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.

 

California Company Recalling Cheeses Due to Potential Link to Listeria Infections

A California cheese manufacturer is recalling various cheeses after FDA and CDC notified the company that the company's product may be linked to Listeria related illnesses.  Listeria has not been isolated from the product.

FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm462976.htm
Karoun Dairies, Inc. Issues Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Various Cheeses Because of Possible Health Risk

Contact:
Consumer:
866-272-9393
Media:
866-272-9376

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — September 16, 2015 — San Fernando, CA — Today Karoun Dairies, Inc. announced that it is voluntarily recalling a variety of cheeses it distributes due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. To date, no product has tested positive for Listeria but in view of the association with listeriosis cases Karoun Dairies Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall in the interest of protecting public health.

Consumers Warned About Dangerous Dietary Supplements

A NY dietary supplement company is recalling their supplements because they have unacceptable levels of mercury and lead.  Yikes....they are so bad that FDA advices consumers who are using them to consult a medical health provider.

Dietary supplements sales are driven by people searching for the secret passage to healthy living through a pill or drink.  Surely they think that there is something not in their normal diet and with the dietary supplement, it is going to make the individual feel better, look better, and live forever.  Some providers of dietary supplements prey on these aspirations by concocting various potions with unique live enhancing qualities and then market them by  having that unique story....that these were used by the ancients...or as in this case, the company Baidyanath connecting to Ayurveda, traditional Hindu medicine.  Okay, maybe these traditional Hindu medical doctors had something going on that was great, but hopefully, high mercury and lead content in the medicines were not part of it. 

Along with this recall, we have an Iowa company, Iowa Select Herbs, who was court ordered to recall a boatload of product made since the start of the year. 

Unfortunately, these dietary supplemtn providers have takes advantage of an under regulated industry - whether it is terms of over-the-top health claims, product that was improperly prepared, or formulations that are dangerous.   While some of these providers are nothing more than modern day snake oil salesmen, others go into the business believing that they are doing good, but do not have the necessary level of technical knowledge or capabilities.  Unfortunately for consumers, it can be difficult to determine which product is going to have dangerous levels of mercury or lead. It is good to see the increased regulatory scrutiny.

FDA Consumer Advisory
FDA Consumer Advice on Shree Baidyanath Brand Ayurveda Dietary Supplements
September 17, 2015
What you need to know

Consumers who have used any of the Baidyanath brand Ayurvedic dietary supplements listed below should stop using them and consult their health care provider.

Testing by the New York Department of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found that these products contain high levels of lead and/or mercury, which can cause serious health problems.

The products are manufactured by Shree Baidyanath Ayurved Bhawan in India and sold in the United States at retail and via the Internet. One major retailer has recalled the products. The FDA is working to identify other companies that may have sold the products.

FSMA Preventive Controls Rule for Human Foods - A First Look

The FDA released the final rule for the Preventive Controls for Human Foods. For those who have been tasked with reviewing the PDF file of approximately 930 pages, it is easy to become overwhelmed. However, it is not as bad as it looks. The actual regulation, which starts around page 834, is then roughly only about 100 pages. Considering that the GMP regulation is included (formerly 21CFR part 110) and there are many pages dedicated to discussing on-farm exemptions, the meat of the regulation is rather brief In fact, this version has been skillfully streamlined compared to the last released supplemental version.

So this primer takes a look at new aspects as well as walks through the major sections of the regulation. 
 

Gourmet Spreads from Maryland Processor Found to be Positive for Listeria

 A boutique food manufacturer in Maryland has been notified by Maryland Department of Health that their gourmet spreads were found to be contaminated with Listeria.   This product, produced by Picnic Gourmet Foods, is sold through Whole Foods and other boutique food shops.

 These types of product must be produced under tight controls to prevent Listeria contamination.  According to the company website, "All of our spreads are all natural, hormone & preservative free"...too bad they were not Listeria free.


FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm463535.htm
Picnic Gourmet Spreads Issues Recall for Potential Health Risks

Contact:  Consumer: info@picnicspreads.com
Media:  Brady Marz, Picnic Gourmet Spreads  301-983-1241 brady@picnicspreads.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Sept. 21, 2015 - Potomac, MD - Out of an abundance of caution, Picnic Gourmet Spreads is issuing a recall on their yogurt cheese spreads. These spreads could potentially be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.