Another Ontario Restaurant Enmeshed in E. coli O157:H7 Outbreaks

North Bay-Parry Sound reported this afternoon that the number of E. coli O157:H7 cases has risen to 237, of which 46 have been lab-confirmed. All of the confirmed cases are linked directly to the Harvey's Restaurant on Algonquin Avenue in North Bay, and reported an onset of symptoms before October 22nd.

The District Health Unit has received lab reports on food samples up to October 25th. All of the food samples analyzed so far have been negative for E. coli O157:H7. Some tests, though, are still in progress.

The 237 cases include residents of North-Bay Parry Sound, nine other Ontario District Health Units, and two other provinces – Québec and British Columbia. All of the districts have supplied North Bay with information obtained from people who ate at Harvey's during the time period of the outbreak and who did not become ill. This information is being combined with information obtained from confirmed and suspected outbreak cases in the hope that the data will point to a probable source of the outbreak strain.

Meanwhile, the investigation into a separate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in the Niagara region is continuing. The number of cases in that outbreak has risen to 36 – 9 confirmed and 27 under investigation. Of the 36 cases, 20 have been linked to the Little Red Rooster restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and 12 to M.T. Bellies in Welland. Both restaurants have closed and are cooperating in the investigation.

Yesterday, yet another Ontario health unit reported a restaurant-associated outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. Halton Region is investigating five cases – 2 confirmed and 3 suspected – that have been linked to Johnathan's Family Restaurant, 4121 Fairview Street, Burlington. The restaurant has closed pending the outcome of the investigation. 

The Halton Health Department is asking anyone who ate at Johnathan's between October 13 and October 30, and who subsequently experienced symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 gastroenteritis (nausea, diarrhea (possibly bloody), stomach cramps or vomiting), to see their doctor and also to contact Halton Region at (905) 825-6000 or 1-866-442-5866.

It's too soon to know whether the Halton outbreak is due to the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 as the Niagara region outbreak. If all three restaurants – each located in a different town – have been victimized by the same strain of E. coli O157:H7, this would point to a common food source for the microbe.

It shouldn't take more than a week or so for Halton to obtain genetic fingerprinting of its outbreak strain. In the meantime, both the Niagara and Halton regions will be beating the bushes to find and interview additional victims.

Mars Petcare Salmonella Recall May Expand

We have the West Virginia Department of Agriculture to thank for detecting Salmonella in Special Kitty Gourmet Blend dry cat food. As a result of the state's findings, earlier this week, Mars Petcare recalled a "limited number of bags" of the the cat food, which had been distributed to Wal-Mart stores in 15 states. But that's not the end of the story.

According to today's news release from WVDA, in addition to the cat food contamination, the department detected Salmonella in samples of Ol' Roy Meaty Chunks 'N Gravy dog food, also manufactured by Mars Petcare for sale in Wal-Mart stores.

While Mars has not yet recalled the dog food, the Commissioner of Agriculture for West Virginia has issued a "stop-sale" order for Ol' Roy Meaty Chunks 'N Gravy, sold in 50-pound bags bearing lot number 1310292, a Best if Used By date of September 2, 2009 and UPC 681131696319. 

The Commissioner's authority is only effective within the state of West Virginia. Consumers elsewhere in the country are on their own. Anyone who has purchased Ol' Roy Meaty Chunks 'N Gravy should check the package to determine whether the lot number, date and UPC information correspond. 

The state has notified FDA, Mars Petcare and Wal-Mart of its findings, and FDA is reviewing the WVDA documentation. Wal-Mart has removed from its web site the recall notice it had posted on the cat food recall – perhaps in anticipation of a revised recall notice. According to WVDA, Wal-Mart has cooperated with the "stop-sale" order and has withdrawn the Ol' Roy item from store shelves.

Late last month, Mars Petcare announced an extensive recall of dry dog food and dry cat food, and the permanent closure of its production facility in Everson, PA as a result of a recalcitrant problem of Salmonella contamination in the plant. At that time, the company assured consumers that dry pet food produced at its other facilities around the United States were safe.

Are we on the verge of another major pet food recall?

Incipient E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak In San Diego County?

The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency reported yesterday that two girls, aged 7 and 9, have been diagnosed with an E. coli infection. The children attend Carmel Creek Elementary School in North San Diego County. The girls, who have not been identified, have been hospitalized but are expected to recover.

While there is no indication that the school is the source of the infections, school officials are cooperating with the County investigation and also have notified parents of the illnesses.

There is not yet any indication of the source of these two illnesses, and no additional cases have been reported so far. 

This is just the latest in a rash of small outbreaks of E. coli illnesses, which have popped up in various parts of the United States and in Canada in the past couple of months. Jurisdictions as widely separated as Vermont, Michigan, Washington State, Kansas and Ontario have reported outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 in the last two months.

Where will this peripatetic pathogen pop up next?

Ontario E. coli O157:H7 Outbreaks Still Under Investigation

The news releases from the North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit are getting more terse as time passes without a breakthrough in the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak investigation. Today's release – except for the usual cautions about hygiene – reads:

"There are now 235 cases, of which 45 are lab confirmed for E. coli O157:H7. All confirmed cases are linked to Harvey’s North Bay and had an onset of symptoms before October 22, 2008. This includes cases from 9 other Ontario Health Units, Quebec and British Columbia. The investigation is ongoing, at this point; no product or process has been confirmed as the source of the outbreak."

Today's news releases from the Regional Municipality of Niagara was meatier. The total number of cases of E. coli O157:H7 in the Niagara region outbreak now stands at 31 – 9 confirmed, and 22 under investigation. Eighteen of the 31 cases have been linked to the Little Red Rooster restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake and 9 have been traced to M.T. Bellies in Welland. Both restaurants have closed, although the bar at M.T. Bellies remains open.

Niagara also reports that preliminary genetic fingerprinting of their outbreak strain indicates that it is not the same as the North Bay strain. There has been no confirmation of this from North Bay, which has remained silent on the progress of genetic fingerprinting, even though eFoodAlert has questioned them directly on more than one occasion.

According to the news update, the Niagara region outbreak is not associated with municipal drinking water supplies. Lab tests are in progress on food samples from both restaurants, but no results have been released. The owners of both restaurants are reported to be cooperating in the investigation.

The Niagara Region Public Health authorities are asking any residents or visitors who have experienced bloody diarrhea on or after October 11, 2008 to visit their family physician or a walk-in clinic, as they may be suffering from an infection with E. coli O157:H7. 

The China Syndrome: Trick or Treat?

The UK Food Safety Agency advises that Lucky Dip (Nottingham) Ltd. has recalled two batches of novelty chocolates because of melamine contamination. The chocolates were manufactured for Lucky Dip by Le Bang Chocolate Food Company (Zhongshan, China) and distributed to retail stores in the UK. 

Le Bang also manufactured the "I Love You" body pens and other adult novelty candies recalled two weeks ago by Scobie (Llarn) Ltd.

Today's recall covers the following two items (follow the link for pictures of the recalled candies):

• Lucky Dip Delicious Christmas Treat Chocolate Pop, 25g; Batch code 228; Best before 30/09/09
  
• Lucky Dip Delicious Halloween Treat Chocolate Pop, 25g; Batch code 358; Best before 30/09/09
  

The recalled items were found to contain 28.9 ppm and 46.2 ppm of melamine, respectively – more than 10 times the provisional international maximum acceptable level of 2.5 ppm for this type of product. Anyone who has purchased one of the recalled items should either discard it or return it to the store for a refund.

FDA Issues Warning Against "Bargain" Vanilla from Mexico

FDA is advising US consumers not to purchase bargain "Mexican vanilla" either at home or while traveling in Latin America. The pseudo-vanilla often is extracted from tonka beans, and contains the blood-thinner coumarin.

Coumarin, which was banned in foods in the United States in 1954, can cause serious harm to individuals who are on anti-coagulant medication or who regularly take low dose aspirin – also an anti-coagulant. Nevertheless, "Mexican vanilla" has found its way to some ethnic food stores and Mexican restaurants in the United States.

Not all imitation vanilla from Latin America is made from tonka beans. FDA has published a list of companies that use tonka beans to manufacture an imitation vanilla extract. Those companies using tonka beans are on "Import Alert" for automatic detention at the border.

FDA advises that consumers take the time to read ingredient labels carefully when purchasing inexpensive or imitation vanilla, especially when traveling in Latin America or when patronizing an ethnic food store.

Second Importer of Lithuanian Ears & Tongue Roll Recalls Product

Lituanica UK Ltd. has recalled all date codes of Samsono brand Ears and Tongue Roll due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, according to an announcement released yesterday by the UK Food Standards Agency.

The recalled deli meat, bearing the identification code LT 84-07 EB, was imported into the UK by Lituanica and distributed to 22 retail outlets in England.

This recall follows a similar recall – announced one week ago  – undertaken by Lignesa Foods Ltd., another importer of specialty food from Lithuania. At the time of the first recall, FSA reported that samples of the Ears and Tongue Rolls contained as many as 2.8 million Listeria monocytogenes/gram. This level of contamination is in gross violation of the EU limit of 100 Listeria monocytogenes/gram.

Consumers who have purchased this product should either discard it securely or return it to the store for a refund. Infections with Listeria monocytogenes most often produce no more than mild gastrointestinal or flu-like symptoms. But the elderly, young children, pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals are at risk of developing severe – even life-threatening – illness as a result of an infection with Listeria monocytogenes.

To access the retail distribution list for this recall, and to see a picture of the product, please click on the links in the second paragraph, above.

Pesticide Found in Nestlé Cereal Made in Brazil

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection warned today that Nestlé's Farinha Lactea toddler's cereal, imported from Brazil is mislabeled and also contains unacceptable levels of Pirimiphos-methyl, a pesticide used to fumigate grain.

Connecticut food inspectors first found the cereal at Mercearia Brasil, 107 Triangle Street, Danbury. The product was ordered removed from store shelves due to the absence of English labeling on the package. The Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station Laboratory detected the pesticide as part of the state's routine examination of the mislabeled cereal.

No US standard exists for pirimiphos-methyl residues in foods, according to the CDCP, so the State is erring on the side of caution, and has taken the position that no amount of this pesticide is acceptable in a toddler cereal. 

Connecticut is cautioning consumers not to use the cereal. CDCP is now working to find out which stores stocked and sold the product, and will make this information available to consumers as soon as possible. We'll add the retail distribution list to this posting as soon as we receive it.

 

USDA Releases Retail Distribution List for Nicaraguan Meat

UPDATED October 29, 2008

Earlier this month, USDA issued a series of notices advising the public that beef trimmings imported from Nicaragua were contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and had been recalled. At that time, the agency promised to furnish a list of recall establishments that were supplied the Nicaraguan meat.

USDA, at last, has posted the promised information. It would appear that most of the meat was supplied to wholesalers and processors. Very little of the meat seems to have reached the retail market – as opposed to the restaurant trade, for example – in identifiable form.

The original recall notices indicated that the Nicaraguan beef had been shipped to five states – California, Indiana, Wisconsin, New York and Pennsylvania – and to Puerto Rico. According to USDA, the following retail locations probably received the recalled meat. The agency cautions that other retailers may also have been recipients of the beef.

• Alcoba Supermarket, Carr. 164 Km 16.5, Bo. Palmarejo, Corozal, PR
  
• Colmado San Miguel, Carr. 842 Km 4, Bo. Caimito Alto, San Juan, PR
  
• Supermercado Dorabel, Calle 1 #266, Urb. Vives, Guayama, PR
  
• Supermercado Umbo, San Patricio Ave., Centro Comercial Umbo, Las Lomas, San Juan, PR
  
• Inclema's Market, 1337 N. Goodman Street, Rochester, NY
  
• Sensenig Meats, 6999 Cannery Road, Hanover, PA
  
• Hawk's Grocery and Smokehouse, 13087 Main Street, Hydetown, PA
  
• Trawka's Market, 712 Payne Avenue, Erie, PA
  
• Urbaniak Brothers, Inc., 310 E. 24th Street, Erie, PA
• County Market, 49 Pine Grove Plaza, Grove City, PA
• Kevin's Quality Meats, 451 N. Grant Avenue, Kittaning, PA
• Nichol's Meats, 1011 Bechtel Street, Monaca, PA
• Paul's Market, 310 Madison Street, Sligo, PA
• G/K Glendale Kozonian Ranch, 356 N. Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale, CA
• Paradise Pastry, 1815 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA
• Pacific Food Mart, 1008 N. Pacific Avenue, Glendale, CA
• Farmers Ranch Market, 7811 Sepulveda, Van Nuys, CA
• Jerry's Produce, 9043 Reseda Blvd., Reseda, CA
• Tropicana Produce, 1406 Huntington Dr., Duarte, CA
• Selin Market, 1427 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA
• Easchbach Meats, 18045 S. Western Avenue, Gardena, CA
• Glendale Ranch Market, 1122 S. Central Avenue, Glendale, CA
• Kozanian Super Meat & Retail, 1240 S. Glendale Blvd., Glendale, CA
• Cutullo Prime Meats, 7127 Tiffany Blvd., Boardman, OH

These lists may be updated if USDA obtains additional information from the importers. If so, we'll provide an update to this consolidated list.

