Over 1,000,000 pounds of chicken recalled.  Over 170 types of products recalled.

A few years ago I spent several weeks “Down Under” giving a series of speeches on “Why it is a Bad Idea to Poison your Customers.”  On of my favorite Aussie sayings when someone did something right was “Good on ya mate.”  Seems appropriate to say that to both my friends at Foster Farms and FSIS.

I mean, after poisoning nearly 600 people over the last year, it is good to start removing some product from the marketplace.  This illness is part of the nearly 600 people who have experienced Salmonella linked to Foster Farm chicken over the last year.

According to someone involved in the recall and investigation, Foster Farms is set to recall boneless skinless chicken breasts linked to a customer that became sick in late June from product produced in March at Foster Farms’ Fresno plant.

Apparently, FSIS now has conclusive evidence directly linking Foster Farms product produced on March 8, 10 and 11, 2014 to a Salmonella Heidelberg illness.

FSIS is announcing a recall for the implicated product and is verifying the product is being removed from commerce.

FSIS was notified on June 23, 2014 of a Salmonella Heidelberg illness in a California resident associated with consumption of Foster Farms boneless skinless chicken breast.   FSIS took immediate steps to see if the product could be linked to the illness.

The intact packaging (with labels to identify production details) was picked up by FSIS at the case patient’s residence the next day, June 24, 2014. It was received at the FSIS lab on June 25. Lab testing confirmed a matching PFGE pattern on July 2.

The FSIS traceback investigation demonstrated that the product was produced on March 8, 10 and 11, 2014 at Est. 6137A in Fresno, California, purchased on March 16, 2014 and consumed on April 29, 2014, and was reported to FSIS on June 23.

Given this evidence, FSIS requested Foster Farms recall chicken parts produced on March 8, 10 and 11, 2014 at Est. 6137A in Fresno, California, and source carcasses and associated products at P7632 and P6137 because this product is known to be associated with the illness.

Until this point, there has been no direct evidence that linked the illnesses associated with this outbreak to a specific product or production lot.  This is why, according to FSIS, that product consumed by the 600 over the past year had not been recalled.

This voluntary recall involves chicken produced during select March dates at Foster Farms’ California facilities. These products were distributed in the following states: California, Hawaii, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Oregon and Alaska. Retail customers have been notified. Consumers are advised to discard or return affected product to the place of purchase. A full list of involved products is on www.FosterFarms.com/March2014ProductRecall.

According to Foster Farms the products recalled are:

Fresh chicken products sold by retailers under Foster Farms or private label brand names, with varying “use or freeze by” date ranges of March 21 to March 29, 2014, and a Plant code of P-6137, P-6137A or P-7632.  Sunland Frozen Chicken with “best by” dates of 3/7/15, 3/11/15 or 3/25/15

The long list of products in the recall include drumsticks, thighs, chicken tenders and livers. Most are sold with the Foster Farms label but some have the labels FoodMaxx, Kroger, Safeway, Savemart, Valbest and Sunland. No fresh products currently in grocery stores are involved.

According to FSIS the products recalled are:

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “P6137,” P6137A” and “P7632” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The chicken products were produced on March 8, 10 and 11, 2014. These products were shipped to Costco, Foodmaxx, Kroger, Safeway and other retail stores and distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah. The list of products subject to recall can be accessed here.

As I said to Reuters:

“There have been instances where responsible companies have recalled their products, even where they were not linked to a particular illness. Those recalls were voluntary, out of a concern to get the product off the market and help prevent people from becoming sick,” said William Marler, a food safety attorney who is representing a California man allegedly sickened by the salmonella outbreak.

And to AP:

Bill Marler, a Seattle attorney who specializes in class-action food-safety lawsuits, commended both Foster Farms and the USDA for “doing the right thing for food safety.”  “Recalling product is both embarrassing and hard, but is the right thing to do for your customers,” Marler said.

According to press reports, the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment is distributing more free hepatitis A vaccines Wednesday at its clinic in Fort Collins.

The shots are available for people who ate at Tortilla Marissa’s after June 17 because a worker at the restaurant has tested positive for the contagious hepatitis A virus. Residents may get shots from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, but they must call (970) 498-6767 and make an appointment.

