Galveston inmates file suit over taco beef

A lawsuit filed by 124 present and former county jail inmates claims that the prisoners who ate tacos in the prison suffered from food poisoning, reports the Galveston County Daily News.

The suit alleges that "inappropriate food handling" caused violent illness among prisoners who ate the tacos served to inmates March 23, 2004. The suit accuses jailers of "failing to properly clean and disinfect preparation surfaces and materials" and of improperly cooking the meat that went into the tacos. About 700 prisoners were in custody the day the tacos were served.

The lawsuit, which seeks an unspecified amount of damages, also names ABL Management as a defendant. ABL is the contractor that provides food for inmate meals.
 

US Trading Co. recalls JHC brand cooked seasoned anchovy because it may contain salmonella

US Trading CO. of Hayward, California is recalling the following product because they may be contaminated with Salmonella:

  • "JHC Brand cooked seasoned anchovy (spicy)", Net Wt.: 7oz packed in clear plastic container
  • "JHC Brand cooked seasoned anchovy w/sesame", Net Wt.: 7oz, packed in clear plastic container
  • "JHC Brand cooked seasoned anchovy Net Wt.: 2oz, packed in clear plastic bag.

Cooked Seasoning Anchovy was distributed in retail stores throughout the state of California, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

There have been two reported illnesses in Canada associated with the consumption of this product.
 

Food watchdog issues new sprout warning: Recall over salmonella

Supermarket managers have been doing a lot of reassuring lately, since a major Toronto bean sprout producer has twice, in one month, been forced to recall salmonella-infested batches of sprouts. The first advisory came in November and was lifted on Dec. 14; the second was issued by the federal government on Christmas Eve.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued an alert telling consumers not to purchase sprouts produced by Toronto Sun Wah Trading, also known as Hollend Enterprises. The Sun Wah mung sprouts have been sold to grocery stores and restaurants throughout Ontario and may have also been distributed in Quebec's Abitibi-Temiscamingue region.

Because the sprouts are usually not sold with any product labels, consumers will have to contact stores where they were purchased to inquire about the producer.

Cooking mung spouts -- often done in Chinese cooking -- significantly reduces the likelihood of a bacterial infection.
 

Lawsuits filed against Old South, oven maker

The family of James Arledge have filed lawsuits against Camden`s Old South Restaurant and oven manufacturer Duke Manufacturing Company in connection with an outbreak of salmonella poisoning in May.

One of the actions is a wrongful death lawsuit filed on behalf of Arledge`s widow, Carolyn Arledge, and his daughter, Teresa Lee, as personal representatives of his estate. It claims Arledge died as a result of eating turkey contaminated with salmonella at Old South. The other action is a personal injury class action lawsuit filed on behalf of Carolyn Arledge and any others who also became ill from eating the turkey.

The lawsuits allege that only one of three heating elements in a Duke ``E Series`` electric convection oven at Old South was working, leading the restaurant to undercook the turkey which allowed salmonella -- commonly present in poultry -- to survive. That turkey was served to the Arledges and dozens of others.

The lawsuits also allege, however, that Old South had no easy way of knowing the two heating elements had failed. Specifically, the lawsuit said, an indicator light on the oven may have misled Old South employees to believe the turkey had been fully cooked. Duke Manufacturing faces strict liability, negligent, breaches of implied warranty and breach of express warranty actions.

Neither lawsuit seeks a specific amount of damages, leaving those determinations up to a jury.
 

New warning issued against mung bean sprouts

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is again warning consumers in Ontario and parts of Quebec to avoid eating mung bean sprouts distributed by Toronto Sun Wah Trading Inc., also known as Hollend Enterprises, because they may be contaminated with salmonella.

"We are working to remove the affected product from the marketplace," CFIA food safety and recall officer Davendra Sharma told CTV.ca, but he would not comment on what led the agency to issue the warning.

