don’t know how it got into the food.” She also confirmed that the department’s inspectors collected samples of food from the restaurant but the cultures were negative.…

The Silliman Institute, a private daycare though high school in Clinton, Louisiana, has extended its Easter break to allow time for the running of a food poisoning outbreak linked to E. coli. The investigation into the outbreak of E. coli at the Silliman Institute, founded in 1852, is being led by Louisiana’s Department of Health and Hospitals. According to Ashley Lewis, a spokeswoman for the agency, “the Department continues to take all necessary preventive measures to protect public health.” She noted, however, that Louisiana law prohibited her disclosing any of the facts related to the epidemiological investigation to anyone other…