Salmonella Blog - Surveillance & analysis on salmonella news & outbreaks

Seattle law firm Marler Clark and Asheville, NC attorney Mark Kurdys have jointly filed a second lawsuit against Orchid Island Juice Co. of Fort Pierce, Florida.

The firm represents Barbara Jane Dooley, a 72-year-old Jackson County, North Carolina resident who became ill with Salmonellosis after consuming Orchid Island unpasteurized orange juice in June while dining at a restaurant with her husband.

In the complaint, it is alleged that Mrs. Dooley drank Orchid Island Juice and became ill with symptoms of a Salmonella infection two days later. Because of the severity of her illness, Mrs. Dooley was admitted to the hospital and remained there for seven days. Lab work conducted while Ms. Dooley was hospitalized confirmed that she was suffering from a Salmonella infection, and that she was infected with a strain of Salmonella genetically indistinguishable from that isolated from Orchid Island unpasteurized orange juice.

Denis Stearns, a partner with Marler Clark, said “It is time for the FDA to stand up to the few remaining producers of unpasteurized orange juice and either require pasteurization, or at least require restaurants to telltheir customers that they are being served a possibly unsafe product. No one should be allowed to unknowingly drink unpasteurized orange juice.”
 

The FDA is advising processors and repackers that Majestic International Spice Corporation of Montebello, California is voluntarily recalling its dried "Extra Fancy Basil" spice in 12.5 kilogram bags because FDA found the product contaminated with Salmonella Blockley.

FDA is issuing this advisory because we are concerned that the firm has not adequately alerted its consignees to the problem.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The company has ceased the distribution of the product in question.
 

Food safety attorney William Marler today reissued calls for more stringent recall procedures for contaminated food in the aftermath of a Salmonella outbreak at a restaurant in San Francisco. According to health officials, 22 ill persons have tested positive for a strain of Salmonella matching the strain associated with raw almonds.

In May, 2004, officials at the FDA, in conjunction with state health officials from Oregon, Washington, and California, reported a link between a number of Salmonella illnesses and raw almonds processed and sold by Paramount Farms, Inc. of California. As a result, Paramount Farms recalled approximately 13 million pounds of raw almonds. Eventually at least 46 illnesses, including a death, were tied to that outbreak.

Documents acquired in litigation against Paramount Farms demonstrate that of the roughly 13 million pounds of almonds recalled, only 1,183,279 pounds were recovered by the firm. While significant amounts of the recalled almonds were likely consumed before the recall, it remains likely that the most recent outbreak can be traced back to the prior problem.
 

County and state health officials continue investigating a salmonella outbreak at a South San Francisco restaurant in July that may be linked to raw almonds. One worker and 21 diners were left sick after eating La Tapatia Restaurant, reports the San Mateo County Daily Journal.

State investigators discovered La Tapatia bought raw almonds in bulk from a large food retailer and repackaged them for resale. However, all of the almonds confiscated from the restaurant all tested negative for that strain.

Currently, officials are comparing the outbreak to a similar incident in Berkeley during the same time period.

No illnesses have been reported since the initial batch.
 

The FDA is informing the retail and food service industries that incorporating an ingredient that is intended to be cooked into a ready-to-eat food that will not be cooked or otherwise treated to eliminate microorganisms of public health concern can pose a serious food safety risk. A recent multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium has been associated with consumption of "cake batter" ice cream.

FDA wants to alert the industry that Salmonella is known to occasionally be present in flour and other non-animal foods such as barley, cereal powder, and yeast. For these reasons, FDA is asking food service operations to review their menus for these types of products and to either work with their suppliers to ensure all ingredients are intended to be ready-to-eat or to process their final products to eliminate microorganisms of public health concern. Also, routine precautionary measures should also be taken to prevent cross-contamination from raw products and surfaces that have not been adequately cleaned and sanitized.

Food manufacturers have been told that incorporating an uncooked ingredient into a ready-to-eat food that will not be cooked could pose a serious food safety risk.

The FDA's warning comes after a recent multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium has was associated with the consumption of 'cake batter' ice cream sold only at Cold Stone Creamery stores, The flavor has been recalled by the company. To date, no other flavors of ice cream have been associated with the outbreak.

US food and drug officials have now confirmed that the sweet cream ice cream base in question was pasteurized and the dry cake mix that was added to the ice cream base was labeled 'bake before use' by the manufacturer.

This Cake Batter Ice Cream was prepared in food service establishments. The preparation involved adding a dry cake mix to a pasteurized sweet cream base and the combination did not undergo additional processing prior to freezing.

Dry cake mix is a product that has been designed to be rehydrated and then cooked. Dry cake mix should not be considered a ready-to-eat food because it has not been processed to ensure that pathogens have been destroyed or reduced in numbers to an acceptable level.

Ready-to-eat foods are typically processed to ensure that they are safe to consume without further cooking. Similar products, such as 'cookie dough' ice creams and 'cake mix' milk shakes, could also pose a serious food safety risk if they are prepared with ingredients that are intended to be cooked.
 

