Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

4 Food Safety Tips for Thanksgiving This Year Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to give thanks for the blessings of life. This American holiday is characterized by the wonderful food and good company. However, with the business of planning your family Thanksgiving meal, it is easy to overlook a few important steps to ensure that it is prepared safely. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that “food handling errors and inadequate cooking are the most common problems that lead to poultry-associated foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States.” To ensure a healthy turkey meal, keep these four tips in…

Go Raw, LLC, Recalls Quest Cat Food for Salmonella Contamination On November 14, 2019 the Food and Drug Association (FDA) posted a voluntary recall announcement on Go Raw, LLC’s cat food brand, Quest. Go Raw, LLC is a company based in Cottonwood, Utah. The company is recalling its 2 lb. bags of frozen “Quest Beed Cat Food” for possible Salmonella contamination. Go Raw, LLC became aware of the contamination after a food safety laboratory test performed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture returned positive for Salmonella monocytogenes. Unfortunately, these products have already been distributed nationwide to various retailers. While there…

Most cases of food poisoning are caused by contact with infectious bacteria that are often carried and spread in animals through their digestive systems and their feces. One of these strains of infectious bacteria are salmonella, a type of infectious bacteria that is most often associated with poultry products. However, as some cat owners found out late last week, poultry products are not the only way of coming into contact with salmonella bacterial strains. A Utah-based pet food company called Go Raw has issued a recall on their Quest Beef Cat Food after a sample of the product tested positive…

E. Coli Found in the Water at Primary School in Melbourne, Australia An elementary school in Melbourne, Australia has found that the water has been contaminated with the E. coli bacteria.  The Footscray West Primary School immediately shut off the water supply after the routine testing indicated the presence of E. coli in the water. The principal of the school, Brendan Miller, notified staff and the student’s parents that the E. coli bacteria was found during water quality testing and that the water would be turned off for more thorough testing and treatment of the water system. In his statement,…

Cat Food Recalled for Exposure to Salmonella Go Raw, LLC is recalling their “Quest Beef Cat Food” brand of a frozen two-pound bag for fear of salmonella contamination.  The raw food company, Go Raw, LLC which is based in Cottonwood, Utah voluntarily recalled their frozen beef cat food that is packaged with the name “Quest”. The recall announcement was made after the Minnesota Department of Agriculture tested a sample of the product and found traces of salmonella. Go Raw, LLC suspects only some of the raw beef cat food was contaminated because their own quality testing came back clean. However,…

Recall on Organic Soybeans due to Presence of Mold Found at Natural Grocers Stores Organic soybeans are being pulled from shelves at 145 Natural Grocers stores after routine testing revealed the presence of mold in the soybeans. The Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc., which is a natural grocery chain based in Lakewood, Colorado, issued the recall notice of the two pound bags of organic soybeans due to the presence of mold.  The mold was found during routine testing by the company and the production of the soybeans will be suspended while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) works with…

Hepatitis A Emergency at a ShopRite, Thousands of Vaccines Administered The Somerset County Department of Health has now administered an estimated two thousand vaccines after an employee, who is tasked with handling food at a New Jersey ShopRite, tested positive for Hepatitis A.  The patient with Hepatitis A is employed at the ShopRite in Somerville, New Jersey and was reported to have come in contact with food in the grocery store. In response to this information, the county health department offered free Hepatitis A vaccinations to the public. Approximately two thousand civilians received the vaccine at local health clinics over…

New Seasons Market Recalls Ground Beef Due to E. Coli Contamination New Seasons Market recalls ground beef with E. coli contamination. The Oregon based grocery chain, New Seasons Market, announced the recall of their fresh ground beef for possible E. coli 0157:H7 contamination. The recall includes the fresh, in-house ground beef that is sold at the meat counter as well as ground beef products such as meatballs, meat loaf and hamburger patties. The ground beef that is recalled has the “packed on” dates of October 19 through October 23, 2019 and the “sell by” dates of October 23 through October…

Buddhist Temple Salmonella Outbreak: 47 Salmonella Victims in Gainesville According to the Department of Health in Alachua County (DHAC), nearly four dozen Floridians have been sickened in a Salmonella outbreak  in Gainesville,  Alachua County, located half way between Tallahassee and Orlando.  Local reports indicate the victims may be among  the Vietnamese community who received food boxes prepared by volunteers at a cultural and religious center. The religious center is believed to be associated with the Tu Vien A Nan Buddhist Temple, located at 2120 SE 15th St. in Gainesville.  According to http://www.tuvienanan.org/, the grounds also host the Ananda Monastery, built…

USDA Announces Recall on Ezzo Sausage Company Products for Listeria Monocytogenes  On November 11, 2019, The United States Department of Agriculture  (USDA) announced a Class I recall on approximately 25,115 pounds of sausage products from Ezzo Sausage Company, a Columbus, Ohio establishment, due to possible Listeria monocytogene contamination. The products of concern have already been shipped to distribution centers for retailers and markets in Indiana and Ohio. There is concern that these products may still be in distribution centers, retail stores, personal refrigerators, and freezers. View the labels below to see if you are in possession of any possibly contaminated…