In an advisory released Saturday, the government agency warned that the sprouts have been distributed in Ontario and may also have been distributed in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue area of Quebec.

The sprouts are sold in packages of various weights and may also be packaged under various store names or without the Sun Wah name.

About a month ago, at least 379 people had been confirmed with salmonella poisoning from contaminated bean sprouts.
 

Health Hazard Alert

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume Toronto Sun Wah or Hollend Enterprises Mung Bean Sprouts because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

This product is distributed in Ontario and may have also been distributed in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue area of Quebec.

This alert is a part of an on-going investigation. Although the exact source of contamination has not been confirmed, there is sufficient risk of contamination to warrant this alert.
 

Family Suing in Camden Salmonella Death

The family of a man who died from food poisoning is taking a Camden restaurant to court. More than 300 people got salmonella poisoning after eating at the Old South Restaurant in Camden in May. The outbreak at Old South is the largest outbreak of food poisoning in South Carolina history. Health officials say undercooked turkey was to blame.

James and Carolyn Alredge were among those who got sick. Carolyn recovered, but her husband died from complications from the poisoning. Now she's suing the restaurant and Duke Manufacturing, which manufactures the oven that cooked the food.

The lawsuit filed Thursday morning claims the oven had defective heating elements and lacked a heating gauge. "There was no way for the operator to know to adjust the cooking time to make sure the food was properly cooked," says attorney Carl L. Soloman.

The suit says the outbreak could have been prevented by both the restaurant and the oven manufacturer.

Old South is still open for business.
 

Belleville - Salmonella interditus takes its toll on beansprout eaters

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Richard Schabas gave the board of health an update December 9 on the recent salmonella outbreak. Schabas said that salmonella interditus was identified a month ago in the community.

The source of the disease is usually traced to poultry, cattle or occasionally people. But a little detective work tracked this particular outbreak to beansprouts from a distributor in Toronto. It had hit the age group of 20 to 29 particularly hard, with three cases in the Quinte area and 15 in Kingston.

When the supplier was identified on November 23, production was stopped at the plant the next day. On November 25 the Ministry of Health issued an advisory for the public not to eat beansprouts, an advisory which still stands. He estimated there were 500 cases across the province. The investigation by the Ministry is not yet complete.

"Wash beansprouts and cook them to reduce infection," he recommends.
 

Scientists find ways to crack bacteria barrier

US and EU scientists researching how to crack through hard formations of bacteria on surfaces say their discoveries could lead to new cleaning methods for fruit, vegetables and other foods.

Scientists from the US Agricultural Research Service and the University of Navarra are studying how to improve the washing techniques used in the produce packing and processing industries. Food companies using fruit and vegetables for their products would also benefit from the research, which is available for companies to commercialise or use.

Conventional commercial washing and sanitizing methods to remove microbial contaminants from produce surfaces have been found to be marginally effective, the scientists stated. They are are conducting experiments to understand how these microorganisms survive and grow on produce surfaces even after exposure to sanitizing solutions like chlorine.

Bassam Annous, a microbiologist with ARS, and Joseph Sites, a mechanical engineer, recently developed a commercial-scale surface-pasteurisation treatment that resulted in a 99.999 per cent reduction in a population of Salmonella on the surface of artificially contaminated cantaloupe. The process involves immersing melons in water at 169˚F for three minutes to kill the pathogens, then sealing each melon in a plastic bag before rapid cooling in an ice-water bath.

The plastic bag prevents the fruit from potential recontamination in the cold water. The treatment not only enhances the safety of the fruit, but also extends its shelf life by reducing native microflora that may cause spoilage. And it did not harm melon quality.
 

Simple steps help prevent salmonella

Although more people are eating fruits and vegetables, this healthy trend comes with a risk -- illnesses traced to fresh produce are on the rise. Salmonella cases reported to the Lee County Health Department rose from 173 for all of 2004 to more than 230 so far this year. By far, those most affected are children 1 to 4 years of age.