August, 2005
Journal of Food Protection: Volume 68, Number 8
Page 1581-1586

Neelam Narang,a Mark L. Tamplin,a and William C. Cray, Jr.b

aEastern Regional Research Center, Microbial Food Safety Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 600 East Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038

bFood Safety and Inspection Service, Eastern Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 950 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30605, USA

ABSTRACT

In eight separate trials, four groups of raw ground beef samples were inoculated with 0.04 to 0.3 CFU/g of Salmonella Typhimurium (DT 104). Each group consisted of four 25-g samples (three inoculated and one uninoculated). After inoculation, these samples were shipped by overnight courier in shipping containers with ice packs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Eastern Regional Research Center, in Wyndmoor, Pa., to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Eastern Laboratory, in Athens, Ga. A total of 128 samples (32 in each of four groups) were shipped. A temperature data logger was placed inside each shipping container to record the temperature during shipping and storage. The first group of ground beef samples was analyzed within approximately 1 h of arrival. The second group of samples was left in the original containers, with a gel ice pack, for 24 h before processing. The third and fourth groups of samples were removed from the original shipping containers and stored at room temperature (21 ± 2 degrees C) for 6 h and then in a refrigerator at 4 ± 2 degrees C for 24 and 48 h, respectively, before analysis. The samples were analyzed for the presence of Salmonella according to the USDA/FSIS Microbiological Laboratory Guidebook, chapter 4.02. There was no significant difference in the presence and levels of Salmonella in ground beef among the four test groups. These data show that it is acceptable to process the late-arriving ground beef samples for the detection of Salmonella if they are kept in a refrigerator (4 ± 2 degrees C) for 24 to 48 h or when the shipments arrive late (24 h in the container with ice pack).

Linda Harris, a Cooperative Extension microbiologist and food safety specialist in the food science and technology department at UC Davis, explains why it is important that all almonds coming into a processing facility be "as free from Salmonella as possible."

Two outbreaks in three years of salmonellosis involving California almonds have put the state's No. 1 agriculturalexport on notice that constant vigilance by growers, huller/shellers, and handlers is necessary to continue to provide a safe and healthful product.

Even if a handler pasteurizes almonds, their growers still have a responsibility to protect the crop from on-farm sources of microbial contamination. Salmonella bacteria are known to be present at very low levels throughout production areas in California, says Merle Jacobs, associate director of industry relations for the Almond Board of California.

The Almond Board has developed GAPs for almond growers that target the four main sources of on-farm contamination. They are:

• Poor quality water, or poor moisture management that favors microbial growth.
• Manure as fertilizer, while not recommended by the Almond Board, should be properly composted if used.
• Fecal material from wild animals and livestock or pets.
• Poor human hygiene practices.
• Water at harvest

Overall, handlers are now being more diligent in tracking almonds by lots, and keeping accurate records of lot numbers so that any problems can be traced back to the grower, according to Jacobs. In the event of a recall, this is the information that regulators will require in order to determine the source of the problem. Another recall will not only hurt the handler involved, but also the huller, sheller, grower, and the entire almond industry. For this reason, GAPs are more important than ever. Most growers are already following many of the GAPs, and others can be phased in one at a time.

Growers should not be "intimidated into inaction," by the size and scope of the GAP's, Jacobs advises.
 

To prevent food-borne illness, the FDA recommends that perishable food be out no more than two hours, or one hour in temperatures above 90 degrees. Food that sits out longer should be tossed, said Joan Miller, extension educator at Michigan State University Extension.

The bacteria responsible for foodborne illness - E. coli 0157, Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter - can wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal tract and, in some cases, lead to serious illness and death.

Picnickers can reduce the chance of food poisoning still further by observing a few simple rules:

• Keep cold food cold, in insulated coolers with gel packs, when carrying it in and out.
• Pack coolers full, to keep the temperature down.
• When possible, use separate coolers for beverages, which will be opened frequently, and perishables, which should remain closed.
• Wash hands with soap and water in the outdoors, and make sure all food handlers do the same.

Another potential source of cross-contamination is the ubiquitous kitchen sponge. Ideally, Miller said, sponges should be allowed to dry between uses and replaced once a week. Consider using dish towels rather than sponges, she suggested. Launder the towels frequently in hot water and allow them to dry completely between uses.

The USDA also recommends not rinsing meat. Bacteria on the surface will be killed when the meat is cooked, and the rinsing process may contaminate utensils and countertops.

A salmonella outbreak that has left more than 900 people ill across Spain and killed one man is expected to recede this week after a batch of contaminated chicken was withdrawn from sale.

The Health Ministry said 921 people have contracted gastroenteritis after eating the Sada company's roast chickens. Health authorities in the Valencia region confirmed Wednesday that a 90-year-old man died from salmonella infection.

On Wednesday, 141 people were receiving treatment. Most of those taken ill have been hospitalized only briefly, the Health Ministry said.

The contamination seems to have originated in a pipe at its plant near Toledo, south of Madrid, that poured sauce onto the meat before packing.

Spain's Consumer Federation said some 80 people already have contacted it with a view to seeking compensation.
 

Regional health authorities in Spain have confirmed today that more than 500 people are affected by the current outbreak of Salmonella in Spain. All of the people being treated seem to have been infected by pre-packed roast chicken. None of them are in a serious condition.

The outbreak is widespread and most regions in Spain have registered cases of patients with symptoms of salmonella.

The Spanish food company Grupo Sada confirmed yesterday that it had found traces of the salmonella germ in one the sauce pipes of its factory in Toledo. All Sada chicken products have been withdrawn from the market and consumers who may have purchased a roast chicken are advised to throw it away.

The worst affected region is Murcia with 140 cases, including 10 hospitalised patients, followed by Andalusia (108) and Castilla La Mancha (88) where 4 patients have been admitted to hospital. Other regions affected include Castilla y Leon, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura, Catalonia, the Valencia Region, Madrid and the Rioja.