Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

McDonald’s salad-related illnesses increase to 395 in 15 states More illnesses have been reported by people who have eaten salads at McDonald’s since mid-May 2018. At last count, 395 people have become ill from cyclospora infection caused by the romaine lettuce in the salad. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has linked the source of the contamination to Fresh Express, which is also responsible for cyclospora discovered in pre-made salads and wraps distributed by Caito Foods LLC of Indianapolis, IN. The McDonald’s salad-related illnesses have been reported by consumers in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South…

McDonald’s salad-related illnesses increase to 395 in 15 states More illnesses have been reported by people who have eaten salads at McDonald’s since mid-May 2018. At last count, 395 people have become ill from cyclospora infection caused by the romaine lettuce in the salad. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has linked the source of the contamination to Fresh Express, which is also responsible for cyclospora discovered in pre-made salads and wraps distributed by Caito Foods LLC of Indianapolis, IN. The McDonald’s salad-related illnesses have been reported by consumers in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South…

Beef, pork, and poultry salad and wrap items recalled A public health alert has been issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for salad and wrap items sold by major grocery stores, including Kroger, Trader Joe’s, and Walgreens. The recalled food products contain beef, pork, and poultry but it is the lettuce that may be contaminated with cyclospora. Caito Foods, also responsible for the recent multi-state salmonella outbreak tied to recalled pre-cut melon that sickened 77 people in nine states, distributed the potentially contaminated salads and wrap items across the US from its Indianapolis,…

The national food safety law firm of Ron Simon & Associates, along with co-counsel DiCello Levitt & Casey LLC, has filed the first lawsuit in the food poisoning outbreak linked to Chipotle Mexican Grill located at 9733 Sawmill Parkway in Powell, Ohio. According to the Delaware General Health Department, as many as 200 patrons have become ill from eating on July 29th and 30th.  The victims include a number of employees who called in sick on those days. The lawsuit was filed in Delaware County, Ohio, on behalf of Filip Szyller, who is currently undergoing medical treatment after becoming very…

Kraft Heinz cheese dip could have botulism The Kraft Heinz Foods Company is recalling 7,000 cases of Taco Bell Salsa Con Queso Mild Cheese Dip because of the potential for food poisoning by botulism. Product separation within the containers of cheese dip led to the voluntarily recall as it could lead to the growth Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism. Consumers are warned not to eat the cheese dip, even if it looks or smells fine. Recalled products include 15-ounce glass jars of Taco Bell Salsa Con Queso Mild Cheese Dip with best by dates of 27 DEC 2018…

Goldfish crackers latest on recall list linked to contaminated whey powder Whey powder that has been recalled for potential salmonella contamination is found in many food products. One of those products is Goldfish crackers, which Pepperidge Farms is now recalling as well. The company announced the recall on July 23, 2018, for various packages of four varieties: Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar Flavor Blasted Sour Cream & Onion Goldfish Baked with Whole Grain Xtra Cheddar Goldfish Mix Xtra Cheddar + Pretzel Goldfish crackers in these varieties that are packaged in bags, snack packs, and cartons are affected by the recall. Pepperidge…

Whey in Ritz crackers potential health risk The maker of Ritz crackers, Mondelēz Global LLC, has recalled a number of products because they pose a potential health risk to consumers. The company, based in Hanover, New Jersey, recalled 16 Ritz Cracker Sandwiches and Ritz Bits products that contain whey powder which has been recalled due to the potential presence of salmonella. The Ritz recall affects all listed products that are sold across the US, in Puerto Rico, and in the US Virgin Islands. Recalled products, including package size, UPC, and best by dates, are: Ritz Bits Cheese Big Bag 3…

Over 6,000 pounds of ground beef products recalled for e. coli A St. Petersburg, Florida, meat producer is recalling 6,020 pounds of fresh and frozen ground beef products, as the raw ground beef may be contaminated with e. coli. Ottomanelli Wholesale Meats, Inc., also known as Win Opportunity Knocks, produced the ground beef products from June 18, 2018, through July 11, 2018. The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) is investigating the e. coli contamination, which was discovered when FSIS was notified that the product was tested by the company as part of their sample program…

26-state salmonella outbreak linked to raw turkey Raw turkey products appear to be responsible for salmonella infections that have caused 90 illnesses in 26 states, with 40 people hospitalized. The strain of salmonella causing the illnesses is multidrug-resistant. The exact source of the contamination has not yet been identified and, in fact, those who have become sick have reported eating different types and brands of turkey products purchased from many different locations. Two of the people who became ill lived in a household where raw turkey pet food was fed to pets. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),…

Salads in St. Louis causing sickness – is this a new Outbreak or an extension of the current two outbreaks? Our Cyclospora Lawyers have now filed numerous Cyclospora lawsuits in both the Del Monte and McDonald’s outbreaks: Twenty-two people in west St. Louis County have become ill with cyclosporiasis, apparently after eating salads containing lettuce, tomatoes, and cilantro. At least 13 of those who became ill said they had eaten packaged salads. The outbreak of illnesses has included cases of diarrhea reported in Ballwin, Chesterfield, and Fenton since the end of May. County health officials are continuing to investigate the…