Salmonella Oubreak Associated with Cucumbers....671 Affected and 3 Deaths

Update on Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak.....CDC now reports that

• Since the last update on September 22, 2015, 113 more ill people have been reported from 19 states. Given the 14-day shelf life of cucumbers, it is not unexpected to continue to see illnesses reported after the recalls.
• Alabama was added to the list of states with ill people, bringing the total number of states to 34.

This takes the total number of infected to 671 individuals, with 3 deaths.  Interesting, more than half of those infected, about 340, were children (<18 years old)

  

 

 

CDC Outbreak Notice

 http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/poona-09-15/

Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Poona Infections Linked to Imported Cucumbers

Read the Recall & Advice to Consumers, Restaurants, and Retailers >>(http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/poona-09-15/advice.html)

CDC, multiple states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Poona infections. This investigation is ongoing. CDC will provide updates when more information is available.

• 671 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona have been reported from 34 states, an increase of 113 cases since the last update on September 22.
• 131 ill people have been hospitalized, and three deaths have been reported from Arizona (1), California (1), and Texas (1).
• 51% of ill people are children younger than 18 years.

The Cost of Foodborne Outbreaks - And Blue Bell as an Example of Mishandling an Outbreak

Foodborne outbreaks can have a devastating effect on those who become ill, but also will huge financial impact on those companies in terms of lawsuits, recall, and loss in sales.  Mishandling an outbreak can magnify those costs.

Fortune Magazine published two articles on the topic (links and excerpts below).  One looked at how Blue Bell was slow to act after their product was linked to Listeria...both knowing they had an issue and not solving it, and then with the recall in terms of performing 'recall creep' - where a series of recalls are issued where each subsequent recall entails increasing scope of products.  Recall creep has occurred often because companies fail to understand the extent of the risk.  The downside is that it drags out the recall and gives a worse perception of the company.  Comes back to the old saying - 'the first loss is your best loss'.

The other Fortune article looks the total cost of a foodborne outbreaks, which they estimated at $55.5 billion.  Recalls can cost companies from $30 million to $99 million, and in 5% of the cases, greater than $100 million.

Fortune Magazine
http://fortune.com/2015/09/25/blue-bell-listeria-recall/
How ice cream maker Blue Bell blew it - Excerpts

by Peter Elkind @peterelkind September 25, 2015, 12:00 PM EDT

Patrons of SC Fast Food Establishment Exposed to Hepatitis After 2 Employees Test Positive

Thousands of people were potentially exposed to Hepatitis A after eating at one of two Hardees fast food restaurants in South Carolina.  Notification of the potential exposure was broadcast after two employees had tested positive for the virus.

According to reports, some 5000 people had already been vaccinated. There is a window from the time of exposure to about 2 weeks out when a vaccination can prevent the disease. As we know,  Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the Hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.

A lawsuit has already been filed for those 'who may have been infected".

Food operations, especially those who work with ready-to-eat foods, should institute a Food Workers Health Hygiene Program.  Information is available from FDA as well as many state government websites.

WSPA.com
http://wspa.com/2015/09/18/hepatitis-a-exposure-at-2-spartanburg-co-hardees/
Possible Hepatitis A Exposure at 2 Spartanburg Co. Hardee’s
DHEC Published: September 18, 2015, 5:27 pm Updated: September 20, 2015, 8:45 pm 

For customers and staff who ate at either of these restaurants between Sep. 6 and 15, there is still time to get post-exposure treatment (the vaccine).

This first date will change daily (for e.g., for Monday, it will be Sep. 7 and 15) to reflect the 2 week post-exposure treatment window.

Vermont Burger Joint Linked to E. coli Outbreak

A Vermont burger joint has been linked to  7 cases of E. coli. 

Of course it is one of these gourmet burger joints...where they perhaps like to undercook the burgers?..  To see if this is the case, I went to the reviews.

Trip Advisor  (these were within the first 20 reviews I checked)
"We went to Worthy Burgers after hearing much hype about what great burgers they served, I am always looking to a great burger. There were 4 people in our party and we all agreed that although the burgers were good, they fell short of what we would consider a great burger. One of our main complaints was the all the burgers were prepared rare. They do clearly state the burgers will be service pink in the middle, but all 4 burgers were red in the middle. My wife asked if her burger burger could be cooked more and they willing prepared another burger but that was also arrived rare. They should realize not everyone likes their burgers rare and asked how you would like it cooked.