Canadian Desco Deli Meat Consolidated Recall List

UPDATED October 28, 2008

Two weeks ago, we reported that Les Salaisons Desco (Boisbriand, QC) had recalled two batches of Dunn's Famous brand Smoked Meat due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Earlier this week, we learned that Desco roast beef also has been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Following is a consolidated list of recall information on all Desco meat products since the beginning of October. All of the recalled meat packages bear the CFIA inspection ID number "Est. 501". We'll update this list as additional notices are released by CFIA.

Dunn's Famous Smoked Meat

• 1 KG packages (6 x 175-gram pouches/package)
  
• UPC 4 00007 55699 7; Best before dates of 2008 NO 01 and 2008 NO 02
  
• Sold in Costco stores in Ottawa, ON and in the provinces of Québec, Nova Scotia, New Brunskwick, PEI and Newfoundland & Labrador.
  

Savco Food Services Ltd.

The following Savco brand sandwiches were sold through vending machines in and around Sarnia, ON. The sandwiches described below may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and should not be consumed. The expiry dates, which are embedded in the lot codes, are highlighted in green.

• Roast Beef and Monterey Jack Cheese - Lot code 013310/15/08012 and 013310/26/08012
  
• Philly Roast Beef Onion Bun - Lot code 006710/20/08012 and 006710/21/08012 
  
• Roast Beef Sandwich - Lot code 007810/23/08012 
  
• Philly Beef Submarine Sandwich -  Lot code 020110/20/08012 and 020110/26/08012 
  
• Roast Beef Cheddar Cheese Bun - Lot code 004210/16/08012 and 004210/26/08012 
  
• Roast Beef Cheddar Sesame Bun - Lot code 003210/20/08012
  
• Roast Beef Au Jus - Lot code 010910/21/0801B 
  

Roast Beef Sold in variable-weight deli-style plastic bags

Deli counters in the following locations may have sold Desco roast beef during the indicated time periods. Check with your retailer before consuming sliced roast beef purchased from in-store deli counters.

• Sharpe’s IGA, 85 Front Street N., Campbellford, ON (October 3 to 12, 2008)
  
• Lamantia's Country Market, 50 William Street S., Lindsay, ON (October 8 to 21, 2008)
  
• Fisher Foodland, 990 Division Street, Cobourg, ON (October 8 to 17, 2008)
  
• Campbell Metcalfe Variety, 8196 Victoria Street, Metcalfe, ON (October 2 to 21, 2008)
  
• Loeb Perth, 50 Wilson Street West, Perth, ON (October 2 to 21, 2008)
  

Metro GP (Les Supermarchées GP Inc., 1050 avenue Larue, Quebec, QC)

• Sous-marin rosbif 6" / 6" Roast beef sub, 145g (expiry dates up to and including 2008-10-23)
  
• Kaiser roti boeuf /Roast beef Kaiser, 190 g (expiry dates up to and including 2008-10-23)
  

Supermarché Ferland Metro (Supermarché Claka Inc., 1625 rue du Marais, Québec, QC)

• Sous-marin rosbif / Roast beef sub (expiry dates up to and including 2008-10-23)
  

Oickles Tasty Bites, New Germany, NS

Oickles has recalled two varieties of Oickles Tasty Bites brand sandwiches. The following sandwiches were sold at Oickles Auto Service, 5354 Hwy 10, New Germany NS and Getson Convenience, 3916 Hwy 325, Newcombville, NS

• Roast Beef Sandwich, Best before dates up to and including Oct 25, 2008 and Oct 26, 2008
  
• Roast Beef Sub, Best before dates up to and including Oct 25, 2008 and Oct 26, 2008
  

Fruits & Légumes Mercier (217, boulevard Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Mercier, QC)

• Rosbif de Ronde ANC Coorsh, sold in variable weight packages up to and including October 24, 2008
  

William Davids brand roast beef sandwiches

The following sandwiches, labeled with "Best before" dates up to and including the dates shown below, were distributed in unspecified retail locations in the province of Ontario.

• Roast Beef - White Sandwich, 10/24/08 (October 24, 2008)
  
• Roast Beef - Brown Sandwich, 10/24/08 (October 24, 2008)
  
• R. Beef & Hot Peppers Kaiser Bun, 10/30/08 (October 30, 2008)
  
• R. Beef & Cheese Kaiser Bun, 10/30/08 (October 30, 2008)
  
• R. Beef & Gravy Kaiser Bun, 10/30/08 (October 30, 2008)
  
• R. Beef & Baconator Kaiser Bun, 10/30/08 (October 30, 2008)
  
• R. Beef, Bacon & Cheese Kaiser Bun, 10/30/08 (October 30, 2008)
  
• Assorted 8" Sub, 10/30/08 (October 30, 2008)
  
• Beef & Cheese 8" Sub, 10/30/08 (October 30, 2008)
  
• Hoagie 8" Sub, 10/30/08 (October 30, 2008)
  

Atlantic Canada 

(updated Oct 27 with more precise date information)

Mainline Market Best Picks brand roast beef and sandwiches

The following items, labeled with the indicated "Best before" inclusive dates ranges, were sold at one or more of: Mainline Market (1101 King Street, Bridgewater, NS), A&B Country Corner Convenience Middlewood (Bridgewater, NS), Bordons in the Woods (1225 East Dalhousie Road East, Dalhousie, NS).

• Mainline Market Best Picks Roast Beef (vacuum-packaged) - Oct 6 to Nov 21, 08
  
• Mainline Market Best Picks Beef & Cheddar Kaiser - Oct 6 to Oct 26, 08
  
• Mainline Market Best Picks Beef & Cheddar Sub - Oct 6 to Oct 26, 08
  
• Mainline Market Best Picks Roast Beef Sandwich - Up to and including Oct 26, 08
  

Clerk-served sliced roast beef in wax paper (no labels)

Sold in the following stores, during the indicated inclusive date ranges.

• Bonnar's Meat, 13 McInnis Drive, North Sydney, NS; Oct 2 to Oct 24
  
• R&D Retail Meats (formerly Chris Brothers Meat & Deli), 69 Cow Bay Road, Dartmouth, NS; Oct 7 to Oct 24
  
• R&D Retail Meats (formerly Chris Brothers Meat & Deli), 984 Cole Harbour Road, Dartmouth, NS; Oct 7 to Oct 24
• R&D Retail Meats (formerly Chris Brothers Meat & Deli), 754 Main Street, Dartmouth, NS; Oct 7 to Oct 24
  

Cooked Roast Beef Sliced (vacuum-packaged)

Packaged on October 11th to October 24th, inclusive, and sold only at: Old Time Meat Market, 121 Pine Glen Road, Riverview, NB.

Fresh-made roast beef sandwiches served in plastic bags (no label)

Sold in the following stores, during the indicated inclusive date ranges.

• R&D Retail Meats (formerly Chris Brothers Meat & Deli), 69 Cow Bay Road, Dartmouth, NS; Oct 7 to Oct 24
  
• R&D Retail Meats (formerly Chris Brothers Meat & Deli), 984 Cole Harbour Road, Dartmouth, NS; Oct 7 to Oct 24
• R&D Retail Meats (formerly Chris Brothers Meat & Deli), 754 Main Street, Dartmouth, NS; Oct 7 to Oct 24
  

Marché J.D. Gélinas, Inc. (695 rue des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC)

Variable weight portions of sliced, cooked roast beef, sold at the service counter between October 6 and October 23, inclusive.

Please check back from time to time for further updates to the recall list.

Mars Petcare Recalls Dry Cat Food for Salmonella

Mars Petcare is in the news today with another Salmonella problem – this time in dry cat food.

Mars, which closed its Everson, PA production facility less than a month ago due to a recalcitrant Salmonella contamination problem, has announced a recall of a "limited number of bags" of Special Kitty® Gourmet Blend dry cat food after Salmonella was detected in a sample of the product.

The recalled items were distributed only in Wal-Mart stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia. 

If you have purchased Special Kitty® Gourmet Blend Dry Cat Food from a Wal-Mart store in one of these states, check the packaging to see whether it matches the following description:

• Best if Used By Date: AUG 11 09 (located on the back of the bag)
  
• Production Lot Code: 50 XXXX X (located on the back of the bag, just after the date. "50" is the first pair of digits on the second line)
  
• UPC Codes (located underneath the bar code): 3.5 lb bag, UPC 81131 17546; 7 lb bag, UPC 81131 17547; 18 lb bag, UPC 81131 17548.
  

Cats can become infected with Salmonella and pass the microbe to their human companions. If you have purchased the recalled cat food, Mars and Wal-Mart ask that you discard the contents of the bag in a secure container (such as a trash can with a tightly fitting lid) and return the empty bag to the store for a refund.

For more information on the recall, contact Mars Petcare US at 1-877-568-4463.

E. coli Turns Up In Niagara-On-The-Lake, Too

The Niagara Region Medical Officer of Health is asking members of the public to contact the health unit if they experienced an onset of symptoms of E. coli  illness – severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea, possibly accompanied by fever – between October 11th and October 24th.

The request was made after two people were lab-diagnosed with E. coli . An additional three people are also thought to be infected with the microbe. Four of the five victims ate at the Little Red Rooster, 271 Mary Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake. The Health Unit's news release did not specifically mention E. coli O157:H7, but bloody diarrhea is a common symptom of this strain.

The restaurant's owners are cooperating with the investigation into these illnesses, including providing food samples for analysis and giving investigators unimpeded access to the restaurant. The link between this outbreak and the Little Red Rooster is not yet certain. The Health Unit is also investigating other possible leads, and hopes that more victims will come forward. With a larger data base, a source for the outbreak can be identified with greater confidence.

While the Niagara Region is focusing on its newly identified outbreak, the North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit continues to plug away at what is at risk of becoming another microbiological cold case. Forty-two cases have now been lab-confirmed in the North Bay outbreak, out of a total of 217 suspected and confirmed cases. Victims of this E. coli O157:H7 outbreak have been reported from eight other Ontario District Health Units, in addition to Québec and British Columbia.

Today's update from North Bay provided encouraging news about the child who was hospitalized in critical condition after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome. That child, while still hospitalized, has improved and is no longer in critical care.

Epidemiologists say that they received many telephone contacts from healthy people who ate at the Harvey's Restaurant that is the focus of this investigation, and have enough information to carry out their statistical study. 

As yet, "... no specific product or process..." has been identified as the source of the infections. The Ontario Ministry of Health is reviewing test results from this outbreak to determine whether it is linked to any other outbreaks or sporadic cases of E. coli O157:H7. 

Norovirus Revisited

Georgetown University marked the beginning of October this year with an outbreak of Norovirus. The virus struck down as many as 204 students – out of a student population of 6,000 – with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea during the first five days of the month.

The District of Columbia Department of Health issued its final report on the incident last week. Based on interviews with outbreak victims, DOH epidemiologists have pointed a statistical finger at the "Grab and Go" food station in O'Donovan Hall. According to their analysis "...  students who purchased food from the Grab and Go station on were 2.9 times more likely to become ill than those who did not purchase food from the Grab and Go station."

Coincidentally, Norovirus popped up at another university campus – University of Vermont – last week. As of last Friday, about 60 students have been reported ill. Once again, an on-campus dining hall is being fingered as the probable point of origin of the outbreak. The Vermont Department of Public Health is participating in the investigation.

Not to appear elitist, Norovirus also put in an appearance at an elementary school this month. Approximately 150 students at Tussing Elementary School in Colonial Heights, VA complained of stomach pains, nausea and vomiting on October 16th. Classes were cancelled on the 17th so that the school could be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Lab analysis confirmed Norovirus as the culprit. According to the Chesterfield Health District, the source of this outbreak was person-to-person spread.

Meanwhile, Dunedin Hospital and Hutt Hospital in New Zealand continue their respective battles against separate Norovirus outbreaks. The Otago District Health Board estimates that the earlier outbreaks at Dunedin and Wakari hospitals cost the board NZ$276,000. That cost will rise with the new outbreak at Dunedin.

Two more hospitals in the UK also reported Norovirus outbreaks last week. Countess of Chester Hospital (Cheshire, UK) was forced to close a cardiology ward after seven patients began to suffer from nausea and diarrhea. Two of the patients were confirmed to have been infected with Norovirus. And two wards in Edith Cavell Hospital (Peterborough, UK) remain closed to new admissions in an effort to control an outbreak of Norovirus in that hospital.

