Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

Bakers are warned to beware as flour is once again found to contain Salmonella bacteria.  The danger, of course, is due to both cross contamination of the kitchen and that many people eat raw dough or batter – both of which contain non-heat treated flour that can contain the live bacteria.  While most bakers and cooks know about the dangers of raw eggs, unpasteurized dairy, or other raw materials, flour has been traditionally seen as one of the safe ingredients.  But after several high-profile outbreaks, one was Nestle Cookie Dough, the public is on notice. Now, there is another recall…

What happens after a Restaurant Fails a Food Safety Inspection?  Many Remain Open Even after a Litany of Food Safety Violations By Tony Coveny, Ph.D., a Seattle Native Let’s unpack the role of food safety inspections and their role in keeping food safe in the U.S.  In different jurisdictions, the power of local food safety agencies, often set up as the county or municipal health department, varies a great deal.  Many restaurants and food preparation establishments have repeated bad or insufficient scores following routine food safety inspections, are given multiple opportunities to cure defects, or are compelled to post bad…

How Does the Government Shutdown Affect the FDA, CDC and USDA and Food Poisoning Outbreaks? By Tony Coveny, Ph.D. Saturday Night Live opened with a skit aimed at the government shutdown in which they featured “green beef”,   a commercial focusing on the fact that the government shutdown (“partial” as it is) was leaving fundamental operations unfunded or understaffed.  The majority of the media seems to focus on the most glaring problem, the TSA, because of their role in high-profile airports. The airports are becoming increasingly bogged down because of a shortage of labor.  But so far, no security blunders seem to have…

As many as 40 restaurants may have served Hog Island Oyster Company in San Francisco, Sonoma, Petaluma, Bolinas, Sacramento, Sebastopol, Napa, and Santa Rosa. The oysters were contaminated with Norovirus and led to the January 3, 2019 closure and Tomales Bay (for at least one week) and a recall of the contaminated oysters. The victims, mostly identified in San Francisco at present, presented with the symptoms of Norovirus between December 29th of 2018 and January 5th of 2019. California Department of Public Health officials have traced the likely source of the illnesses to oysters provided by Hog Island Oyster Company,…

Consumers urged to check for recalled Duncan Hines mixes The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that the outbreak caused by contaminated boxes of Duncan Hines cake mix is over but warns consumers who may still have recalled boxes in their kitchen cabinets to not use them for making cakes. On November 5, 2018, four varieties of Duncan Hines cake mix were recalled after Oregon health officials identified Salmonella Agbeni in a box of Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix. Seven people in five states became ill from the contaminated cake mixes. Illnesses from food poisoning occurred in…

Is Pet food dangerous for pets as well as humans? By Tony  Coveny, Ph.D. I get asked on a regular basis if dogs and cats, among other pets, can get Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, and other food borne pathogens, and if so, can they sicken their caretakers in return.  The short answer is “Yes” – with a few caveats. (1)    First off, each of these pathogens affects each species of animal differently, but what is clear is that most of them can carry these pathogens even if they seem to be immune from the symptoms.  For example, turtles, chicks, Guinea…

Let’s put it in perspective. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), which covers the FDA, USDA, and CDC are our shields against disease.  DHHS has about 40,000 furloughed employees right now, meaning they are not working. That is half of the staff of DHHS.  THE CDC has retained just over a third of its workers, the FDA just over half, and the NIH less than a quarter. Those furloughed include epidemiologists, inspectors, chemists, and participants in clinical trials, etc.  When furloughed, these workers cannot perform their life-saving work – as former FDA director Tom Frieden said “whether people…

FDA Government Shutdown: 41% of Employees are Furloughed Creating  Potential Dangers According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 41% of agency employees are off the job (furloughed) due to the government shutdown.   This despite that critical role these employees play in maintaining the health of the American people through: (1) vigilant monitoring of the pharmaceutical and food supply; (2) enforcement of HACCP and GMPs meant to keep food pathogen-free; (3) identification of communicable pathogens in food and deleterious effects of pharmaceuticals; (4) investigation into outbreaks, approval of drugs; and (5) the overall prevention of the occurrence of food…

Lunch Box products potentially contaminated with listeria Sandwich products typically distributed to convenience stores and through vending machines have been recalled by Grand Strand Sandwich. The food product company is recalling Lunch Box Italian Subs, Lunch Box Ham & Swiss Croissants, and Lunch Box Ham & Cheese Frozen Wedges after discovering they may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. Grand Strand Sandwich is based in Longs, South Carolina, and produces sandwiches for lunch boxes and for schools. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) collected swabs from Grand Strand Sandwich’s meat slicing area on December 11, 2018. Those swabs tested positive for…

Hy-Vee in the news again with another product recall Hy-Vee, Inc., a large chain of employee-owned grocery stores based in West Des Moines, Iowa, has issued another recall for one of its food products that may be contaminated with salmonella. Hy-Vee was notified by a supplier that its cheesecakes made with Diamond Crystal Brands cheesecake mix may pose a health hazard to consumers. Hy-Vee has recalled 32 varieties of cheesecakes, in 8-ounce and 32-ounce packages with best if used dates ranging from December 6, 2018, through January 11, 2019. The grocery store issued several recall notices in 2018, including for…