"My rare burger was a large, almost meatball like sphere of meat centered in a dry, almost stale bun with three wilted rings of bermuda onion. Its degree of doneness was so far from rare the best color description I could say it was, was grey with no pink discernible.
Not to be outdone, L's medium rare burger was a lighter shade of pale grey than mine"

And a professional review in Seven Days:
"The burger was slightly underseasoned, a paler cousin to the world-class patties at Worthy’s closest Burlington cognate, the Farmhouse Tap & Grill. A thin strip of pink made it look juicier than it actually was. "

Yep, you need to cook that select grass fed burger to the right temperature, just like any hamburger.  And for those that like that rare hamburger, or refuse to use a thermometer - is it worth the risk?


Valley News
http://www.vnews.com/news/18747830-95/vt-officials-continue-e-coli-investigation
 Vt. Officials Continue E. Coli Investigation


By Jordan Cuddemi  Valley News Staff Writer
Friday, September 25, 2015   (Published in print: Friday, September 25, 2015)
 
South Royalton — A South Royalton restaurant voluntarily closed for several days recently and switched food vendors after being contacted by state officials who are investigating an E. coli “cluster” that has sickened at least five people.

Cucumber Salmonella Outbreak - Cases Now at 558 with 3 Deaths

CDC's last repost on the Salmonella outbreak associated with cucumbers had the case count at 558, with 112 requiring hospitalization and 3 deaths.  This number of cases per day has begun to decrease since the two associated recalls were issued on September 4th and September 11th, however looking at the EPI curve, this duration of this outbreak is close to 3 months.

The cucumbers were said to be imported from Mexico and were then packed by US produce companies for shipment across the county...resulting in illnesses in 33 states.

In 2014, there was a Salmonella outbreak associated with cucumbers from Maryland and in 2013, an outbreak of E.coli O157:H7 associated with slice cucumber on sandwiches.

The pH of cucumbers is approximately 6.  While there are limited studies on the growth of Salmonella on cut cucumbers, evidence suggests that there may be a slow increase in numbers when the product is stored at non-refrigerated temperatures.  This may compound the primary issue, which is that cucumbers are grown on or near the ground, and if that ground is contaminated, such as occurs when using improperly treated manure as a fertilizer, then that contamination is transferred to the cucumbers (via direct contact, hands, splashing water, little critters, etc) could adhere to the surface of the cucumber.  Using contaminated irrigation water can lead to contamination of the cucumbers.  Finally, cucumbers can become contaminated during handling and rinsing / hydrocooling.  Point source contamination issues in the packing house can spread that contamination to  a large number of cucumbers.  More study is needed on cucumbers and contamination issues associated with growing, harvesting, storage and consumer handling.
 

CDC News Release

http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/poona-09-15/

Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Poona Infections Linked to Imported Cucumbers

Posted September 22, 2015 3:15 PM ET

 

Highlights

Read the Recall & Advice to Consumers, Restaurants, and Retailers >>(http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/poona-09-15/advice.html)

CDC, multiple states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Poona infections. This investigation is ongoing. CDC will provide updates when more information is available.

• 558 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona have been reported from 33 states, an increase of 140 cases since the last update on September 15.
• 112 ill people have been hospitalized, and three deaths have been reported from Arizona (1), California (1), and Texas (1).

Poultry Products Recalled Due to Metal Shavings Generated by Ice Machine

A Mississippi establishment is recalling approximately 550,000 lbs of poultry products after metal shavings were found by one of their customers.  The manufacturing established reported that a faulty ice machine was to blame.  The product being large cases and combos, so this indicates the product was packed on ice.

The ice machine....that neglected piece of equipment.  Whether packing product on ice, adding ice as an ingredient to facilitate cooling, or adding to our beverage, ice is just as much as part of the process as the other ingredients used.  Ice machines have often been cited for high microbiological counts when the machines are not cleaned.  Here, a malfunctioning machine had metal-on-metal contact, probably in the ice chopper/flaker that generated the metal shavings.

In these cases, ice machines are part of the process and need to identified as a source for microbiological, physical, and probably even chemical hazards.  Good preventive maintenance and periodic quality checks should be included with regard to controlling metal as a physical hazard,

USDA Recall Notice
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/FSIS-Content/internet/main/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2015/recall-124-2015-release
Sanderson Farms Recalls Poultry Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Class I Recall 124-2015
Health Risk: High Sep 24, 2015
En Español

Congressional and Public Affairs  Katherine Scheidt   (202) 720-9113

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2015 – Sanderson Farms, a Hazlehurst, Miss. establishment, is recalling approximately 551,090 pounds of poultry products that may be contaminated with extraneous metal materials the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

PCA CEO Gets 28 Years in Prison for Selling Tainted Peanut Butter, QA Manager gets 5 Years

The CEO of PCA, Steward Parnell, received a 28 year prison sentence after being found guilty last September for  knowingly selling tainted peanut butter and falsifying records to deceive customers about the safety of that product.   His brother, Michael Parnell, the production supervisor, received a sentence of 20 years in prison, while the quality control manager, Mary Wilkerson, received a 5-year sentence for obstruction of justice.