Finally, just to show its fun-loving side is still intact, Norovirus turned up on a cruise ship last week. The Caribbean Princess arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia last week. Among the 4,250 passengers and crew on board the ship were 105 passengers and three crew members who were suffering from diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Norovirus can turn up on the best of ships. The Caribbean Princess aced its most recent inspection under the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program.

Whether on a cruise ship, in a school dorm, or anywhere else large numbers of people are in close quarters, the best way to protect oneself against a Norovirus infection is frequent hand-washing and careful attention to personal hygiene. And it's not a bad idea to avoid buffet-service. You never know who has touched – or tasted – the food.

Allergy Alert: Prepared Sausage Meals Contain Sulfites

Tesco has announced a recall of some of its own brand of Prepared Sausage Meals, because the meals contain undeclared sulfur dioxide, according to an alert issued by the UK Food Standards Agency on Friday.

All "Use by" dates up to and including 1 November 2008 of the following three items have been recalled:

• Tesco Classic Bangers and Mash, 500g
  
• Tesco Classic Lincolnshire Sausage with Cheddar & Bacon Bubble Squeak, 450g
  
• Tesco Finest Classics 3 Cumberland Sausages with Fresh Mash, 500g
  

While most people can consume these meals without ill effect, individuals who are sensitive to sulfites may suffer severe – possibly life-threatening – illness as a result of consuming one of the meals. People who suffer from asthma may be especially sensitive to sulfites.

Tesco has posted notices in its stores explaining the reason for this recall. Anyone who purchased one of the recalled meals is invited to return it to the store for a full refund.

The China Syndrome: The Way Forward

Two weeks ago, I posted "The China Syndrome: One Month Later" – a recap of the internal and international reverberations that resulted from China's melamine adulteration imbroglio. I wrote that article in the spirit of a philosophy espoused by my 90+ year old cousin, who believes that "you can't know where you're going if you don't know where you've come from." 

Now that we know where we've come from – at least as far as melamine is concerned – where should we, and China, be going? More specifically, how does China regain the trust of the international trading community?

The government of China already has taken several steps down the long road to recovering its international markets; including,

• withdrawing from retail sale all milk and infant formula powder produced prior to September 14th, and testing samples for melamine contamination,
  
• extensive melamine testing of infant formula and and dairy-containing foods manufactured after September 14th,
  
• arresting numerous suspected perpetrators of the melamine adulteration,
  
• acknowledging government responsibility for failing to supervise the dairy industry adequately, and
  
• introducing stricter food safety laws.
  

If China's words and deeds are sincere, these are decent first steps in crisis management. But the government must still find a way to address the long standing issues that triggered and exacerbated the melamine fraud:

• pressure on dairy companies to not "blow the whistle" before or during the Beijing Olympic Games, so as to avoid loss of face,
  
• a mindset that allowed – and to some extent, encouraged – the adulteration, and
  
• lack of press and internet freedom, which enabled both industry and government to delay the news of the problem from leaking to Chinese and international consumers.
  

Although the initial melamine adulteration story revolved around milk, infant formula, and dairy-containing foods, it's become increasingly clear that the problem has spread well beyond the dairy sector. With international food safety regulators hot on the contamination trail, we've learned that melamine can be found in non-dairy items, too: shell eggs, egg powder, animal feed, ammonium bicarbonate (a chemical leavening agent), and frozen fried chicken.

Melamine is an industrial chemical – used, for example, in the manufacture of plastics. It is also a breakdown product of cyromazine, an insecticide. Unless farmers around the world stop using cyromazine, we can expect trace amounts of melamine to migrate into food. Though unfortunate, this is unavoidable. But we must not tolerate deliberate, or even accidental, addition of melamine directly to a food or an animal feed.

International agencies and national food safety agencies around the world are attempting to differentiate between unavoidable and avoidable melamine contamination of food by establishing maximum levels for this contaminant – typically, 1 ppm for infant formula or foods meant for children up to 3 years of age, and 2.5 ppm for other food items. These are acknowledged to be provisional limits based on current toxicology data. The World Health Organization will convene an emergency meeting on December 1st to review existing knowledge of melamine toxicity.

China has "signed on" to the interim melamine tolerance levels of 1ppm and 2.5ppm, and has used those limits in its intensive screening of existing stocks of fluid milk, milk powder, infant formula and dairy-containing products. More importantly, China's Premier Wen Jiabao seems to have learned the need for a "farm to fork" regulatory system. 

Yesterday, in an address to the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting, held in Beijing, Premier Wen said, "Food involves a full process from the farmland to the table. It involves many links and many processes. In every link and every process, we need to put in place effective and powerful regulatory measures."

"The Chinese government," the Premier added, "attaches great importance to food safety because it is not only in the interest of the Chinese but also people in the world." 

"In the future," he said, "our food safety criteria will not only meet the international standard but that of the importer of our products."

And the most significant promise of all – one that, if kept, shows that China knows where it's going:

"We will gain the trust of the Chinese and people in the world via our behaviors and quality of our products."

Another Québec Recall for Inadequate Processing

The Québec Ministry of Agriculture (MAPAQ) is alerting consumers that Ferme du BON TEMPS brand "Macédoine de légumes"  and "haricot" has been recalled by the manufacturer because the foods were not processed in a manner that would ensure microbiological safety.

All lot codes and production dates of the following two products, which were packed in glass jars and sold at Ferme du Bon Temps at 884, route 138, Saint-Joachim, QC, are included in this recall.

• Macédoine de légumes (mixed vegetables), 500 mL
  
• Haricots (beans), 500 mL
  

Anyone who has purchased one of these items is strongly advised not to consume it. The recalled products should be returned to Ferme du Bon Temps for a refund.

North Bay, Ontario Outbreak: No News Is Bad News

Today's update from the North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit is singularly devoid of news – good or bad.

The number of confirmed and suspect cases has risen slightly to 209, of which 39 have been lab-confirmed as E. coli O157:H7. One of the victims is a child, who is hospitalized with symptoms of hemolytic uremic syndrome. Today's update describes the child's condition as "critical".

There still has been no break-through in finding the source – food, food-handler, or environmental – of the outbreak. And there is still no word on the results of genetic fingerprinting of the outbreak strain (or strains).

Unless something significant breaks over the weekend, it's likely that the next update from the District Health Unit will be on Monday, October 27th.

Happy Valley Dairies Locks Barn Door

Happy Valley Dairies (Tuatapere, NZ) has recalled 2L bottles of pasteurized milk after a "high E. coli count" was found in a sample of the milk, according to a notice posted by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority. The recall includes all 2L bottles identified with Batch 151008 and "Use by" 28 October, onwards.

The milk was sold in supermarkets and retail stores in the Invercargill region of New Zealand's South Island. Consumers who purchased the milk are urged to return it to the store for a refund.

Happy Valley Dairies, a family-owned and operated business, began production about 16 months ago as a vertically integrated boutique dairy. In a departure from usual hygiene requirements, the New Zealand authorities permitted the dairy to maintain its milking shed and processing facility under a common roof. The dairy's owners, Frans and Jeanine Venekamp, prided themselves on the quality and flavor of their dairy products, which included yogurts and cheeses in addition to pasteurized milk. 

The milk recall was Happy Valley's second brush with microbiological reality. Earlier this month, the dairy recalled two varieties of yogurt, due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. According to Jeanine Venekamp, the Listeria finding spurred the couple to increase their testing frequency. She gave the following explanation for the E. coli result to the Otago Daily Times.

"We have been doing so much testing of our milk and that is why the samples were still warm and that in turn maybe why the E. coli bacteria bug was present."

It's clear from this statement that Ms. Venekamp lacks a basic understanding of the significance of E. coli in pasteurized milk. This microbe, a normal inhabitant of the intestinal tract, is destroyed by pasteurization. There are only three possible explanations for the presence of E. coli in a pasteurized milk sample:

1. Inadequate pasteurization time or temperature (i.e., equipment failure)
   
2. Contamination of the pasteurized milk after it leaves the pasteurizer (i.e., defective equipment, environmental contamination or poor sanitation)
   
3. Improper sampling technique (i.e., operator error)
   

All of these are preventable in a well designed, well maintained, and well run dairy facility. And there is no excuse for a sample to still be warm, as Ms. Venekamp described, when it reaches the lab. A fundamental rule of microbiological sampling is to cool a sample immediately in order to preserve the "snapshot" of its bacterial load.

Ms. Venekamp also complained, during that same interview, that the government was overzealous in the way it disseminated information about the E. coli contamination – broadcasting the information on TV and radio, and publishing the notice in newspapers and online, rather than simply printing a public notice in newspapers. 

The Venekamps have decided to close down Happy Valley Dairies as a result of this incident. It's unfortunate that their boutique dairy experiment ended badly. But there are lessons to be learned. In hindsight, NZFSA should have insisted on a complete physical separation of the milking barn from the processing facility.

And all food processing facilities should be required to have at least one person on staff who has at least a basic understanding of microbiology, sanitation and sampling procedures.

Québec Warns About Mislabeled Perishable Foods

The Québec Ministry of Agriculture (MAPAQ) is advising the public not to consume certain perishable food items manufactured by Poissonnerie Bistro (445, chemin du Bord-du-Lac, Dorval, QC) if the foods have not been stored continuously in a refrigerator.

The following perishable items were not labeled "Garder réfrigéré" and should be discarded if they were not stored in a refrigerator after purchase. The products are packaged in glass jars in 250mL or 500mL sizes, and bear a label showing the brand name "La Poissonnerie Bistro" and a hand-written product description. All lot codes and dates are covered by this warning.

• Corail pétoncle (scallop egg sac)
  
• Palourde (clam)
  
• Retailles de palourde (shredded clam)
  
• Pâté de piment (pimento paté)
  

Consumers can return these items to the store for a refund. If the items have not been kept refrigerated, they should not be consumed under any circumstances.

Wild Boar Specialty Foods Recalled in Québec

The Québec Ministry of Agriculture (MAPAQ) is advising consumers that the following products have been recalled, because they have been prepared in a manner that may render them microbiologically hazardous.

The recalled products are packaged in glass jars, and were sold under the brand name "La Pointe aux Sangliers." All lots and date codes of these products are covered by the recall.

• Cretons de sanglier (wild boar greaves), 225 ml.
  
• Sauce à spaghetti au sanglier (wild boar spaghetti sauce), 450 ml.
  
• Rillettes de sanglier aux bleuets (minced wild boar with blueberries), 100 ml.
  

The recalled items were sold at La Pointe aux Sangliers, 2370 route 112, Weedon, QC as well as at other retail outlets in and around Lévis and Thetford Mines.

Consumers who purchased any of the recalled items should either discard them safely, or return them to the store for a full refund. These items represent a significant health hazard. Under no circumstances should they be consumed.

North Bay E. coli O157:H7 Victim Hospitalized in Serious Condition

North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit announced today that one of the victims of the Harvey's Restaurant outbreak – a child – is hospitalized in serious condition with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

The child is one of 207 confirmed and suspect cases of E. coli O157:H7 illness, most of them traced to customers who ate at Harvey's Restaurant on Algonquin Avenue in North Bay, Ontario between October 1st and October 12th. Thirty-nine of the victims have been lab-confirmed.

Investigators have not yet determined a probable source of the pathogen. The District Health Unit has asked customers of Harvey's Restaurant, who ate there between October 1st and October 12th and remained healthy, to participate in an epidemiological interview. The interviews will help the District Health Unit to identify possible sources of the outbreak.

There is still no report from the Health Unit as to the results of genetic fingerprinting of the E. coli O157:H7 isolates that have been recovered from patients. This information, too, may help investigators to key in on a source.

At last report, eight other District Health Units in Ontario have reported one or more possible victims of this outbreak. One case also has been reported from Québec. Under the circumstances, it's surprising that the Ontario Ministry of Health hasn't taken a more active role in reporting the status of the outbreak investigation.

Allergy Alert: CFIA Warns About Greek Golden Peppers

UPDATED: October 23, 2008

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is alerting consumers to the presence of undeclared sulfites in Cedar Phoenicia brand Greek Golden Peppers. 

The peppers, which were imported from Greece, are sold in 1.5 L jars bearing UPC 0 62356 54160 6, and were distributed nationally. CFIA is working with the importer to ensure withdrawal of the peppers from the marketplace.

This recall has been expanded to include a second package size. In addition to the 1.5 L jars, the importer also has recalled Cedar Phoenicia brand Greek Golden Peppers packed in 1 L jars bearing UPC 0 62356 54159 0. NEW Oct 23rd

While sulfite sensitivity is not a true allergy, individuals who are sensitive to sulfites may, nevertheless, suffer severe – possibly life-threatening – reactions after consuming a sulfite-containing food. Asthma sufferers are at greatest risk of severe reactions.

Anyone who purchased the recalled peppers should return them to the store for a refund. For more information on this recall, contact CFIA toll-free at 1-800-442-2342 between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00 pm (EDT), Monday through Friday.

