Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

Possible food poisoning caused student illness in Massachusetts A student at Franklin County Tech School in Turner Falls, Massachusetts, reported being a victim of food poisoning from undercooked chicken served at the school in early February 2018. The student’s mother called the school the day after the student consumed the chicken, to report that the student became ill after eating undercooked baked chicken. Food safety procedures require that meat products such as chicken be cooked to an appropriate temperature. The school stated that its logs showed the chicken was removed from the oven at a temperature of 170 degrees, which…

Four dog food products recalled for salmonella contamination When humans come in contact with pet food that is contaminated, they can be affected just as much as the pets who consume the food. Four pet food manufacturers have issued recalls for their dog food, after detecting salmonella in samples of their raw pet food products. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported that at least six animals have taken ill or died after eating the contaminated food and at least two young children have become ill after coming in contact with the dog food. The recalled products include: Redbarn…

Weis Markets recalls food products with undeclared eggs and milk Penne pasta and party dip products have been recalled by Weis Markets because each failed to list allergens on the label that included milk and eggs. Food safety protocols dictate that all ingredients must be listed on food product labels, to avoid the possibility of someone consuming a product that contains an ingredient that may cause an allergic reaction. Weis Markets has recalled its pre-made Penne Pasta with Asiago Sauce and Grilled Chicken single serving meal. The label for this product did not list a milk allergen. The discovery was…

Chicken salad sold by Fareway linked to salmonella illness in Iowa Fareway stores throughout Iowa have pulled chicken salad from their shelves, after the product has been linked to salmonella contamination which has caused multiple cases of illness across the state. The State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL) at the University of Iowa has conducted preliminary tests on the chicken salad and found the presence of salmonella in the product. The chicken salad was produced and packaged by a third party supplier for Fareway stores. The product has not been sold to the public since February 9. The Iowa Department of Public…

Water used for cooking identified as probably cause of Olympic norovirus outbreak Authorities have confirmed 194 cases of a norovirus outbreak that affected security staff at the Winter Olympics in South Korea. Food safety protocol has been identified as the probable culprit, as cooking water in a lodging facility was found to have been contaminated. Of those made ill by the contaminated water, 47 are still in quarantine. The foodborne norovirus did not impact any Olympic athletes. Just prior to the start of the Winter Olympic games, security staff began to fall ill with what was then thought to be…

Restaurant remains open after salmonella outbreak kills one person A salmonella outbreak at a Mexican-themed restaurant, La California, located in Aurora, Colorado, caused the death of one person and severe illness in 33 more. One employee tested positive for salmonella contamination. The restaurant employee has been banned from working at the restaurant until it was determined that he or she was no longer ill. It was not clear whether the employee was the source of the outbreak or a victim of the contamination. Those who became ill apparently consumed the family combo meal at the restaurant during a two-week period…

One person had now died following an outbreak of Salmonella at La California Restaurant One person has died from complications related to a salmonella outbreak at La California, a restaurant in Aurora, Colorado. Another 33 people have become ill from eating at the restaurant during a two-week period in November 2017. Three people were hospitalized as a result of salmonella contamination after eating at the restaurant. Those affected apparently ate the family combo meal at La California. Health department officials have not been able to pinpoint the specific item in the combo meal that caused the salmonella outbreak, as everyone who…

Trendy raw water can be dangerous A recent trend for consumers to purchase and drink raw, untreated water may be leading to illnesses from the bacteria, viruses, and parasite contained in that water. Raw water is being promoted as more natural than that which can be found in the tap or in treated bottled water. In fact, raw water itself is being bottled and sold, often for extremely high prices. Unfortunately, the consumer may pay a higher price after drinking significant quantities of the raw water as it may lead to intestinal issues such as diarrhea. There are no food…

Pork products recalled in seven states for possible food poisoning Guymon Extracts is recalling over 4,000 pounds of fully cooked pork products that have been distributed in seven states across the US. The recall is due to a processing deviation that may have allowed the growth of botulism in the pork. Food safety issues such as processing protocols can lead to food poisoning issues such as this one. Guymon Extracts is recalling 4,202 pounds of product that was distributed in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Washington, California, and Colorado. The recalled products bear the establishment number “Est. 32161” inside the USDA…

FDA refuses record number of shrimp imports In January 2017, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused the import of a record number of shrimp, some due to the use of banned antibiotics in that shrimp and some due to the presence of salmonella in the shrimp products. A total of fourteen shrimp entry lines were rejected by the FDA in January because of salmonella contamination. Food safety issues arise out of lower-quality imported food products. The FDA’s refusal to allow entry of these shrimp products due to salmonella contamination indicates an increased potential for food poisoning in…