Tag: Health

Live Poultry Behind Third Salmonella Outbreak

For the third time this year, CDC is reporting a new outbreak of Salmonella illnesses linked to a mail-order hatchery.

Baby poultry from an Idaho mail-order hatchery has been implicated in an eleven-state outbreak of Salmonella Hadar that has infected 37 people and sent eight to hospital. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of the victims are children under the age of ten. At the request of the state of Idaho, the identity of the hatchery – referred to simply as Hatchery B in the CDC investigation update – has not been released.

According to CDC, 37 people developed symptoms of salmonellosis between March 19th and July 6th, 2012. Among the 27 people who were interviewed, 24 (89%) reported having contact with live poultry (chicks, ducklings or turkeys) prior to becoming ill.

Outbreak victims are from Arizona (2), California (1), Colorado (3), Idaho (5), Illinois (2), Oregon (5), Tennessee (2), Texas (1), Utah (5), Washington (9), and Wyoming (2). The youngest victim was less than one year old; the eldest was 69.

Although the hatching season has ended for the year, live poultry from Hatchery B may be in backyard flocks for long periods. Apparently healthy birds can still shed Salmonella.

CDC offers the following Advice to Consumers:

Contact with live poultry can be a source of human Salmonella infections. Live poultry can be carrying Salmonella but appear healthy and clean and show no signs of illness. Therefore, you should always follow these recommendations for protecting yourself and others from contact with live poultry:

  • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Adults should supervise hand washing for young children.
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer until you are able to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
  • Clean any equipment or materials associated with raising or caring for live poultry outside the house, such as cages or feed or water containers.
  • Do not let children younger than 5 years of age, elderly persons, or people with weak immune systems handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry.
  • Do not let live poultry inside the house, in bathrooms, or especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored, such as kitchens, or outdoor patios.
  • Do not snuggle or kiss the birds, touch your mouth, or eat or drink around live poultry.

Recalls and Alerts: July 23, 2012

Here is today’s list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

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United States

  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert: Cargill Meat Solutions (Wyalusing, PA) recalls 29,339 pounds of Grnd Beef Fine 85/15 (3 x 14-lb chubs per case; Est 9400; Produced May 25, 2012), because the ground beef has been linked to a 33-case, seven-state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections. The chubs were shipped to distribution centers in Connecticut, Maine and New York for further distribution and were repackaged into consumer-size packages for sale under different retail brand names. At least a portion of the recalled meat was consigned to Hannaford Supermarkets, and sold in their stores in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.
  • Food Safety Recall: Hannaford Supermarkets recalls Ground Beef (Sell by dates of May 29 through June 16, 2012), because the meat may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis. The ground beef is implicated in a 7-state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses and has been recalled by Cargill Meat Solutions.
  • Outbreak Alert: Forty people who at a turkey dinner at the Denver Rescue Mission were taken to hospital after becoming “violently ill” an hour after their dinner, according to the Denver Post.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: Dayton & Montgomery County Public Health has now identified at least 75 individuals who became ill with E. coli O157:H7 (including 18 with lab-confirmed infections) after eating food at a picnic at Neff’s Lawn Care in Germantown, Ohio. Fourteen people have been hospitalized, including three in serious condition who are suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome. Two secondary cases (person-to-person transmission) have been reported. The source of the infections is still undetermined.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Germany): Milupa GmbH recalls Pre Aptamil formula (800g; Expiry 01/11/2014; Production time between 02.14 and 05.00), due to contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Danish Supermarket recalls E ‘Bindstouw Sausage (500g; Product of Poland; Package date 16.07.2012; Best before 17.08.2012), due to the presence of excessive numbers of bacteria.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Plant Riet ApS recalls Plantedrik Nr. 4 og Plantedrik nr. 5 fra Planteriet ApS (250ml plastic bottle; Best before 24th July 2012), due to mold growth in some bottles.
  • Outbreak Alert (Scotland): Fifty-seven people became ill with norovirus after taking part in an open water swimming event at Strathclyde Loch, according to Wishaw Press. Some of the victims tested positive for norovirus. The loch has been closed to water sports and boating as a result of the outbreak.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1038): Chlorpyriphos in cauliflower from Poland; distributed to Lithuania.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2012.1041, 2012.1042, 2012.1043): Unauthorized 1,3 dimethylamylamine in food supplement from the USA; distributed to Ireland.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Abu Dhabi): Inspectors of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority ordered the destruction of 77 kilograms of food products found unfit for consumption in Al Ain during a comprehensive inspection campaign in Ain.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Argentina): The National Health and Food Quality Service seized more than 50kg of pork that was being smuggled into Argentina from Paraguay at the Posadas-Encarnación International Bridge. The contraband was hidden under passenger seats. The federal agency is proceeding to denature and destroy the seized pork.

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket’s recall web site.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.
**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.

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.