Listeria Watch

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By Ellen G. Lahr
Berkshire Eagle Staff
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
GREAT BARRINGTON — The maker of Berkshire Blue cheese, who voluntarily recalled two batches of his product after a routine inspection found a problematic bacteria, said yesterday that all but 13 of the 100 cheese wheels are accounted for, and that he’s not aware of any illness from consumption of the product.
Michael Miller of Berkshire Cheese Makers, whose facility operates on Crissey Road, said he is awaiting results of 17 different tests he has privately arranged to determine the source of the bacteria listeria, which can cause short-term illness and more serious infections in the elderly, pregnant women and others with weakened immune systems.
His operation has been shut down for two weeks, and won’t reopen until he has clear test results from Northeast Laboratories in Berlin, Conn., he said.Continue Reading Most tainted cheese located

Dairyman pushing bill to allow consumers to choose unpasteurized product
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
By Theo Stein
Denver Post Staff Writer
Loveland – As Colorado’s chief advocate for raw milk, David Lynch has been spending time lately at the state Capitol in pursuit of a small victory on the long road to legitimacy in Colorado.
He is pushing a bill that would make it legal for investors in a dairy herd to obtain raw milk from their cows. The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, survived a state House committee vote after passing the Senate last month.
“This is such a compelling right-to-choose issue,” Lynch said. “We need to provide people a way to access foods that they determine are best for their health.”Continue Reading Got raw milk?

Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) is a pathogenic (disease-causing) bacterium that is food borne and causes an illness called listeriosis1. It is frequently overlooked as a possible cause of illness due to its unique growth capabilities. First, it is somewhat difficult for laboratories to grow, and when they do so, Listeria can be confused with common harmless…

Berkshire Eagle
By The Associated Press
Saturday, March 26, 2005
GREAT BARRINGTON — A gourmet cheesemaker is voluntarily recalling 13 small wheels of blue cheese that were distributed in Berkshire County because they may have been contaminated with listeria, government regulators said yesterday.
The recall affects handmade wheels of Berkshire Blue Cheese made by Berkshire Cheese Makers that were sent to stores within the county in late February or early March, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The recalled wheels, weighing about 2 1/2 pounds each, carry batch codes “QA” and “QB.” The batch codes are written on the label.Continue Reading Gourmet cheese recalled

Friday, March 25, 2005
Santa Fe Springs, Calif. (AP) —
A California meat company on Friday voluntarily issued a recall for thousands of packages of frozen chicken products distributed to Trader Joe’s grocery stores because they may have been contaminated with a harmful bacteria.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall of 6,250 packages of “Trader Joe’s, Teriyaki Chicken Wings & Drummettes,” produced by Day-Lee Foods last August and distributed to grocery chain’s stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.
The two-pound bags bear the code “EST. P-17309” inside the USDA mark of inspection and the code “2404DL1.”Continue Reading Company recalls frozen teriyaki chicken sold at Trader Joe’s

Recall Release CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-014-2005 HEALTH RISK: HIGH
Congressional and Public Affairs
(202) 720-9113
Matt Baun
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2005 – Day-Lee Foods, Inc., a Santa Fe Springs, Calif., firm, is voluntarily recalling approximately 12,500 pounds of chicken products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.
The products subject to recall are approximately 32 lb. boxes of “TRADER JOE’S, TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS & DRUMMETTES.” The boxes contain sixteen two-pound bags. Each bag is labeled, “TRADER JOE’S, Teriyaki Chicken Wings & Drummettes.” The bags also bear the establishment code “EST. P-17309” inside the USDA mark of inspection and the code “2404DL1.”
The chicken products were produced on Aug. 27, 2004, and were distributed to retail stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.Continue Reading California Firm Recalls Chicken Products for Possible Listeria Contamination

By Associated Press
Friday, March 25, 2005
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. – A gourmet cheesemaker in Great Barrington is voluntarily recalling 13 small wheels of its blue cheese.
The company says they may have been contaminated with listeria.
The FDA says the recall affects 2.5 pound wheels of Berkshire Blue Cheese made by Berkshire Cheese Makers.…

Mar 24, 2005
Akila Hardy
WNCT-TV 9
The FDA issues a health warning about soft cheeses made from raw milk. Recently, cases of tuberculosis in New York City have been linked to consumption of Queso Fresco style cheeses, either imported from Mexico or eaten in Mexico. The FDA warns they can cause serious diseases including…

From Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE,Your Guide to Pregnancy / Birth.
It seems like every time you turn around someone is telling pregnant women to avoid something. Unfortunately food preparation is included in the list of cautions. However, with a few simple rules you can have a carefree and safe pregnancy.
Most pregnant women know that they are to avoid or minimize things that have little or no nutritional value, like caffeine, sweets, processed foods, etc.. However, there are some things that also need to be watched for in general:Continue Reading Avoiding Food Hazards in Pregnancy

Wednesday, March 23, 2005
These sandwiches were distributed in select convenience stores and vending machines nationwide.
Eden Prairie, MN – infoZine – E.A. Sween Company announced that it is taking extraordinary measures to ensure the safety of its products by expanding last week’s voluntary recall of Deli Express Turkey & Cheese Sandwiches with the code number 450191 to include the code number 450464, as they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
“Since the initial announcement 10 days ago E. A. Sween Company has been actively recovering all products impacted by this expanded voluntary recall, ” states E.A. Sween Company VP Marketing Tom Sween. “There have been no known illnesses related to this voluntary recall.”Continue Reading E.A. Sween Company Expands Voluntary Product Recall