With 101 Victims, Peach Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak Declared Over
The Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak caused by Wawona peaches has been declared over by the FDA, with 101 reported illnesses which required 28 hospitalizations, in the the United States. Although the contaminated product was distributed nationwide, illnesses were only reported from the following 17 states: CA, CT, IA, KS, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, VT, WI, with the latest illness onset date being August 27, 2020. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) also reported illnesses caused by Wawona peaches, with 57 confirmed cases that required 12 hospitalizations. The outbreak was localized to two provinces: Ontario (41) and Quebec (16).
While the outbreak has been declared over, the investigation to determine the cause and source of the outbreak remains ongoing. The FDA is currently collaborating with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to find the source of contamination by investigating Wawona packing facilities and any orchards that may have supplied the contaminated peaches to Prima Wawona. Although the FDA has completed over 570 sample analyses, the specific strain of Salmonella Enteritidis that caused the outbreak has yet to be found. Without finding the exact strain, the FDA cannot declare the official cause or source of the outbreak.
National Food Safety Attorney Ron Simon stresses the necessity of finding the source of the outbreak, stating that, “In order to curb food poisoning cases and prevent food borne illness outbreaks as a country, we must first determine the causes of our outbreaks, so that we may alter any and all of our insufficient food safety methods.”
Simon urges victims of the outbreak to seek medical and, when appropriate, legal assistance. His office has set up a Salmonella Help-Line at 1-888-335-4901 for those with questions. Ron Simon and Associates recently filed the first red onion Salmonella lawsuit in the nation in Riverside California against Thomson International, followed by several more.
The Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak caused by Wawona peaches has been declared over by the FDA, with 101 reported illnesses which required 28 hospitalizations, in the the United States. Although the contaminated product was distributed nationwide, illnesses were only reported from the following 17 states: CA, CT, IA, KS, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, VT, WI, with the latest illness onset date being August 27, 2020. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) also reported illnesses caused by Wawona peaches, with 57 confirmed cases that required 12 hospitalizations. The outbreak was localized to two provinces: Ontario (41) and Quebec (16).
While the outbreak has been declared over, the investigation to determine the cause and source of the outbreak remains ongoing. The FDA is currently collaborating with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to find the source of contamination by investigating Wawona packing facilities and any orchards that may have supplied the contaminated peaches to Prima Wawona. Although the FDA has completed over 570 sample analyses, the specific strain of Salmonella Enteritidis that caused the outbreak has yet to be found. Without finding the exact strain, the FDA cannot declare the official cause or source of the outbreak.
National Food Safety Attorney Ron Simon stresses the necessity of finding the source of the outbreak, stating that, “In order to curb food poisoning cases and prevent food borne illness outbreaks as a country, we must first determine the causes of our outbreaks, so that we may alter any and all of our insufficient food safety methods.”
Simon urges victims of the outbreak to seek medical and, when appropriate, legal assistance. His office has set up a Salmonella Help-Line at 1-888-335-4901 for those with questions. Ron Simon and Associates recently filed the first red onion Salmonella lawsuit in the nation in Riverside California against Thomson International, followed by several more.
