The recent outbreak of listeria caused by Jensen Farms/Frontera cantaloupes was the most recent reminder that Listeria poses the greatest risk to certain groups of people.  The most deadly foodborne illness outbreak in U.S. history sickened 146 and has now killed 31 people.   According to the CDC, the average age of vicitms was 77 years.  The average age of those who died was even higher – demonstrating the increased risk that those of advanced age face.

Reuters reported today on addtional medical research from France that demonstrated, among other things, that Leukemia patients are at the greatest risk for listeria infection.   The study involved roughly  2,000 cases of listeriosis in France between 2001 and 2008.  Among the findings:

  • More than 400 of the 2,000 people who developed listeriosis died.
  • None of the cases involved an outbreak.
  • About one in six of the listeriosis cases in France affected pregnant women.
  • Among the remaining cases, 65 percent of the people involved had an underlying health condition, and 41 percent were undergoing treatment that suppressed their immune systems.
  • People with chronic lymphocytic leukemia were at the greatest risk of developing listeriosis — more than 1,000 times higher than the general French population.

triple a services.gifThe FDA announced today that the Chicago-area based company Triple A Services Inc. has agreed to stop making its ready-to-eat sandwiches and produce after “FDA investigators repeatedly found unsanitary conditions and bacterial contamination in the facility.”

The company and FDA filed what is called a “consent decree” in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois that included the agreement to stop production.

ACcording to the FDA:  “The terms of the decree would also require Triple A to hire a sanitation expert to help establish an effective sanitation program, to comply with FDA regulations and to eliminate Listeria contamination from company facilities.” 

The FDA further stated that Triple A had a “history of operating under unsanitary conditions and Listeria monocytogenes contamination in the processing facility.  FDA took these aggressive actions because Triple A Services continued to violate current good manufacturing practice regulations and allow for conditions that could affect the health of consumers,” said Dara Corrigan, the FDA’s associate commissioner for regulatory affairs.

The FDA had issued warning letters to Triple A in April of this year, and in November  2002. The November, 2002 letter described unsanitary conditions; the presence of “bird/insect fecal matter;” and structural defects among other findings.

The Schwarz’s family is mourning the loss of a 92-year-old local man affected by cantaloupe tainted with listeria.  Paul Schwarz’s family said he passed away over the weekend.

He was very active until the cantaloupe recall  when he suffered brain trauma from the bacteria. The strain killed more than two dozen people and sickened more than 130 others.  Schwarz’s family has filed a lawsuit against Jensen Farms, where the tainted cantaloupe came from.

clic cheese.jpgThe CFIA announced today that a prior public warning from November 24 has been expanded.  A variety of “Clic” brand cheeses have been recalled out of fear of possible contamination with Listeria.  There has been a report of an illness related to the recalled products.

The CFIA warning states:

The following cheese products, bearing establishment number 1874, and any Best Before dates up to and including those listed below, are affected by this alert:

Brand Product Size UPC Last Best Before date
Clic Moujadalé 300 – 400 g None 11 MAR 2012
Clic Riviera 300 – 400 g None 11 FEB 2012
Clic Tressé 300 – 400 g None 11 NOV 2012
Clic Vachekaval 300 – 400 g None 11 MAR 2012

The following dairy products bear establishment number 1874. These products have a four digit lot code. If the last 2 digits of the lot code are 45 or lower, e.g. xx-45, xx-44, etc, they are affected by this alert:

Brand Product Size UPC
Clic Desi Butter Ghee 454 g (1 lbs) None
Clic Desi Butter Ghee 907 g (2 lbs) None

These products have been distributed in Quebec and Ontario. These products may also have been distributed to other provinces.

windmillRECALLmushrooms2.jpgAnother day, another listeria recall.  Yesterday it was salad in Canada.  Today Canada’s version of the FDA, CFIA, has announced a recall of mushrooms under the brand name Windmill Farms, Compliments, and Longo’s.

According to the CFIA release:

The following sliced mushrooms, bearing the code WBB-MA 2011/DE/10, are affected by this alert:

Brand

Product Name

Size

UPC

Windmill Farms

Triple Washed Sliced Mushrooms

227 g 8 oz

8 56243 00043 3

Windmill Farms

Triple Washed Sliced Mushrooms

454 g 16 oz

8 56243 00062 4

Compliments

Sliced Mushrooms

227 g 8 oz

0 68820 10090 4

Longo’s

White Mushroom Sliced

227 g / 8 oz

7 72468 01001 2

These products have been distributed in Ontario.  There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

According to The Packer “Garfield Balsom, a food safety and recall specialist with the CFIA, said Dec. 12 the agency received word of a positive test result Dec. 10.”  Balson was quoted as saying “One positive sample was found during a routine monitoring test.”

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a Health Hazard Alert“warning the public and retailers not to sell, use or consume the Fontaine Santé brand salads described below because the products may be contaminated with Listeriamonocytogenes.”

There have been no illnesses linked to the product at this point.   The products were distributed in Quebec and Ontario, but may also have been distributed nationally. 

