…America’s Voice for Safe Food

Listeria in Cheese (Canada)
Salmonella Outbreak Across 19 States- Spicy Tuna Rolls to Blame?
Final Report on Jimmy John's Outbreak

Listeria in Cheese (Canada)
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has issued a warning for people not to eat some organic cheese produced by a company on Saltspring Island.
The agency says the Tomme d'Or cheese, manufactured by Moonstruck Organic Cheese, may be contaminated by Listeria bacteria.
The disease control centre says no illnesses have been linked to Tomme d'Or cheese, but anyone who bought the product is urged to throw it out or to return it to the store where it was bought.
Listeriosis disease, which is caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria bacteria, is treatable with antibiotics.
However, it can be potentially fatal for pregnant women, seniors and newborns, as well as anyone with a weakened immune system.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting and headaches.

This recall taken from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/04/03/bc-chees...
Back to Top

Salmonella Outbreak Across 19 States- Spicy Tuna Rolls to Blame?
(CBS/AP) - The government is investigating sushi as a possible culprit behind a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 90 people across 19 states and Washington D.C.
A memo from the Food and Drug Administration said the outbreak is "rapid and expanding in number of cases," with seven hospitalizations reported. No deaths have been reported to date.

The investigators are reportedly honing in on spicy tuna rolls it calls "highly suspect."
Reports of the foodborne illness have mainly come from the eastern seaboard and Gulf Coast, though cases have been reported as far west as Missouri and Texas. Investigators are focusing on six clusters of restaurants in Texas, Wisconsin, Maryland, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight to 72 hours of eating the contaminated food. The illness can be life-threatening in people with weakened immune systems or infants and the elderly.
According to CNN, news of the investigation surfaced when an internal memo was accidentally sent to everyone at the FDA.
FDA spokesman Curtis Allen would not confirm or elaborate on the information, saying the memo "contains numbers of cases and hospitalizations that cannot be confirmed at this time."
"It is too early to speculate on the cause of the outbreak," Allen said.
CDC spokesperson Lola Russell told CNN ,"on initial interviews, many of the ill persons reported consuming sushi, sashimi, or similar foods in a variety of locations in the week before becoming ill."
The FDA is working with the CDC and state officials to identify the source of the outbreak. Investigators conduct interviews with sick patients about what they've eaten and analyze menus and food ingredients to trace the path of the bacteria.
The memo notes there is likely a 30-day lag time between when people become sick and when cases are reported to health officials.
Previous outbreaks of salmonella barely have been linked to bean sprouts, which are grown in warm, damp conditions.

This article taken from: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57409280-10391704/salmonella-spre...
Back to Top

Final Report on Jimmy John's Outbreak
By Gretchen Goetz

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a final report on the multistate outbreak of E. coli infection linked to sprouts in Jimmy John's sandwiches.

Between late December 2011 and early March of 2012, 29 individuals were infected with E. coli O26 traced to raw clover sprouts from Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich restaurants.

The case count in the Final Case Update is up 4 from the last update on March 8, which identified 25 victims. Three of the new cases were from states that had not reported any outbreak-related illnesses as of March. Those states - Pennsylvania, Washington and West Virginia - each reported one case. Michigan's victim count rose from 2 to 3.

The final breakdown of cases by state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Iowa (5), Kansas (2), Michigan (10), Missouri (3), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (1), Washington (1), Wisconsin (1) and West Virginia (1).

Seven of the infected people were hospitalized. None have developed HUS, a potential fatal complication of E. coli infections, and no deaths have been tied to the outbreak.

Of the 27 victims interviewed, 85 percent reported eating sprouts at Jimmy John's in the 7 days before their symptoms began.

This article continues at: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/04/final-report-on-jimmy-johns-e-coli...
Back to Top

Portland Shellfish Co. Shut for Violations
DeLauro Urges Labeling for Mechanically Tenderized Beef
Supermoms Needed!

