University of Colorado Sorority Hit with E. coli Bug
Public Health Officials Investigating wave of E. coli cases
Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) is currently investigating a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 infections associated with students attending the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU). Since September 23rd, BCPH has investigated eight related cases.
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Initial investigations indicate that on-campus dining is not related to the illness. BCPH staff is working closely with CU and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to identify the source of the outbreak and any additional cases among students and the public. According to the Daily Camera, Initial investigations showed that on-campus dining isn't related to the outbreak, but health officials are still trying to identify the source. Of the eight cases, seven are CU students and one is a sorority adviser. Most of the affected students are members of the same sorority, which CU officials declined to name.
There have been recent E. coli outbreaks traced to steaks and lettuce.
Although still not quite in the right time zone, I was able to get a few lawsuits filed in the US, but still thinking how I might help the US Balance of Trade Deficit with China, by exporting a few lawsuits as well. It seems, however, that US Industry has beat me to Canada. The bagged and shredded lettuce the hospital used to make chopped salad for patients came from the same company (Aunt Mid's) that is believed to have distributed tainted lettuce in Michigan, Windsor-Essex County Medical Officer of Health Dr. Allen Heimann said at a news conference..jpg)
The number of deaths from a .jpg)
On August 21, 2008 I urged Governor Schwarzenegger to 
The family's attorneys, Zhang Xingkuan and Ji Cheng of Beijing's Deheng Law Office, declined to disclose the names of their clients. Mr. Zhang said they are seeking compensation of 150,000 yuan ($21,900) to cover hospital fees, travel expenses, time off from work and other costs. The attorney said that the parents claim the boy developed kidney stones from drinking Sanlu, and that they had more than 90 empty bags of Sanlu milk powder their son had consumed as proof.
The number of confirmed 
In 2006 Cadbury withdrew a million chocolate bars, which were found to be contaminated with a rare strain of salmonella. Now faced with another recall of its product, Cadbury says it will consider taking action against a manufacturer in China if some of its products are found to be contaminated with the chemical melamine. The chocolate producer has withdrawn its Chinese-made chocolate over fears the sweets contain traces of the industrial substance.
At the same time Cadbury considers its options, what options do Chinese parents have against Sanlu and Fonterra for injuries caused by the products containing melamine? So far, according to Chinese reports, those products have caused the deaths of four infants in China and have made 55,000 Chinese babies ill, some 14,000 still hospitalized. This is assuming that we actually believe these number are really not a gross under-count.
The number of confirmed 
Well, I left at 4:00 PM on Saturday from Beijing after a week, landing in Seattle at 12:00 PM on Saturday - don't ask. While in the air, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began alerting consumers that seven Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products are being recalled by the Taiwanese company, King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd., due to possible contamination with melamine. King Car Food Industrial Co. used a non-dairy creamer manufactured by Shandong Duqing Inc., China, which was found to be contaminated with melamine. The recalled products are:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also alerted consumers that QFCO, Inc. recalled White Rabbit Candy Because of Possible Health Risk. QFCO, Inc. of Burlingame, California is recalling White Rabbit Candy because it may be contaminated with Melamine. Product was distributed to the states of CA, GA, HI, IL, MN, NY, OR, TX, WA through wholesale distributors to retail stores.
Although the source of bagged, chopped iceberg lettuce delivered to Aunt Mid's had yet to be identified. A good guess would be California this time of the year, specifically the Salinas Valley (
The Michigan Department of Community Health is issuing a public health alert after dozens of cases of E. coli surfaced. It now appears the E. coli outbreak is linked to iceberg lettuce that came from a wholesale distributor.
Some of the 26 Michigan cases consumed shredded or chopped iceberg lettuce in restaurants or institutions purchased from Aunt Mid's Produce Company, a Detroit-based wholesale distributor; and other distributing outlets could be identified. Product trace back and additional tests results are still in progress.
World-wide, Food safety chiefs have ordered 
Sanlu, now you have done it. Two gorillas, both from Hangzhou Wildlife World in eastern Zhejiang province and aged one and three, had been diagnosed with crystallization in their urine, according Chinese media. The news came with the revelation that Chinese officials, suppressing "bad news" during the Olympic games, had ordered a cover-up of the scandal. .jpg)
The number has gone up again - now it's 26 cases of salmonella that the Amarillo City Health Department is investigating linked (again) to the IHOP on Western in Amarillo. The IHOP will be closed (again) until the Health Department does its inspection.