Allergy Alert: Stuffed Artichokes Recalled For Undeclared Ingredients

FDA is advising consumers that Nonna's Real Italiana Cuccine brand Stuffed Artichokes have been recalled after the agency discovered that several ingredients were not declared on the packaging.

The 15 oz. packages of stuffed artichokes, produced by Nonna's Real Italiana Cuccine (Slidell, LA), contain undeclared milk, soy and wheat. The product was distributed through retailers in the Greater New Orleans area between October 8 and October 17, inclusive. No date code or lot code information was provided in the recall.

Individuals who are allergic to any of the three undeclared ingredients may experience a severe – possibly life-threatening – reaction after consuming the stuffed artichokes. Consumers who purchased the recalled item should contact Ruby Lovecchio of Nonna's at 214-253-7630 for instructions on how to return the product for refund.

Allergy Alert: Harry and David Moose Munch® Recalled

FDA advised US consumers today that Harry and David (Medford, OR) has recalled Harry & David Moose Munch Confection, Milk Chocolate Gingerbread, because some of the 1 lb, 4 oz. packages may contain a different Harry & David product. The other product, Dark Chocolate Butter Pecan Moose Munch Confection, contains pecans, which are not declared on the label.

The recalled packages are labeled with a "Best if used by" date of 06/28/09, and stock ID number RSD142014.  As many as 60 of the 400 recalled packages of Moose Munch may contain the incorrect confection.

Individuals who are allergic to nuts may experience a severe – possibly life-threatening – reaction upon eating the pecan-containing confection. Consumers who purchased the recalled item should return it to any Harry and David retail location for a full refund.

North Bay E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak: New Cases Come To Light

The North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit reported today that the total number of confirmed and suspect cases in this outbreak investigation now stands at 190 – up significantly from yesterday's total of 158. Thirty-six of the 190 cases are lab-confirmed as E. coli O157:H7. 

We've been told by the District that confirmed cases are defined as patients from whom E. coli O157:H7 has been isolated; suspect cases are patients whose symptoms match those expected from an infection with E. coli O157:H7, and who began to experience their symptoms during the outbreak time frame. As of today, no genetic fingerprinting (PFGE) results are available. 

The Medical Officer of Health believes that the sharp increase in cases is due to more cases coming out of the woodwork as the news of the outbreak continues to spread through the province. In addition to North Bay, suspect cases have been reported in eight Ontario health districts. Québec, too, has reported at least one case.

We've learned that the other districts reporting one or more cases possibly linked to this outbreak include Sudbury, Porcupine, Timiskaming, Simcoe-Muskoka, Hastings Prince Edward County and York Region. There is no indication whether any of these cases have been confirmed.

The investigation into the source of the outbreak seems an eerie parallel of the Oklahoma E. coli O111 outbreak investigation earlier this year. Most of the victims ate at the same restaurant – Harvey's North Bay – within a fairly narrow time frame. Tests of food and water samples so far have failed to detect the presence of E. coli O157:H7. The District has not yet released information on the investigation into food handlers as a possible source, except to say that the restaurant and its employees are cooperating.

The District Health Unit is continuing to interview suspect victims of this outbreak, in the hope of determining what food or foods might be the source of the infections. Investigators are actively seeking the assistance of anyone who ate at Harvey's Restaurant on Algonquin Avenue in North Bay between the dates of October 1st and October 12th. By comparing the items eaten by those who became ill and those who remained healthy, investigators might be able to determine the source of the E. coli O157:H7. People who fall into this category are asked to contact the North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit at (705) 474-1400 or (800) 563-2808.

Unfortunately, epidemiological analysis is chancy under these circumstances. In a fast food burger restaurant like Harvey's, most people order similar meals. And not everyone will remember what toppings they had with their burgers, or whether they had a salad. The longer it takes, and the more complex the investigation, the less likely that a definitive answer will be forthcoming.

The best chance of determining the source of the outbreak is if the outbreak strain can be matched genetically to a previously isolated E. coli O157:H7 from a recent food recall or a recent outbreak elsewhere. Otherwise, the North Bay outbreak may simply be added to a long list of "unexplained outbreaks."

Boobies and Bottoms Recalled In UK

The UK Food Standards Agency announced today that three chocolate novelty products imported from China were found to contain melamine and have been withdrawn from the UK marketplace.

The three items were manufactured by Le Bang Chocolate Food Company (Zhongshan, China) and imported into the UK by Spencer and Fleetwood. The following items are included in this recall:

• Fifi’s Boobies, 80g; Lot number LB8202; Best before end 01/10
  
• Lollipop Boobs, 30g; Lot number LB8202; Best before end 01/10
  
• Cheeky Chocolate Milk Chocolate Bottoms, 42g; Lot Number LB8202; Best before end 01/10
  

The "Bottoms" were found to contain 17 ppm melamine; the other two items each contained 15 ppm. At present, the legal limit for melamine in foods not intended for infants and toddlers is 2.5 ppm.

While the UK Food Standards Agency believes that the level of melamine contamination in these products does not represent a significant health risk, consumers are urged to either return these novelty items to the store for a refund, or to discard them out of the reach of children.

"Ears and Tongue Roll" Recalled in UK

The UK Food Standards Agency notified consumers today that Lignesa Foods Ltd. is recalling all date codes of Samsono brand Ears and Tongue Roll, imported from Lithuania. The deli meat is contaminated with exceptionally high levels of Listeria monocytogenes, and presents a serious health risk.

Eighteen samples of this product were tested; seventeen exceeded the 100 Listeria monocytogenes/gram EU legal limit for this type of product. The most heavily contaminated sample contained 2.8 million Listeria monocytogenes/gram.

The recalled item was distributed to Lithuanian specialty food shops in the UK. Authorities are investigating whether the same product also was imported by other companies in addition to Lignesa Foods.

The Samsono brand Ears and Tongue Roll carries EC approval number LT 84-07 EB. All sizes and date codes of the product have been recalled. Consumers who purchased this item should either return it to the store or discard it safely. Under no circumstances should this product be consumed.

Roast Beef Sold At Ontario Deli Counters Recalled

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning consumers in Ontario that roast beef sold at some deli counters in the province may be contamination with Listeria monocytogenes and should not be consumed.

The roast beef, which was manufactured by Les Salaisons Desco Inc. (Est. 501), has tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. This meat also was the reason for yesterday's recall of Plaisirs Gastronomiques (PG) ready-to-eat sandwiches in the province of Québec.

The recalled roast beef was sold in Ontario in variable weight deli-style plastic bags at the following times and locations:

• Sharpe’s IGA, 85 Front Street N. Campbellford - October 3 to 12
  
• Lamantia’s Country Market, 50 William Street S, Lindsay - October 8 to 21
  
• Fisher Foodland, 990 Division Street, Cobourg - October 8 to 17
  
• Campbell Metcalfe Variety, 8196 Victoria Street, Metcalfe - October 2 to 21
  

Any of this meat that has not yet been eaten should be safely discarded out of reach of children. If you have been experiencing symptoms of listeriosis and you think you may have consumed some of this roast beef, contact your health care provider immediately. 

North Bay Outbreak Numbers Rise Again

The North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit reported this afternoon that the number of confirmed cases in this E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has risen to 35 lab-confirmed victims. The combined total of confirmed and suspect cases now stands at 158.

The total number of cases is now just one shy of the 159 total that was reported on Sunday. eFoodAlert has learned that the removal of 18 suspect cases from the Sunday total was due to the symptoms reported by those individuals not matching the typical symptoms associated with an E. coli o157:H7 infection. 

In addition to North Bay-Parry Sound, eight other health units in the province are investigating cases that may be part of this outbreak. The Ontario Ministry of Health, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Public Health Agency of Canada and Agency for Health Protection and Promotion are all involved in the investigation.

So far, investigators have not been able to key in on a single source. Food samples taken on October 12th, when Harvey's – the North Bay restaurant at the center of this investigation – closed, have all tested negative for E. coli O157:H7, according to a report by Colin Perkel of The Canadian Press.

The District Health Unit should soon be receiving the results of genetic fingerprinting of the E. coli O157:H7 recovered from the first batch of confirmed cases. If the outbreak strain matches a strain of E. coli O157:H7 recovered from another recent outbreak or from other sporadic cases elsewhere in Canada, this investigation will be on the road to success. But if the fingerprint does not match any other recently recovered E. coli o157:H7 isolate, the chances of finding the source of the North Bay outbreak will be considerably reduced.

As we found out during the Maple Leaf Listeria monocytogenes outbreak, Ontario does not have the capability of carrying out PFGE – genetic fingerprinting – analysis on bacteria. Unlike Québec, the province of Ontario relies on a federal lab, based in Winnipeg, for PFGE analyses. Even with overnight delivery of cultures, this can add days to the time required to obtain results.

Canada's largest province should invest in its own PFGE lab capabilities. In an outbreak investigation, time is always of the essence.

Norovirus Loves New Zealand – And Other Places, Too

If I didn't know better, I'd think that Norovirus had a special affinity for New Zealand – especially for the country's hospitals. 

Dunedin Hospital, the scene of a major Norovirus outbreak last August, has just been hit with another outbreak of gastroenteritis. Five patients and one staff member have been stricken with what is believed to be an infection with Norovirus, forcing the closure of orthopedic surgery ward. Some surgeries have been postponed. Although it will take a few days before lab tests confirm that Norovirus is the culprit, hospital staff and administrators aren't taking any chances.

Hutt Hospital, also, has been working to contain a suspected Norovirus outbreak. Seven patients in two adjacent medical wards were isolated after suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. Lab results are expected tomorrow, and the outbreak appears to have been contained.

In additional to these hospital outbreaks, the hospital section of St. Andrew's Village retirement home in Auckland was struck by a Norovirus outbreak that killed two elderly patients; nearly 20 patients and several staff members were infected by the virus and suffered typical symptoms of gastroenteritis. The two elderly patients were already ill when they became infected, and probably succumbed to the dehydration and debilitation that resulted from their symptoms. 

New Zealand's Norovirus outbreaks aren't limited to hospitals and retirement homes. Recently, the virus has been responsible for an outbreak of gastroenteritis linked to contaminated raw oysters, and fifteen students at Lincoln University (Canterbury) fell ill just in time to avoid sitting exams.

Norovirus, however, hasn't limited its activities to New Zealand. This month alone, outbreaks of gastroenteritis due to this virus have been reported in Australia (Shepparton's public hospital), Ireland (Ennis General Hospital in Co. Clare), the UK (Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, and the Alex Hospital in Redditch) and the United States (Denison University in Granville, OH).

Norovirus is a highly infectious and very durable virus. The best way to contain an outbreak is confinement, cleaning and decontamination. The best way to prevent an outbreak – especially in a hospital setting or where large numbers of people congregate – is scrupulous attention to sanitation, safe food handling, and personal hygiene.

Roast Beef Sandwiches Recalled: Listeria monocytogenes

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning consumers in the province of Québec not to eat certain Plaisirs Gastronomiques (PG) brand roast beef sandwiches. The sandwiches were made using roast beef from Les Salaisons Desco Inc. (Est 501) that was found to contain Listeria monocytogenes.

All date codes – up to and including 2008 OC 26 – of the following sandwiches have been recalled:

• Bistro Fresh Submarine Roastbeef & Monterey Jack, 255 g (UPC 6 23798 00533 2)
  
• Pita Roastbeef Monterey Jack, 250 g (UPC 6 23798 00543 1)
  
• Sandwich Beef Garlic & Chili on Flax Bread, 180 g (UPC 6 23798 00562 2)
  

This is the second recall of a meat product from Les Salaisons Desco so far this month. On October 8th, we reported that the company had recalled two batches of Dunn's Famous brand Smoked Meat, also due to contamination by Listeria monocytogenes. It's likely that CFIA has been conducting a systematic investigation of the Desco facility and products since that initial recall.

If you think that you may have eaten one of the recalled sandwiches, and you begin to experience symptoms of listeriosis, contact your health care provider immediately. While an infection with Listeria monocytogenes usually produces only mild gastroenteritis or flu-like symptoms, some people – the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and immuno-compromised individuals – are liable to experience severe, life-threatening illnesses as a result of an infection with this pathogen.

For more information on this recall, consumers can contact CFIA, toll-free, at 1-800-442-2342, between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00 pm (EDT) Monday to Friday.

Happy Valley Dairies (New Zealand) Recalls Milk

This morning, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority advised consumers not to drink milk produced by Happy Valley Dairies on or after October 15th, as the milk may be contaminated with E. coli, a normal inhabitant of the large intestine. Most E. coli are innocuous, but a few serotypes – E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O111, among others – may cause serious gastrointestinal illnesses.

