Posted on July 29, 2015 in Food Poisoning

Staphylococcus bacteria was found in the meals of those staying at a Salt Lake City homeless shelter, causing food poisoning in a total of fifty-five people last weekend. Road Home homeless shelter officials say that the shelter did not serve meals over the weekend but that many who stay overnight at the shelter eat at the same nearby kitchens and dining halls. However, no disciplinary action has been taken at this time, as the only violation found in Road Home by the Health Department was water in a sink used for washing hands that did not reach the appropriate temperature within 30 seconds.

All victims of the food poisoning were hospitalized when they exhibited signs of illness at the shelter. Salt Lake County Health Department officials said that the tests pointed to the cause of the food poisoning as a staph bacterium commonly found on skin. This type of bacteria can be introduced when food is prepared with bare, unsanitized hands or if food is not properly heated or cooled.

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 Posted on July 21, 2015 in Food Poisoning

The Department of Agriculture's Food Safety & Inspection Service recently announced a recall of chicken nuggets due to positive testing for Staphylococcal enterotoxin. Murry's Inc., a Pennsylvania food manufacturer, recalled over 20,000 pounds of gluten-free breaded chicken nuggets. The presence of bacteria in the nuggets was discovered by the Colorado Department of Agriculture during routine testing and sampling.

What is Staphylococcal Enterotoxin?

Staphylococcal aureus is a pathogen that produces a wide array of toxins and can cause many types of illnesses, including food poisoning. Staphylococcal enterotoxin is one type of toxin that is also a leading cause of gastrointestinal illness and therefore major cause of food poisoning.

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 Posted on July 21, 2015 in Foodborne illness

A recent food poisoning outbreak from a batch of candy sent nearly 2,000 children to the hospital in the Philippines. Nearly all of the children that were affected by the poisoning have recovered. Health Secretary Janette Garin indicated that preliminary lab results found that human skin and hair were likely the source of contamination in the candy. The contamination could be because the candy makers did not wash their hands or did not wear proper gear, such as gloves and hairnets, and as a result sweat and hair follicles dripped into the candy ingredients. Garin also noted that further tests had to be done to check for the presence of pesticides and toxic chemicals.

The company, Wendy's Durian Candy, has been ordered to stop manufacturing candy to avoid further complications. The company's suspension will be cleared pending the results of an inspection by the Food and Drug Administration.

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 Posted on July 11, 2015 in Food Poisoning

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is avidly working to find the cause of the recent cyclospora outbreak. There have been 151 reports of cyclospora in Texas this year, with 131 of these cases beings reported within the last two weeks. Although the source of the cyclospora outbreak has not been discovered, Texas health officials believe that it is likely linked to a fresh herb such as:

• Cilantro
• Basil
• Parsley
• Mint

Health officials also believe the produce is likely from Mexico. In 2014, there were 200 reported cases of cyclospora in Texas. Some of which were associated with cilantro derived from the Puebla region in Mexico.

What is Cyclospora?

Cyclosporiasis, or cyclospora, is an intestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. Those who become infected with cyclospora have consumed food or water that is contaminated with the parasite.

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 Posted on July 11, 2015 in Food Poisoning

In Florida there has been an increase in reported illnesses resulting from eating barracuda. Communities around Miami and the Florida Keys have been particularly affected by the barracuda-borne illness.

What is Causing the Illness?

In the Florida Keys and Bahamas, algae that grow in warm waters produce a toxin called ciguatera. Small coral reef fish then ingest the toxin by eating the algae. The smaller fish carry the poison onto larger carnivorous fish that prey on the smaller fish. These larger carnivorous fish, especially barracudas, are then caught and consumed by humans who then are exposed to ciguatera, resulting in a dangerous food chain reaction.

Symptoms of Ciguatera Poisoning

Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning can begin within three hours of digestion and include:

• Severe vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Weakness in the legs

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 Posted on June 05, 2015 in Food Poisoning

In preparation for beach season, the Chicago Park District has begun administering new water quality tests at four South Side beaches and one North Side beach:

• Calumet
• Rainbow
• South Shore
• 63rd Street
• Montrose

The University of Illinois at Chicago developed the new testing method. It produces water-testing results within 18 hours, allowing the Park District to quickly determine whether bacteria, such as E. coli, are present in the water. In addition to piloting the University's new water quality test, the Park District will continue to conduct the tests they have used for years to determine E. coli presence.

