Keep Food Safety in Mind This Memorial Day Weekend

Posted on May 28, 2012 by bilrob

Keep Food Safety in Mind This Memorial Day Weekend

SATURDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) — Picnics, parades and cookouts are as much a part of Memorial Day weekend as tributes to the United States’ war veterans.

But, before tucking into that leafy, green salad or strawberry shortcake, remember that fresh fruits and vegetables can become contaminated with harmful pathogens that cause food poisoning, such as E. Coli, salmonella, listeria and norovirus, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Food Safety is everybody’s responsibility. The contamination occurs during harvesting and can even affect fruits and vegetables grown locally or in a home garden, the group noted.

“One in six Americans gets sick every year from foodborne pathogens that you cannot see, smell or taste but are everywhere. Eating any contaminated product — even produce labeled as organic or locally grown — can lead to food poisoning or even death,” Sarah Krieger, registered dietitian and academy spokeswoman, said in an academy news release. “Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy eating plan, and should fill half of your plate, but just like any food product, extra food safety precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of food poisoning.”

To help ensure that Americans safely buy, store and prepare produce, the academy, in collaboration with ConAgra, offered the following tips:

Avoid produce with mold, bruises or cuts that can harbor bacteria.
Buy loose produce rather than pre-packaged.
Wash and dry all fruits and vegetables (even pre-packaged produce) with cool tap water before preparing or eating.
Use a knife to cut away any damaged areas on fruit or vegetables.

The experts added that when preparing fresh produce, it’s important to avoid cross-contamination with other raw foods.

“Cross-contamination can lead to food poisoning when juices from raw foods like meat, poultry or chicken come in contact with ready-to-eat foods like raw produce,” Krieger said. “Using two cutting boards and a color-code system can help: one color cutting board for raw meats; and the other for your fruits and vegetables.”

The group also pointed out that cooked fruits and vegetables should be discarded after three to four days to avoid food poisoning. They advised people to label produce with an “eat by” date to ensure they know when food is no longer safe to eat.

More food safety information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides more information on foodborne illness in the United States.

– Mary Elizabeth Dallas

SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, news release, May 22, 2012

Bill & Sheila’s Food Safety – Bacterial Infections

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Listeria - River Ranch recalls salads, some sold at Giant Eagle

Posted on May 21, 2012 by bilrob

FOOD SAFETY ALERT

Listeria – River Ranch recalls salads, some sold at Giant Eagle

Yet again, we bring you another food safety alert for Listeria. This time it is in salads. We have only just issued a listeria alert for onions in Canada. What is going on? It seems that every day we receive alerts and product recalls for milk, cheese, salads, onions ect. The food safety rules are quite clear on how to handle and store food correctly. Why is it that so many businesses let their products to become contaminated with listeria, salmonella, e-coli and worse.

We are very conscious of the food safety regulations – especially in the UK, USA and Canada. We have a very high visitor base in these countries. We will continue to relay these alerts whenever we are notified of a recall of goods or suspected contamination. We cannot stress strongly enough, the need for care and attention when handling food. If you are unsure about how to handle food safely, then you should visit our section on Food Safety at Giant Eagle carries affected River Ranch product under its The Farmers Market brand, and also uses the lettuce for its deli sandwich rings.

To date, there have been no reported cases of illness.

Upon notification from the manufacturer, Giant Eagle immediately initiated the removal of affected product from store shelves, and is in the process of contacting customers who previously purchased the product with instructions on its disposal.

River Ranch Fresh Foods, LLC of Salinas, CA is initiating a voluntary recall of retail and foodservice bagged salads, because they have the potential of being contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes following routine random retail salad finished product tests conducted in the marketplace by the Food Drug Administration.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which 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.

Retail salad products under this recall were distributed nationwide under various sizes and packaged under the brand names of River Ranch, Farm Stand, Hy-Vee, Marketside, Shurfresh, and The Farmer’s Market.

Foodservice salad products under this recall were distributed nationwide under various sizes and packaged under the brand names of River Ranch, Cross Valley, Fresh n Easy, Promark, and Sysco. The recalled retail and foodservice salad bags have either “Best By” code dates between 12MAY2012 – 22MAY2012 or Julian dates between 116 – 125.

The code date is typically located in the upper right hand corner of the bags. See attached list for the specific salad products, size, package type, UPC codes and states of distribution.

No other products, brands or code dates aside from those listed below are affected by this recall.

There have been NO reported illnesses associated with this recall.

We are working closely with the Food Drug Administration and California Department of Public Health.

