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Recalls Keep Rollin' In

PORKER

Well-known member
Washington Salmonella cases investigated in Walla Walla, Umatilla Counties - Linked to Nation-wide Tomato Outbreak?
Posted on June 6, 2008

Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/

The Tri-City Herald reports this morning that more than a half dozen cases of salmonella in Walla Walla and Umatilla counties are being investigated. The county health departments are waiting for results from state labs that could indicate whether these cases are related to a national salmonella outbreak, department administrators said. As Genni Lehnert, the administrator for Umatilla County Public Health said:

“It could very well be linked to the national outbreak,” she said. But only lab results identifying the strain will tell.

The national outbreak that is likely caused by raw tomatoes had not yet hit Washington state as of Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 100 people in 11 states have been infected with salmonella since late April. The specific type and source of tomatoes is under investigation, but large tomatoes like Roma and red round might be the source, according to the CDC.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
The Food and Drug Administration said Sunday that 145 to 150 people in 16 states have been sickened by salmonellosis, which has been linked to the consumption of raw red tomatoes.
The FDA initially issued a warning June 3 about tomatoes in New Mexico and Texas. Saturday, officials expanded the warning nationwide.

There were 25 hospitalizations but no deaths. The cause is a rare strain of salmonella called Salmonella Saintpaul.

"We're trying to get an answer as quickly as possible as to where these tomatoes came from," says David Acheson, director of the FDA's Food Safety and Security Staff.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jun 09, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:WINN), is voluntarily removing from shelves tomatoes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns should not be consumed. Following removal, these products will be destroyed. The grocer is advising consumers who have already purchased these products not to consume them.


The FDA hasn't been able to track the source of the contaminated tomatoes to a single grower or packer or even a specific geographic area. It is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state health departments and the food industry to track the cause of the outbreak.

States reporting illnesses linked to the outbreak include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and home-grown tomatoes are not associated with the outbreak, Acheson says.

FDA officials are still determining the type of tomatoes involved in the outbreak, but the agency's preliminary investigation suggests that raw red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes are the culprit.

Salmonellosis in healthy people can cause fever, diarrhea (which can be bloody), nausea, vomiting and stomach pain.

"It's not something that you'd want," Acheson says. "It's going to land you with two or three days of a lot of discomfort."

In most healthy adults, the illness will "run its course at home. They're not going to require antibiotics," he says.

Salmonellosis can be dangerous to young children, the elderly or people with weakened immune systems. For young children especially, dehydration is an issue. The FDA recommends that if people in these groups get the illness, a health care professional should be contacted immediately.

Cooking tomatoes at 145 degrees for at least 15 seconds will probably kill the bacteria.

Simply washing tomatoes can help, but it won't necessarily remove the salmonella bacteria, because when tomatoes are picked on very hot days and put into cold water to chill, salmonella on their surface can be drawn up into the fruit.

That doesn't mean the public should stop washing produce, Acheson says. "If there is surface contamination, washing is going to help remove it."
 

PORKER

Well-known member
We are working hard and fast on this one and hope to have something as quickly as possible," Rawlings said Monday.

Rawlings said the FDA's "traceback" investigations typically look at similarities in illnesses reported to the CDC by state health officials. Investigators work backward to find the source of the contaminated product.

FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach toured the agency's southwest regional research lab in Irvine, Calif., on Monday, where microbiologists worked to trace the source of the outbreak.

The salmonella causing the outbreak is a very unusual type called salmonella saintpaul, said von Eschenbach, who added it was not more virulent than other types of salmonella.

Tampa-based OSI Restaurant Partners LLC, which owns and operates eight brands including Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's and Bonefish Grill, said it stopped serving all raw tomatoes other than grape tomatoes on Saturday evening. The company also instructed restaurants to discard salsa and other prepared foods containing raw tomatoes.

Miami-based Burger King Corp. said it had withdrawn raw round red tomatoes from most of its U.S. restaurants, as well as locations in Canada and Puerto Rico and some other Caribbean islands. Some California restaurants continued using the tomatoes because they buy from growers in states the FDA has said are not involved in the outbreak, Burger King said.


Other restaurant operators that stopped serving most tomatoes: Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands Inc., which owns Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver's and A&W All-American Food Restaurants; Orlando-based Darden Restaurants, which owns and operates six brands including Red Lobster and Olive Garden; Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.; and San Diego-based Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp., which operates Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurants in 15 states.

