Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

Blue Bell ice cream returns to Indiana after listeria scare Almost three years after a listeria outbreak directly linked to its products, Blue Bell plans to once again sell ice cream in Indiana, beginning in March. One of the company’s production plants that was shut down because of the listeria contamination was located in Indianapolis. Blue Bell debuted its ice cream in Indiana in 2010. However, serious illnesses were discovered from 2010 to 2015 that were directly linked to listeria found in the company’s ice cream products. In 2015, ten people located in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona were determined…

Unwashed produce can be more dangerous than raw meat Herbs and some produce have been found to cause more food poisoning than raw meat or meat products. While it is still advisable to handle raw meat with care, always washing your hands and any surfaces that may have come in contact with it, taking the same care – or more so – with herbs and produce may actually be more critical. Adding unwashed herbs to salads or other dishes can significantly increase the possibility of exposure to harmful bacteria. In fact, there have been more incidents of salmonella and e.…

Kratom products voluntarily recalled Kratom, derived from a plant that grows in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, is used in teas and dietary supplements. The herbal supplement is thought to relieve pain and anxiety. However, kratom has not received approval and is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so kratom supplement manufacturers are not required to follow any food safety guidelines. There are no uses for kratom that are approved by the FDA. Recently, the supplement was found to be contaminated by salmonella, causing illness in people ranging from age 6 to 67. The contamination…

Two Burrito Delight locations closed during salmonella investigation Catering for community college employee training events is linked to salmonella contamination that caused five of those attendees to become ill. Burrito Delight has locations in Fort Lupton and Dacono, Colorado, both of which are now closed temporarily. The restaurant catered two events for Aims Community College, one on February 9 and one on February 13. Another five people have recently become ill after consuming food from Burrito Delight, two of which may have also attended separate events catered by the restaurant. One child has been hospitalized as a result of the…

Loophole in law allows salmonella-contaminated meat to be sold to consumers In the US, the law allows meat to be sold that contains the bacteria salmonella. Even though other bacteria that causes illness in humans, including e. coli, is considered an “adulterant,” salmonella is not. An adulterant in food is something that the food contains that prohibits it from passing food safety legal standards. So, foods that contain e. coli are not allowed to be sold to consumers, while meat contaminated with salmonella can be sold. The identification of e. coli as an adulterant in 1994 was the first time…

Catered events at community college linked to illnesses A restaurant in Fort Lupton, Colorado, that had 22 red violations during inspections over the past 3 years has been linked to salmonella infections at Aims Community College. Ten people are confirmed ill as a direct result of salmonella contaminated food, including five at the community colleges where catered food was served by Burrito Delight on two separate occasions in early February 2018. One person has been hospitalized as a result of the food poisoning. The restaurant has since been closed, but local officials have decided not to impose a fine for…

Over 20,000 pounds of chicken salad recalled by Triple T Specialty Meats The third-party supplier of chicken salad contaminated by salmonella and sold at Fareway grocery stores in Iowa has been identified as Triple T Specialty Meats Inc. To date, there have 37 confirmed cases of illness related to the consumption of the Fareway chicken salad in Iowa. Those consumers became ill between mid-January and early February 2018. Some of the chicken salad contaminated by salmonella may have been frozen after purchase and may remain in consumers’ freezers. To ensure food safety in the home, anyone who has purchased chicken…

Controversial supplement kratom contaminated with salmonella Kratom supplement pills and tea have caused illness in 28 people in 20 different states due to salmonella contamination. An herbal drug not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), kratom is a plant that grows naturally in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Pills and tea are made from the leaves of the plant and are supposed to be beneficial primarily for pain relief. The salmonella outbreak has affected at least 28 people, including a 6-year old child. Eleven of those who became ill have had to be hospitalized. There have…

28 confirmed cases of illness linked to Fareway chicken salad In January and the early part of February, a total of twenty-eight people in Iowa have been confirmed as suffering from salmonella poisoning as a direct result of having eaten chicken salad sold in Fareway stores. Another sixty-six people in Iowa are listed as probable cases of having become ill as a result of the salmonella contamination. In addition, one person in Nebraska has been confirmed with an illness directly linked to the Fareway chicken salad. These numbers were reported by the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Nebraska…

Pathogenic contamination of cannabis products unregulated territory As cannabis products are legalized in more US states, the issue of food safety hazards associated with their production becomes complicated and, often, unregulated. There are many risks in the consumption of cannabis products that have not been properly inspected, which pose some serious health concerns. Cannabis products can be contaminated with pathogens such as salmonella and e. coli that go undetected. Although a number of states have legalized cannabis, it is not legal under federal law. Therefore, federal regulations for food safety are not applied to cannabis products throughout the process of…