Consumers who have purchased this product should not consume it and are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions can contact River Ranch at their 24-hour customer service center at 1-800-762-7708.

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Salmonella Cheese

Posted on April 22, 2012 by bilrob

Salmonella Cheese

Four people were indicted this week on charges they washed and repackaged moldy, bacteria-laden Mexican cheese and distributed it nationally through a facility in Elmhurst, according to a press release from the Northern Illinois District of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The four allegedly ignored U.S. Food and Drug Administration orders in 2007 to hold the cheese after inspections determined that samples contained salmonella, e. coli and other dangerous bacteria.

Indicted were:

Baldemar Zurita, 39, of Chicago, who was employed by Quesos Sabrosos Mexicanos, the Illinois company that imported the cheese from Mexico. Baldemar pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy in U.S. District Court Thursday, according to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Guadalupe Zurita, 42, of Villahermosa, Mexico, Baldemar’s brother, who owned and operated Quesos Sabrosos Mexicanos. A warrant was issued in the U.S. for Guadalupe Zurita, who lives in Mexico.
Miguel Leal, 47, of Monroe, Wisc., who was president and owner of Mexican Cheese Producers in Darlington, Wisc., which also operated the distribution company in Elmhurst.
Cynthia Gutierrez, 37, of Cicero, who was the finance and operations manager at the Elmhurst facility. Leal and Gutierrez will be arraigned at a later date in Federal court, according to an article in Food Safety News.

According to the six-count indictment handed down on Wednesday, the Illinois company shipped 110,986 pounds of dried Mexican cheese to the Elmhurst facility over three consecutive months. The cheese was distributed to retail stores in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Georgia and Texas under the brand name Queso Cincho DeGuerrero. It was sold in 35- and 40-pound wheels.

On April 15, 2007, the FDA placed a hold on the first shipment, and on April 20, 2007, an FDA inspector attempted to inspect and sample the shipment at the Elmhurst facility but found that some of the cheese was missing. Leal and Gutierrez allegedly distributed 311 cartons of cheese from the April shipment prior to the April 20 inspection.

Baldemar Zurita and Gutierrez lied to the inspector, saying that the 311 cartons of cheese were not sold but were sent to the Darlington plant, the indictment alleges. On April 23, 2007, Guadalupe Zurita and Leal allegedly arranged to place 311 boxes of “stand-in” cheese in the Darlington plant with no labels in case the FDA inspector went there to look for the cheese.

In April and May 2007, Leal and Gutierrez allegedly distributed the remainder of the April shipment despite the FDA’s hold order. The FDA subsequently changed the hold on the April shipment to “detained” because the cheese was found to contain salmonella, e. coli, and staphylococcus, all of which can cause illness.

The FDA initially placed hold orders on the May and June shipments as well and, following inspections, detained both shipments. Subsequently, the FDA changed the status of the April and May shipments to “refused,” ordering that they be destroyed or exported from the country under supervision. Despite the hold orders, between May and September 2007, Leal and Gutierrez allegedly distributed the May and June shipments to customers throughout the United States.

The indictment alleges that between June and September 2007, Baldemar Zurita “washed” the cheese that dissatisfied customers had returned from all three shipments in an attempt to remove mold and fungus so they could resell the cheese to other customers. He allegedly washed the cheese under the direction of his brother and at the request of Leal and Gutierrez.

All four defendants were charged with conspiracy to violate the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by introducing adulterated cheese into interstate commerce and three counts of violating the food safety law. Leal, Gutierrez and Guadalupe Zurita were charged with obstructing the FDA for allegedly concealing the sale and distribution of 311 boxes of dried Mexican cheese, and Gutierrez and Guadalupe Zurita were also charged with obstructing the FDA for allegedly making a false bill of lading referencing the 311 boxes and submitting the document to an FDA inspector.

The conspiracy count and one of the FDA obstruction counts carry a maximum prison term of five years, while each count of violating the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act carries a maximum of three years in prison. The FDA obstruction count against Gutierrez and Guadalupe Zurita carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, and all six counts in the indictment carry a maximum fine of $250,000.

The indictment does not allege any instances of illness or other public health consequences.

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Dole Recalls Seven Lettuces Salad Due To Salmonella

Posted on April 17, 2012 by bilrob

SALMONELLA WARNING April 2012

Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling 756 cases of DOLE® Seven Lettuces salad with Use-by Date of April 11, 2012, UPC code 71430 01057 and Product Codes 0577N089112A and 0577N089112B, due to a possible health risk from Salmonella.

Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials. No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall.

