Food Safety News

Norwegian officials are investigating a national outbreak of Salmonella that may be linked to alfalfa sprouts. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) said 23 people had fallen sick with Salmonella Newport from nine regions. Patients have been reported since mid-October. They range in age from 18 to 79 with... Continue Reading

This year’s resurgence of Listeria outbreaks is not just a food safety failure; it is a costly indictment of systemic leadership shortcomings. Despite advances in science, education, and policy, Listeria continues to thrive in environments where proactive measures have been neglected. For leaders in the food industry, this should be... Continue Reading

The European Commission has gone ahead with changes to the rules concerning Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) food. According to the Chilled Food Association (CFA), a section of the EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed confirmed the draft regulation amendments by a vote of 25 to two... Continue Reading

Already under recall in the United States, whole cucumbers from Mexico and distributed by SunFed LLC are now being recalled in Canada. The cucumbers have been linked to a Salmonella outbreak in the United States that has sickened 68 people across 19 states. As of Dec. 3, no illnesses had... Continue Reading

Genetic testing has shown that an E. coli outbreak thought to be limited to St. Louis, MO, is spread across six other states. Health officials suspect leafy greens are the source of the pathogen. The outbreak associated with Andre’s Banquets and Catering and Rockwood Summit High School is actually part... Continue Reading

An outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections traced to slivered onions on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has been declared over. As of Dec. 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 104 patients from 14 states. The CDC reported that 38 people required hospitalization and one patient died.... Continue Reading

Russ Davis Wholesale of Wadena, MN, is recalling multiple products sold under several brands because they contain recalled cucumbers from Baloian Farms which have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products include bulk items, individual wraps and individual salads, according to the company’s recall notice posted by... Continue Reading

Taylor Fresh Canada Foods, ULC is recalling Taylor Farms brand Sweet Kale Chopped Kit from the marketplace because of possible Salmonella contamination. This recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results. The recalled product was distributed in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec,... Continue Reading

Blue Ridge Beef is recalling their 2 lb log Puppy Mix because of Salmonella contamination. The problem was discovered when a customer’s litter of puppies became ill and reported the issue to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). On Nov. 27, 2024, the firm was notified by... Continue Reading

Baker Farms is recalling certain Baker Farms Curly Mustard because of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. On Nov. 29, 2024, the firm was notified by the Texas Department of State Health Services that the product tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.  The product was packed on Nov. 4, 2024, and distributed between Nov.... Continue Reading

Baloian Farms of Arizona Co., Inc. (Baloian) is recalling whole fresh American cucumbers packaged in bulk cardboard containers because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Baloian initiated this recall after learning from SunFed Produce, LLC, that its supplier of American cucumbers, “Agrotato, S.A. de C.V.,” may be... Continue Reading

Ever since federal penalties totaling $1.5 million were imposed late last year on 13 meat plants contracting in eight states with Packers Sanitation Services Inc. for employing children in critical food safety jobs, the story has not gone away. The food industry’s penchant for child labor remains to be broken,... Continue Reading

A European project is aiming to create a platform where stakeholders can come together to discuss food fraud. The European Food Fraud Community of Practice (EFF-CoP) is led by Saskia van Ruth, Professor of Food Supply Chain Integrity at University College Dublin’s School of Agriculture and Food Science. Professor van... Continue Reading

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has produced a book to teach children about food safety. The book “Luis’ and Maya’s Adventure in the shrinking lab: Looking for Clues in the Kitchen” features Luis and Maya as two schoolchildren who visit the BfR shrinking lab, where they meet Fred the friendly... Continue Reading

Gracie’s Kitchens of New Haven, CT is recalling all ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable products manufactured at the facility from Nov. 4 through Nov. 13, 2024, because of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This recall is being initiated after sampling indicated that Listeria monocytogenes was found in the environment.  These products are... Continue Reading

These sprouts are cool — literally. Unlike other sprouts that were grown in warm, moist conditions, Wild About Sprouts (https://wildaboutsprouts.com) are grown in cool temperatures using a patented process.  Why does this matter?Turns out that sprout seeds themselves can be the starting point of a foodborne illness outbreak. The simple... Continue Reading

— OPINION — From the beginning of the Biden Administration, STOP Foodborne Illness (STOP) has been representing people harmed by poultry-related Salmonella illnesses and supporting efforts underway at USDA to make poultry safer.  This work is important to public health because contamination with Salmonella and Campylobacter makes poultry one of... Continue Reading

Researchers from Germany, Belgium, and Spain have presented their work on solving outbreaks and pathogen-specific questions at a European meeting. The European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology (ESCAIDE) was organized by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Since 2020, integrated genomic surveillance (IGS) has been... Continue Reading

As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or months after they are sent. Business owners have 15 days to respond to FDA warning letters. Warning letters often are... Continue Reading

California health officials have issued another warning and recall for unpasteurized milk from Raw Farm LLC because a second batch has tested positive for bird flu. Raw Farm, based in Fresno, issued a recall at the request of the California Department of Public Health in relation to the positive test.... Continue Reading