NZDSA has directed the dairy to recall all milk produced on or after October 15th, and is investigating the dairy's other products to determine whether the contamination is more widespread. Consumers who purchased the recalled milk – identified by batch dates of 151008 and later, and use by dates on or after 28 October 2008 – should return it to the place of purchase for a refund.

Happy Vally Dairies is a small, vertically integrated dairy company, owned and operated by Frans and Jeanine Venekamp. The couple owns and milks their own dairy herd, and processes the milk right next door to the milking shed. In fact, the milking shed and processing areas, while physically separated from each other, are both under the same roof. The Venekamp's received approval from NZFSA for this unusual physical arrangement in May 2007. 

As it is killed easily by pasteurization, the presence of E. coli in pasteurized milk indicates either contamination of the milk after pasteurization, or a breakdown in pasteurization controls. It's easy to imagine contamination being carried from the milking shed into a processing area that is located in the same structure.

The Venekamp's take great pride in the quality of their dairy products. Five of their butter and yogurt products were short-listed for the prestigious 2008 Massey University Food Awards. But quality – taste, texture, aroma, etc. – and safety are not synonymous. Safety requires assiduous attention to critical control points (pasteurization time and temperature), equipment maintenance, and proper sanitation.

In the face of two different recalls in the space of a week, NZFSA can be expected to review all aspects of the Happy Valley operation very carefully. I would expect that the dairy will be "asked" to shut down temporarily while the review is carried out. NZFSA probably will allow Happy Valley to resume operations under more stringent conditions – perhaps requiring that the milking shed be located in a completely separate structure, for example.

Encouraging boutique food processing operations such as the Happy Valley Dairies is commendable. But a small operation has the same responsibility to produce a safe food item as a large processor. Let's hope the Venekamp's and NZFSA learn the appropriate lessons from this recall.

Hartz and Wal-Mart Recall Rawhide Treats

FDA released a recall notice this evening covering the Hartz Mountain recall that we reported on yesterday.

To reiterate: Hartz has recalled one production lot of Hartz Chicken-Basted Rawhide Chips due to the possibility that one or more bags of the dog treats may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The recalled Rawhide Chips were packaged in 2-pound bags, marked with lot code JC23282, and UPC number 3270096463. The recalled product was supplied to Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart has posted a recall notice on its web site, and Hartz has taken steps to have the product withdrawn from retail stores and distribution centers.

Dog owners who purchased these treats are requested to discontinue their use and to discard them in a safe manner. Consumers can contact Hartz toll-free at 1-800-275-1414 for more information on this recall, or to arrange for reimbursement for the recalled treats.

North Bay Shrinks; Snohomish Grows

The magnitude of the North Bay E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has decreased slightly, according to today's news release from the North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit. The district now puts the tally at 141 cases, 28 of which are lab-confirmed for E. coli O157:H7. The 18-case reduction came after health investigators determined that those individuals were not part of the outbreak.

The daily releases from the District Health Unit are frustratingly vague. Notably, the definition of "confirmed" and "suspect" is unclear. No mention has been made of genetic fingerprinting of the E. coli O157:H7 isolated from patients. Were the 18 cases eliminated, for example, because they were infected with a different strain of E. coli O157:H7, or were they suffering from a completely unrelated cause of gastroenteritis?

All of the illnesses appear to be linked to the same North Bay restaurant, although some of the cases may be secondary infections transmitted to a family member or care-giver. There has not yet been a breakthrough in the investigation into the source of the outbreak. And, as was the case in the Oklahoma E. coli O111 outbreak, the longer it takes, the less likely it is that a probable source will be found. The District Medical Officer of Health already has cautioned the public that we may never know what caused the outbreak.

While the North Bay investigation limps along, there is a growing outbreak of suspected E. coli gastroenteritis in Snohomish County, Washington. 

The Snohomish Health District reported today that it is investigating a cluster of 14 possible cases of E. coli infection. All of the victims fell ill in a one-week period between October 7 and October 14. No common source has been determined yet, and lab confirmation of the infections is still in progress. 

Victims have reported symptoms of bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps, with little or no fever. These symptoms are consistent with E. coli O157:H7. They can also be the result of an infection with other E. coli serotypes that generate similar toxins – E. coli O111, for example. 

The outbreaks – like the microbes that cause them – keep multiplying.

The China Syndrome: Australia Announces Product Withdrawals

The Australian importers of two more dairy based food items from China have withdrawn products from sale.

Orion brand Tiramisu Italian Cake with Cheese Cream and Dali Yuan brand First Milk vanilla flavoured drink both have been withdrawn from sale after the Australian government detected low levels of melamine in samples of the items. All production lot codes and date codes have been withdrawn, and retailers have been advised to remove the products from sale.

No consumer-level recall has been announced. Consumers are asked to dispose of these products safely in a manner that will prevent their consumption by children or pets.

These latest withdrawals bring the total number of withdrawn or recalled Chinese-produced food items to six, including White Rabbit candy, Cadbury Eclairs, Lotte Koala biscuits, and Kirin milk tea.

The China Syndrome: Beyond Dairy

USA Today reports that 1,500 dogs in northeast China have died as a result of kidney stones after consuming melamine-contaminated animal feed. The cause of death was determined by necropsy (animal autopsy); kidney stones removed from the dogs were composed of 25% melamine by weight.

This story will resonate with pet owners in the US and Canada. Melamine-adulterated wheat gluten and rice protein imported from China was responsible for the deaths of more than 300 cats and dogs, and the illness of thousands more in 2007. Menu Foods – a major manufacturer and co-packer of pet food – and the pet food companies that it serviced were forced to recall hundreds of production lots of pet foods as a result of the adulteration.

Taiwan has reported melamine in ammonium bicarbonate – a leavening agent – imported from mainland China. Ammonium bicarbonate is used in the manufacture of baked goods such as crackers, cookies, and some breads. It is also added to seaweed and octopus to make them more chewy. 

The Hebei Province (China) supplier of the ammonium bicarbonate said that it was looking into how its product might have become contaminated. It appears, though, that the problem is not limited to just one chemical company. The China Post report indicates that ammonium bicarbonate from a second manufacturer also has been found to contain melamine.

Mitsui & Co. (Japan) has detected melamine in egg powder that it imported from mainland China. The Japanese company carried out its tests after being informed by its Chinese supplier that there was melamine in the egg powder and also in the company's poultry feed. Egg powder is used to produce mayonnaise and salad dressings. It is also an ingredient in a wide variety of baked goods and other foods. The Japanese Health Ministry also detected melamine in frozen fried chicken from China.

On October 18th, Hong Kong reported finding melamine in two varieties of Munchy's Mini Crackers. The baked crackers, manufactured by Munchy Food Industries, were imported from Malaysia. But the CEO of Munchy, C.K. Tan, insists that his company does not use any Chinese dairy products to manufacture their crackers and wafers. 

Could ammonium bicarbonate, a common leavening agent for crackers and wafers, be the culprit here, too? The Malaysian Health Ministry, concerned about the possible contamination of buns and breads, reportedly is looking into this newly recognized source of melamine contamination.

So far, very little notice has been taken of this expanded melamine threat outside of Asia. Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, and the United States are all focusing their attention on products that contain a dairy ingredient. Last Friday, though, Canada announced that it was extending its Border Alert to include "... dairy ingredients and soybean meal originating from China intended for use as livestock feed..." 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will detain these items at the Port of Entry unless the importer can provide a clean certificate of analysis – no detectable melamine or cyanuric acid – from a lab accredited by the Standards Council of Canada. Shipments that are not accompanied by such a certificate will be held until CFIA carries out its own lab analysis.

China's melamine adulteration problem clearly has spread its tentacles well beyond the dairy sector. It's time for countries that import foods, food ingredients, and animal feeds from the People's Republic of China to recognized the risk and act to protect their citizens by following Canada's lead, and by extending this approach to encompass all imports from China that are destined for animal feed or human consumption.

Based on past experience, there is no reason to believe that China will clean up its act, unless it is pressured to do so by its international customers.

Hartz Mountain Recalls Rawhide Chips

The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Hartz Mountain Corporation has recalled one batch of chicken-based rawhide chips for dogs due to the possibility that some bags may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The recalled treats, which were distributed to a national retail customer, are packaged in 2-pound bags bearing lot code JC23282 and UPC 32700 96463.

According to the story carried in the Inquirer, Hartz Mountain's own testing, carried out by an independent lab, did not detect Salmonella in the finished product. But a separate test, carried out by a different lab, found the pathogen in a bag of the rawhide chips. Hartz is investigating the discrepancy in test results.

This is the second Salmonella-related recall initiated by Hartz Mountain this year. The company recalled two production lots of its "Vitamin Care for Cats" in March 2008, after FDA detected Salmonella in the vitamin product. Hartz initiated a lawsuit against its vitamin supplier last month, claiming that the manufacturer, UFAC (USA) Inc. had supplied it with a Salmonella-contaminated product. Hartz is seeking $1 million in damages from UFAC in the lawsuit.

Hartz has not identified the "national retail customer" who received the recalled rawhide chips, nor has it explained why a second laboratory analyzed a sample of the product. FDA has not yet released any information on this recall.

If you have purchased the recalled lot code of Hartz chicken-based rawhide chips, please do not feed them to your dog. They should be returned to the place of purchase for a refund. If you learn the name of the retail store chain that stocks this item, please leave a comment at the end of this post.

E. coli O157:H7 – North Bay And Elsewhere

The  number of cases in the North Bay, Ontario E. coli O157:H7 outbreak has increased to 159 confirmed and suspected cases, according to a news release from the North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit. This is up from yesterday's reported total of 146 cases.

Twenty-six of the cases have been lab-confirmed as E. coli O157:H7, and the 159 cases are now spread over seven health districts, including North Bay-Parry Sound, Algoma, Sudbury, Timmins, Simcoe and Toronto. 

A CBC news report suggests that the location of North Bay at the intersection of Hwy 11 and Hwy 17 – two branches of the Trans Canada Highway – may have contributed to the dissemination of this outbreak to other parts of Ontario.

As we hinted at yesterday, the North Bay news releases are starting to take on the same tone as the daily news updates in last month's Oklahoma E. coli O111 outbreak. In today's update, the District Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Catherine Whiting, offered the following caution.

"We are doing everything we can to look for the specific source of the E. coli. However, in the majority of these types of outbreaks, despite everyone’s best efforts, the specific source is never found.”

This fall has produced a bumper crop of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks in the United States and Canada. In addition to recent outbreaks in Michigan, Illinois, Colorado, Vermont and North Bay, health officials in Snohomish County, Washington and Lee County, Iowa also are investigating flare-ups.

As for the North Bay outbreak, the District Health unit points out that the rate of new cases seems to have fallen, signaling that the outbreak may have passed its peak. That's the good news. The bad news is that the shorter-lived the outbreak, the harder it can be to pinpoint the source.

Bottled Water, Fruit Drinks Recalled In France

The French Ministry of Health announced on Friday the recall of several brands and varieties of bottled water, and fruit-based sodas due to the presence of low levels of ethyl-tert-butyl-ether, a gasoline additive.

The additive was detected by the beverage manufacturer in spring water used to produce the bottled water and sodas. According to the Ministry of Health, while the risk to public health is low, consumers should not drink the following recalled beverages. 

• Eau de Source "Source des Oliviers" – "Source des Oliviers" Spring Water: Best before dates of 02/10/2009 to 15/10/2009 inclusive, followed by the hour of production and the code "G6"
  
• Oasis Tropical (2 litres): Best before dates of 30/04/2009 to 15/05/2009 inclusive, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G"
  
• Oasis Tropical (box): Best before dates of 06/10/2009 to 15/10/2009 inclusive, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G"
  
• Oasis Agrumes – Oasis Citrus (2 litres): Best before date of 30/03/2009, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G" 
  
• Oasis Orange (2 litres): Best before dates of 30/03/2009 to 11/04/2009 inclusive, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G"
  
• Oasis Ananas – Oasis Pineapple (2 litres): Best before date of 31/03/2009, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G"
  
• OASIS Pomme/Cassis/Framboise – Oasis Apple/Black-current/Raspberry (box): Best before dates of 07/10/2009 to 10/10/2009 inclusive, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G"
  
• Oasis Pomme/Cassis/Framboise – Oasis Apple/Black-current/Raspberry (2 litres): Best before dates of 10/04/2009 to 11/04/2009 inclusive, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G"
  
• Oasis Multifruit (2 litres): Best before date of 05/04/2009, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G"
  
• Oasis Pêche/Abricot – Oasis Peach/Apricot (2 litres): Best before date of 06/04/2009, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G"
  
• Grand Jury Agrumes – Grand Jury Citrus (2 litres): Best before date of 31/03/2009, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G"
  
• Champion Agrumes – Champion Citrus (2 litres): Best before date of 31/03/2009, followed by the hour of production and the letter "G"
  
• Taillefine Fiz Pêche Orange – Taillefine Fiz Peach Orange (1,5 litres): Best before date of 04/04/2009, followed by the hour of production and the code "L3". This beverage is sold only at Auchan markets
  
• Taillefine Fiz Fruits Rouges – Taillefine Fiz Red Fruits (1,5 litres): Best before date of 04/04/2009, followed by the hour of production and the code "L3". This beverage is sold only at Auchan markets.
  
