Latest news with #FoodSafetyNews
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ice Cream Bars and Frozen Treats Recalled in 23 States Due to Listeria
Skip the ice cream truck for now. Depending on where you live, an innocent ice cream truck could hide a potential threat. Rich's Ice Cream Co., based in West Palm Beach, Florida, recalled 110,292 cases of ice cream bars on June 27. The frozen treats may be contaminated with listeria, a potentially lethal foodborne pathogen. Rich's sells its products to schools and ice cream trucks across the country, so this recall is particularly dangerous for school-age kids. When Rich's first recalled the contaminated ice cream bars, the company sent a note to its distributors but not to the public, according to a Food Safety News report. Nearly three weeks later, on July 17, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) classified the recall as Class II, or 'a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,' per the FDA's website. This classification brought the recall to light and caused a wave of media coverage. Here's what you need to know to keep your family safe. What You Need To Know Take care when ordering treats from an ice cream truck this summer. Listeria bacteria can survive refrigeration and even freezing, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The following frozen products may contain traces of listeria: Chocolate Crunch Cake Bar Cool Watermelon Bar Cotton Candy Twirl Bar Crumbled Cookie Bar Fudge Frenzy Bar Orange Cream Bar Rich Bar Savagely Sour BlueRaspberry Bar Savagely Sour Cherry Bar Strawberry Shortcake Bar The ice cream bars were all individually packaged in plastic wrappers. There's not much parents can do right now, except err on the side of caution when purchasing from ice cream trucks. The distributors of Rich's ice cream bars sold the frozen treats to schools and ice cream truck vendors in the following states: Alabama Arizona California Florida Georgia Illinois Iowa Louisiana Massachusetts Missouri Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Wisconsin If you think you or your child has eaten one of the contaminated ice cream treats, monitor for symptoms. Listeria can cause fever and flu-like symptoms, such as muscle aches and fatigue, according to the CDC. Other common symptoms are headache, stiff neck, confusion, and loss of balance. If you experience any of the above, contact your healthcare provider to confirm a diagnosis. Read the original article on SIMPLYRECIPES Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
5 Symptoms Of Salmonella As Tomatoes Linked To Dozens Of Cases
Food safety watchdogs have linked 2024′s unusually high incidence of salmonella to tomatoes, The Independent shared. UKHSA data showed that the UK saw a salmonella peak last year, with 17.1% rise compared to 2023 (the highest figures of the decade). The Salmonella Strathcona outbreak, which is particularly dangerous, and the Salmonella Blockley strain, which is concerning because it's not previously been seen much in Europe, were both linked to tomatoes. 'Tomatoes were... blamed for a Salmonella Strathcona outbreak with 24 patients,' Food Safety News shared, while 84 Salmonella Blockley cases were said to come from the fruit. It's also been associated with eggs and red meat. Early 2025 data shows salmonella reports were high in the first quarter of this year, too. Which tomatoes have been linked to salmonella in the UK? We don't know which tomatoes in particular were linked to the disease, or where they came from. We also don't know where they were sold in the UK. But usually, salmonella in tomatoes comes from water supplies as they grow. Worker hygiene and nearby animals can also affect susceptibility, CBS News added. Can you wash salmonella off tomatoes? You should always wash your produce to prevent disease. But Virginia Tech food microbiologist Robert Williams told CBS News: 'We know you can wash off some salmonella... [but] nobody's ever shown it washes off all salmonella.' Still, equally, nobody's shown it doesn't, and washing fruits and vegetables helps to prevent other illnesses too. The Food Standards Agency says we should 'wash them under a running tap, or in a bowl of fresh water, making sure to rub their skin under the water'. Begin with the least soiled produce first and give fruit and veg a last rinse after the scrub. What are the symptoms of Salmonella? Per the NHS, symptoms can take anywhere from six hours to three days (or more) after infection to show. These include: Loose stools (usually without blood or mucus) Abdominal (tummy) pain Fever, headache Nausea (feeling sick) and/or vomiting General tiredness. Most people will recover in three to seven days. Many cases will go away on their own, but if you have severe symptoms, see your GP. 'In most cases, it is generally advised to wait until 48 hours after last having diarrhoea or sickness before returning to work or school/nursery,' the health service adds. Washing hands, chilling and cooking food properly, and avoiding all 'raw' dairy can help prevent the disease. Related... RSD May Be 'Common' With ADHD – Here Are Its Symptoms A New COVID Variant Is Here, And It's More Transmissible – Here Are The Signs And Symptoms Dani Harmer's Not Alone – 62 Perimenopause Symptoms That Can Start In Your 30s
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The name of the grower behind a deadly E. coli lettuce outbreak has been disclosed
A federal court case has revealed the name of the grower behind a deadly 2024 E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, Food Safety News reported Friday. On April 17, Marler Clark, Inc., PS, a law firm representing victims of foodborne illnesses, filed three federal lawsuits — two in Indiana and one in Missouri — against Taylor Farms, a fresh produce grower based in Salinas, California. The lawsuits were filed on behalf of two children and one adult woman who suffered from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious complication that causes kidney failure, due to E. coli, according to a recent press release. Marler Clark also amended five other cases to include Taylor Farms' romaine lettuce, which sickened over 50 individuals after it was found in salads catered at a high school in St. Louis, Missouri. In the 2024 outbreak, which occurred in November and December, a total of 89 individuals became ill across 15 states. Seven individuals developed HUS and one person died. Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) withheld from naming the grower because 'by the time the investigation was over, the implicated lot of romaine lettuce was no longer available for sale,' Food Safety News reported. The FDA also refrained from naming all firms and companies that handled and processed the tainted lettuce. 'It is disappointing, but with 20,000 employees at Health and Human Services (HHS) being fired, investigating, and reporting on outbreaks and alerting the public to the cause is clearly not a priority for this administration,' William "Bill" Marler, the food safety attorney who filed the lawsuits, said in a statement. 'If the gutted CDC and FDA can no longer do the job, we will step up to inform and protect the public — so much for 'Make America Healthy Again (MAHA).'' In a statement sent to Food Safety News, Taylor Farms defended itself and its products: 'Taylor Farms product was not the source of the referenced 2024 E. coli outbreak. We perform extensive raw and finished product testing on all our product and there was no evidence of contamination. Any reporting that connects Taylor Farms products to these heartbreaking illnesses is dangerous, irresponsible and unfair to the impacted families.'
