October 2012

Higa Meat & Pork Market, a Honolulu, HI establishment, is recalling approximately 4,100 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The following products are subject to recall:

• 10-lb. bags of “HIGA MARKET-GROUND BEEF BULK” –

Main Street Quality Meats, a Salt Lake City, Utah establishment, is recalling approximately 2,310 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The following products are subject to recall:

• 10-lb cases of “GROUND BEEF BULK.”

I got a call today from someone who has a subpoena to appear at a Grand Jury in the 2009 Peanut Corporation of America case.  It is hard to be optimistic after over three years.  However, a subpoena is progress.

I have developed a friendship with many of Stewart Parnell’s victims of the Peanut Corporation

Elizabeth Weise of USA TODAY reported yesterday that Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, had announced it will stop selling sprouts next week because of their “potential food safety risk.” Ms. Weise reported today that Walmart quietly stopped selling the crunchy greens in 2010.

Rumor has it that restaurant chain Jimmy John’s is going in the opposite direction despite in February 2012, Jimmy himself saying:

“I agree wich ya, we no longer serve sprouts, sprout supplies were inconsistent.”

And, who could blame him:

Multistate Jimmy John’s Restaurants Raw Clover Sprouts 2011

14 Sickened (possibly 19) – On February 15, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control announced an ongoing investigation into illnesses linked to the consumption of raw clover sprouts consumed at Jimmy John’s Restaurants in several states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Iowa (5), Missouri (3), Kansas (2), Michigan (2), Arkansas (1), and Wisconsin (1). Among 11 ill persons with information available, 10 (91%) reported eating at a Jimmy John’s sandwich restaurant in the 7 days preceding illness. Ill persons reported eating at 9 different locations of Jimmy John’s restaurants in 4 states in the week before becoming ill. One Jimmy John’s restaurant location was identified where more than one ill person reported eating in the week before becoming ill. Among the 10 ill persons who reported eating at a Jimmy John’s restaurant location, 8 (80%) reported eating a sandwich containing sprouts, and 9 (90%) reported eating a sandwich containing lettuce. Currently, no other common grocery stores or restaurants are associated with illnesses. Preliminary traceback information has identified a common lot of clover seeds used to grow clover sprouts served at Jimmy John’s restaurant locations where ill persons ate. FDA and states conducted a traceback that identified two separate sprouting facilities; both used the same lot of seed to grow clover sprouts served at these Jimmy John’s restaurant locations. On February 10, 2012, the seed supplier initiated notification of sprouting facilities that received this lot of clover seed to stop using it. Investigations are ongoing to identify other locations that may have sold clover sprouts grown from this seed lot. http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2012/O26-02-12/index.htmlContinue Reading Say it isn’t so Jimmy Johns – Sprouts making a comeback?

Last week the CDC reported that a total of 35 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bredeney have been reported from 19 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (1), California (5), Connecticut (3), Illinois (1), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (3), Maryland (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (1),

Since September 26, 2012, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been leading a committee that includes public health and food safety experts from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada and Provincial and Territorial Health Authorities. The committee meets regularly to share and review the latest information and determine what actions should be taken

106:  The Division of Public Health of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with Local Health Departments is investigating an outbreak of E. coli infection in 106 people who attended the Cleveland County Fair. Preliminary findings suggest animal exposure may be the source of this outbreak.

As of 2 p.m., 64