Hamburger meat and chicken have become infamous as carriers of food-borne illnesses, but fruits and vegetables are now responsible for more large-scale outbreaks of food-borne illnesses than meat, poultry or eggs.

Why this increase in salmonella and other food-borne illnesses?

We import more, says Michael Barnaby, public information specialist for the Lee County Health Department. Although production in the United States always involves processed fertilizers, imported produce may be grown with raw or unprocessed fertilizers. We buy more pre-cut, packaged salads and their ingredients, and vegetables and fruits. Both fertilizer and unsanitary procedures by people become possible causes. We've increased distribution centralization. Meats may be shipped in the same carrier as veggies and fruits, or storage temperatures may be incorrect, increasing the risk to the food items.

What you can do to help prevent food-borne illness:

  • - Wash all fruits and vegetables before cooking or eating.
  • - Salmonella is killed by thorough cooking.
  • - Salmonella is best prevented by proper food handling and cooking, maintaining sanitary water supplies and good hand washing.
  • - Wash hands before preparing or serving foods. Have someone else prepare the food if you have cramps, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
  • - Teach your kids to wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating.
     

Safety focus on fruit

The idea of pasteurizing fruit sounds odd, but Bassam Annous, a microbiologist at the USDA's food safety technologies research unit in Wyndmoor, Pa., said his experiments have shown dramatic reductions in levels of salmonella infections on cantaloupes that have been pasteurized.

He said the process wouldn't work with leafy vegetables or apples because it causes lettuce to wilt and apples to turn brown, but he said there's no reason it couldn't be used for citrus fruits, avocados and perhaps tomatoes.

"If the rind is thick, the flesh is not affected," he said.

The CDC estimates there about 40,000 cases of salmonellosis in the United States each year, and about 600 deaths. Salmonella infection is also linked to development later in life of chronic arthritis.

Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said the FDA should require farmers to restrict the use of manure to times and products where it poses no risk. In addition, packers and shippers should mark packaging to ensure easy trace-back when fruits and vegetables are implicated in an outbreak, she said.
 

Salmonella outbreak appears over Health unit

The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit have announced that an outbreak of salmonella poisoning related to bean sprouts appears to be over. The announcement piggybacks on a similar announcement from Sheela Basrur, chief medical officer of health for Ontario.

Since Oct. 1, 648 cases of salmonella have been reported in Ontario, including two in the tri-county district that were linked to bean sprouts.

Three other cases being investigated came back negative for salmonella.

Close to 600 restaurants and retailers will not be permitted to serve raw or lightly cooked bean sprouts. Grocery stores may still sell raw bean sprouts for cooking, but they may not serve them on prepared salads in the deli area.
 

Almond growers hear truths, myths

A University of California-Davis professor told almond growers that good agricultural practices take time.

Trevor Suslow also separated myths from truth regarding salmonella and almonds for a crowd at the 33rd annual Almond Industry Conference.

Suslow said salmonella migrates through the almond shell into the nut and can live in dry soil and in a barn for more than a year – longer than E.coli.

He also listed four principal on-farm sources of potential contamination. They are:
 

  • Contaminated water used for irrigation or for foliar sprays;
  • Manure used as fertilizer that has not been adequately composted;
  • Droppings from domestic and wild animals including birds and rodents that can be spread in irrigation water or by human activity;
  • Poor human hygiene practices resulting from inadequate or insufficient toilet and hand washing facilities.

Hotel food poisoning not an ongoing threat

The Cincinnati Health Department has said that it is OK to eat again at the Hilton Netherland Plaza hotel in downtown Cincinnati, but that they will continue to investigate a recent outbreak of food poisoning there.

Up to 1,500 people from the Cincinnati area, as well as Ohio and 12 other states, attended 16 catered events or conventions at the hotel between Nov. 29 and Dec. 3.

