Catching Up On The News

Whenever I'm away for a day or two (or more), one of the first places I go to catch up on the food news is FoodHACCP.com. This morning was no exception. Here are some highlights from the last couple of days.

Salmonella in Raw Milk
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture officials are warning consumers that raw milk from Jersey Hollow Farm LLC of Berks County, PA may contain Salmonella. The state lab found Salmonella in a sample last month. Consumers have been told to discard any milk produced by the dairy since March 31st. There have been no illnesses associated with this milk.

Update on "Total Body" Dietary Supplements
FDA issued a final report on its analysis of the "Total Body Formula" and "Total Body Mega Formula" dietary supplements, which caused more than 200 illnesses earlier this year. In addition to huge excesses of selenium, the agency now has confirmed hazardous levels of chromium – more than 17 times the recommended intake – in the supplements.

Hepatitis A in New Mexico
KOB (Channel 4) news reports that two Albuquerque area IHOP restaurant employees have been diagnosed with hepatitis A virus. The employees work at two different IHOP locations – Wyoming and Paseo, and I-25 and Montano. The New Mexico Department of Health is advising anyone who has eaten at either location since March 22nd and who is feeling ill to see a doctor.

Daycare Outbreak In Alabama
Forty-two people – mostly children – at a daycare center in Dothan, Alabama suffered a sudden onset of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea on April 15th. The Alabama Department of Public Heath has determined the cause of the outbreak to be Staphylococcus aureus, a toxin-producing bacterium that many people carry on their skin and in their nasal passages. S. aureus food poisoning is usually produced by a combination of inattention to good personal hygiene and inappropriate food storage temperatures.

Studying Salmonella at Princeton
Sixty students at Princeton University complained of "stomach flu" during the last week of classes. Three students and one university employee have tested positive for Salmonella. University health workers have not been able to find a common link so far.

Stay tuned for more.