• Taillefine Thé Vert Menthe – Taillefine Mint Green Tea  (1,5 litres): Best before date of 03/04/2009, followed by the hour of production and the code "L3" 
  
• Taillefine Thé Pêche – Taillefine Peach Tea (1,5 litres): Best before date of 03/04/2009, followed by the hour of production and the code "L3"
  

Brands, flavors, dates and codes not mentioned above are not part of this recall. 

The source of the contamination is still under investigation by the company and by the appropriate government authorities.

North Bay, Ontario: E. coli Déjà Vu?

A large number of patrons of a single restaurant fall ill within a short time window. A broad range in victims' ages – 1 year to 90 years. Water supply has been checked and cleared. No answers on the source.

If this is starting to sound familiar, you probably were reading my posts last month on the Oklahoma restaurant-associated outbreak of E. coli O111. Except that, this time, we are dealing with E. coli O157:H7, and the outbreak is taking place in and around North Bay, Ontario.

The North Bay outbreak has expanded to include 146 confirmed and suspect cases. The illnesses have been linked to a Harvey's restaurant outlet in North Bay. But that's as far as the District Health Office's epidemiologists have progressed.

Samples of municipal drinking water – the restaurant did NOT use well water – have been tested and cleared. The employees are being questioned, and have cooperated in the investigation; stool samples are being analyzed. Victims have been interviewed. No clear source of the pathogen has yet emerged.

Of the 146 victims, 24 have been lab-confirmed for E. coli O157:H7. Some have been hospitalized, but most are recovering at home. Six other Ontario health units – including Algoma, Porcupine, and Sudbury – are now investigating cases of gastroenteritis that may be linked to the North Bay outbreak. 

Unless the genetic fingerprint of the North Bay outbreak strain is matched to a strain of E. coli O157:H7 that was isolated elsewhere – perhaps, Aunt Mid's lettuce? – the North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit might have no more success in tracing the source of the outbreak strain than did the investigators of the Oklahoma E. coli O111 outbreak.

Québec Recalls Creamed Carrots

The Québec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) is advising consumers that "crème de carottes"/creamed carrots, produced and sold by Les Jardins de la Colline SENC (1032, rue Pierre-Laporte, Brigham, QC) is contaminated with Bacillus cereus and should not be eaten.

The creamed carrots were sold in 16 oz. plastic containers at Les Jardins de la Colline's Brigham location. All lot codes and production dates are affected by this recall.

Bacillus cereus produces two different toxins, one of which causes rapid onset of nausea and vomiting (similar to Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin), while the other causes less rapid onset of watery diarrhea and abdominal cramps (similar to Clostridium perfringens).

Consumers should return the recalled product to Les Jardins de la Colline for a refund. Under no circumstances should the creamed carrots be consumed.

The China Syndrome: Lotte USA Recalls Biscuits

FDA advised consumers yesterday evening that Lotte USA, Inc. (Battle Creek, MI) recalled all Koala March cookies on September 29th, because of the possibility of melamine contamination. The cookies were distributed in the United States and Canada through wholesale distributors and retail stores.

The following list of products has been recalled:

• Koala March King Size Chocolate: 1.8 oz/50 grams; UPC 0 81900 00001 7
  
• Koala March King Size Strawberry: 1.8 oz/50 grams; UPC 0 81900 00007 9
  
• Koala March King Size White Chocolate: 1.8 oz/50 grams; UPC 0 81900 00011 6
  
• Koala March Family Pack Chocolate: 9.5 oz/270 grams; UPC 0 81900 08001 9
  
• Koala March Family Pack Strawberry: 9.5 oz/270 grams; UPC 0 81900 08002 6
  
• Koala March Family Pack White Chocolate: 9.5 oz/270 grams; UPC 0 81900 08011 8
  
• Koala March Family Pack Chestnut: 9.5 oz/270 grams; UPC 0 81900 08010 1
  
• Koala March Family Hawaii Chocolate: 9.5 oz/270 grams; UPC 0 81900 08003 3
  
• Koala March Family Hawaii Pineapple: 9.5 oz/270 grams; UPC 0 81900 08004 0
  

By the way, we predicted the North American recall of Koala March cookies on September 28th – the day before Lotte USA, Inc. made its announcement. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency advised Canadians of this recall on September 30th. 

What took FDA so long to alert US consumers to this nationwide recall of melamine-contaminated biscuits?

North Bay, Ontario E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak Grows

The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in North Bay, Ontario has grown to 131 cases. Twenty-two people have been confirmed by lab analysis to have been infected with E. coli O157:H7. An additional 22 people are still under investigation. It's unclear from the most recent reported posted released by the North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit what the status is of the other 87 cases.

While most of the victims are in North Bay, an unspecified number of the 131 cases have been reported from four other health districts. The Algoma, Porcupine and Sudbury Health Units all are investigating illnesses that may be related to this outbreak.

Although the outbreak has been traced to a specific restaurant – Harvey's – in North Bay, there is no news yet as to the source of the E. coli O157:H7. The restaurant has been closed since Sunday evening, and restaurant employees are cooperating in the investigation. 

Although most healthy adults can shrug off an infection with E. coli O157:H7 as an unpleasant inconvenience, children are especially at risk of both short-term complications – hemolytic uremic syndrome – and long-term chronic aftereffects. 

E. coli O157:H7 is not to be taken lightly, especially when it strikes children and the elderly. A follow-up study of victims of the Walkerton, Ontario E. coli O157:H7 outbreak was just released. The seven-year study found that 22 children who were infected in 2000 developed permanent kidney damage. Anyone who experiences symptoms consistent with E. coli O157:H7, including diarrhea – especially bloody diarrhea – stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, should be seen by a doctor without delay.

The China Syndrome: UK Recalls Kinky Candies

The Food Standards Agency is advising consumers that several novelty products imported from China are contaminated with melamine at levels as high as 256ppm, and have been recalled.

The novelty products, which were manufactured in China and imported by Scobie (Llarn) Ltd., were sold to a number of Ann Summers locations. Ann Summers is a purveyor of sex toys, lingerie and other novelty items.

The recalled items are described as follows:

I Love you' pen set containing:

• Chocolate body pen, 40g (Best before end: May 2010)
  
• Strawberry body pen, 40g (Best before end: May 2010)
  
• Chocolate flavoured willy spread, 40g (Best before end: May 2010)
  
• Chocolate flavoured nipple spread, 40g (Best before end: May 2010)

These items should be discarded or returned to the store for a refund.

Allergy Alert: Canadian Veggie Burgers Recalled

New World Natural Foods (Burnaby, BC) is recalling 340-gram packages of Tofu Burgers, Vegi Burgers and Lentil Burgers, due to the presence of undeclared sesame seeds or soy in the burgers. The recalled burgers were distributed in Vancouver, BC.

The recall covers the following items:

• Tofu Burger (undeclared sesame seed): UPC 0 59443 00656 8; Lot code 3406
  
• Vegi Burger (undeclared soy): UPC 0 59443 00652 0; no lot code
  
• Lentil Burger (undeclared soy): UPC 0 59443 00651 3; no lot code
  

Individuals who are allergic to soy or sesame may experience a severe – even life-threatening – reaction shortly after consuming one of these products. 

For more information on this recall, consumers can contact Kulwant Bagga, of New World Natural Foods at (778) 989-5840.

Vermont Processor Recalls Contaminated Meat

Vermont Livestock, Slaughter and Processing Co., LLC (Ferrisburg, VT) has recalled 2,758 pounds of ground beef that has been linked to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in the state. The ground beef was distributed to restaurants and institutions in Vermont and in Plattsburgh, NY. The meat was not shipped to retail stores.

The investigation began after the Vermont Department of Health received reports in early October of E. coli O157:H7 infections among residents in, and visitors to, Chittenden and Washington counties. Analysis by state epidemiologists pointed investigators to undercooked ground beef eaten at several different restaurants.

At last count, ten people have been confirmed to have been infected by E. coli O157:H7. At least seven of the ten were infected by the same strain, based on genetic fingerprinting of the pathogen. 

The recalled meat was processed on  Sept. 5, 8, 12, 19 and 22. It is labeled with Est. 9558 inside the USDA inspection seal, and with lot codes  "090508A," "090808A," "091208A," "091908A" or "092208A." The meat is shipped two packages per box, and each package bears the following description:

• 5-pound approximate weight vacuum packages of "VT BURGER CO GROUND BEEF."
  

Neither the state of Vermont nor USDA has released the names of the restaurants that purchased and served the recalled beef. Anyone who has consumed a burger – especially one that was underdone – at a restaurant in Vermont or in Plattsburgh, NY since late September, and who has experienced symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 infection, should contact a medical practitioner and the Vermont or New York State Department of Health immediately.

E. coli O157:H7 - A Peripatetic Pathogen

We now have at least five outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 with overlapping time frames. One has to wonder how much of this is coincidence, and how much is due to a common food item.

The Michigan, et al. Outbreak

This outbreak, which has involved at least 50 people (38 in Michigan, 9 in Ohio and 3 in Canada), was linked epidemiologically to bagged, pre-washed iceberg lettuce grown in California and supplied by Aunt Mid's Produce Company of Detroit. Outbreak victims consumed the chopped or shredded lettuce in restaurants and food service outlets – including dining facilities on the campus of Michigan State University. Aunt Mid's, in spite of abundant epidemiological evidence, denies that their lettuce was the source of the outbreak. The Company bases its denial on the inability of investigators to detect the outbreak strain in packages of their lettuce, or in their processing environment. The Michigan Department of Community Health has given Aunt Mid's the go-ahead to resume operations.

The Boulder, Colorado Outbreak

The Boulder Public Health Department has traced an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 to the Boulder franchise location of Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches. The sub and sandwich shop has been fingered as the most likely source of the outbreak, which has sickened 18 people, according to recent reports. One of the outbreak victims – a University of Colorado student who was hospitalized twice as a result of her infection – has launched a lawsuit against Jimmy John's.

The Kansas Outbreak

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is investigating the deaths of two children in different parts of the state. Both children were infected with E. coli O157:H7, but the infections were unrelated to each other – each was due to a different strain of the pathogen. The state has not yet established the source of either infection.

The Vermont Outbreak

We reported yesterday that the State of Vermont was investigating ten cases of E. coli O157:H7, at least seven of which are all due to the same strain. A report in today's Burlington Free Press indicates that two more cases have been identified – bringing the total to 12 – and that the outbreak has been traced to a single source of ground beef, which was distributed to a few restaurants in the state.

The North Bay, Ontario Outbreak

The North Bay-Parry Sound District Health Unit is dealing with an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that has grown to include 93 victims – 15 of them lab-confirmed – so far. Seventy-five of the victims ate at the same Harvey's Restaurant outlet in North Bay. Harvey's is a Canadian fast food burger franchise, with outlets in seven provinces. The Health Unit has not yet identified a probable food source for the outbreak.

Coincidence or Correlation?

There's a reasonable chance that the Michigan and Colorado outbreaks are related. In fact, we suggested that possibility last Friday. Lettuce is an ingredient in many – if not most – sandwiches and subs, while it would be less likely for Jimmy John's to serve undercooked beef. The Kansas outbreak clearly is coincidental – two isolated cases caused by two different strains – as is the Vermont outbreak, which now has been linked to undercooked ground beef from a single source. 

As for the Harvey's outbreak in North Bay, Ontario, the jury is still out. Undercooked ground beef is an obvious possibility – this is a burger chain, after all. But Harvey's also offers a garden salad side dish. Hold the lettuce, anyone?

The China Syndrome: Canada Recalls Mengniu Milk

Haofine International Trading Inc. (Edmonton, AB) is recalling Mengniu brand Strawberry Flavour Sour Milk Beverage, because it contains melamine.

There is no English or French labeling on the packaging. The recalled product was sold only in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and is described as follows:

Mengniu strawberry flavour sour milk beverage; 250 mL; Production date code 20071113/X 20205//kcf; UPC 6 923644 242930

The recall comes as a result of CFIA's ongoing investigations into milk-derived products from China.

For more information on this – and other – food safety issues, consumers can contact CFIA toll-free at 1-800-442-2342 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, EDT, Monday through Friday.

Sandhill Cranes, Campylobacter and Alaskan Peas

A little more than one month ago, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported that they were investigating an outbreak of Campylobacter gastroenteritis. The outbreak, which had sickened 32 people in July and August, was limited to the area in and around Anchorage.

