California Investigating Salmonella Braenderup Outbreak

The California Department of Public Health has taken the lead in the investigation of approximately 90 cases of Salmonella Braenderup infections in the USA. Seventy-three of those cases are within California.

All of the cases involve the same outbreak strain of Salmonella Braenderup that has caused at least 22 cases of salmonellosis in Canada. The Canadian cases are linked to consumption of Daniella brand Mangoes, imported from Mexico. About two-thirds of the California outbreak victims reported mango consumption, although specific mango brands or sources have not yet been identified in the US outbreak.

On August 24th, North American Produce Sales (Vancouver, BC) – the Canadian importer of the implicated mangoes – recalled all Daniella brand Mangoes sold at retail stores in Canada from July 12th to August 14, 2012. And earlier today, both Stop & Shop and Giant Foods LLC alerted their customers that Splendid Products (Burlingame, CA) has voluntarily recalled these mangoes.

Neither the California Department of Public Health nor the CDC is prepared to list the other states that have reported outbreak cases at this time. CDC spokesperson Lola Russell told eFoodAlert by email that the outbreak is “under investigation.”

Nicho Produce Company – Stealth Recall Revisited

In December 2011, USDA tested samples of “Cut Above” brand shredded bagged lettuce and spinach from Nicho Produce Company, Inc. (Edinburg, TX). And found Listeria monocytogenes.

These positive test results prompted the company to initiate a recall of the affected production lots. If you don’t remember this recall, you’re not alone. There was no press release issued. It was announced by letter.

The positive test results also triggered an inspection of Nicho’s processing facility by FDA. According to a Warning Letter issued on May 21, 2012 and posted earlier today on the FDA website, 12 out of the 72 environmental samples taken during the inspection yielded Listeria monocytogenes – including on direct food-contact surfaces. The strains recovered from the processing facility matched the strains found by USDA in the spinach and lettuce samples.

Nicho issued a second recall notice on December 19th, at the end of FDA’s inspection. Once again, the recall was announced only by letter. I learned about the recalls in mid-February, – TWO MONTHS AFTER THEY WERE “ANNOUNCED” – courtesy of FDA’s Weekly Enforcement Report for February 15, 2012. As I posted on February 19th, the Nicho Produce “A Cut Above” recall encompassed 33 different items, distributed in Texas.

This is an egregious example of a Class I recall that SHOULD have been announced to the public. It should not have taken two months for FDA to release information about the recall. I realize that the recall affected produce that was distributed only in one state. But the extent of distribution should not have been a deciding factor. Residents of Texas deserve to know when a contaminated food has been circulating in their midst. As do the rest of us.

It’s time to put an end to stealth recalls.

Cargill Beef Sickens 33 People

Ground beef supplied to Hannaford Supermarkets by Cargill Meat Solutions (Wyalusing, PA) has been linked to 33 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infections in seven states.

Earlier today, Cargill recalled 29,339 pounds of fresh ground beef products (14-lb chub packages of “Grnd Beef Fine 85/15” packed 3 chubs to approximately 42-lb cases). The recalled product was produced on May 25, 2012 and shipped to distribution centers in Connecticut, Maine and New York for further distribution.

The recalled meat was repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under different brand names. We know so far that Hannaford, a regional supermarket chain in the US Northeast, sold the repackaged ground beef in its stores in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.

Illnesses were reported in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia and Vermont. Investigations by federal and state health and agriculture departments were able to tie five of the illnesses to Cargill’s ground beef epidemiologically and via traceback. Onset dates for those five illnesses ranged from June 6th to June 13th; two of the five victims were hospitalized.

Although the outbreak strain has not yet been recovered from an unopened package, the Vermont Department of Health found the strain in a sample of leftover product with no packaging information, according to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The “use by” date of the recalled ground beef has expired, however, consumers may still have some of this product in their freezers. If you purchased fresh ground beef in late May or early June from a supermarket in one of the affected states, please check your freezer for any remaining product.