Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

Salmonella Strikes Again: Bagged Peaches from Aldi Recalled Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination             Following several Salmonella outbreaks across the country, including the Newport Salmonella outbreak, a reported 68 people have Salmonella Enteritidis in nine states, with 14 requiring hospitalization, as of August 19, 2020. The CDC currently suspects the source of the outbreak to be bagged peaches from ALDI, because many of the outbreak victims have reported consuming the product in several states. Under the brand name “Wawona”,  bagged peaches have been recalled from ALDI locations in Connecticut,  Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North…

Hello Fresh Onions Recalled Due to Salmonella Contamination On August 19, 2020, the meal-kit delivery business HelloFresh was informed that onions used in meal-kits were linked with the Newport Salmonella outbreak and possibly contaminated with Salmonella. The meal-kits with contaminated onions were distributed from May 8, 2020, to July 31, 2020 throughout the United States. HelloFresh urges all consumers to discard any uneaten meals containing the infected onions that were distributed during the above dates, though a detailed list of product codes can be found on the FDA website. Hello Fresh also notes that consumers who ingested the onions…

Another Salmonella-Related Outbreak to Add to the List This Summer: Kader Exports Frozen Cooked Shrimp Recall On August 11, 2020, Kader Exports pvt. Itd announced a voluntary recall on a variety of their frozen cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp for possible contamination with Salmonella. The recalled products were sold under the brand names of AQUA STAR RESERVE, CENSEA, FRESH MARKET, KIRLAND,TOPS,UNISTAR, and WELLSLEY FARMS. The recalled frozen shrimp varieties were packaged in 1lb, 1.5lb., and 2lb. retail bags and distributed nationwide between February and Mid-May 2020. The complete list of recalled items and their descriptions can be viewed here. Salmonella…

Several Dips Recalled Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination: Salmonella Lawyer Indicates it is Part of Larger Salmonella Recall Effort to Stem Salmonella Newport Outbreak. Multiple Cheese Dips have now been recalled due to potential Salmonella contamination in connection with the Newport Red Onion Salmonella Outbreak. Recalls were made by parent company Krogers for the retailers Smith’s, Fry’s Food Stores, Fred Meyers Stores, Kroger, Kroger Mid-Atlantic, and Kroger Delta Division for a variety of cheese dips sold under the brand names Murray’s, Jarlsberg, and Deli. The recalls were initiated after Thomson International, Inc. recalled all of their onions and products…

76 Cases of Salmonella Newport in California: First Salmonella Lawsuit Linked to Red onions Filed in California Health Officials have announced that all the evidence collected, thus far, points towards a single California produce company, Thomson International, Inc., as the source of the recent multistate Salmonella Outbreak. In California alone, there have been 76 confirmed cases of Salmonella. When the first cases of illnesses began to appear, local and state health officials began to investigate the origin of the Outbreak through the use of epidemiological and traceback methodology. By July 10, 2020, CDC’s PulseNet had confirmed 13 cases of Salmonella…

Salmonella Newport Outbreak Investigation Still Underway The Salmonella Newport Outbreak has now spread to 43 states in the United States, excluding only Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Hawaii (for now – as additional reporting continues). There are 640 reported cases and 85 hospitalization due to Salmonella Newport infection, though fortunately there have been no deaths caused thus far. According to recent studies, Salmonella Newport ranks as the third most common Salmonella enterica serotype in the yearly 1.2 million salmonellosis cases in the United States. Salmonella can spread from person to person or from animal to person. The…

New Cyclospora Outbreak in Austin, Texas The city of Austin, Texas, is currently investigating a Cyclospora outbreak with no known source. The earliest case of cyclosporiasis, the infection caused by the parasite Cyclospora, was reported on June 1, and as of August 5, 82 cases have been reported to epidemiologists at the Austin Public Health (APH) agency. Chief Epidemiologist of APH, Janet Pichette, advises all residents in the Austin-Travis county area to remain vigilant of foodborne illnesses, including cyclosporiasis, even in the midst of the pandemic. She urges consumers to, “thoroughly wash fresh produce, wash your hands after handling…

Oranges, Lemons, Limes, and Potatoes Recalled for Possible Listeria Contamination by Freshouse II, LLC Freshouse II, LLC, a mass distributer based in Salisbury, North Carolina, has initiated a recall for differing brands and weights from a specific production lot of Valencia Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Organic Limes, and Red B Potatoes, because of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recall was initiated and production and distribution was ceased after packing equipment tested positive for traces of Listeria during routine food safety testing. The contaminated products were distributed in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland under brand names Freshouse, Natures…

Salmonella Outbreak Expands: Illnesses and Recalls on the Rise as Ron Simon Files First Lawsuit in Food Poisoning Case The red onion Salmonella outbreak of 2020 continues to wreak havoc throughout the United States, with 640 reported cases requiring 85 hospitalizations. Cases have been reported from 43 states with leading numbers in Utah, Oregon, California. Canada has also been afflicted by the outbreak with 239 confirmed cases in 7 provinces. Joining forces, the FDA, CDC, and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), have identified the probable source of the outbreak as Thomson International, Inc. red onions. This collaboration is continuing…

Recall of Ready-To-Eat Taylor Farms Meat and Poultry for Containment of Recalled Thomson International Inc. Onions The Salmonella Newport Outbreak, linked with contaminated red onions, continues to make its impact, causing another product recall. On August 5, 2020, The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall on all ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products containing the FDA recalled Thomson International Inc. Red, Yellow, White, and Sweet Yellow Onions. The secondary recall was issued out of concern that the meat, containing a variety of the recalled onions, could be contaminated with Salmonella Newport. The recalled…