Category: food safety

Coming Soon

From the author of
Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives

Salmonella in eggs. Listeria in deli meats. Melamine in milk. Cyclospora in lettuce.

In a world where irrigation water is contaminated by run-off from cattle feedlots and where food processors cut corners, the food preparation skills we learned from our parents and grandparents are no longer good enough to keep us safe.

Using a variety of foodborne disease outbreaks, often illustrated with the stories of individual victims, Tainted explores the ways in which food becomes contaminated. Some of the stories – such as the deadly 1993 Jack in the Box outbreak – will be very familiar. Others will not.

In this major update to her 2007 book, Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives, Phyllis Entis draws on nearly five decades of experience to explain how our regulatory systems have failed us, and to talk about what can be done to protect consumers from unsafe food. 

TAINTED: From Farm Gate to Dinner Plate, Fifty Years of Food Safety Failures is scheduled for release on December 2, 2020 in ebook and paperback formats.

Pre-order TAINTED for your Kindle today for automatic delivery to your device on December 2, 2020.

OUTBREAK UPDATE: Salmonella infections across Ontario linked to alfalfa sprouts

Alfalfa sprouts produced by Sunsprout Natural Foods of Brantford, Ontario have caused 37 people to be infected with Salmonella, according to a spokesperson with Ontario’s Ministry of Health.

Infections have been reported from 19 of Ontario’s 34 public health units, and the cases are scattered across the province.

Four people have been hospitalized.

Sunsprout has initiated a series of recalls since August 11th. The following recalled products were distributed only in Ontario:

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is verifying that industry is removing the recalled products from the marketplace.

Ontarians are encouraged to refer to the recall notice posted on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website and follow the advice provided.

a. Ontarians are reminded to check their fridges and freezers for the recalled product and if any is found, it is recommended that it be thrown out right away

b. Individuals are encouraged to visit Health Canada’s Food Safety and You website for additional resources/tips on food safety and safe food handling, particularly individuals at high risk for serious health effects from foodborne illness (young children, seniors, or people with weak immune systems)

c. It is important for Ontarians to remember, even when not eating out regularly, foods purchased and brought into the home can be contaminated and cause illness

i.    All fruits and vegetables should be washed

ii.   Clean counters and cutting boards

iii.  Keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot

iv.   Cook foods to appropriate internal temperature

v.    Reduce cross contamination by keeping raw foods separate from ready to eat foods and foods that have already been washed and heated, washing hands regularly and cleaning food contact surfaces between use.

OUTBREAK ALERT: Salmonella illnesses linked to dried wood ear mushrooms

Forty-one people in 10 states have been infected with Salmonella Stanley after consuming imported dried wood ear mushrooms, according to a report just released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Four of the victims have been admitted to hospital.

Wood ear mushrooms are dried mushrooms, also commonly labelled or referred to as Kikurage, Dried Black Fungus, Dried Fungus, or Mu’er/Mu Er/Mu-Err, according to the Outbreak Investigation notice posted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Illnesses have been reported in Arizona (1), California (25), Connecticut (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (5), Louisiana (1), New Jersey (2), New York City (1), Pennsylvania (2), and Wisconsin (2).

As of now, there have been no illnesses reported in Canada.

The mushrooms implicated in this outbreak were imported by Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc. of Santa Fe Springs, CA and sold to restaurants in 32 states and at least 3 Canadian provinces. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has released a list of restaurants that were supplied with the suspect mushrooms.

CDPH has recovered Salmonella from a sample of the mushrooms obtained from one of the restaurants where outbreak victims from that state reported eating. The genetic sequence of the Salmonella is being analyzed in order to determine whether it is a match for the outbreak strain recovered from patients.

Wismettac Asian Foods has already initiated a recall of the implicated mushrooms in both the US and Canada.

Restaurants in the US should not prepare or serve the following product:

Shirakiku brand imported Dried Fungus (also known as Black Fungus or Kikurage), 5-lb bags:- UPC 00074410604035; All Lots with Item #60403 on the package; Product of China

Restaurants, hotels and institutions in Canada should not prepare or serve the following product:

Shirakiku brand Black Fungus (Kikurage), 2.27 kg:- UPC 0 74410 60403 5; All codes sold up to and including September 24, 2020; Product of China.

What consumers should know

Symptoms of Salmonella infections can include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, beginning from 6 hours to 6 days after being exposed to the bacteria, and typically lasting from 4 to 7 days. Children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are susceptible to experiencing more severe illness and, in some cases, may require hospital treatment.

Consumers in the US and Canada are urged to take the following actions if they begin to experience symptoms of Salmonella infection:

  • Talk to your healthcare provider.
  • Write down what you ate in the week before you started to get sick.
  • Report your illness to the health department.
  • Assist public health investigators by answering questions about your illness.