The shots will be disbursed at the health department’s clinic in Fort Collins, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive.

More than 800 of Tortilla Marissa’s customers have already received a vaccine this week, according to the health department. The agency will continue to provide free hep A shots at its three clinics through July 8 for anyone who consumed food or beverages at Tortilla Marissa’s within the past 14 days counting from the day that the shot is received.

The hepatitis A virus can lead to serious liver disease and cause flu-like symptoms, yellow skin and eyes, dark urine and severe stomach pains and diarrhea, according to a handout from the health department.

Canada 59 – USA 21

In the United Sates as of June 9, 2014, a total of 21 ill persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Newport (13 persons), Salmonella Hartford (6 persons), or Salmonella Oranienburg (2 persons) have been reported from 12 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (1), California (3), Colorado (1), Connecticut (3), Florida (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), New York (4), Ohio (1), Utah (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (3).  Two ill persons have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.  Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicate that organic sprouted chia powder is the likely source of this outbreak.

In Canada as of June 27, 2014, four strains of Salmonella causing illness have been associated with this outbreak: Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Hartford, Salmonella Oranienburg, and Salmonella Saintpaul. In total, 59 cases have been reported in British Columbia (13), Alberta (10), Ontario (33) and Quebec (3). Nine cases have been hospitalized; seven cases have been discharged and have recovered or are recovering.

As of June 27, 2014, a total of 18 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O121 (STEC O121) have been reported from five states.

The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Idaho (3), Michigan (1), Montana (2), Utah (1), and Washington (11).

44% of ill persons have been hospitalized. No ill persons have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and no deaths have been reported.

Epidemiology and traceback investigations conducted by local, state, and federal officials indicated that contaminated raw clover sprouts produced by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC of Idaho are the likely source of this outbreak.

The FDA conducted an inspection of Evergreen Fresh Sprouts’ facility on May 22-23, 2014; May 27-30, 2014; and June 6, 2014. During the inspection, FDA investigators observed a number of unsanitary conditions, including condensate and irrigation water dripping from rusty valves; a rusty and corroded mung bean room watering system; tennis rackets that had scratches, chips, and frayed plastic” used to scoop mung bean sprouts; a pitchfork with corroded metal being used to transfer mung bean sprouts; and a squeegee with visible corroded metal and non-treated wood being used to agitate mung bean sprouts inside a soak vat.

As far back as September 1998, the FDA issued a warning against sprouts urging:

children, pregnant women and the elderly should not eat alfalfa sprouts until growers find a way to reduce the risk of a potentially deadly bacteria that infects some sprouts, the Food and Drug Administration said this week. The FDA, which is investigating sprout industry practices, said children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems should avoid eating sprouts. The agency’s statement, issued Monday, repeated similar but little-noticed advice the U.S. Centers for Disease Control gave to doctors and researchers a year ago.

 The time has come to label sprouts as potentially hazardous.
Barfblog does a great job of tracking sprout outbreak through 2012.  Outbreak Database carries on – through 2014.

As far back as September 1998, the FDA issued a warning against sprouts urging:

children, pregnant women and the elderly should not eat alfalfa sprouts until growers find a way to reduce the risk of a potentially deadly bacteria that infects some sprouts, the Food and Drug Administration said this week. The FDA, which is investigating sprout industry practices, said children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems should avoid eating sprouts. The agency’s statement, issued Monday, repeated similar but little-noticed advice the U.S. Centers for Disease Control gave to doctors and researchers a year ago.

Here is the CDC warning :

Sprouts Not Healthy Food for Everyone

Children, the elderly, and persons whose immune systems are not functioning well should not eat raw sprouts, because current treatments of seeds and sprouts cannot get rid of all bacteria present.

Persons who are at high risk for complications from foodborne illness should probably not eat raw sprouts, according to an article in the current issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, CDC’s peer-reviewed journal, which tracks new and reemerging infectious diseases worldwide.

Although sprouts are often considered a “health food,” the warm, humid conditions needed for growing sprouts from seeds are also ideal for bacteria to flourish. Salmonella, E. coli, and other bacteria can grow to high levels without affecting the appearance of the sprouts.