Among retailers, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. — the largest grocery seller in the U.S. — is working with federal officials to ensure affected tomatoes are pulled from Wal-Marts, Neighborhood Markets and Sam's Club warehouse stores nationwide, spokeswoman Deisha Galberth said.

Galberth said the Bentonville, Ark.-based company is modifying orders to its stores and putting an electronic block at its registers as an added safety measure to keep the recalled tomatoes from being purchased.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Winn-Dixie Stores Inc., which operates 521 stores in five southern states, also stopped selling tomatoes involved in the FDA warning, as did Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets Inc. Publix offered refunds to customers who bought the tomatoes before they were removed from shelves or destroyed over the weekend.

Monrovia, Calif.-based Trader Joe's, with more than 280 grocery stores in 23 states, also stopped selling the tomatoes in question and offered refunds, according to a statement from spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki.

O'Hara Township, Penn.-based Giant Eagle, which has 223 supermarkets in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland, said it also removed the tomatoes from store shelves during the weekend; as did Minneapolis-based SuperValu Inc., which operates Jewel, Shaw's, Cub Foods, Acme and some Albertson's stores.

California Tomato Farmers President Ed Beckman said that at this time of year almost all tomatoes sold in the United States come from either Mexico or Florida.

Mexico supplies about one-third of all tomatoes consumed in the U.S. in the winter months and Florida is the No. 1 producer, with $600 million in sales annually. California is the second-largest producer, with $400 million in sales annually.

Most of the salmonella cases have been clustered in New Mexico and Texas, Beckman said.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
For the last several days Lou Dobbs has been tearing FDA, USDA, and the Bush Boys a knew A hole on this tomato recall...Their absolute ineptness and the fact that they have not implemented the M-COOL after it was passed in 2002- and their sell out to Big Money Lobbyist folks...He said that with M-COOL implemented at least we would know if it was an imported product- and the US growers wouldn't have to be suffering the huge financial costs they are awaiting USDA/FDA clearance....

Dobbs is insinuating that this is another Bush/FDA/USDA coverup to protected imported products and indicates he has information that points to the tainted products coming from Mexico...

He announced that many of the areas of Florida had now been cleared as sources....

Todays Dobbs Survey
Do you believe country of origin food labeling laws should be enforced immediately?
Yes 99% 2952
No 1% 29
Total Votes: 2981

This is not a scientific poll


Mexico supplies about one-third of all tomatoes consumed in the U.S. in the winter months and Florida is the No. 1 producer, with $600 million in sales annually. California is the second-largest producer, with $400 million in sales annually.

Most of the salmonella cases have been clustered in New Mexico and Texas, Beckman said.

California Tomato Farmers President Ed Beckman said that at this time of year almost all tomatoes sold in the United States come from either Mexico or Florida.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
The FDA has reported 167 cases of salmonella from tainted tomatoes since mid-April, with one fatality and 23 people hospitalized.

Getting Bigger and now 1 dead.

The procedures including testing irrigation water, teaching field workers about hygiene and keeping fields free from livestock or wild animals that might spread bacteria through their droppings doesn't work on knowing the source. They needed www.ScoringAg.com for instant traceback to save the rest of the tomato growers! There is no reason for every grower to be ruined!!!!

The outbreak of salmonella is creating confusion and chaos for local residents who are questioning whether the products available here are safe. If there were tomato stickers that had a SSI-EID code they would have a better IDEA where and in which part of the field or which group of pickers had touched those tomato's with Salmonella. Try this code to search. SSI_2DB8DAECB9
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Thursday, June 12, 2008 - 8:43 AM EDT
Florida tomatoes deemed safe by FDATampa Bay Business Journal

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has deemed Florida-grown tomatoes safe and free from the salmonella outbreak impacting tomatoes in other states, Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson said.

83% of all tomatoes sold in this country are imported from Mexico--almost all the tomatoes sold during the months in question come from Florida or Mexico...
Florida has been cleared...

I wonder where the contaminated tomatoes came from :???:

USDA says the Mexican Government is still investigating the Mexican sources :roll:


Dobbs says USDA is covering up for Mexico- looks like a lot of folks distrust our government and agree with him...