According to the final outbreak report, released one week ago today, at least 99 people either were lab-confirmed to be infected with Campylobacter, or were diagnosed clinically as suffering from Campylobacter gastroenteritis, without lab confirmation. During the course of being interviewed, outbreak victims reported having eaten raw peas from an Alaskan producer no more than 10 days before developing their first symptoms.

Alaska has just one pea producer – Mat-Valley Peas – and the peas eaten by outbreak victims were traced back to this farm. According to an article in the Anchorage Daily News, Mat-Valley sells shelled peas in 5-lb and 10-lb bags, with appropriate cooking instructions. But some retailers apparently repackaged the peas into smaller packages, and omitted the cooking instructions.

Mat-Valley, however, isn't off the hook. An inspection of the farm and packaging operation uncovered some serious problems. The field in which the peas were grown also was home to a flock of Sandhill Cranes. Several strains of Campylobacter were isolated from Sandhill Crane feces recovered from the field, from fresh-picked peas from the field, and from a mound of peas piled outside the processing building. And the water used in the pea shelling/processing operation contained no residual chlorine.

Operations at Mat-Valley were shut down and any remaining product was recalled. The state is working with the operator of Mat-Valley to correct the problems that were uncovered during the investigation.

While Campylobacter is one of the most common food-borne pathogens, this outbreak was unusual in a couple of respects:

• The outbreak involved a normally cooked vegetable that was eaten raw by the outbreak victims;
  
• The traceback was simplified by the presence of just a single local producer of the implicated food; and
  
• Unlike most outbreaks, which involve just a single outbreak strain, there were several distinct strains of Campylobacter recovered both from victims and from the Crane feces.
  

All of the victims of this outbreak recovered from their illnesses, although one person developed Guillain-Barré syndrome, a secondary illness that occasionally follows a Campylobacter infection.

E. coli O157:H7 - Vermont's Intrusive "Leaf Peeper"

The Vermont Department of Health has confirmed nine cases of E. coli O157:H7 gastroenteritis in the state; one additional suspect case awaits lab confirmation. Two of the victims are children over the age of five.

Seven of the nine confirmed victims have been infected by the identical strain of E. coli O157:H7. Genetic fingerprint results in the other two confirmed cases are pending.

We reported last weekend that four apparent E. coli O157:H7 infections were reported in Chittenden County, and three in Washington County. Those numbers – already up since our last report – may continue to rise, since primary health care providers have been alerted to watch for and report additional suspect cases.

Epidemiological investigations have pointed an accusatory finger at undercooked ground beef, served at several different restaurants. But restaurants may not have been the only recipients of the contaminated meat. According to today's news release by the state, USDA is investigating  "... product processing and distribution."

There's still no news of the final retail destinations to which the recalled Nicaraguan frozen beef trim was shipped. Could there be a connection?

Rosé Sauce Recalled In Québec

Malibu Gourmet (5751, rue Monkland, Montréal, QC) has recalled all batches and date codes of Malibu brand Sauce Rosée - Rosé Sauce. The recall is undertaken in cooperation with the Québec Ministry of Agriculture (MAPAQ) and the City of Montréal Division of Food Inspection.

The recalled sauce was displayed for sale without refrigeration and was not prepared in a manner that would guarantee its safety for human consumption. The sauce was packaged in 1-liter glass jars (Mason-type jars).

Products sold in hermetically sealed containers and stored/displayed at room temperature may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum and the production of botulinum toxin, a potent neurotoxin that can cause paralysis and death. These types of products must be prepared and packaged under carefully controlled conditions to ensure that any spores of Clostridium botulinum are killed during processing.

Under no circumstances should this sauce be consumed. Customers who purchased the recalled product should return it to the store for a full refund.

Another Cheese Recall in Québec

The Québec Ministry of Agriculture (MAPAQ) advised consumers yesterday that Fruits & Légumes Notre Dame Nature (104, boulevard Industriel, Repentigny, QC) has recalled all cheeses sold at its location between October 7 and October 10, inclusive, due to possible contamination by Listeria monocytogenes.

The recalled cheeses were sold in variable sized packages with no batch numbers.

Consumers who purchased cheese from Fruits & Légumes Notre Dame Nature between October 7th and October 10th, inclusive should either discard the cheese or return it to the store for a full refund.

Allergy Alert: Australian Gourmet Spices

Menora Foods Pty. Ltd. (Victoria, Australia), an Australian importer of Israeli foods, has recalled two batch codes of Menora brand Gourmet Spices – Garam Masala, due to the presence of an undeclared allergen. Garam Masala is an Indian-style spice blend used in cooking.

The product was sold in 20g plastic packets, labeled with Batch No. 26108 or 26208, at the following states and locations:

• South Australia: Woolworths, IGA
  
• Victoria: IGA, Ritchies
  
• New South Wales: IGA, Franklins, Ritchies
  
• Queensland: Royal Foods Pty Ltd.
  

The recalled batches of Garam Masala contain sesame, which was not declared on the package label. Individuals who are allergic to sesame may experience serious reactions after ingesting a product containing this food allergen.

Consumers who purchased one of the recalled batches of Menora Gourmet Spices - Garam Masala should return the product to the store for a refund.

New Zealand Dairy Recalls Yogurt

Happy Valley Dairies (Tuatapere, New Zealand) has recalled Batch No. 071008 of Happy Valley Dairies brand Natural Unsweetened Yogurt, Strawberry Yogurt and Apricot Yogurt after Listeria monocytogenes was confirmed in a sample of the product.

The yogurts, which are packaged in 500 mL and 1 Kg bottles, are sold in retail outlets and Farmers' Markets in Southland.

No illnesses have been reported, but consumers should not use the recalled products. While Listeria monocytogenes usually produces only a mild gastrointestinal or flu-like illness in adults, it can cause life-threatening illnesses in the elderly, young children, pregnant women and immuno-compromised individuals. Pregnant women infected with Listeria monocytogenes may miscarry or transmit the infection to their fetus in the womb.

Consumers should return the recalled yogurt to the place of purchase for a full refund, and can contact Happy Valley Dairies at 03226942 for more information.

Flour Recall: Too Much of a Good Thing

Updated October 14, 2008

This recall notice, which was first published on October 11th, has been updated based on new distribution information just released by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Specifically, the recalled flour was distributed only in Ontario – not nationally, as first reported by CFIA. And the list of retail outlets through which the recalled flour was sold also has been amended. The updated information is indicated in red, below.

Prairie Flour Mills Ltd. (Elie, Manitoba) has recalled "no-name" all-purpose flour, which was enriched with an excess of several nutrients.

The flour, which contains excessively high concentrations of folic acid, iron, niacin, riboflavin and thiamine, is sold in 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) bags bearing lot codes beginning with 125J and UPC 0 60383 01375 2. The recalled flour was distributed in Ontario only through the following grocery store chains: No Frills, Cash and Carry, Freshmart, Fortinos, Zehrs, Real Canadian Superstore, Loblaws, Independents, Valu-Mart and Your Independent Grocer.

There have been four reports of adverse reactions linked to the use of the flour. According to the CFIA Health Hazard Alert, consuming normal amounts of items (such as bread or cake) made from the over-enriched flour may produce an overdose of iron and niacin, resulting in flushing of the skin (red colour, warm feeling and/or itching), nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. 

According to the Merck Manual, "[e]xcess iron consumed all at once causes vomiting, diarrhea, and damage to the intestine and other organs. Excess iron consumed over a period of time may damage coronary arteries."

Consumers are advised not to use even small quantities of the recalled flour. It should be either discarded or returned to the store for a refund.

Allergy Alert: Undeclared Sulfites in Dried Radishes

JFC International, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) has announced a recall of Kyosai Sengiri Daikon brand Dried Radishes due to the presence of undeclared sulfites.

The recalled item – a product of China – is packaged in 3.5-ounce clear plastic packages, carrying UPC 0 11152 42327 2, and is distributed nationally. No lot number or date code information was provided in the recall notice. Consumers, therefore, should assume that the recall covers all lots and date codes of the dried radishes.

JFC initiated the recall after the Florida State Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Food Safety found sulfites in a sample of the product. While sulfites are a permitted food ingredient if declared on the label, consumers who are sensitive to sulfites may suffer a severe reaction upon eating an item that contains this chemical.

Consumers who purchased the recalled item are urged to return it to the store for a refund. For more information, contact JFC at 323-887-5232.

Allergy Alert: Kroger's Chocolate Chips Recalled

Barry Callebaut USA LLC has recalled Kroger Value Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips due to the possible presence of undeclared milk protein.

The recall was initiated after three consumers found milk chocolate chips in the 12-ounce packages of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Individuals who are allergic to milk protein could experience a severe reaction after eating an item that contains a dairy ingredient.

The recalled chocolate is described as follows:

• Kroger Value Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips, 12 oz., UPC Code is 11110–86603 and "sell by" date May 30, 2010
  

Kroger advises that the chocolate was sold in Kroger stores in the following areas:

Greater Memphis, TN, AR and MS; Houston, TX; Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Knoxville, TN area; Greater Louisville (including Indiana), Lexington and Nashville, TN; and North Carolina, Virginia, Eastern W.Va and Eastern KY.

Consumers may return the recalled chocolate chips to the store for a full refund. For answers to any questions regarding this recall, call Barry Callebaut, toll-free, at 866-678-5221.

 

The China Syndrome: Yili Milk Found in USA - Recalled

Hua Xia Food Trade USA, Inc. (Flushing, NY) has recalled all codes and lots of two Yili brand milk drinks, after FDA testing detected melamine in the beverages. Yili was one of the three major Chinese dairy companies implicated in the melamine-adulteration scandal.

The recalled items are described as follows:

• YILI Brand Sour Milk Drink is packaged in 250ml flexible paperboard boxes with blue, red and green Chinese writing. There is a picture of an Asian man in a green shirt and white tie clapping his hands on the face of the box. 
  
• YILI Brand Pure Milk Drink packaged in 250ml flexible paperboard boxes with black, red and white writing, the writing on the package is in both English and Chinese. There is a picture of two cows playing basketball on the face of the box. 
  

The milk drinks were distributed in New York City through Asian retail grocery stores.

Once again, all lots and date codes of these two beverages have been recalled. These items should be returned to the store for a full refund. Under no circumstances should these milk drinks be consumed – especially by children.

Consumers with questions about this recall may call Hua Xia Food Trade USA at (917) 216-0575.

Listeria monocytogenes Contaminates Australian Gelato

Bella Fantasia has recalled two varieties of gelato as a result of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The items were sold at retail in New South Wales, Australia. Bella Fantasia is an ice cream manufacturer and wholesaler with operations in the Greater Sydney area.

The recalled items are described as:

• Bella Fantasia 240mL Hazelnut Gelato; plastic cup with lid, Best before 26/02/09. 
  
• Bella Fantasia 3-pack Bacio Romantico Gelato; 375ml. 3 – serve deli pack, plastic long-roll tube, Best before 29/07/09.
  

Listeria monocytogenes may cause mild gastrointestinal or flu-like symptoms in healthy adults, but can cause serious – even life-threatening – complications in pregnant women, the very young, the elderly, and immune-suppressed individuals. A pregnant woman who become infected with Listeria monocytogenes may pass the infection to her fetus, resulting in stillbirth or in the birth of an infected, seriously ill baby. 

Consumers who purchased one of the recalled items should either discard it, or return it to the store for a full refund.

 

Stuffed Chicken Salmonella Outbreak - Follow-up

More than one week after Minnesota first reported the Salmonella outbreak, and more than one week after USDA issued its "Public Health Alert," the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is advising residents of the state "... to thoroughly cook raw chicken..."

According to a news release issued today, four Wisconsin residents are among the 32 people in 12 states who were infected by Salmonella Typhimurium after eating improperly cooked chicken entrées sold under the Milford Valley Farms brand name. The four victims, who live in three different counties, are described as two adult males, one adult female and one school-age male. 

The outbreak was detected and first reported by the Minnesota Department of Health on October 3rd, after 14 residents of the state were all confirmed to have been infected by a single strain of Salmonella. The offending foods included several production lots of two different varieties of "... raw, frozen, breaded and pre-browned, stuffed chicken entrees."

This is the sixth Salmonella outbreak associated with "ready-to-cook" raw chicken entrées that the state of Minnesota has tracked down in the last 10 years. The October 2008 issue of Journal of Food Protection includes an article that reviews four of those outbreaks, which occurred between 1998 and 2006. 

In the current outbreak, as well as in the older outbreaks described in the Journal article, most of the consumers who became ill reported cooking the entrées in a microwave. Many of the victims in the earliest outbreaks thought that the entrées were pre-cooked, and only required heating. As a result of the information obtained from those outbreak investigations, some companies modified their package labels to indicate more clearly that the entrées were raw. Also, instructions for microwave cooking were removed from the package labels of some entrées.

USDA does not consider Salmonella to be an adulterant in raw poultry. The agency's approach to this problem is to urge consumers to cook the entrées to an internal temperature of 165ºF, and to test the temperature of the entrée in several locations. This approach clearly is not working.