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As if Sanlu does not have enough to worry about - A pathogenic bacterium has been found in milk powder that was also contaminated with melamine, according to a report in the Lanzhou Daily. The report said that the Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision in Gansu Province issued an emergency notice on September 21, saying that Sanlu’s older and younger infant formulas contained .jpg)
The same genetic strain of E. coli bacteria that sickened students at Michigan State University this month has been linked to at least eight other cases throughout Michigan, including one at the University of Michigan and five at the Lenawee County Jail. The findings have led investigators to believe that the patients all got ill from ingesting the same contaminated food source. So, what do two universities and a county jail have in common?
Meat can become contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 in many ways. There are some regulations in place to detect that contamination and prevent tainted meat from reaching the marketplace, but tri-tip beef can fall through a dangerous regulatory loophole. Larger cuts of meat like tri-tips are sold as ‘intact meat’ even though they are intended to be cut into smaller pieces (like steaks or stew meat). The meat industry claims that the USDA allows it to sell contaminated intact cuts of meat, but the Sizzler case illustrates E. coli O157:H7 regulations on intact meat are ill-defined, and that’s a recipe for contamination. It makes no sense..jpg)
On our way back from the Great Wall today (lead by our great guide Wang He - “Mike”), we stopped into a small village, Bei Shi Cao Cun, and I was able to buy Yili’s and Nestle’s baby milk. Sanlu's shelf was empty. So, what would Mao have done to have prevented this crisis? Mao once said:
Today, while I walked through the Temple of Heaven, Tienanmen Square, the Forbidden City and several miles of Hutongs, 13,000 Chinese children remained in the hospital with at least 100 suffering acute kidney failure. To date only four children have been reported to have died.
Butte County health officials are reporting tonight that a total of 18 people have fallen ill due to an E. coli outbreak at a fireman’s fundraiser earlier this month. Health officials believe the outbreak can be traced to tri-tip beef served at the fundraiser in Forest Ranch. They are still trying to determine how the meat came to be contaminated (good guess – cow shit). Four people have been hospitalized because of the sickness, including a young girl, who was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, he said. Two victims were released from the hospital.
The number of people infected in Forest Ranch, California with E. coli rose to 13 Thursday and that number is expected to climb. Six-year-old Olivia Titus is one of more than a dozen cases linked to a Fireman's fundraiser earlier this month in Forest Ranch.
The last few days have been filled with cries "Chinese food is unsafe - look they are poisoning babies." Well, that certainly is true, but the same thing is happening nearby, and it is not the fault of the Chinese. Hopefully, when 
The Ingham County Health Department is investigating four more possible cases of 
One wonders if they could make food safer – E. coli free beef, Salmonella free peppers, Campylobacter free milk, Listeria free chicken hot dogs – you get the picture.
Although we did get a call yesterday from a Calaveras County California resident who may well be linked to the California Campylobacter recall of 
A third baby has died in connection with China's spreading scandal over tainted milk formula and more than 6,200 infants have become sick, Health Minister Chen Zhu said Wednesday. China's quality watchdog says that its inspectors have found melamine in milk powder made by more than 20 Chinese companies. The widening scandal is an embarrassing failure for China's product safety system, which was overhauled to restore consumer confidence and preserve export markets after a string of recalls and warnings abroad over tainted toothpaste, faulty tires and other goods. Chen told a news conference that of the 6,244 babies that have fallen ill, 158 were suffering from acute kidney failure..jpg)
Ten Michigan State University students have been admitted to hospitals over the past week with what officials say are likely cases of E. coli infection. The East Lansing school says all of the students reported symptoms of bloody diarrhea. Seven of the students remained hospitalized Monday and all were expected to recover. University physician Beth Alexander tells The State News that only two of the cases have been linked to the same strain of E. coli bacteria so far. Michigan State and the Ingham County Health Department are trying to identify the cause and source of the illness.
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The Chinese firm whose baby formula is blamed for killing one infant and sickening dozens has accused dairy suppliers of adding a chemical to their milk to up protein content, state media said this morning. Chinese authorities announced a nationwide probe today into the Sanlu Group's milk powder as babies fell seriously ill with kidney stones across the country, in the latest scandal to rock China's food industry. One child has died.
