One mystery Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreak has sickened 254.

And, FDA (and state health departments and the CDC), I still am not sure why you closed the investigation with nearly 400 sick (100 hospitalized) into the Investigation of “Adverse Event Reports: French Lentil & Leek Crumbles (June 2022)” linked to Daily Harvest other than to say “Check your freezers for and do not eat, sell, or serve recalled French Lentil & Leek Crumbles from Daily Harvest.”

It is good that FDA and FSIS has been being more transparent on what is “cooking” in outbreak investigation. It is concerning, however, that many significant outbreaks – especially the resent Salmonella Typhimurium that has sickened 254 still has the product unidentified.

Here are the FDA Reports – Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli and Cronobacter:

Here are the FSIS reports – E. coli and Salmonella:

Interesting that neither seems to be investigating (or listing) these two Listeria outbreaks?

Deli Meats and Cheeses Listeria Outbreak: As of November 9, 2022, 16 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from 6 states – California, Illinois, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey. Sick people’s samples were collected from April 17, 2021, to September 29, 2022. 

Public health officials collect information about the age, ethnicity, and other demographics of sick people, and the types of foods they have eaten, to provide clues that can help identify the source of the outbreak. Sick people range in age from 38 to 92 years, with a median age of 74, and 62% are male. Of 13 people with ethnicity information available, 11 are of Eastern European background or speak Russian. Of 14 people with information available, 13 have been hospitalized. One person got sick during their pregnancy, resulting in pregnancy loss. Additionally, one death has been reported from Maryland.

State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the month before they got sick. Of the 12 people interviewed, 11 reported eating meat or cheese from deli counters. Among seven sick people in New York, five bought sliced deli meat or cheese from at least one location of NetCost Market, a grocery store chain that sells international foods. Sick people from other states purchased deli meats or cheeses from other delis.

Investigators do not believe that NetCost Market delis are the only source of illnesses because some sick people in the outbreak did not shop at a NetCost Market. A contaminated food likely introduced the outbreak strain of Listeria into delis in multiple states.

In 2021, health officials in New York state and New York City found the outbreak strain of Listeria in several environmental and food samples:
• Environmental samples from a NetCost Market deli in Brooklyn
• Several open packages of mortadella and ham that were sliced at the same NetCost Market deli in Brooklyn
• Sliced salami that a sick person bought from a NetCost Market deli in Staten Island

NetCost Market voluntarily closed the deli temporarily in Brooklyn after New York officials notified them about the sampling results. NetCost Market performed a deep cleaning and then reopened the deli in Brooklyn after further environmental testing did not identify Listeria.

In September 2022, the outbreak strain was found at the same Brooklyn NetCost Market deli; however, the most recent illness with NetCost Market exposure was in October 2021. After a deep cleaning, additional environmental testing did not identify Listeria in the deli.

Old Europe Cheeses Listeria Outbreak: As of September 28, 2022, six people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from six states. Sick people’s samples were collected from August 6, 2017, to August 5, 2022. Sick people range in age from 56 to 83 years, with a median age of 78, and 67% are female. Five people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the month before they got sick. Of the five people interviewed, four (80%) reported eating brie or camembert cheese. Most people did not remember the brand of the cheese they ate, but one person reported eating Lidl Premium Brand Brie. Old Europe Cheese is the only manufacturer of Lidl Premium Brand Brie.

FDA, with assistance from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, inspected the Old Europe Cheese facility in Michigan and collected samples for testing. WGS showed that the Listeria found in the cooling room is closely related genetically to Listeria from sick people’s samples. This provides more evidence that people likely got sick from eating cheese made by Old Europe Cheese.

On September 30, 2022, Old Europe Cheese, Inc. recalled their brie and camembert cheese. The company has also temporarily stopped producing these cheeses.