As many as one-third of them may have become ill with food poisoning. The department tested stool samples from some of the victims and found no common bacterial causes of food poisoning such as salmonella, shigella and E. coli.

The samples did test positive for norovirus, the most common food-borne illness in the country, accounting for about half of all cases, the health department said.
 

Conroy's beef the culprit

Tests have proved the listeria in Conroy's corned beef was the same strain that contributed to the death of Royal Adelaide Hospital patient Richard Formosa.

Test results proved listeria found on his factory's equipment and corned beef was the same bacteria as that detected in the RAH kitchen and the two RAH patients, including Formosa. Formosa, who contracted listeria while in the RAH being treated for severe diabetes, died on October 31, just days after his 53rd birthday.

A second RAH patient is recovering from listeria poisoning. Australian Head of Communicable Diseases Dr Rod Givney yesterday said it was possible more cases would surface.

Of the 21 cases, 12 were associated with attending or working at a metropolitan child-care centre . Dr Givney would not name the centre. The nine other community cases were predominantly in metropolitan Adelaide.
 

Only cooked bean sprouts for area residents and restaurants

While a recent Salmonella outbreak linked to consumption of bean sprouts appears to be over, the KFL&A area's Medical Officer of Health is advising residents to cook bean sprouts before consuming them. Residents are being advised to ensure they properly cook the bean sprouts they purchase from grocery stores and markets, and restaurants in the area will only be able to serve thoroughly cooked bean sprouts.

This new advisory follows the directive given to local grocery stores and restaurants who were ordered to remove bean sprouts from sale and menus on November 23, 2005 after KFL&A Public Health established a link between raw bean sprouts and an outbreak of salmonella across the province. While there were 648 cases of Salmonella reported across the province, the KFL&A area had 24 confirmed cases of Salmonella during the recent outbreak.

Pasteurizing fruit? It could help fight salmonella

The idea of pasteurizing fruit sounds odd, but Agriculture Department researchers say a form of the technology might help fight outbreaks of salmonella that scientists are increasingly tracing back to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Bassam Annous, a microbiologist at the Agriculture Department's food safety technologies research unit in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, said his experiments have shown dramatic reductions in levels of salmonella infections on cantaloupes that have been pasteurized. He said the process wouldn't work with leafy vegetables or apples because it causes lettuce to wilt and apples to turn brown, but he said there's no reason it couldn't be used for citrus fruits, avocados and perhaps tomatoes.

The process involves immersing the fruits in water heated to 169 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes then sealing each fruit in a plastic bag to prevent re-contamination before rapidly cooling the produce in ice water.

Annous said colonies of salmonella often aren't affected by chlorine rinses and other sanitation measures processors use because the bacteria cling to the rind and form a protective biofilm around them. Pathogens left on the rind of fruits and vegetables are transferred to the flesh of the produce during cutting or processing.
 

Salmonella confirmed in raw milk

The Pima County Health Department said Wednesday that it had received confirmation of salmonella contamination in nonpasteurized, raw milk produced by Colorado City's Meadowayne Dairy.

The milk was sold at several natural- and health-food stores in the Tucson area. Patti Woodcock, a spokeswoman for the Health Department, said no cases of salmonella poisoning related to the milk have been reported to the department. Health officials are asking that anyone who purchased the raw milk with an expiration date of Dec. 12 not to drink it.

Salmonella outbreak in Ontario traced back to bean sprouts

In the Kingston area of Eastern Ontario, 15 cases of food poisoning from salmonella bacteria have been linked to raw bean sprouts.

At least 200 people across Ontario have become ill as result of salmonella in the past two months. Those infected in Kingston ate raw bean sprouts, either at a downtown restaurant or after buying them from local grocery stores.

People in the area are advised not to eat any bean sprouts until the source of the outbreak is identified, said Dr. Ian Gemmill, medical officer of health for the region.

The source of contamination doesn't appear to be local, and could be as remote as a grower of the seeds in China, he said.
 