SACRAMENTO, Thursday, September 11, 2008 – Grade A raw cream produced by Organic Pastures of Fresno County –product with the code date SEP 12—is the subject of a statewide recall and quarantine order announced by California State Veterinarian Dr. Richard Breitmeyer. The quarantine order came following the detection of campylobacter bacteria in the cream. The detection was confirmed this morning.
This is not the first time slicers have been implicated in a foodborne illness outbreak. Following an investigation in Georgia, 72 cases of .jpg)
Washington State health officials
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Isaiah Peters is usually an active little boy. The 3 1/2-year-old red-headed youngster loves to kick his soccer ball around the backyard and play “Guitar Hero.” But instead, Isaiah is lying in a hospital bed in Minneapolis, where he is fighting through a painful illness, H.U.S., a complication of E. coli that can cause kidney failure. Since that time, Isaiah’s little body has withstood dialysis, transfusions, excruciating abdominal pain, IVs, catheters, pneumonia and more at the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota..jpg){kind=small}
Outbreak of Severe Diarrheal Illness in Northeastern Oklahoma.jpg)
The U.S. government has the authority to bar meat companies from testing their animals for mad cow disease, a federal appeals court has ruled. The Department of Agriculture's failure to test more than a fraction of cows for the brain-wasting disease prompted one meat company to announce that it would test all of its bovines, the Associated Press reported. But the government turned thumbs down on that request, from Kansas meat producer Creekstone Farms. Bigger meat packers feared the move would force them to employ the costly test on all of their cows, as well, the wire service said. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in overturning a lower court ruling, upheld the government's right to prevent Creekstone from testing its cows, the AP said.
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People in Oklahoma are understandably concerned about what is causing their friends and neighbors to become sick – some severely so. Unfortunately, pin-pointing an E. coli-contaminated food item in a buffet is difficult. Most people at buffets eat many items, and the same items, making in difficult to determine which item independently is the vector for the illnesses.
Outbreak of Severe Diarrheal Illness in Northeastern Oklahoma
Oklahoma State health officials say at least 17 people have been hospitalized and 40 or more cases are being investigated after a severe illness outbreak in northeast Oklahoma..jpg)
Questions that need answers:
Canadian health officials now say 12 deaths have been linked to a listeriosis outbreak from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in North York, Ontario.
A spokesperson with St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa says doctors are treating 12 patients suspected of E. coli poisoning. The health department says between 10-20 people have been treated and released from other hosptitals in northeastern Oklahoma.
One person died and 11 others are suffering from illnesses possibly related to E. coli, a St. Francis Hospital spokeswoman confirmed late Sunday. The 11 people with illnesses remained as St. Francis patients late Sunday, the spokeswoman said. Leslea Bennett-Webb, communications director for the Oklahoma Department of Health, confirmed at least 10 people were taken to the hospital after eating at a restaurant in Locust Grove.
Although hamburger (whether from grass or grain feed beef) of late should clearly be avoided, spinach, lettuce, sprouts and other vegetables and fruits (organic or not so) have been shown to carry 
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According to the 
We have recently learned of individuals in Northern California who have become seriously ill after consuming raw cow’s milk tainted with the bacteria campylobacter. At least one person remains hospitalized after consuming the milk and developing 
I learned today that the dairy under investigation is the .jpg)
The Washington Post reports.jpg)
I love this quote:
Health department officials have confirmed at least 14 boys and one adult were infected with E. coli while attending a Boy Scout camp in Rockbridge County. As many as 60 people who attended the Goshen Scout Reservation last week reported becoming ill, and the number of E. coli cases could increase as test results are analyzed, according to the Virginia Department of Health. All 14 boys were from Northern Virginia, and nine were hospitalized. .jpg)
According to the Washington Post, the Virginia Department of Health was notified of several cases involving ill children after boys from dozens of Scout troops left the Goshen Scout Reservation outside of Lexington, Virginia. An additional 60 people who returned from the camp have experienced symptoms that may be from E. coli O157:H7 infections. Christopher Novak, a Health Department epidemiologist, said the E. coli O157:H7 might have come from packaged meals of vegetables and beef eaten frequently at the camp..jpg)
Virginia Department of Health officials are continuing to investigate an E. coli outbreak at a popular Boy Scouts camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains that has affected 17 people so far.
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Lou Dobbs must be dancing in the streets. 