Portland Shellfish Co. Shut for Violations

By Edward D. Murphy
PORTLAND (Maine) — For the second time in a little more than a year, federal regulators have shut down Portland Shellfish Co., citing "numerous violations" of federal laws and health regulations and its agreement to fix food safety problems identified in early 2011.
The Food and Drug Administration also has ordered Portland Shellfish, which processes lobster and shrimp at its plant off Riverside Street, to recall and destroy seafood that the company's president said is worth about $25,000.
According to a letter to the company from FDA officials, Portland Shellfish won't be allowed to reopen until it updates its plans and procedures for making sure the seafood it processes is safe.
The FDA's letter, dated Monday and obtained by The Portland Press Herald, said a conveyor belt used in shrimp processing at the plant tested positive in February for listeria, a bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.
The FDA said the company processed lobster in the same room during the period just before the positive test, and said that lobster must be recalled and destroyed.
Jeffrey Holden, president Portland Shellfish, said Tuesday that the lobster was processed on equipment that is about 70 feet from the contaminated conveyor belt. He said none of the lobster tested positive for listeria, and it is either stored in the company's warehouses or will be shipped back from customers.

This article continues at: http://www.pressherald.com/news/portland-shellfish-shut-for-violations_2...
Back to Top

DeLauro Urges Labeling for Mechanically Tenderized Beef

Representative Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member on the Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, called on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Vilsack to label mechanically tenderized beef products to better protect the public from foodborne illness. A 2008 USDA study indicated that approximately 50 million pounds of mechanically tenderized beef products were sold every month. Consumers must know that mechanically tenderized beef products are non-intact cuts and should thus be prepared and cooked similar to ground beef, which includes a higher cooking temperature than intact, non-mechanically tenderized, whole cuts of beef. But, mechanically tenderized beef products are not currently labeled to inform consumers that they have been mechanically tenderized and are not intact, whole cuts of beef. This leaves consumers unaware and puts their health unnecessarily at risk. Congresswoman DeLauro asked USDA to accurately label these mechanically tenderized beef products so consumers may make informed purchase and food preparation decisions. “In order to safely prepare these products, consumers must cook them to the appropriate temperature – a temperature which they cannot determine if they are unaware that the product is not a whole, intact cut of meat.” The letter notes that, “Continued inaction only places the public health at risk. It is imperative that the Agency act before another grilling season comes and goes, with tens of millions of pounds of mechanically tenderized beef products being sold to unaware consumers who unknowingly place themselves at risk.”

The text of the letter is here: http://delauro.house.gov/release.cfm?id=3323
Back to Top

Supermoms Needed!

Thank you to everyone who has already submitted a contest entry form for the Supermoms Against Superbugs contest! If you have not already, you have until this Friday, April 13 to tell us why YOU, a mom (or dad, grandparent or caregiver), would like to come to our nation’s capitol on May 15 to urge federal policymakers to end the misuse and overuse of antibiotics on industrial farms.
We need your help to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics. That is why we are asking you to get involved and let your powerful voice be heard in Washington and across the country! We plan to bring 25 to 30 moms to Washington, DC, for Supermoms Against Superbugs—a day of advocacy on May 15 funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics.

To find out more on how to participate, visit the event web site (http://saveantibiotics.org/contest.html) for more information. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 13 and selected participants will be announced on Monday, April 16.

Additionally, for those not attending the event in Washington, DC, you will be able to participate in a virtual advocacy day on May 15. Stay tuned for more information about how to get involved—no planes, trains, or automobiles required, just a computer with an Internet connection, a smart phone, or a tablet.

Click here to visit the Supermoms Against Superbugs contest page: saveantibiotics.org/contest.html

OTTAWA, - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Les Aliments Deli Chef are warning the public not to consume certain "Super Loaded Sub" Deli Chef brand sandwiches because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The "Super Loaded Sub" Deli Chef brand sandwiches affected by this alert are sold in a
330 g package
bearing the UPC 0 56040 37452 6
Exp/Best Before date MAY 18
Establishment number (EST) 318.

This product has been distributed in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria may cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

The distributor, Les Aliments Deli Chef, Laval, Quebec, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
For more information consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

This recall taken from: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2012/20120413be.shtml