While it is easy to focus on Mr. Parnell's sentence, you have to look at Mary Wilkerson, the 41 year old Quality Control Manager.  She started working at PCA as a receptionist and was promoted up to the role of Quality Control Manager.  Did she know better?  Did she have appropriate training?  Was she merely following orders?  Perhaps, but in the end, she was brought down with the owner for carrying out an act that caused people to get sick.  While she may not spend the entire 5 years in prison, it is still an awful cross to bear for an owner who reaped the benefits of running a shady business.

Her story goes to all the quality control, operations, and other supervisory personnel as a reminder that doing the wrong thing because someone told you to do it does not make it okay.

Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/former-peanut-executive-sentenced-to-28-years-in-prison-for-outbreak-that-killed-nine-people-sickened-hundreds/2015/09/21/aba7500e-60a7-11e5-8e9e-dce8a2a2a679_story.html

Former peanut executive sentenced to 28 years in prison
By Brady Dennis September 21 at 7:53 PM

Former peanut executive Stewart Parnell was sentenced Monday to 28 years in prison for his role in a nationwide salmonella outbreak that killed nine people and sickened hundreds in 2008 and 2009.

The sentence marked the most severe punishment ever for a food-related crime. Prosecutors had sought life in prison for the 61-year-old executive, and the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands essentially could amount to that.

“These acts were driven simply by the desire to profit and to protect profits notwithstanding the known risks,” the judge said, according to the Associated Press. “This is commonly and accurately referred to as greed.”

Soft Cheese Listeria Outbreak Extends Back 5 Years - The Power of Whole Genome Sequencing

This past week, a California cheese company recalled cheese due to Listeria related illnesses.  CDC released information that there have been 24 cases in 9 different states caused by 5 closely related strains of Listeria.  The cases occurred over a five year period!  

 

The ability to combine this data into one outbreak is incredible!  Whole Genome Sequencing has become a game changer with regard to solving foodborne illness outbreaks.  The entire DNA sequence from pathogens responsible for past foodborne illness cases can be evaluated and matched with those from more recent cases. 

 

This technology also raises the ante for facilities with low level pathogen contamination issues.  Just as was seen with the Blue Bell ice cream facilities, it is more than a matter of checking the environment for Listeria, but enacting a proactive strategy that when contamination is found.  This includes an examination to determine if product has been exposed as well as a carrying out a seek-and-destroy mission to determine all potential sources/ contributing factors within the process environment (recognizing the fact that it is often an on-going battle of control rather than complete elimination).

 

This strategy also includes prevention of contamination - all of those things that come into process environment from outside - whether that is raw materials or even non-food (workers, inspectors, pallets, maintenance tools, carts, forklifts, used equipment, etc).  Who knows, some of this may be coming from a facility fighting its own endemic contamination issue.

 

People infected with the outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes, by month of specimen collection*

 

CDC Outbreaks

http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/soft-cheeses-09-15/index.html

Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Soft Cheeses

Posted September 18, 2015 9:00 AM ET

  

Read the Advice to Consumers, Restaurants, and Retailers»(http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/soft-cheeses-09-15/advice-consumers.html)

CDC is collaborating with public health officials in several states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections (listeriosis). Listeria can cause a serious, life-threatening illness.

• Five rare DNA fingerprints of Listeria are included in this investigation.
• Whole genome sequencing showed that the Listeria strains with the five rare DNA fingerprints are closely related genetically.
• Twenty-four people infected with one of the closely related Listeria strains have been reported from nine states since August 8, 2010.

FSIS Alerts Consumers About Raw Breaded Chicken Breasts Containing Salmonella

FSIS is alerting consumers that the Salmonella strains responsible for an foodborne illness outbreak, that resulted in stuffed chicken product being recalled by Aspen Foods in July, have been isolated from the Aspen Foods processing facility.  FSIS is now worried about all product produced since the recall in July through September 17th. 

While this product is only partially cooked, and provides instructions for the consumer to fully cook, FSIS feels that there are systematic issues at the facility.  However the company has refused to recall the product.

 

 

FSIS News Alert

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/news-releases-statements-transcripts/news-release-archives-by-year/archive/2015/pha-091715

FSIS Issues Public Health Alert For Stuffed Chicken Products Due To Possible Salmonella Contamination

 

Congressional and Public Affairs  Gabrielle N. Johnston  (202) 720-9113

 

WASHINGTON, September 17, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is alerting consumers that frozen, raw, stuffed and breaded chicken products produced by Aspen Foods, a division of Koch Poultry Company, a Chicago, Ill. establishment have been confirmed as having the same Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak strain which was part of a July 15, 2015 recall.