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Half of the people confirmed with Salmonella infections associated with pre-cut melon had to be admitted to hospitals, according to federal officials who say the outbreak is over. Public health officials say the risk of additional illnesses in this outbreak is slim. As of July 26, 77 people across nine states had been confirmed with... Continue Reading Read More

On July 23rd Pepperidge Farms recalled Goldfish crackers because they might be tainted with Salmonella – including packages with the UPC number 1410004921. Guess what was being sold – and purchased – on July 26 at 3 p.m. at a Safeway grocery store in Saint Helena, CA? FDA, seriously, it is time to make the... Continue Reading Read More

Montana brand frozen strawberries are being pulled from Canadian stores because of possible hepatitis A contamination. This recall was triggered by findings during an investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. CFIA will notify the... Continue Reading Read More

The most recent outbreak from Escherichia coli O157:H7 in romaine lettuce spurred me to pull up an old draft, trim it and post it in an attempt to promote public health. Enjoy.  In the Spring of 2017 while sprinkling balsamic vinegar over chopped romaine lettuce, I wondered if anyone had published on the bactericidal effect... Continue Reading Read More

From time to time, I am asked why food safety hazards seem more prevalent now than they were two, three or more decades ago. Why are more types of food at risk? Where were Norovirus, Listeria monocytogenes, and other foodborne pathogens back then? Why were we able to sample raw cake batter and raw cookie... Continue Reading Read More

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported nine cases of Salmonella infection across eight states that are linked to pet guinea pigs. No deaths have been reported, but one person has been hospitalized. According to an outbreak advisory issued by the CDC, illnesses started on dates ranging from July 17, 2015, to Dec. 15, 2017. In December 2017 the... Continue Reading Read More

Pennsylvania officials warned consumers earlier this month that they should immediately discard all raw milk from Conoco View Dairy because it was contaminated with Campylobacter, which can cause serious infections and is killed by pasteurization. As of Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which issued the warning Feb. 15, had not received any reports of... Continue Reading Read More

The Hawaii Department of Health has confirmed the first case of rat lungworm disease in the state this year in an adult resident of West Hawaii on Hawaii Island. The individual became seriously ill earlier this month and is being treated at a hospital. Laboratory results confirmed evidence of the rat lungworm parasite in the... Continue Reading Read More

With a unanimous vote, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is recommending that anyone over the age of 12 months, who hasn’t been vaccinated for hepatitis A, should receive the vaccine after the fact if they are exposed to the highly contagious virus. Post-exposure immune globulin should be administered to unvaccinated adults aged 40 and older depending... Continue Reading Read More

Baby chick season is upon us. Some say the big question is whether the chicken or the egg came first, but public health pros say a more important question is whether you know the food safety do’s and don’ts involved with backyard flocks. In 2017, live poultry was responsible for 10 Salmonella outbreaks in the United States, sickening more... Continue Reading Read More