Pathogen Studies Could Result in Safer Produce

Because conventional washing methods to remove microbial contaminants from fresh fruit and vegetable produce surfaces have been found to be only marginally effective, Agricultural Research Service scientists in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania want to give the produce packing and processing industries better techniques.

Bassam A. Annous, a microbiologist at the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center, along with his colleagues, are developing new technologies to remove or inactivate pathogens on both fresh and minimally processed produce.

Bacteria can quickly attach to the produce surfaces and form what are called biofilms that likely improve their ability to colonize and survive. A biofilm is a mass of microbes attached to a surface and to each other by bacterial polymers. This polymer coating may protect bacterial cells from exposure to antimicrobial compounds, such as chlorine, used to sanitize produce.

The human pathogen Salmonella is often responsible for produce-related outbreaks of foodborne illness. For example, Salmonella is difficult to remove from cantaloupe surfaces, because it attaches to inaccessible sites and forms biofilm on the cantaloupe rind surface. This allows the pathogen to avoid contact with the sanitizing solution. Surviving Salmonella cells can then be transferred from the surface of the melon into the internal tissues during cutting prior to consumption.

Biofilm formation by Salmonella cells starts by attaching to the rind of cantaloupe following contamination. Once attached to the rind, Salmonella cells rapidly develop biofilm by growing and excreting polymers. This new knowledge helps explain how Salmonella survives harsh sanitizing environments.
 

JHC brand anchovies may contain salmonella

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume certain batches of JHC Brand Cooked Seasoning Anchovies because the products may be contaminated with salmonella.

The following products from Thailand, sold in 200 gram packages and bearing Process Date 08 AUG 2005 are affected by this alert:

  • JHC brand Cooked Seasoning Anchovies (spicy), bearing the UPC 6 67660 00202 9.
  • JHC brand Cooked Seasoning Anchovies (sesame) bearing the UPC 6 67660 002XX 9.
     

There have been two reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

These products have been distributed in Ontario, Manitoba and Nova-Scotia. The importers are voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace.
 

Bean sprout advisory continues

A province-wide advisory against consuming bean sprouts remains in effect in response to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning that exceeds 500 cases.

Two cases have been confirmed in the jurisdiction of the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, which participated in a conference call about the 14-day-old outbreak with other regional health units across Ontario.

No other cases have been reported since last week.

Susan Healey, communications co-ordinator with the health unit, said the province and its 36 health units are working in close co-ordination to ensure public safety.
 

Salmonella found in raw milk produced by northern Arizona dairy

Inspectors from the Arizona Department of Health Services have found Salmonella bacteria in a sample of unpasteurized raw milk taken from a retailer in Yavapai County.

The milk was produced by Meadowayne Dairy of Colorado City and has a use-by date of 12/12/2005.

The levels of Salmonella in the sample couldn't be measured, so it isn't known if there was enough bacteria to cause illness. County health departments have been ordered to remove all the potentially tainted milk from store shelves.
 

Food poisoning victim slams the source

At least 57 people are on the sick list after an outbreak of salmonella in Hobart, Tasmania. The wave of food poisoning is believed to have forced dozens of Tasmanians on to workers' compensation leave while they recover.

About a dozen people at work got sick and another lot from another government function.

Raw egg has been named the likely culprit for the Hobart attacks but the State Government maintained there was no need to reveal the suspected food business at the heart of the outbreak.

A champion veterans' hockey player and active jogger Graeme Corney of Rose Bay is one of the victims who wants those who provided the bad ingredients to be made accountable. Mr Corney, 54, lost 9kg from the illness and is now so weak he can only walk a few metres. He ate sandwiches at a function for the Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts, where he works.

"I believe somebody should be accountable for this, it's going to affect a lot of people's lifestyle for at least a month," Mr Corney said.
 

Raw egg warning after 40 taken ill

Tasmanian health officers have warned people to avoid foods containing raw eggs after the state's latest salmonella outbreak.