The Product Code and Use-by Date are in the upper right-hand corner of the package; the UPC code is on the back of the package, below the barcode. The salads were distributed in 15 U.S. states (Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin).

No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall. This precautionary recall notification is being issued due to an isolated instance in which a sample of Seven Lettuces salad yielded a positive result for Salmonella in a random sample test collected and conducted by the State of New York.

No other Dole salads are included in the recall. Only the specific Product Codes, UPC codes and April 11, 2012 Use-by-Date of Seven Lettuces salads identified above are included in the recall. Consumers who have any remaining product with these Product Codes should not consume it, but rather discard it. Retailers and consumers with questions may call the Dole Food Company Consumer Response Center at (800) 356-3111, which is open 8:00 am to 3:00 pm (PDT) Monday – Friday.

Retailers should check their inventories and store shelves to confirm that none of the product is mistakenly present or available for purchase by consumers or in warehouse inventories. Dole Fresh Vegetables customer service representatives are already contacting retailers and are in the process of confirming that the recalled product is not in the stream of commerce.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause foodborne illness in a person who eats a food item contaminated with it. Symptoms of infection may experience fever and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain. The illness primarily impacts young children, frail and elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. Most healthy adults and children rarely become seriously ill. 4-15-12

Bill & Sheila’s Food Safety – salmonella

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Chicken, cilantro recalls underway: Are you at risk?

Posted on December 14, 2011 by bilrob

Chicken, cilantro recalls underway: Are you at risk?

FOOD SAFETY ALERT -SALMONELLA

vomit, vomiting, sick, stomach, nausea, nauseous, generic, istock, food poisoning, salmonella (Credit:
istockphoto)

(CBS/AP) Two food recalls are underway amid concerns the foods carry potentially deadly, disease-causing bacteria.

Pictures: 10 dangerous but common food safety mistakes

The FDA said Friday that Pacific Cilantro of Salinas, Calif., is voluntarily recalling more than 6,000 cartons of cilantro that were shipped to California, Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana, South Carolina and Missouri. An FDA test found salmonella in a sample of the herbs, also known as coriander. The cilantro was grown by Salt River Farming in the Phoenix-area.

No illnesses have been reported. The recall is considered precautionary.

Each bunch has “Pacific” on the twist tie and the UPC code 33383 80104. Pictures of the cilantro labels and barcodes can be found here.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness in children, the elderly, or those with compromised immune systems. Healthy people infected with Salmonella may experience fever, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. In rare cases, Salmonella infection can get into the bloodstream, resulting in more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.

Consumers who have purchased the cilantro are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund, the FDA said. Customers can also contact Pacific International Marketing at 831-755-1398.

The USDA also announced Friday that North Carolina-based Raeford Farms is recalling more than 4,100 pounds of cooked chicken breasts over possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled chicken breasts are marked “P-239A” inside the USDA mark of inspection, along with a product code of “94268″ and a package date of “1270″ (Sept. 27, 2011). The products were shipped to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

The problem was discovered after a customer’s sample tested positive, but no illnesses have been reported, the USDA said.

Healthy people rarely get the Listeria infection, known as listeriosis, but older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems face a great risk. Symptoms can take up to two months to develop, and include diarrhea, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

A Listeria outbreak this year that sickened 146 and killed 30 that was linked to cantaloupes was declared over Thursday, CBS News reported.

cilantro

Bill & Sheila’s Food Safety – Bacterial Infections

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36 Million Pounds Of Tainted Turkey Recalled

Posted on August 5, 2011 by bilrob

36 Million Pounds Of Tainted Turkey Recalled

Just some of the tainted turkey that has been recalled (AP/Paul Sakuma)

Earlier this week the USDA warned that it had connected 77 illnesses and one death in 26 states to turkey contaminated with an antibiotic-resistant strain of salmonella called Heidelberg. At the time they weren’t sure where the bad turkey was coming from, but they seem to have a better idea now. Arkansas-based Cargill Meat Solutions has announced a recall of approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey products.

The bad turkey from Cargill comes in many forms including “Ground Turkey Chubs,” straight up ground turkey, ground turkey patties and pre-frozen ground turkey. They all “bear the establishment number ‘P-963′ inside the USDA mark of inspection” and you can find a full list of recalled products here.

Even with the recall, however, it is probably best to remain vigilant when cooking with turkey. So remember, as far as the USDA is concerned ground turkey should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°! Or? You can always just go vegetarian.

<h1?Food Safety -Salmonella

Posted on June 7, 2011 by bilrob

Salmonella Infection – Salmonellosis

If you are suffering from Salmonella – do not handle food!

