Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

Voluntary Recall of Dole Fresh Vegetables Due to Listeria Concern On December 22, 2021, Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. announced a voluntary recall on all its Dole-brand and private brand packaged salads processed at either its Bessemer City, NC or Yuma, AZ facilities, due to a concern regarding listeria monocytogenes contamination. Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc., in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), issued the recall to include all Dole-brand and private brand packaged salads from these facilities. The recalled products may be identified by having a lot code beginning with…

As one holiday celebration ends and leads to another, food remains the centerpiece of many festivities across the world. Due to this, the topic of food poisoning and how to prevent such a holiday damper, is a hot one – no pun intended. The following list is an accumulation of nationally recognized health policies and guidelines, most having to do with cross contamination (the bane of most food poisoning in the home) for the prevention of food poisoning: Storage To prevent contamination due to poor storage, keep all meats such as turkey, seafood, chicken and beef separate from other…

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has Issued a Consumer Advisory Due to Potential Listeria Contamination in Some Fresh Express Lettuce Products. A recent consumer advisory was issued by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), on December 17, 2021, regarding potential Listeria contamination. In their advisory, the MDARD stated that during a routine sampling of Fresh Express Sweet Hearts Romaine Lettuce Sweet Butter Lettuce a sample tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Out of concern for consumers, health department officials have been advised to refrain from consuming the potentially contaminated products until more information is known.…

What are the “Four Magic Reminders of Holiday Food Safety”? As one prominent food poisoning lawyer, Ron Simon, reminds us, nearly one in six Americans will get food poisoning this year. For most of them, they will recover within a matter of days. Unfortunately, many thousands will require hospitalization and several thousand people will succumb to their illness and pass away. No matter how serious or mild their case of food poisoning, one thing is certain, no one wants to get food poisoning during the holidays. The hosts and cooks do not want to be the ones responsible for getting…

Close to 1000 Victims Identified in Onion Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak – As Many as 25 Thousand More Likely Became Ill It is clear the number of victims in the recent Onion Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak is still on the rise, with more than 25 thousand likely victims still unaccounted for. Additional products are being recalled, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the FDA’s most recent report on the Onion Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak, the FDA stated that their traceback investigation is ongoing but has centered now on two distributors/suppliers of…

As of the 16th of November, 2021, there is an active investigation underway after spinach from Missouri, Josie’s Organic Spinach, tested positive for E. coli. THe positive test was reported by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The spinach is suspected to be linked to a multistate salmonella outbreak. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), tenAmerican Individuals across seven states have been reported to be infected with E. coli. The illness onsets range in date from October 15th to October 27th, 2021. The identified victims come from a wide geographical range, adn include the states…

FDA Announces Ongoing Investigation of E. Coli 0157:H7 Outbreak Linked to Spinach On November 16, 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a report regarding the ongoing investigation of an E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak linked to Spinach. As of November 15, 2021, 10 people have been reported to be infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli 0157:H7 from 7 different states: South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Cases of illnesses were reported to have begun between October 15 to October 27, 2021. The FDA, CDC, as well as state and local health authorities are…

21 Victims in Salmonella Outbeak linked to Citterio Brand Salami Sticks On the 28th of October, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a public health safety alert confirming 21 cases of Salmonella linked to the Citterio Brand Premium Italian-Style Salami Sticks. These products are sold mostly at Trader Joe’s and Wegmans. In the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) official outbreak report, they report 21 illnesses in this Salmonella outbreak, with 6 hospitalizations, across 8 states. These states, containing individuals infected by Salmonella due to Citterio Brand’s Salami Sticks include California, Kansas Minneosta, Illlinois, Michigan,…

Salmonella Lawsuits Aimed at Cleaning Up the Food Supply Follow on the Heels of Three Large Salmonella Outbreaks in the United States Three major outbreaks of Salmonella have led to numerous lawsuits being filed across the nation. The largest outbreak was of Salmonella Oranienburg, one of the roughly 2200 serotypes of Salmonella that researchers have identified. It is a rather rare form of Salmonella and it has been identified in stool samples of at least 800 Victims in the United States. Last week the national salmonella law firm of Ron Simon filed a lawsuit, with the Peterson Lawyers in Boise, Idaho,…

Famous Anthony’s Takes Center-Stage as Epicenter of Large (and Growing) Hepatitis Outbreak: The Virginia Restaurant Chain Linked to at Least One Death Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts, in Virginia, have announced that a Hepatitis A outbreak has been traced back to a Virginia local restaurant chain.  The October 27, 2021 announcement indicates health officials are looking into about 50 reported cases of Hepatitis, all traced back to the local restaurant chain Famous Anthony’s. Unfortunately, at least one victim, a 75-year-old man, has died. According to local reports, at least 31 victims have been hospitalized with one needing a liver…