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Officials issue warning following recall of popular food item: 'Adverse health consequences'
Hundreds of thousands of frozen acai bowls have been recalled because of the risk that they may contain plastic. The Food and Drug Administration announced a Class II recall on more than 25,000 cases of organic acai bowls made by California company Stiebs LLC, Food Safety News reported. The recall is due to potential contamination with blue pieces of plastic. The frozen, prepackaged products are labeled as Organic Acai Bowl with Berries, Bananas, Granola, and Dried Coconut, with expiration dates that range from Sept. 30, 2025, to Feb. 5, 2026. Each case contained 24 bowls, and they were shipped to retail locations from distribution centers in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. The FDA labels a Class II recall as "a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." Anyone who purchased one of these acai bowls should not consume it. This isn't the only food recall involving plastic contamination. In March, a Canadian supermarket recalled ground beef because it may have contained plastic pieces. Each of these recalls shows one of the many dangers posed by the overabundance of plastic in our society. Plastic has become such a common pollutant that there are an estimated 170 trillion pieces of plastic in our ocean, and that number is expected to double every six years. Most of those are microplastics, tiny pieces that are smaller than 5 millimeters in diameter. Not surprisingly, a lot of that plastic waste ends up in our food. cited research that shows the average person ingests thousands of microplastic particles from things such as seafood, tea bags, apples, carrots, and salt. However, bottled water may be the biggest culprit. A 2024 study found that 1 liter of bottled water had an average of 240,000 plastic particles. Do you worry about how much food you throw away? Definitely Sometimes Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. In food packaging alone, there are many sustainable alternatives to plastic, such as packaging made from recycled fiber, seaweed, and even food waste. Many governments are also taking action against plastic waste. In California, for example, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law to ban plastic shopping bags. You can also make decisions in your day-to-day life to help use less plastic. Along with grocery bags, consider replacing plastic food containers and single-use health and beauty products. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
CDC continuing cruise ship inspections despite staffing cuts
April 16 (UPI) -- The federal government's Vessel Sanitation Program continues its health inspections of cruise ships despite recent staff reductions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This work has not stopped as the VSP is primarily staffed by [U.S. Public Health Service officers]," a CDC spokesperson told Food Safety News. Those commissioned officers were not among those who were released from the CDC amid the Trump administration's reduction of the federal workforce. The inspections are being carried out by half the number of inspectors, though, Food Safety News reported on Wednesday. The USPHS has a dozen inspectors to conduct safety inspections of cruise ships while they are docked at U.S. ports, which is down from 24 inspectors. Cruise ship firms fund the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program through fees charged to their passengers and no taxpayer dollars pay for the service. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. recently announced he would fire 10,000 of the agency's staff, and the CDC has released 2,400 people. The staffing reductions caused some media outlets to incorrectly report the Vessel Sanitation Program had been eliminated, but the reductions do make the work more challenging. "It really compromises everything and makes it difficult for them to travel globally and do those inspections in Europe or wherever it might be," Erik Svendsen, director of the CDC's Division of Environmental Health, Science and Practice, told USA Today. Svendsen is among CDC staffers who are on administrative leave until June and will not be employed afterward. He said USPHS officers board cruise ships to complete the health inspections that help ensure the vessels are safe for passengers. Officials for the Cruise Lines International Association trade organization said its members are continuing to follow established safety guidelines as required by the Vessel Sanitation Program. "Our current understanding from the CDC is that the Vessel Sanitation Program, which is voluntary and funded by the cruise industry, will continue to operate," CLIA officials told USA Today in a prepared statement. "Additionally, public reports have noted that the program is administered and staffed primarily by commissioned U.S. Public Health officers, so we expect some programmatic activities to continue in some capacity," the statement said. The CDC says about 12.5 million passengers embarked from ports in North America in 2022 and face an elevated risk of contagious diseases. "Traveling on cruise ships exposes people to new environments and high volumes of people, including other travelers," the CDC says. "This exposure can create the risk for illness from contaminated food or water or, more commonly, through person-to-person contact."