6/12/08 Survey
Do you believe the FDA is intentionally failing to release the source of the tainted tomatoes?
Yes 91% 2746
No 9% 259
Total Votes: 3005
 

MoGal

Well-known member
Mexico uses human wastes as fertilizer and that's what caused the strawberry fiasco a couple years ago...... I wouldn't knowingly eat any fresh fruit or veggies from Mexico.
 

mrj

Well-known member
Are you very sure our produce is all that much safer from that problem?

Unions won't allow testing of food workers for germs, nor evento test the toilet paper discarded in the wastebaskets rather than flushed.

There was a union organizer or leader in CA a few years back who encouraged his workers to spit, or worse, in food to somehow get back at the owners of the farms or restaurants and stores where the produce was sold.

I wonder, though, how many people actually wash the produce at home before eating it?

mrj
 

PORKER

Well-known member
As of this morning June 14 /08 , 228 have or are sick , 29 in the hospital, in 23 states at this time with the salmonella outbreak impacting tomatoes.

Have you ate your tomato today. NOT!
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Latest News;
June 13th (Associated Content) - It's been 10 days since the FDA first warned of a link between salmonella and tomatoes and rumors are starting to fly. So let's set the record straight with the latest facts on the salmonella outbreak and tomatoes.

First, according to the CDC, there have been no reported deaths due to this outbreak , although one victim of the outbreak died of cancer and salmonella may have been a contributing factor. As of this writing 228 people have been identified with the Salmonella serotype Saintpaul strain that has been associated with commercially produced tomatoes. This compares to 3 cases of this same strain during the same period last year.

All identified cases were contracted between April 10th and June 1st. That doesn't necessarily mean no one has gotten it since June 1st, just that they haven't been positively diagnosed yet. Texas and New Mexico report the most cases, followed by Illinois and Arizona. In all 23 states have reported patients with Salmonella serotype Saintpaul infections.

The next rumor is that the outbreak is the result of tomatoes imported from Mexico. The FDA and the CDC have not been able to identify the source of the tainted tomatoes.

No one knows if they came from Mexico or not at the writing of this article. The following locations have however been ruled out as sources of the contamination by the FDA: Alabama,Alaska,Arkansas,California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida (counties of: Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Charlotte) but only with a certificate from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
 

per

Well-known member
I see Alaska on that list. I don't suppose they export too many tomatoes from there, especially at this time of the year. Salmon for sure, though.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised its count of people who have become sick from eating raw tomatoes, to 383 in 30 states and Washington, D.C., up from 277 cases in 28 states and Washington.

And the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said it had confirmed six new cases in addition to a previously known one. More cases might still be confirmed, the department said.

An official at the disease centers said the increase in national cases was mostly from greater surveillance at the state level and positive identifications of salmonella samples in recent tests. At least 48 people have been hospitalized.

News is that Mexico tomato's may be ok.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
As tomato toll climbs, investigators head to farms in Florida and Mexico.
By Lauran Neergaard

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Food and Drug Administration inspectors headed for farms in Florida and Mexico yesterday, as new clues emerged to the possible source of salmonella-tainted tomatoes that have sickened 552 people, a large jump from previous estimates.
The FDA wouldn't say where in Florida and Mexico the hunt is centered. But officials stressed that the clues don't mean a particular farm will turn out to be the culprit.

Investigators will pay special attention to big packing houses or distribution warehouses that handle tomatoes from many farms and where contamination could be spread, leading to what now appears to be the nation's largest-ever salmonella outbreak from tomatoes.

"It does not mean definitively the contamination occurred on a farm in Mexico or on a farm in Florida," said David Acheson, FDA's food-safety chief. "This is not just the farms that we're inspecting, it's the whole distribution chain."

A surge of newly confirmed cases moved yesterday's official count to 552 illnesses in 32 states, with at least one case in New Jersey (Camden County) and five in Pennsylvania (one each in Bucks, Butler, Lancaster, Montgomery and Warren Counties).
The update pushed the national outbreak into record territory. In 2004, government records show there were three tomato-and-salmonella outbreaks that together totaled 561 illnesses, the largest of which sickened 429 people.

Most of yesterday's newly reported cases were people who got sick in April or May but just completed testing to prove they had the outbreak strain of salmonella. But the latest victim got sick June 10, meaning the outbreak may not be over.