At present, information indicates that jalapeño peppers and Serrano peppers grown harvested, or packed in Mexico are the cause of some clusters and are major food vehicles for the outbreak. Although tomatoes currently on the market are safe, raw tomatoes consumed early in the outbreak are still under investigation. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Saintpaul has been isolated twice from jalapeno peppers and once from Serrano peppers.
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E. coli
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In the South, according to Georgia press reports, the Southwest Georgia District Public Health is working closely with Colquitt Regional Medical Center, other local providers and state officials to find out what is behind a cluster of at least four .jpg)
The Michigan Department of Community Health reported 29 .gif){kind=small}
According to the CDC, since mid-April, 167 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 17 states: Arizona (12 persons), California (2), Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Idaho (2), Illinois (27), Indiana (7), Kansas (5), Michigan (2), New Mexico (39), Oklahoma (3), Oregon (3), Texas (56), Utah (1), Virginia (2), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (3). These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. Among the 73 persons who have been interviewed, illnesses began between April 16 and May 27, 2008. Patients range in age from 1 to 82 years; 49% are female. At least 23 persons were hospitalized..jpg)
Texas Health officials today confirmed that a Houston cancer patient who died after being hospitalized with nausea, diarrhea and high fever had contracted Saint Paul salmonellosis, but stopped short of saying the debilitating illness caused his death. 
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The Food and Drug Administration last weekend expanded its warning about a .jpeg)
The same is true in the romaine lettuce outbreak in Washington State. In late May, at least nine people - a possible tenth went untested - were sickened by .jpg)
FDA Warns Consumers Nationwide Not to Eat Certain Types of Raw Red Tomatoes
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So, we are having tacos (fish) for dinner tonight and we are thinking about using salsa. So, I looked on the label and tried to figure out if this was part of the recall or not. Damn, if I can not figure this out. As I said in a press release yesterday:
According to the CDC
According to the 
A San Francisco Bay Area resident has 
The Tri-City Herald reports this morning that more than a half dozen cases of 
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For years the FDA has been aggressively trying to get the produce industry to address serious deficiencies that are creating a critical risk to consumers. In 1998, the FDA issued guidance to industry entitled “Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fruits and Vegetables.” The guide was specifically designed to assist growers and packers in the implementation of safer manufacturing practices. Since the release of this document in 1998, the FDA has undertaken a number of initiatives on produce safety and issued a series of letters to industry.
The CDC announced today, in collaboration with public health officials in several states, the Indian Health Service, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) an ongoing multistate outbreak of human .jpg)
As I have posted before, salmonella and tomatoes have an ongoing relationship. In 1990, a reported 174 Salmonella javiana illnesses, as part of a four state outbreak, were linked to raw tomatoes. In 1993, 84 reported cases of Salmonella Montevideo were part of a three state outbreak that was linked to raw tomatoes. In January 1999, Salmonella Baildon was recovered from 86 infected persons in eight states. In July 2002, an outbreak of Salmonella javiana occurred associated with attendance at the 2002 U.S. Transplant Games held in Orlando, Florida during late June of that year. Ultimately, the outbreak investigation identified 141 ill persons in 32 states who attended the games.
According to Steve Fuller of the Washington State Department of Health, Division of Environmental Health Food Safety Program, an investigation is being conducted to try to determine the source of the illnesses. The epidemiology points to romaine lettuce as the most likely source, though it remains one of several possibilities, and romaine lettuce has not been implicated officially in the outbreak. .jpeg)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting consumers in New Mexico and Texas that a .jpg)
According to the CDC, an outbreak of food poisoning linked to uncooked tomatoes has now been reported in nine states. Lab tests have confirmed at least 54 illnesses in Texas and New Mexico as the same type of salmonella, right down to the 
Orval Kent Foods has announced a voluntary recall of 23,000 pounds of Amish macaroni salad after the Ohio Department of Agriculture found 
I blogged last week .jpg)
The New Mexico Department of Health is investigating 19 
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New Jersey health officials announced today that the .jpg)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert [not a recall] for approximately 808 pounds of ground beef products produced at Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., a Lexington, Neb., establishment that may be contaminated with 
I was reading today that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have said that 390 people have been arrested on immigration charges after Monday's raid at 
Now, here is a thought. Killing and slaughtering cows is likely not a pretty job. Perhaps, like the immigrants who took those jobs in the Chicago Packing Houses in 
KTRE 9 reports that Ashlyn Johnson was one of more than three dozen people who came down with .gif)