What is E. Coli?

Escherichia coli is a bacterium that lives in the intestines of humans and animals alike and also causes food poisoning illness. The first identified source of E. coli illness was contaminated hamburgers in 1982.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, symptoms of E. coli infection include:

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 Posted on June 05, 2015 in Food Poisoning

A recent salmonella outbreak that has affected over 50 people in the United States has federal health officials searching for the source of the disease. According to the statement issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a vast majority of those who became ill from salmonella had recently eaten sushi that contained raw tuna in its ingredients. Although raw tuna is the suspected cause of the salmonella outbreak, a common brand or supplier has yet to be identified in the CDC's investigation.

Reported Salmonella Cases

Most of the reported salmonella cases involve people who live in or traveled to the southwestern part of the United States prior to falling ill. According to the CDC, salmonella has affected the following states since the first reported case on March 5, 2015:

• California
• Arizona
• Illinois

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 Posted on April 21, 2015 in Food Poisoning

The maker of a popular brand of ice cream announced yesterday that it is conducting a voluntary recall of all its products due to concerns of listeria contamination. Blue Bell Ice Cream, a Texas based manufacturer of frozen dessert products, issued the recall for products made at all of its facilities as the company works to find the source of contamination and implements new product testing protocols. Ice cream produced by Blue Bell was also recalled on a much more limited scale in March as it was linked to fatal cases of listeriosis at a Kansas hospital.

The March recall was the first time Blue Bell products had been recalled in the company's history, and testing procedures developed as a result of that recall led to the discovery of contaminated products, prompting the manufacturer to take action. Paul Kruse, Blue Bell CEO and president said in a statement, “We're committed to doing the 100 percent right thing, and the best way to do that is to take all of our products off the market until we can be confident that they are all safe.” He also issued an apology to the brand's loyal consumers and restated the company's dedication to producing high quality ice cream.

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 Posted on April 14, 2015 in Food Poisoning

Maintaining food safety can be challenging, of course. It requires constant attention to detail, meticulously following proper procedures, and, sometimes, being willing to take losses when products may be compromised. Unfortunately, many food producers are too focused on the their bottom line, instead risking consumer safety and food poisoning outbreaks to save a few dollars in preventive losses. A federal court in Iowa, however, sent a strong message this week, by sentencing a former egg magnate and his son to three months in prison for their role in a salmonella outbreak in 2010.

The owner of Quality Egg LLC, and his son pleaded guilty to selling contaminated food against state lines in U.S. District Court. The personal penalties to each, which included a three-month prison sentence and $100,000 fine, were in addition to the $6.8 million fine and three-year probation levied against Quality Egg as a company. The punitive actions were handed down in response to the company's admission that eggs were shipped with falsified processing and expiration dates and at least two instances of bribing an inspector from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve low-quality eggs.

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 Posted on April 02, 2015 in Food Poisoning

There has been substantial media attention and reaction from affected patients regarding metal-on-metal hip implants over the last decade or so. Of course, one of the most famous examples is the articular surface replacement, or ASR, implant which was manufactured by DePuy Orthopaedics, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. Tens of thousands of the devices were implanted in patients before injuries, immobility, and even metal poisoning led to their recall in 2010. More than 7,500 lawsuits have been filed against DePuy and Johnson & Johnson, seeking billions in damages, and class action suits remain ongoing. It can difficult, however, for the average consumer to understand how medical devices such as the ASR implant ever get through the testing process and receive regulatory approval before going to market.

In the case of medical devices, even ones that eventually prove dangerous, substandard manufacturing is not often the problem. Rather, getting to the product to market frequently takes priority over careful design testing processes which allow for potential issues to be remedied prior to effecting patients and consumers. Many assume that industry and government regulators, like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), would be responsible for ensuring that poorly designed devices never make it to market. They would be partially correct in that assumption, but many device manufacturers have found a loophole in federal regulations that reduce the FDA's oversight in particular situations.

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