What is salmonella?

The Salmonella group of bacteria can live in the intestines of both humans and animals. The most common form of Salmonella infection is food poisoning, although organisms from this group can also cause typhoid fever. The number of reported incidents of salmonella food poisoning increased substantially during the 1980s, due in part to the spread of factory farming.

What causes Salmonella infection?

The bacteria are present in many types of animal products, but the most publicised outbreaks in recent years have been caused by infected poultry and eggs. Animals with the bacteria in their bodies often show no signs of sickness. If foods made from the carcasses of these animals are fed to farm stock such as chickens, they then transmit the bacteria.

In the case of infected eggs, the bacteria may be in the hen’s ovaries or transferred by the hen’s faeces to the eggshells. In crowded conditions, infection can spread rapidly, and the use of antibiotics to control disease may actually result in the production of resistant strains of these bacteria. Infection may also be spread during the transport of animals, when stress can lead to increased excretion of contaminated faeces. Large-scale food factories and mass catering in canteens and institutions such as hospitals mean that any lapse in hygiene can have serious and widespread consequences.

How is Salmonella infection diagnosed and treated?

The onset of the illness usually occurs between 12 and 24 hours after eating contaminated food. The symptoms vary according to the severity of the attack, which in turn depends on the number of bacteria present in the affected product. The patient may suffer diarrhoea, headaches, aching limbs, vomiting, abdominal pain, shivering, and fever. The recommended course of action is to stay at home, rest, eat no food for 24 hours, and drink plenty of liquids to replace the fluids lost by diarrhoea and vomiting.

SYMPTOMS of Salmonella

Diarrhoea.
Vomiting.
Abdominal pain.
Fever.
Shivering.
Aching limbs.
Headache.

In most cases, the attack clears up without medical treatment in a couple of days, although sometimes the illness can last for a week or longer. When should I see my doctor? If the symptoms linger on or if they are very severe (for example, if the vomiting is preventing enough fluid from being kept down, causing dehydration), a doctor should be consulted immediately

Most healthy people soon recover from Salmonella infection. But for babies, pregnant women, elderly people, and those in poor health, the consequences may be more serious, and the doctor should be contacted within a few hours of the onset of the illness.

What will the doctor do?

If food poisoning is suspected, the doctor will question the patient to find out whether others in the family or the local community are similarly affected to try to trace the source of infection. Samples of faeces and vomit may be sent to the laboratory for analysis to confirm that Salmonella bacteria is the cause. If there is any suspect food left, it may be inspected by the local authority’s environmental health officer, who may also visit the restaurant, food factory or farm which supplied the food. If the symptoms are very severe, and dehydration is extreme, hospitalization may be necessary. Fluids may then be fed to the patient through an intravenous drip. On rare occasions, the bacteria can spread from the digestive tract to the bloodstream, causing septicaemia (blood poisoning) for which antibiotics will be prescribed.

What can I do myself?

Salmonella bacteria are present in many food stuffs. They need not necessarily present a health hazard if – food is properly handled and prepared. The general rule is that food must be cooked thoroughly at temperatures high enough to kill harmful bacteria. Always defrost frozen poultry completely before starting to cook. Do not use recipes which require raw eggs (like home-made mayonnaise), and make sure that eggs are always well cooked. Store food in the refrigerator rather than a warm kitchen where any bacteria present can multiply to dangerous levels. Be careful in handling food. Bacteria can be transferred from raw meat to cooked dishes by hand, utensils (such as chopping boards), or dishcloths. Some people retain the salmonella in their bowels for months after an attack.

These carriers can infect others through the bacteria in their faeces while remaining unaffected themselves. So it is important for everyone to wash their hands thoroughly after visiting the lavatory and before preparing food. What can I do to avoid Salmonella infection? Public pressure on the farming and food industries has done much to improve the situation at their stage in the food chain. For example, heat-treating animal feed to kill the bacteria and keeping animals in clean, uncrowded conditions can minimise the risk of outbreaks. But it is important that consumers also clearly understand the rules of food preparation and hygiene.

Is Salmonella infection dangerous?

Salmonella infection usually means a short-lived, though unpleasant, illness for most people. But unborn babies, young children, and elderly people can become seriously ill.

WARNING

Intensive food production means that Salmonella bacteria will remain in the food chain for the foreseeable future. However, this need not be a health hazard if everyone, from the producer to the consumer, exercises proper care and hygiene.

Bill & Sheila’s Food Safety – Salmonella

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Keep Food Safety in Mind This Memorial Day Weekend