Texas is clearly its center, with a doubling of known cases to 265 from the 131 confirmed earlier in the week.

"These 552 may actually represent several thousand illnesses in the United States," cautioned Ian Williams of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research shows that for every case of salmonella reported, 30 or more people typically get sick but don't see a doctor or undergo confirmatory testing, he noted.

The FDA urges consumers to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in states or countries the agency has cleared of suspicion. An updated list is at www.fda.gov. Also safe: grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes with the vine attached.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
These 552 may actually represent several thousand illnesses in the United States," cautioned Dr. Ian Williams of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Previous research shows that for every case of salmonella reported to the government, 30 or more people get sick but don't see a doctor or undergo confirmatory testing, he noted.

The FDA continues to urge consumers nationwide to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in specific states or countries that FDA has cleared of suspicion. Check FDA's Web site _ http://www.fda.gov_ for an updated list. Also safe are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached.

The FDA already had said that central and southern Florida and parts of Mexico were suspects because they supplied the vast majority of tomatoes sold when the outbreak began in April. (In contrast, tomatoes currently being harvested in north Florida and Baja Mexico have been cleared as safe to eat.)

But Friday marked a big step in the monthlong investigation. Investigators have been tracking where the sick said they bought or ate tomatoes, and then where those retailers or restaurants in turn bought them. After a lot of frustrating dead ends, the probe finally yielded a set of clues _ a list of farms in Florida and Mexico that seem to have been at least part of that supply, plus records showing the packing houses and other distribution stops between farm and point of sale.

"A tomato that made somebody sick in Vermont has come a long way," Acheson pointed out. "A lot of suppliers and warehouses have potentially handled that tomato. ... It could be anywhere on that distribution chain where all these tomatoes were together at one point."
 

PORKER

Well-known member
2008 has also seen recalls and we are just into the E. coli season. In 2007 hundreds have been sickened, including dozens of children who have undergone kidney dialysis as a result, some have died.

Now the Ohio E. coli outbreak is growing and has reached Michigan as well. The number of cases in Ohio are up to 16 cases, 10 are linked by genetic fingerprinting and public health investigators are working with clients to examine whether a common source of infection can be found. This genetic fingerprint also matches cases in Michigan.

• Delaware County: 1 case (confirmed)
• Fairfield County: 4 cases (three confirmed; one probable)
• Franklin County: 9 cases (four confirmed; five probable)
• Lucas County: 1 case (confirmed)
• Seneca County: 1 case (confirmed)

As I said yesterday, the Michigan Department of Community Health reported 29 E. coli cases statewide so far in June, well above the average of 10 cases for the entire month the past four years. Five people have been hospitalized.

In both the Ohio and Michigan cases, laboratory reports, including DNA analysis, suggest that ground beef is a common source of the bacteria in several of the individuals who were affected. It also appears that the DNA analysis has been linked to the ground beef recall of 13,275 pounds from New Jersey Dutch Meats on June 8.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
According to the CDC, since April, 613 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 33 states and the District of Columbia.

These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. The marked increase in reported ill persons since the last update is not thought to be due to a large number of new infections.

The number of reported ill persons increased mainly because some states improved surveillance for Salmonella in response to this outbreak and because laboratory identification of many previously submitted strains was completed. In particular, one new state, Massachusetts reported ill persons. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arkansas (3 persons), Arizona (34), California (8), Colorado (4), Connecticut (4), Florida (1), Georgia (14), Idaho (3), Illinois (45), Indiana (9), Kansas (9), Kentucky (1), Maryland (18), Massachusetts (12), Michigan (4), Missouri (12), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (79), New York (18), North Carolina (1), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (17), Oregon (5), Pennsylvania (5), Rhode Island (2), Tennessee (4), Texas (265), Utah (2), Virginia (21), Vermont (1), Washington (1), Wisconsin (5), and the District of Columbia (1).

Among the 316 persons with information available, illnesses began between April 10 and June 13, 2008. Patients range in age from <1 to 99 years; 50% are female. At least 69 persons were hospitalized. No deaths have been officially attributed to this outbreak. However, a man in his sixties who died in Texas from cancer had an infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Saintpaul at the time of his death. The infection may have contributed to his death.

