Author: Tony Coveny, Ph.D

Clover sprouts are the culprit in Jimmy John’s outbreak Eight people in three states have been made ill by eating sprouts on their sandwiches at Jimmy John’s restaurants. Five people in Wisconsin, two people in Illinois, and one person in Minnesota have been sickened by the sprouts that were contaminated with Salmonella Montevideo. The outbreak has been found in six restaurants so far. The first Jimmy John’s customer became ill after eating the sprouts on December 20, 2017. The most recent reported illness was January 3. There have been no hospitalizations or deaths reported as yet. The sprouts involved are specifically…

Misbranded Perdue chicken recalled for potential allergens Chicken breast tenderloin fritters produced and sold by Perdue Foods of Tennessee were recently distributed under the wrong brand. About 530 pounds of the chicken products actually contain eggs, although the label does not include eggs as an ingredient. Consuming these misbranded chicken products could pose a serious food safety concern for those who are allergic to eggs and egg products. Perdue Foods is recalling the products and no reactions have yet been reported that can be traced back to the mislabeled product. Mislabeled as Homestyle Chicken Tender Fritters, which do not contain…

Green beans recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination Green bean products, individually quick frozen and produced and sold by National Frozen Foods Corporation, are being recalled because of a possible Listeria monocytogenes bacteria contamination. The green bean products are sold at US Department of Defense commissaries. All of the potentially affected green bean products have been removed from the commissary shelves and the recall notice has been posted on the US Department of Defense Commissary Agency website. The recalled products include SYS IMP Bean Green Whole IQF NWP, 12/2 pounds: Lot number 17102703A03, MPC V5404; NW TRES Bean Green Cut, 1/30 pounds: Lot number…

Busting myths about food safety in the home Food safety is often thought of as a concern in restaurants or supermarkets. However, there are many areas in the home that are sources of common and dangerous myths. Food poisoning can occur when these myths are followed as truth. Food safety myths that must be dispelled in the home include: The five second rule: There is actually no amount of time that food can safely remain on a floor or other contaminated surface. Bacteria attaches itself to food immediately once it makes contact. Leftovers can be cooled and re-heated numerous times:…

Lactalis Salmonella Outbreak: French dairy expands recall of baby milk products contaminated by salmonella Lactalis produces baby milk products that are distributed across the world and that have been linked to salmonella outbreaks. The French dairy company has recently expanded its recall of infant milk products to include more than 12 million boxes sold in 83 countries. The expansion is the second since Lactalis initiated the recall that impacted 30 countries in December 2017. Food poisoning, linked to salmonella, caused by the baby products has affected three dozen babies in France who have become sick after consuming the milk products.…

Contaminated water could be used for coffee served on airlines – improper cleaning and sanitation on airlines puts patrons at risk An anonymous flight attendant has revealed that the water used to make coffee on airplanes during flights could contain e. coli. The flight attendant, who works for a major airline in the US, said that the water used for coffee is often the same as that used in the airplane toilet. The flight attendant said that the airplane water did not pass a recent test for e. coli but that the inspectors pushed it through so that it “officially”…

Frozen Coconut Salmonella Outbreak: Frozen shredded coconut sickens 25 people in 13 states Coconut used in desserts and drinks was found to be responsible for multiple cases of salmonella among consumers and restaurant customers, including a restaurant in Boston that was confirmed to have used the Coconut Tree brand frozen shredded coconut. The coconut that has been determined to be the cause of the Frozen Coconut Salmonella Outbreak that sickened 25 people in 13 states was made the Evershing International Trading Company. The states affected include Ohio, Massachusetts, Washington, California, and Oklahloma, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Florida, and Texas.…

Jimmy John’s customers sickened by salmonella:  Yet another Jimmy John’s salmonella outbreak linked to contaminated sprouts Sprouts that may have come from growers in Minnesota have sickened customers at an Illinois Jimmy John’s restaurant. The Illinois Department of Health says that customers in multiple locations became ill after eating sandwiches that contained the contaminated sprouts. The state health department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), all reviewed the produce as well as other items consumed at the restaurants and determined that the sprouts were probably the food item that caused the illness in…

Once again, Jimmy Johns is at the center of a salmonella outbreak, this time its Salmonella Montevideo, and again it is linked to sprouts.  At least that is the work from state and federal health investigators looking into the salmonella outbreak in and around Illinois.   At least 2 Illinois residents have been identified, and now the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is asking Jimmy John’s to take sprouts off the menu across the state. According to the CDC, there are victims in other states, though the number of such victims has not been released. This is not the first,…

List of ice cream bars recalled for possible listeria monocytognees expanded. The brands and stores impacted by the recall of Fieldbrook Foods ice cream bars now includes a long list that of products that were made at the company’s Dunkirk, New York, plant in 2017. Testing has found listeria monocytognees in ice cream bar samples from this production line. The listeria monocytogenes bacteria is a pathogenic bacteria that can cause serious illness and death, even in the smallest amounts that may be found in food products. The FDA has expanded the list of stores where the ice cream bars were…