Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

Listeria-contaminated goat milk cheese should not be consumed Raw goat milk cheese that has been linked to possible listeria contamination should not be consumed, warned New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball. A sample of the cheese, The Maiden’s Creamery “Wild Meadow” Raw Goat Milk Cheese made by Mark Harvey, was tested by the New York State Food Laboratory and discovered to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Anyone who purchased the cheese at either of the farmers’ markets in New York, or anyone who received the cheese from someone who purchased it in either Cooperstown or Woodstock, should not eat the cheese…

Salmonella illnesses linked to chicken salad up to 170 cases Chicken salad produced by Triple T Meats, Inc., and sold at Fareway grocery stores has now sickened 170 people, including 62 people who have been hospitalized as a result of having eaten the tainted food product. The outbreak of illnesses caused by salmonella poisoning has affected consumers in seven states. Contaminated chicken salad was sold from January 4 to February 9 at Fareway grocery stores in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The number of illnesses related to the salmonella contaminated chicken salad was at 65 when the Food…

Long-term effects of food poisoning potentially devastating When food safety regulations are not followed, contamination by bacteria such as salmonella and e. coli can become a serious health hazard for consumers. Seemingly minor steps, including handwashing and maintaining separation between raw and cooked food, are crucial to the safety of food products sold in stores, served in restaurants, and prepared at home. When contamination occurs, food poisoning is a very real possibility. Often symptoms of food poisoning are uncomfortable and temporary. Gastrointestinal symptoms can include diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. However, there are many instances in which a case of food…

Whole Foods stores involved in recall of tainted meat products Ready-to-eat salami, pepperoni, chorizo, and sopressata meat products made by Olli Salumeria Americana in Oceanside, California, are the subject of a recall because of listeria contamination. The company is recalling 3,946 pounds of the tainted meat products. Even though the company states that it has sent the meat products to a number of retail stores in the US and Canada, to date only Whole Foods has been named as an outlet for the sale of those products. The recall affects stores in 29 states across the US. Whole Foods has…

Raw goat milk cheese contaminated with listeria Raw goat milk cheese made in South New Berlin, New York, has been found to be contaminated with listeria and should not be consumed. Maiden’s Creamery “Wild Meadow” raw goat milk cheese is made by Mark Harvey and was sold at two area markets in December 2017 and January 2018. A sample of the cheese was tested by the New York State Food Laboratory in February and discovered to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The manufacturer has recalled the product that was shipped to the markets and will destroy any remaining product. The…

Almost 4,000 pounds of meat products recalled for listeria contamination An Oceanside, California, company is recalling 3,946 pounds of ready-to-eat meat products because of listeria contamination. Olli Salumeria Americana recalled the products, sold under the brands Gusto and Olli, after an inspection by Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials found Listeria monocytogenes contamination in the packaged products. The recalled products were not heat treated, shelf stable, ready-to-eat meat items that were packaged on January 19, 2018. The meat products were shipped to a number of retail locations throughout the US and were exported to Canada. The following products have been recalled:…

Ready-to-eat meat products recalled, not inspected Meat products that have not been inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are subject to undetected contamination caused by salmonella, e. coli, listeria, and other bacteria that can result in serious illness in consumers. On March 1, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Office of Investigations, Enforcement and Audit (OIEA) visited the Kansas City Baking Company’s operations and found that it was producing meat products that were not being properly inspected by the USDA. Food safety regulations require that products considered to be “USDA amenable,” meaning they are subject to USDA…

Ground beef and pork products recalled for possible e. coli Almost 15,000 pounds of ground beef and pork products that may be contaminated with e. coli have been recalled by Oregon-based Interstate Meat Distributors, Inc. The recalled meat items were shipped to retail stores located in Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) office of Inspection Program Personnel (IPP) was notified by Interstate Meat Distributors that a sample of beef trim had tested positive for e. coli. The meat was tested by a third-party laboratory. Meat items that have been recalled include raw ground…

Burrito Delight salmonella count now at 35 As it continues to investigate the salmonella contamination linked to Burrito Delight restaurants, the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed that the number of people who have become ill after eating the restaurant’s food has increased to 21. Most of those illnesses have occurred in Weld County, Colorado. The restaurant has closed both its Fort Lupton and its Dacono locations while the investigation continues. Twelve people became ill after eating food at a community college event that was catered by Burrito Delight. That number has also increased, as more illnesses are…

Chicken salad salmonella count at 65; blames shifts At least 65 people have now reported illnesses related to chicken salad they purchased from Fairway grocery stores from early January to early February. Twenty-eight of those have been hospitalized. No deaths have yet been reported. The illnesses stemming from salmonella contamination span five states at last count: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. At this point, neither the grocery store nor the supplier, Triple T Specialty Meats, is accepting blame for the chicken salad that has caused food poisoning among its customers. Officials from Fareway Stores Inc. have stated they…