Newsday reports that the number of confirmed cases of 
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Princeton health authorities have confirmed at least 17 cases of 
Jack Ackerman of the Daily Princetonian
The quotes coming from Former FDA and FSIS officials commenting on the findings of inspectors checking Chinese seafood arriving at U.S. ports who found some unsettling discoveries: fish infected with .jpg)
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Ohio Health officials are working to identify the source of a 
Salmonella
There are now eight confirmed cases of 
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A day after I listened to Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, give a great speech in Seattle, restaurant workers in New Mexico are diagnosed with .jpg)
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Hepatitis A is a communicable (or contagious) disease that spreads from person-to-person. It is spread almost exclusively through fecal-oral contact, generally from person-to-person, or via contaminated food or water. Food contaminated with the virus is the most common vehicle transmitting hepatitis A. The food preparer or cook is the individual most often contaminating the food, although he or she is generally not ill at the time of food preparation. The peak time of infectivity, when the most viruses are present in the stool of an infectious individual, is during the two weeks before illness begins. Although only a small percentage of hepatitis A infections are associated with foodborne transmission, foodborne outbreaks have been increasingly implicated as a significant source of hepatitis A infection..jpg)
According to Nebraska State health officials, an
Those sickened include six women and eight men, ranging in age from 23 to 55. The concern is over anyone who dined at the restaurant located at 8005 Fletcher Parkway between March 1 and April 22. 
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Hepatitis A virus a result of fecal-oral contamination, and can be spread person to person or through food handling, particularly cold or uncooked foods. These include salads and salad items, rolls, breads, buns, fruit or vegetable garnishes, sandwich condiments such as pickles and onions, chips, and ice or beverages containing ice, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The number of people who reported that they became sick with 
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Hepatitis A 
According to wikipedia, the popular saying "[it will happen] when pigs fly" (or when pigs have wings) is traditionally used to mean that the specified event will never occur. Well, pigs do have wings..jpg)
From 1993 to 2002 nearly all the revenue to my firm came to E. coli-contaminated hamburger. Then it was E. coli-contaminated spinach and lettuce. Although spinach and lettuce were down in 2007, hamburger is back up. With the increase in sales of raw milk in states, I am expecting a brisk growth in this sector of the Marler Clark firm.
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In what might be the most bizarre headline I have seen in 15 years of following food cases:
The Washington State Trial Lawyers Association
Simply washing fresh fruits and vegetables may only be marginally effective at removing microbial contaminants, so scientists are investigating new techniques for better processing produce..jpg)
Butler County Health Department and the Ohio Department of Health have learned that a food service worker with confirmed Hepatitis A (infectious Hepatitis) worked while ill. Because of the possibility of contamination of ice, persons who have not been previously vaccinated for Hepatitis A and who report consuming ice, beverages with ice, ice cream or lemons or dined between March 14 and March 25, 2008 at this restaurant are recommended to contact their healthcare provider, local public health department or the Butler County Health Department for post-exposure prophylaxis.
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The PI reported today that the numbers of ill people sickened by Honduran Cantaloupe stands at 50 people in 16 states. Nine were in Washington State. At least 14 people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. According to the The Food and Drug Administration has traced the outbreak to cantaloupes grown in Honduras. It has stopped the import of cantaloupes from Honduran grower and packer Agropecuaria Montelibano. Several other companies that sold cantaloupes grown and packed by Agropecuaria have issued recalls this week, including Chiquita, Bounty Fresh LLC, Simply Fresh Fruit, Tropifresh and Dole.gif)
Once again the Minnesota State Department of Health (BEST INVESTIGATORS IN THE COUNTRY) reported two recent cases of .jpg)
According to a press release, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced a public meeting to discuss challenges and proposed solutions in moving forward to address recalls and illnesses related to 
Associated Press reported today that 
Matt Hildner of the Pueblo Chieftain reported that Alamosa County health officials are investigating an outbreak of salmonella that's led to the hospitalization of four people and may have infected up to 74 people. In addition to the 18 cases that have been confirmed through laboratory testing, Geiser said the county is also investigating 56 cases with symptoms of the illness although they have yet to be laboratory confirmed. Geiser said she had never seen an outbreak of salmonella in her 12 years with the county. "We have an employee that's been here 25 years and she hasn't seen anything like this either," she said. Geiser said the cases have included a number of children, in part because adults are able to get over the infection more easily..jpg)
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• Packaged fresh spinach facilities were inspected only once every 2.4 years, less than half of FDA’s stated goals. 
Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. President Steve Mendell acknowledged Wednesday that cattle were illegally slaughtered at his plant and that cows too sick to stand were forced into the food supply. Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. President Steve Mendell made the admissions after a congressional panel forced him to watch undercover video of abuses of cattle at his plant. Mendell watched head-in-hand as cows were dragged by chains, jabbed by forklifts and shocked to get them into the box where they'd be slaughtered.
According to the (5).jpg)
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According to the article, it was great to see that “Food poisoning deaths in China rose by [only] about one-third in 2007, the state-run news agency reported…. Citing figures from the Ministry of Health, Xinhua News Agency said 258 people were killed last year, up 32 percent from the previous year. The report said that while the number of deaths rose in 2007, overall cases of food poisoning fell to 506, 26 percent less than the previous year.”.jpg)
The largest meat recall in the nation's history was bound to reverberate through the food-manufacturing world. So far, four major food manufacturers — ConAgra, General Mills, Heinz and Nestle — have acknowledged that meat involved in the 143 million-pound recall, announced Feb. 17, was used in some of their products. Nestle, General Mills, Heinz and ConAgra have each acknowledged to news organizations that they have recalled products containing beef from the meatpacking company Hallmark/Westland..jpg)
State agriculture officials have temporarily banned the sale of raw cream from the Organic Pastures dairy in Fresno, citing bacteria levels of up to 150 times the legal limit. They also have warned a Watsonville dairy, Claravale Farm, that it faces a similar ban if its raw skim milk or raw cream fails another inspection..jpg)
Organic Pastures in particular has been beset by potentially harmful bacteria in its raw milk in recent years.
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In what appears to be three separate recalls due to 
The Quaker Oats Co.
I am at the Food-Borne Illness Litigation Conference being sponsored by the American Conference Institute. So far the conference has been very informative. Here is the description of the conference:.jpg)
To address these growing concerns, American Conference Institute has developed this critical conference on Preventing and Managing Food-Borne Illness Litigation. For this unique event, we’ve assembled a multi disciplinary faculty of epidemiologists, microbiologists, key regulators and top litigators in the area, and an agenda that covers all the issues that arise in litigating and settling these complex cases. Get strategic and practical insights into:.jpg)
I spoke with Julie Schmit of USA TODAY during a layover in Dallas on my way home about her story this morning 
Although I am down in the “Big Easy” at the .jpg)
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Some of the coverage of the filings underscores how dangerous Botulism can be. Cory Frolik’s article in the Sandusky Register - .jpeg)
Due to the 2007 recall of over 30,000,000 pounds of hamburger – with hundreds sickened – and the recent recall of meat from the downer cow problem, the Senate Select Committee on Food-borne Illness will meet Monday, February 25, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 3191 of the California State Capitol to see what can be done to address these serious food safety issues. I have been asked to attend and testify. As Senator Florez in part wrote today in the .gif){kind=small}
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Newsday reports.jpg)
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Health officials again announced that last month's recall of canned beans in 6 to 7 pound institutional-sized cans over botulism concerns has been expanded to include a variety of other vegetables in similar-sized cans. The expanded recall includes asparagus, peas and other vegetables canned by the Michigan-based New Era Canning Company. The vegetables are sold under a variety of brand names, including Classic Sysco, Code, Frosty Acres Restaurant's Pride Preferred, GFS, Kitchen Essentials, Monarch Heritage, Necco, New Era, Nugget and Reliance Sysco. A full list of the recalled products with names and lot codes can be found at the .jpg)
E. sakazakii is a rare cause of bloodstream and central nervous system infections. The organism has also been associated with necrotizing enterocolitis; however, it has not been firmly established as a causative agent. Reported outcomes are often severe: seizures; brain abscess; hydrocephalus; developmental delay; and death in as many as 40%–80% of cases. Premature infants are thought to be at greater risk than more mature infants, other children, or adults, and outbreaks of disease have occurred in hospital units for newborns. (2).jpg)
I knew this all sounded a bit too familiar. .jpg)
Downers banned - do not bet on it. A 2006 audit (
Lauran Neergaard of the 
So, first some facts: the .gif)
As I blogged about last year - .jpg)
There are as many theories as there are authorities, researchers, and meat packers. Some of my thoughts from December 2007 surfaced again in Phil Brasher’s article, 
Mr. Brasher also reported that “there are other theories for the surge in recalls. One is that the bacteria spread from steer to steer more easily last year because feedlots were muddier than usual. Another possibility is that bacteria have evolved in a way that makes them harder to detect. Yet another theory is that immigration raids have robbed slaughterhouses of experienced workers.” Sound familiar? Here were some of my thoughts on the "Uptick" from December 2007:.jpg)
Josh Funk, from ground zero of the E. coli wars, AP Omaha, wrote yesterday,
Currently the only documented producers of raw milk in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Schlittlers are tapping into a continually growing anti-pasteurization subculture. Some raw milk enthusiasts drink it because they believe it's healthier than processed milk, capable of improving one's immune and digestive systems. Some can't get enough of the taste, which tends to be sweeter and creamier than pasteurized. Others see it as a benefit to small farms and the environment.