The CFIA provided the following information about the recalled products:

The following Fontaine Santé brand products bearing Best Before dates up to and including 2011 DE 26 and lot numbers 315-339, inclusive, are affected by this alert:

Product Size UPC
Taboulé – Parsley Salad 350 g     7 70333 01502 5
“Sal – Taboule” 1 kg 7 70333 01505 6
Couscous salad 375 g 7 70333 01005 1
“Sal – Couscous” 1 kg 7 70333 01001 3
Royal Couscous Salad 350 g     7 70333 01009 9
“Sal – Couscous Royale” 1 kg 7 70333 01006 8
Bulgur & Roasted Onion Salad 360 g 7 70333 01740 1
Pasta Shell & Vegetable Salad 350 g     7 70333 01302 1
“Sal – Shells Vege” 1 kg 7 70333 01305 2
Farfalle & Olive Salad 350 g     7 70333 00115 8
“Sal – Bowtie Pasta & Olive” 1 kg 7 70333 00111 0
Penne & Feta Salad 350 g     7 70333 00125 7
“Sal – Feta Penne” 1 kg 7 70333 00121 9
Ravioli & Red Kidney Bean Salad 375 g 7 70333 00155 4
“Sal – Rav & Kidney Bean” 1 kg 7 70333 00151 6
Three-Bean Salad 350 g     7 70333 01104 1
“Sal – Three Bean” 1 kg 7 70333 01101 0
Lentil Salad 375 g 7 70333 01405 9
“Sal – Lentil” 1kg 7 70333 01401 1
Three-Lentil & Cranberry Salad 400 g 7 70333 01760 9
“Sal – 3C Lentils & Cranb” 1 kg 7 70333 01761 6
Chickpea & Vegetable Salad 350 g      7 70333 01750 0
“Sal – Chick pea & Vege” 1 kg 7 70333 01751 7
Wild Rice Salad 360 g 7 70333 01802 6
“Sal – Wild Rice” 1 kg 7 70333 01805 7
Bruschetta 340 g 7 70333 01210 9
Bruschetta 1 kg 7 70333 01205 5
“Sal – Tortellini” 1 kg 7 70333 00141 7
“Sal – Carrib Orzo” 1 kg 7 70333 00101 1

The 1 kg size salads are also sold clerk-served from deli-counters in various weight containers with or without a label or coding. 

Chickenlogo_03.pngRaeford Farms poultry company is recalling approximately 4,000 pounds of cooked chicken breasts that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday that the House of Raeford Farms, based in Rose Hill, North Carolina, recalled 18- to 22-pound boxes containing two 9- to 11-pound “boneless oven roasted chicken breasts” per box.

Consumers should look for serial number “P-239A” inside the USDA mark of inspection, along with a product code of “94268” and a package date of “1270” (September 27, 2011). The products were shipped to delicatessens and food service institutions for further processing in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, according to a USDA press release.

The problem was discovered after a customer’s laboratory sample of the chicken tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, according to the USDA statement. Neither the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service nor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have received any reports of illness due to consumption of these products.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. It is rarely found in healthy people. However, it can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. In extreme cases, listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in people with poor immune systems.

120811map.jpgA total of 146 persons infected with any of the four outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes were reported to CDC from 28 states. The number of infected persons identified in each state was as follows: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), California (4), Colorado (40), Idaho (2), Illinois (4), Indiana (3), Iowa (1), Kansas (11), Louisiana (2), Maryland (1), Missouri (7), Montana (1), Nebraska (6), Nevada (1), New Mexico (15), New York (2), North Dakota (2), Oklahoma (12), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Texas (18), Utah (1), Virginia (1), West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (2), and Wyoming (4).

Among persons for whom information was available, reported illness onset ranged from July 31, 2011 through October 27, 2011. Ages ranged from <1 to 96 years, with a median age of 77 years. Most ill persons were over 60 years old. Fifty-eight percent of ill persons were female. Among the 144 ill persons with available information on whether they were hospitalized, 142 (99%) were hospitalized.

Thirty deaths were reported: Colorado (8), Indiana (1), Kansas (3), Louisiana (2), Maryland (1), Missouri (3), Nebraska (1), New Mexico (5), New York (2), Oklahoma (1), Texas (2), and Wyoming (1). Among persons who died, ages ranged from 48 to 96 years, with a median age of 82.5 years. In addition, one woman pregnant at the time of illness had a miscarriage. 

Seven of the illnesses were related to a pregnancy; three were diagnosed in newborns and four were diagnosed in pregnant women. One miscarriage was reported.

Golden Glen Creamery of Bow, WA is voluntarily recalling Butter produced on November 2, 2011 because it has 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.

To date, no illnesses have been reported.

21 – 4 oz. packages of Herbes de Provence Butter were available at the Whole Foods Market in Redmond, WA. 68 – 4 oz. packages of NW Mushroom Trio Butter were available at the Whole Foods Market in Redmond, WA, and at various Metropolitan Market locations in Washington. Products were distributed between 11/7/11 and 11/28/11 and are in circulation to date.

The product is sold in 4 oz. plastic round containers with tamper-evident seals. The labels read in part: “Herbes de Provence Butter”, or “Northwest Mushroom Trio Butter”, along with “GOLDEN GLEN CREAMERY”and“Natural handcrafted cheese produced by the Jensen ladies.” The top label on the products has a three-digit code “767.” 

Screen Shot 2011-12-03 at 2.51.08 PM.png

The Butters are being voluntarily recalled by Golden Glen Creamery, as a result of a surveillance sample collected and analyzed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture that was found to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The company has ceased the production and distribution of the product as FDA, the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the company continues their investigation as to what caused the problem.

I posted this over at Marler Blog:

Michael Booth and the Denver Post should get the Pulitzer for their extensive coverage of the Colorado homegrown Listeria outbreak that is now the most deadly in U.S. recent history. But, they more deserve our thanks for telling the story of an amazing family – that is too much like yours and mine – to let you forget this outbreak. Here is the full story – Listeria outbreak traced to Colorado leaves damaged survivors in its wake:

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