Researchers have treated both seeds and sprouts with heat or washed them in solutions of chlorine, alcohol, and other chemicals. Some of these disinfectants reduced the levels of bacteria, but a potential hazard remained, especially for persons with weak immune systems. High temperatures that would kill the bacteria on the seeds would also keep them from sprouting. Until an effective way is found to prevent illness from sprouts, they should be eaten with caution, if at all.

Marler Clark filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois on behalf of Vladimir Sokhatskiy, a Lake County resident sickened with Listeria monocytogenes that lead to meningitis. The Listeria infection is linked to the recall of Trader Joe’s Egg White Salad with Chives from prepared foods manufacturer Lansal, Inc.

On June 8, 2014, Lansal, Inc. recalled 304 six-ounce plastic containers of Trader Joe’s Egg White Salad with Chives that it had manufactured and distributed for sale at defendant Trader Joe’s locations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The recall occurred because defendant Lansal, Inc. had detected the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of the recalled product during a routine testing by the company.

On May 19, 2014, Lansal, Inc. also recalled 14,860 pounds of hummus and dip products due to contamination by Listeria monocytogenes. The hummus and dip products were produced at the same facility as the recalled Trader Joe’s Egg White Salad with Chives products.

Vladimir Sokhatskiy consumed the Trader Joe’s Egg White Salad in early June 2014. The 57 year old is a resident of Lake County, Illinois. In 2005, Vladimir was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, for which he began chemotherapy. As a result, he had a suppressed immune system, making him highly susceptible to bacterial infection.

Several days after consuming the Egg White Salad, Mr. Sokhatskiy developed a fever and headache. His symptoms worsened and he was hospitalized at Highland Park Hospital with a fever of 104. Symptoms continued to worsen after being released and he had to return for further hospitalization. He underwent a lumbar puncture for testing of his cerebrospinal fluid. Test results showed that he had developed bacterial meningitis. Shortly thereafter, tests would confirm that the bacteria responsible for causing his meningitis condition was Listeria monocytogenes. Mr. Sokhatskiy was hospitalized in a nursing and rehabilitation facility until June 25, 2014. He continues in his treatment for Listeriosis, receiving home and health care and intravenous antibiotics, which will continue through at least the end of July 2014.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Approximately 2,500 cases of listeriosis are estimated to occur in the U.S. each year. About 200 in every 1,000 cases result in death.

General recommendations for preventing Listeria include: thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources; keep uncooked meats separate from vegetables and from cooked and ready-to-eat foods; avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk; wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after handling uncooked foods; wash raw vegetables thoroughly before eating; and consume perishable and ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible.

Recommendations for persons at high risk, such as pregnant women and persons with weakened immune systems, in addition to the recommendations listed above, include: do not eat hot dogs, luncheon or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot, and wash hands after handling those products; do not eat soft cheeses (such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined, or Mexican-style cheese), unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pasteurized milk; and do not eat meat spreads or smoked seafood from the refrigerated or deli section of the store (canned or shelf-stable products may be eaten).

 

Food Safety News reports that Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY) are introducing a bill in the House of Representatives that would give the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) the authority to declare any foodborne pathogen an adulterant and recall contaminated products.

The “Pathogen Reduction and Testing Reform Act” amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act to create a clearer definition for an adulterant to include “a microbial pathogen, such as Campylobacter or Salmonella, that is resistant to not less than two critically important antibiotics for human medicine” and mandates that FSIS develop and implement stronger testing protocols to identify the adulterants.

“We need to make sure that USDA and the other agencies have the tools and the mandate to move rapidly on behalf of public health,” DeLauro said.

Although several strains of E. coli have been declared adulterants, along with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat products, FSIS has previously indicated that it does not have the authority to declare Salmonella an adulterant in cases such as raw poultry.

As I said to the Oregonian:

Bill Marler, a prominent food safety litigator, welcomed the bill but said it shouldn’t be necessary.

“There’s no question that if (the USDA) chose, especially with ill people repeatedly linked to a product, they have the authority to recall the product and shut these plants down without congressional approval.”