Seoul Shik Poom Inc. of Hillside, is recalling the products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that can cause life-threatening illness or death. The yellow croaker products were distributed in New Jersey, New York and Maryland through retail stores. This product comes in a clear plastic bag and is individually tied.
Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella Infections Associated with Exposure to Turtles --- United States, 2007--2008
In July of last year I blogged about – 
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It is interesting that this new recall notice comes out at 6:00 PM on a Friday night -- hmmm, bet they did not think the "Merry Flawger" would be paying attention. I clearly need to find something to do on Friday nights..gif)
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Marti Davis of the Knoxville News and I spoke yesterday afternoon about the Cargill/Sam’s Club E. coli outbreak and the status of the litigation against Cargill on behalf of the McDonalds. Her report, .jpg)
The Associated Press 
FSIS announced tonight
The ground beef products subject to recall were produced on Oct. 30, 2007, and Nov. 6, 2007. The products subject to recall were shipped to distributors nationwide for further distribution to restaurants and food service institutions. These products were not available for purchase by consumers in retail establishments.
Stephen Smith of the Boston Globe reported on the tragedy of yet another death tied to milk consumption. This death increases the number of deaths to three elderly men and the death of an unborn child. Also, according to the Globe the outbreak numbers have increased to five:
Preventing Listeria infection
According to the 
According the its website:.jpg)
27 people report a diarrheal illness with onset between October 13-24, 2007. Two people were hospitalized. One patient in New York reportedly has acute renal failure, and is considered an 
AP reported that 5,500 pounds of "Green Paradise" brand basil has been recalled. The basil was shipped in sets of 12 one-pound boxes marked with lot No. 1219. The basil grown in Mexico and sold in the United States has been recalled because of fears it may be infected with 
It is clear that this in not the first time Basil has been linked to recalls and illnesses. 
New Era Canning Company of New Era, Michigan announces the recall of 171 cases with six cans per case of GFS Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans because they may be contaminated with (1)(1).jpg)
Local schools, nursing homes warned of botulism threat
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert due to illnesses from Salmonella Newport associated with fresh ground beef products contaminated with multi-drug resistant Salmonella that was ground and sold at Safeway supermarkets in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico between Sept. 19 and Nov. 5, 2007. The alert was initiated after epidemiological investigations conducted by the California Department of Public Health, Arizona Department of Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, determined that there is an association between the fresh ground beef products and 38 illnesses reported in Arizona (16), California (18), Idaho (1) and Nevada (3).
The National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) listed Salmonella Newport as one of the top ten most frequently identified Salmonella serotypes from U.S. cattle from July 1998 through June 1999. Nontyphoidal salmonellosis is an infection estimated to cause over 1 million cases of illness and 500 deaths in humans annually in the United States. Cull (market) dairy cows account for a large amount of beef, especially ground beef. Of 58 serotypes isolated by culture from culled dairy cows in five regional market cow establishments in the U.S., Salmonella Newport was among the 30 most prevalent serotypes..jpg)
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It took one of the largest-ever beef recalls -- 21.7 million pounds of frozen hamburger patties linked to severe illnesses -- in 2007 to make USDA officials question whether beef processors around the country were following safety guidelines when it came to E. coli contamination. The New Jersey-based Topps Meat Co., the producer behind the massive recall, certainly wasn't, USDA officials said.