Director of Public Health Roscoe Taylor said the likely cause of the latest Hobart outbreak was ready-to-eat foods or sauces containing raw egg, according to The Mercury.

At least 40 people are known to have contracted gastroenteritis. Three people are known to have been hospitalised, of whom two remain in hospital in a satisfactory condition.

Dr Taylor said tests had so far shown eight cases of salmonella, but he did not know whether it was the same strain as recent outbreaks. "The food business involved had prepared ready-to-eat foods such as tartare sauce, mayonnaise and an avocado mix, using raw egg as one of the ingredients," he said.

"At present, it appears to be safer to use commercially available ready-to-eat pasteurised product or to use pasteurised egg yolk or egg powder ingredients when preparing these sauces in-house," he said.
 

Valley leads state in food-borne illnesses

The incidence of food-borne illnesses in the Rio Grande Valley far exceeds statewide figures. While some say this is because of proximity to Mexico, incidence rates in the border counties of El Paso and Laredo say otherwise.

For five consecutive years, Texas Department of State Health Services data shows the Valley has had much higher rates of food-borne illness, such as hepatitis A and salmonella, reports the Brownsville Herald.

Figures provided by the state health department are only based on confirmed cases reported by local doctors. There may be cases that are not reported, so actual rates may be even higher than reported rates.
 

Suspected salmonella cases investigated

The Public Health Service expects to know tomorrow whether there has been a further case of salmonella in Hobart, Tasmania.

Director of Public Health Roscoe Taylor says two groups of people were reported with possible symptoms of salmonella on Friday. Two people were taken to hospital and a total of 25 people were reported with symptoms from both groups.

Dr Taylor says both groups involved catered functions and a possible link between them is being investigated. He says the two people in hospital are in a satisfactory condition.

Dr Taylor says a team has been working throughout the weekend to investigate the cases, and it is hoped the results of lab tests will be ready by tomorrow.
 

Salmonella cases detected in region

The local health unit has joined a growing number across Ontario to record cases of salmonella poisoning since an outbreak last week connected to consumption of bean sprouts, reports Staff Writer Nick Gardiner.

Joan Mays, supervisor of health protection for the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, said two cases of the potentially lethal disease have been identified here in the past week.

She said samples sent to a laboratory in Kingston confirmed this week the presence of two cases of the disease but it still has to be determined if it is the same type found in the cases related to the bean sprouts.
 

Durham residents urged to toss out bean sprouts

The Durham Region Health Department is working with other health units, the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in the investigation of a salmonella outbreak that is linked to eating bean sprouts. As a result, the public is being advised not to eat bean sprouts until further notice.

In Durham Region, there are currently 15 cases that may be linked to this outbreak. Since the beginning of November, 290 laboratory-confirmed cases of salmonella across the province have been reported to the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. Normally, there are 20 to 25 cases reported per month in Ontario at this time of year.

16 are sick from bad bean sprouts

Peel Health officials say 16 Peel residents have contracted potentially-deadly salmonella poisoning from eating contaminated bean sprouts, and they say that number will continue to climb.

As of yesterday afternoon, 43 Peel residents were infected with salmonella poisoning, including 30 people in Mississauga. Sixteen of the Peel cases have been directly linked to an outbreak across Ontario, while the others are still under investigation. The salmonella outbreak has affected more than 400 people. At this time last year, Ontario had experienced only about 60 cases.

Health officials suspect a Toronto-based producer and distributor, Sun Wah Trading Inc., which has about 20 per cent of the bean sprout market in Ontario, is responsible for the contamination.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency this week ordered a province-wide recall of all mung bean sprout products distributed by Sun Wah. The company has since recalled all mung bean sprout products from grocery store shelves, distributors, and restaurants.

Last week, Toronto public health authorities shut down Sun Wah, also known as Hollend Enterprises Inc.