In 1990, a reported 174 salmonella javiana illnesses were linked to raw tomatoes as part of a four-state outbreak. In 1993, 84 reported cases of salmonella montevideo were part of a three-state outbreak. In January 1999, salmonella baildon was recovered from 86 infected persons in eight states. In July 2002, an outbreak of salmonella javiana occurred associated with attendance at the 2002 U.S. Transplant . held in Orlando, Florida during late June of that year. Ultimately, the outbreak investigation identified 141 ill persons in 32 states who attended the .. All were linked to consumption of raw tomatoes.

During August and September 2002, a salmonella newport outbreak affected the East Coast. Ultimately, over 404 confirmed cases were identified in over 22 states. Epidemiological analysis indicated that tomatoes were the most likely vehicle, and were traced back to the same tomato packing facility in the mid-Atlantic region.

In early July 2004, as many as 564 confirmed cases of salmonellosis associated with consumption of contaminated tomatoes purchased at Sheetz Convenience Store were reported in five states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia. Seventy percent were associated with tomatoes in food prepared at Sheetz convenience stores.

In 2006 two outbreaks of salmonella-tainted tomatoes where reported by the FDA. One was blamed for nearly 100 illnesses in 19 states. FDA also traced tomatoes involved in another outbreak involving 183 people in 21 states. For more information on Salmonella visit www.about-salmonella.com and www.salmonellalitigation.com.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
UPDATE 1-Kroger says voluntarily recalling ground beef
Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:20am BST Email | Print | Share| Single Page| Recommend (0) [-] Text [+]
(Recasts; adds details of recall, background)

NEW YORK, June 25 (Reuters) - Kroger Co (KR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday it is voluntarily recalling all ground beef products sold in Michigan and certain Ohio stores between May 21 and June 8 because the meat has been linked to recent outbreaks of E. coli bacteria.The grocery store chain said the ground beef products are no longer available to purchase in its stores, but they were sold at its stores throughout Michigan and in central and northern Ohio, near the cities of Columbus and Toledo.

The recall comes after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday that outbreaks of E. coli bacteria in Michigan and Ohio were linked, and officials in both states suspected the outbreak was caused by ground beef.

Health officials in Michigan said late Tuesday more than half of the 15 people in the state with confirmed E. coli cases reported purchasing ground beef from Kroger, the largest U.S. grocery chain.

Kroger said it is still working with health authorities to identify the supplier of the specific type of ground beef that may have caused the illnesses. In the meantime, Kroger is asking shoppers to check their freezers for ground beef products with sell-by dates of May 21 through June 8, and return the items to stores for a full refund or replacement.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Ohio Departments of Health and Agriculture said a sample of raw ground beef was found to contain the same harmful strain of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria that caused outbreaks in Ohio and Michigan and sickened 19 in Ohio in recent weeks.

According to the CDC Web site, E. coli 0157:H7 is an especially toxic strain which can cause severe illness. Symptoms can include stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Most people get better within 15 days, but some cases can lead to kidney failure.

The CDC estimates that there may be about 70,000 infections with E. coli O157:H7 each year in the United States, but many of those infected people do not seek medical care. (Reporting by Nicole Maestri; Editing by Andre Grenon, Richard Chang)




© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
CDC: 1017 ill from salmonella-tainted tomatoes
WASHINGTON — The official toll from salmonella-tainted tomatoes continues to rise: The government counted 1017confirmed illnesses Thursday.


That's roughly 200 more illnesses than health officials had counted a week ago, in what has become the nation's largest-ever outbreak of salmonella from tomatoes.

The continuing rise in cases is due mostly to state laboratories finishing backlogs of tests, not lots of new infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The latest known illness occurred on June 13.

The outbreak's source remains a mystery. Food and Drug Administration investigators have spent the past week inspecting farms in parts of Florida and Mexico and the warehouses and other stops those farms' tomatoes made on the way to market.

The government continues to urge consumers nationwide to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in specific states or countries that FDA has cleared of suspicion. Check FDA's Web site — http://www.fda.gov — for an updated list. Also safe are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached.

At least 200 people have been hospitalized, the CDC said. No deaths have been attributed to the outbreak, although it may have contributed to a death due to cancer.

Salmonella is a bacterial infection causing fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, often caused by eating foods contaminated with animal feces


___

June 26, 2008 - 5:36 p.m. EDT
 

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