Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

Food Safety Tips: Foods to Avoid While Pregnant With food poisoning cases on the rise in the United States, due to several outbreaks, including the red onion Salmonella outbreak and the peach Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak, it is important to remain vigilant about food safety, especially for pregnant women. A food poisoning infection while pregnant can result in serious injury, possibly leading to birth defects or even the loss of the fetus. Food borne illness causing bacteria, such as Listeria, E. Coli, Campylobacter, and Salmonella, can be potentially avoided by refraining from consuming food that is more at risk to…

Avoiding Salmonella Contamination in the Midst of an International Red Onion Salmonella Outbreak When consumers pick out produce at aa local grocery store, most like to think that it came from a healthy farm that uses safe and sustainable farming practices that include what are known as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Not so. Consumers buy food not only for its great taste, but for its nutritional value. So, how can the average consumer know that the food they buy is going to be good for them? Is it enough to just assume that our food is being grown, harvested, transported,…

Salmonella and Onions: The U.S. and Canada Both Hit by Large Salmonella Outbreak in the Midst of the Covid 19 Pandemic Have you ever wondered where food comes from? Have you ever wondered if it was safe to eat, or where it had been before it got to you? These are all important questions to ask, and more importantly, to get answers to. Many times, food has travelled a long distance before arriving at the marketplace, and not always under the best conditions. A recent outbreak in Salmonella, which both Canadian and U.S. health officials have linked to onions, has…

The Victim Count Nears 1500, with over 200 Hospitalizations in the Red Onion Salmonella Outbreak – Heath Investigators in Two Countries Scramble to Get it Under Control The CDC has released new information on the Salmonella red onion outbreak, which has caused 1012 illnesses in the United States, with illnesses in 47 states and 136 infections requiring hospitalizations. In Canada, there have been 457 confirmed cases and 66 individuals requiring hospitalizations with illnesses in the following provinces: British Columbia (107), Alberta (257), Saskatchewan (33), Manitoba (25), Ontario (11), Quebec (23) and Prince Edward Island (1). There has also been…

Cases Continue to be Reported: Over 1000 Salmonella Cases Caused by Red Onions The Newport Salmonella outbreak caused by Thomson International, Inc., red onions has caused 1012 illnesses in the United States, with illnesses in 47 states and 136 infections requiring hospitalizations. In Canada, there have been 457 confirmed cases and 66 individuals requiring hospitalizations with illnesses in the following provinces: British Columbia (107), Alberta (257), Saskatchewan (33), Manitoba (25), Ontario (11), Quebec (23) and Prince Edward Island (1). There has also been one reported death, though officials have not confirmed if the Salmonella infection is the official…

Salmonella Enteritidis Peaches Shipped to Numerous Countries The Prima Wawona peaches contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis have not only been shipped across the country, but also exported to several countries: Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates. As of August 28, 2020, only three of these countries have issued recalls for Wawona peaches: Canada, Singapore, and New Zealand. Distributed nationwide in the United States from June 1, 2020, to approximately August 19, 2020, the infected Prima Wawona peaches have caused 78 total illnesses, requiring 23 hospitalizations.…

Squash Noodle Medley from Giant Foods Recalled for Possible Listeria Contamination             WARNING: LISTERIA IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN Giant Foods is recalling their store brand squash noodle medley product for potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Giant Foods has not revealed whether illnesses have been reported due to the product, or what testing was used to confirm Listeria contamination. The recall is for the store brand squash noodle medley sold from August 8, to August 19, 2020, with UPC code 068826718585 and “Best Enjoyed By” date of August 19, 2020. Although it has past the “Best Enjoyed By” date, customers…

Labor Day Weekend Food Safety Tips With a summer full of food borne diseases spreading rapidly, including the red onion Salmonella outbreak and the Wawona Peach Salmonella outbreak, food safety tips have never been more necessary. Specifically as we head into Labor Day weekend, with temperatures remaining high in the last few days of the summer. Food poisoning is more common during warmer weather because food borne illness causing bacteria— such as Salmonella, E. Coli, and Listeria— thrive at increased temperatures. Temperatures ranging from 90 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit allow bacteria to reproduce, specifically with added moisture, such as…

Lethal Hand Sanitizers Continue to be Recalled Since June 19, 2020, the FDA has been issuing recalls and warnings for contaminated and lethal hand sanitizers that have contained methanol, 1-propanol, and other impurities. If consumed, these additional chemicals can be extremely harmful and even deadly. As Coronavirus continues to be a looming threat, companies that do not typically make hand sanitizer have been producing hand sanitizer and other products to assist the United States facing shortages of essential items. On top of that, companies that traditionally make hand sanitizer have been trying to overcome the shortages for months, while…

September: National Food Safety Education Month The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 1 in 6 Americans (over 48 million people) fall victim to foodborne illness each year, leading to the hospitalization of 128,000 people, and the death of 3,000. Because of the continued prevalence of foodborne illness (also known as food poisoning) in America each year, the month of September has been dedicated to the education of its prevention. Though scientists have discovered over 250 foodborne illnesses, the top five most common and dangerous in the U.S. are norovirus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter and Staphylococcus aureus,…