Food Safety News also reported in May that on the third anniversary of filing a petition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to have antibiotic-resistant Salmonella declared an adulterant, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is still waiting for a response.

On Wednesday, the consumer advocate group filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia asking the court to require USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to respond to its petition targeting Salmonella Heidelberg, Newport, Hadar and Typhimurium strains.

According to 4029 TV, The Benton County Health Department said they it will be doing a follow-up inspection at the Salsarita’s Restaurant at the Walmart Home Office Café within the next few days.

The Department said it has confirmed 19 cases of shigella and 139 probable cases.

Inspectors found nine violations on that inspection.  Of those nine violations, five were marked priority, meaning they were concerns that needed to be fixed fast.

Some violations included, employees not washing their hands or touching cooked food without wearing gloves.

The report said raw chicken had been dripping on bottled drinks.

A second inspection was done Monday. Inspectors found seven violations, some of them are the same.

The health department has planned a second follow-up inspection for next week.

 

In Canada, four strains of Salmonella causing illness have been associated with this outbreak: Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Hartford, Salmonella Oranienburg, and Salmonella Saintpaul. In total, 52 cases have been reported in British Columbia (13), Alberta (10), Ontario (26) and Quebec (3). Six cases have been hospitalized; five cases have been discharged and have recovered or are recovering. The status of one case was not provided to the Agency. No deaths have been reported. The investigation is ongoing but currently, 37 of 39 cases that have been interviewed have reported consumption of sprouted chia seeds or sprouted chia seed powder.

The CDC has reported that as of June 9, 2014, a total of 21 ill persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Newport (13 persons), Salmonella Hartford (6 persons), or Salmonella Oranienburg (2 persons) have been reported from 12 states. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (1), California (3), Colorado (1), Connecticut (3), Florida (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (1), New York (4), Ohio (1), Utah (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (3).  Two ill persons infected with a strain of Salmonella Oranienburg have been identified in two U.S. states.  Through product testing and interviews with ill people, these illnesses have been combined with the Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Hartford infections previously identified as part of this investigation.

The United States Food and Drug Administration and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have issued food recall warnings for various products containing sprouted chia seeds and sprouted chia seed powder.

E. coli and Salmonella Outbreak at unnamed Decatur Church – As many as 19 sick with possibly 2 deaths:

WHNT reports that Alabama State epidemiologist Dr. Mary McIntyre confirms there are 19 combined cases of E. coli and Salmonella in Morgan County.  The link may be a luncheon at a church (unnamed) in Decatur on May 30, 2014.

“At this time, we are aware of 19 reports of illness based on our current information. We have positive test results for E. coli and Salmonella.  While we cannot report on individual cases due to Fed and State privacy and confidentiality laws, we are aware of one death possibly associated with this outbreak.  The investigation is ongoing at this time,” McIntyre said in a statement.  Health Department employees are performing medical record reviews and questionnaires with the 19 people in Morgan County.

Salmonella Outbreak at Russellville El Patron – At least 14 sick:

WAAY reports that Alabama State health investigators have confirmed 14 Salmonella cases in customers who ate at a Russellville restaurant.  All 14 confirmed cases were in people who ate food from El Patron restaurant on June 4 and 5.  El Patron, which is located on Highway 43 in Russellville, is still closed.

A total of 12 persons infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 were reported from 4 states. The number of ill persons reported from each state was as follows: Massachusetts (1), Michigan (5), Missouri (1), and Ohio (5).  58% of ill persons were hospitalized. No ill persons developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and no deaths were reported.

Epidemiologic and traceback investigations conducted by local, state, and federal officials indicated that contaminated ground beef produced by Wolverine Packing Company was the likely source of this outbreak of STEC O157:H7 infections.

On May 19, 2014, Wolverine Packing Company recalled approximately 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with STEC O157:H7.  The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 2574B.”  The recalled ground beef was shipped to distributors for retail and restaurant use nationwide. There was no distribution of the products to the U.S. Department of Defense, the National School Lunch Program, or catalog/internet sales.  The recalled ground beef was also distributed to a limited number of retail establishments for consumer purchase.  Read the full list of products that were recalled.