"When we sent food-safety assessors into the Topps plant, we found that their policies they had in place were not being followed nearly as vigorously as they had been just two years ago when we did a food-safety assessment in the same plant," USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Richard Raymond said in an interview…. "We don't know if Topps was the tip of the iceberg and other plants have gotten sloppy, or Topps was kind of an isolated incident," Mr. Raymond said.
In early August 2006, public health officials in Weber County, Utah, became aware of several people who attended a teachers’ conference luncheon that had contracted E. coli O121:H19. On August 2, 2006, the Weber-Morgan Health Department (WMHD) issued a News Release indicating that three people had contracted E. coli O121:H19, and that two of the individuals had developed HUS. WMHD stated that the evidence indicated that all three people contracted E. coli from the same source sometime during June 27-30 at a restaurant in the Ogden, Utah area. By August 7, WMHD officials had revised the number of outbreak victims to four, including three who had developed HUS. We represent all the HUS victims, two of which are some of the more severely injured E. coli victims I have represented since the Jack-in-the-Box outbreak of 1993. 
WMHD further concluded that the source of the contamination was possibly iceberg lettuce prepared at the Wendy’s Restaurant at 2500 North 400 East in North Ogden, Utah. One of the patients with confirmed HUS who had not attended the teacher’s conference had eaten cheeseburgers with iceberg lettuce at the Wendy’s Restaurant during the outbreak period. The second confirmed HUS case was an attendee of the teachers’ conference, and a third case of HUS was determined to be secondary transmission from an infected person at the conference. Eventually, WMHD determined that at least 69 people had become ill in the outbreak. Of the sixty-nine people who reportedly became ill, four remained hospitalized and were in serious condition.
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To date, we have filed six lawsuits against ConAgra stemming from this Salmonella outbreak. We presently represent nearly two dozen people throughout the United States. Today we are in the ConAgra Pot Pie Manufacturing Facility in Marshall, Missouri inspecting the plant. As my readers might recall, the CDC has published its preliminary findings on the scope of the outbreak involving ConAgra’s Banquet Pot Pies and other private label brands such as Wal-Mart’s Great Value. The USDA's Inspection Report has yet to be released to the public.
You may already be aware of this but just in case you aren’t I’ll pass this along. I received information yesterday that there has been another illness reported that is associated with product from the ConAgra plant in Marshall, MO. This is a lab-confirmed report of Salmonella is associated with consumption of a Banquet Turkey Meal. There was a previous similar complaint reported in October that was not lab-confirmed. Both previous and present complaints apparently involve the Banquet Turkey Meal with a sell by/use by date of January 2009. The product is a 9.25 oz “Turkey Meal”. I have not seen a label from this product but I am told it says turkey meal, mostly white meat with gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes and peas. The complainant is apparently located in North Carolina and purchased the product at a local supermarket.
John Green of The Hutchinson News in Sterling Kansas wrote
Standing in the New Orleans Airport yesterday afternoon, I had a nice chat with Mark Morey of the Yakima Herald about the status of the ConAgra Salmonella Peanut Butter litigation (
I am still in New Orleans. I must admit, I expected a bit more devastation here in the downtown area from Katrina, but things looked great – especially in the French Quarter. We made some slow progress in talking to ConAgra, its lawyers and insurers about the status of the Peanut Butter cases. Hopefully, at some point ConAgra can put the interests of its customers at the front of any discussions. During one of the breaks today, I took a call from Dinesh Ramde, .jpg)
We have more work to do on Spinach, and other leafy greens, but then again, think about all the other food items that are causing all of us and our families so much grief - Peanut Butter, Pot Pies, Hamburger, etc. Makes you wonder what you can or can not eat. We have much to do to make food corporations be responsible.
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One more "beef" of mine - It is an agreement between USDA and industry — USDA will not disclose the names of slaughter houses without a positive test 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reminds consumers to pay special attention to the handling of eggs and preparation of foods that contain eggs during this holiday season. Some holiday favorites, such as cookie dough, homemade eggnog, and some types of stuffing, may contain eggs that are raw or undercooked. Eggs sometimes contain a bacteria called 
National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc. (NPE), producers of Davidson's Safest Choice Pasteurized Shell Eggs, announced today that sales in the quarter ending Sept. 30, 2007, increased 46 percent over 2006, led by sales from hotels and resorts across the country. By using pasteurized shell eggs, hoteliers eliminate the risk of .gif){kind=small}
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My "cyberfriend" - the Fanatic Cook - once again covered for me and actually attended the - 
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