At the very least, package warning labels should be greatly strengthened. And producers of these ready-to-cook frozen entrées should be required to validate – and document their validation of – the cooking instructions printed on the packages.

Ready-to-cook raw entrées are convenience foods. It's too much to expect that the average consumer, who has paid a premium price to be able to simply pop a meal into the oven without any preparation, will spend time fussing with a meat thermometer. 

It's unlikely that USDA will succeed in reducing the incidence of Salmonella in raw poultry any time soon, so this problem isn't going to disappear. I'm not a big fan of irradiation as a solution to most food safety issues, but perhaps my arm can be twisted in this very specific instance. 

Another Canadian E. coli Outbreak?

The Ontario city of North Bay may be in the throes of an outbreak of E. coli – most likely, E. coli O157:H7, although the serotype isn't mentioned.

The North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit reports one confirmed case, and as many as 13 suspected cases under investigation. There is no indication, as yet, what the source of the infection may be, or whether it is linked to the confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 reported earlier this month in Chatham-Kent. 

The Chatham-Kent cases are part of an outbreak that has been linked to lettuce from California, which was distributed as bagged, pre-washed lettuce by Aunt Mid's Produce Company of Detroit.

The China Syndrome: One Month Later

One month ago today, the government of the People's Republic of China ordered the recall of 700 tonnes of Sanlu Bei Bei Infant Powder after the melamine-contaminated dairy powder was linked to the death of one baby and the illness of 50 more. The melamine had been added deliberately to fluid milk in order to boost its apparent protein content and meet dairy company purchasing standards.

In the space of just one month, what began as a Chinese food safety problem has engaged the attention and resources of food safety agencies around the world. It has triggered the toppling of industry and government officials in China. It has forced public health agencies to devote enormous resources to tracing dairy products imported from China and testing those foods for melamine. It has caused international health agencies and national governments to reappraise their standards for determining an allowable level of melamine in foods. It has taken a toll on the reputations of several international food brands. But, most importantly, it has taken a toll on the lives and health of more than 50,000 Chinese children and their families.

The Human Impact

According to the PRC government, melamine-adulterated milk products have killed four babies and sickened approximately 53,000 more. Those statistics have not been updated since we first reported them on September 22nd. A Reuters report, carried by CBC on October 8th, however, suggests that the adulteration may have been responsible for nearly 94,000 illnesses. The two hardest hit provinces – Henan and Hebei – account for almost half of the victims, with approximately 30,000 and 16,000 victims, respectively.

There have also been a scattering of illnesses outside mainland China. Hong Kong and Macau have reported a combined total of seven infants and children suffering from kidney stones.  Three children in Taiwan also were hospitalized for kidney stones after drinking melamine-adulterated milk from China.

Outside the region, there have been no illnesses reported so far. But North American families who adopted babies from the PRC are watching and waiting. One family in Nova Scotia, for example, has learned that their infant was fed Sanlu infant formula before being adopted. As of last week, the family was waiting to learn whether the formula given their adopted infant was one of the melamine-contaminated Sanlu brands. Meanwhile, they have taken their baby for medical tests in an effort to anticipate and prevent melamine-related health issues.

China's Regulatory Response

After a slow start, the PRC has taken several actions to contain the problem and repair its food safety reputation, including:

• The head of the country's food safety agency resigned; at least one other government official was fired, as was the Sanlu Group's general manager. 
  
• The government has detained or arrested 32 people in connection with the adulteration scheme so far.
  
• On Thursday, October 9th, the PRC issued a series of new quality control regulations for dairy products. These regulations include maximum permitted levels of melamine in liquid milk, milk powder and any food products that contain at least 15% milk. They also provide for regular inspections of dairy products, and stiff penalties for any individual or company caught violating the new regulations. 
  

International Regulatory Response

Countries on every continent (except Antarctica, of course) have reacted to the melamine adulteration problem in one or more ways:

• by banning – completely or selectively – milk or milk-containing products from China;
  
• by inspecting retail outlets to find and remove Chinese-made milk products;
  
• by sampling suspect products and conducting lab tests for melamine; 
  
• by issuing recalls of specific items shown to contain melamine; and
  
• by agreeing, in most cases, to a consistent international standard for maximum allowable levels of melamine.
  

Impact on Food Companies Worldwide

China's dairy companies have been hard-hit. Sanlu, Yili, and Mengniu were the best known among 22 milk companies that produced melamine-contaminated baby milk powder. Chinese food processors that used liquid milk or milk powder to produce items such as candies, biscuits and frozen dairy treats also felt the impact of the adulteration scandal. Brands such as White Rabbit, Mr. Brown, and Lotte Koala have been the objects of international recalls.

Food companies with headquarters outside of mainland China haven't been immune, either. Products manufactured in China – or manufactured elsewhere, but with a dairy ingredient from China – and sold under brand names that include Cadbury, Heinz and Nestlé also have been found to contain melamine, and have been withdrawn from sale, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

The Fonterra Fumble

The non-Chinese corporation with the most to lose – in reputation and in profits – from this international adulteration mess is New Zealand's Fonterra, the owner of a 43% stake in Sanlu.

We reported the sequence of events on September 15th, but the information bears repeating and expanding:

• Sanlu admitted to having received complaints as early as March 2008. 
  
• Sanlu advised its Board of Directors, which includes representatives of Fonterra, about the melamine problem on August 2, 2008.
  
• Fonterra advised New Zealand's embassy (in Beijing) of the problem on August 14, 2008.
  
• The embassy informed the New Zealand government of the problem only 17 days after being briefed by Fonterra.
  
• New Zealand's Prime Minister Clark was advised of the melamine contamination on September 5, 2008
  
• Clark convened a meeting of senior ministers on September 8th, and ordered them to press for a recall.
  
• The PRC announced a recall of Sanlu baby milk powder on September 11th.
  

While it was far from the only dairy company implicated in the melamine adulteration scandal, Sanlu's milk powder contained the highest level of melamine, by far – 2,563 ppm. And the company stands accused, not only of dragging its feet, but of trying to pay off the media to prevent news of the adulteration from leaking to the public.

Two Chinese families of sick babies who were fed Sanlu baby milk powder formula have filed lawsuits against the company for compensatory damages. There is, as yet, no indication of whether the government will allow those lawsuits to proceed. Meanwhile, Fonterra is discussing with the Chinese government how the New Zealand company can help to support the affected families financially.

What Next?

China must establish confidence in the international community that its food products are safe to eat. For obvious reasons, it has begun with the dairy industry. Earlier today, the Chinese government announced that it has tested more than 4,200 batches – representing 131 different brands – of liquid dairy foods produced after September 14th, and that every batch met the newly implemented melamine limit of 2.5 ppm for liquid milk and 1 ppm for infant formula. This is a first step.

For China to gain the confidence of international consumers, it must extend its new, strict food safety regulatory regime to all food products and animal feeds. And, by releasing timely, accurate information on food safety issues, it must provide convincing evidence that its new regime is working.

This cannot happen overnight. Until it does, foods containing ingredients made in China will be viewed with suspicion by consumers around the world.

New York Market Recalls Ground Beef

Market-in-the-Square (940 Union Rd., West Seneca, NY) has recalled "ground round" beef with a sell-by date of Sep 6,  2008 after the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets detected E. coli O157:H7 in a sample of the meat.

The potentially contaminated meat was sold at retail only through the Market-in-the-Square store in West Seneca. Anyone who has consumed this meat and experiences symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 gastroenteritis should contact a medical practitioner immediately. Children are especially susceptible to life-threatening complications such as kidney failure due to Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome as a result of an E. coli O157:H7 infection.

Consumers who purchased the recalled meat should either discard it or return it to Market-in-the-Square for a full refund.

Crisis In Samoa

Guest Article by Michael P. Entis

The following message has been sent this day to our esteemed President.


October 11, 2008

Dear Mr. President:

American Samoa is experiencing a crisis of the first order. Desperately, we need your help.

Our forensic scientists inform us that the problem began three years ago. A transport ship arrived from Rumania carrying lumber for our electric generating facility. Unfortunately, the lumber was contaminated with Rumanian Bugle Bugs. These Bugle Bugs thrived on our domestic wood species. American Samoa is now having to drastically ration the production of electricity. Our famously good willed female population has even endeavored to help resolve the situation by contributing all available bras and associated undergarments to the cause. However, this has only exacerbated the situation. The productivity of our male workforce has now collapsed together with female support.

For lack of electronic entertainment, Samoans have taken to domesticating Rumanian Bugle Bugs. We've discovered that Bugle Bugs can retain and replay melodies. A domestic market has evolved. Until now, the Bugle Bug market has remained entirely unregulated. This has allowed speculators to play Bugle Bugs in a totally unrestrained fashion. Our society is now being subjected to Bugle Bug melodies at all hours of the day and night. People have taken to buying Bugle Bugs and stifling them in order to sleep at night. Without regulation and predictability, the Bugle Bug market has now fallen into total disarray. To illustrate, for lack of alarm clocks, enterprising Samoan hedge funds are even now exploiting complex Bugle Bug derivatives, one of which claims that it will swap sleep for a Boogie Woogie Bugle Bug at dawn for an annual fee. Clearly, our Bugle Bug market needs high powered government intervention before this is allowed to corrupt global markets.

Mr. President, we require your inspired personal intervention. Please bring Secretary Paulson, Chairman Bernanke and the G7 with you. With luck, you should be able to return to the United States in time for Inauguration Day 2009.

Most respectfully yours,

Gecko Sayow

"Big Eddie" Coli Visits Vermont?

It's "leaf peeper" season here in the Green Mountain State, and it would appear that our peripatetic friend, "Big Eddie" Coli may had decided to grace our fair state with his presence.

The Burlington Free Press reports that the Vermont Department of Health has launched an investigation into eight cases of food-borne illness: four in Chittenden County, three in Washington County and one reported by a visitor to the state. According to the brief report, the state epidemiologist suspects that undercooked ground beef may be behind the outbreak.

The news report does not mention E. coli, but a reader has posted a comment that her son, a student at the University of Vermont, is one of the "... eight E. coli victims under investigation..."

The Vermont Department of Health has not published any specific information about this outbreak. Instead, the state has posted a "Health Advisory" alerting health care providers that the "[r]eported bacterial enteric disease cases, such as Campylobacter and Shiga toxin producing E. coli, exceed the Vermont five-year median."

There is no indication yet of a common element – food type, restaurant, catered event – behind the outbreak.

More Nicaraguan Beef Recalled in USA

Packers Provision (Puerto Nuevo, PR) has added 420 pounds to the 27,000 pounds of frozen beef trim from Nicaragua recalled by three mainland US establishments on Thursday.

The recalls follow the detection by USDA of E. coli O157:H7 in the imported beef. Unfortunately, imported beef trim is not held at the border pending the results of lab tests. The 420 pounds of contaminated meat have already been supplied to distributors and establishments in Puerto Rico.

USDA's new policy (effective August 18th) is to provide a list of retail establishments that received recalled meat. This information is not yet available for any of the Nicaraguan beef. 

On The Trail Of Big Eddie Coli (E. coli O157:H7)

According to the Detroit Free Press, Michigan authorities have determined that the E. coli O157:H7-contaminated lettuce blamed for sickening 36 people in the state came from California.

The E. coli O157:H7 outbreak first made news in mid-September, when Ingham County health officials notified Michigan State University that several students had been hospitalized. The students were suffering from symptoms of severe gastroenteritis – including bloody diarrhea. Initially, three students were all confirmed to be infected by the same strain of E. coli O157:H7. 

In time, additional MSU students were also confirmed to be carrying the outbreak strain, and the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 was found in other victims of gastroenteritis in several Michigan counties, as well as in Illinois, Ohio, Oregon and New York. The pathogen also crossed the border into Canada – without even showing a passport – and infected at least three people in southwestern Ontario (Chatham-Kent area).

Based on epidemiological evidence, the Michigan Department of Community Health concluded that many of the cases could be traced to bagged, pre-washed, shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to restaurants and institutions by Aunt Mid's Produce Company, a Detroit-area produce distributor. So far, investigators have been unable to find E. coli O157:H7 in lettuce from Aunt Mid's – or from anyone else, for that matter. This isn't unusual or unexpected. The relatively short shelf life of bagged lettuce precludes investigators from obtaining and testing lettuce that was in circulation at the time of the outbreak.

A second outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 was unfolding in Boulder, Colorado at the same time as the MSU outbreak. Seventeen people – several of them students at the University of Colorado – complained of gastrointestinal symptoms, including bloody diarrhea. Many of the victims had eaten at Jimmy John's, a Boulder sandwich shop. Health authorities are trying to pin down the source of the infections.

Could lettuce also be the source of the Boulder outbreak? It's possible. The California lettuce that was shipped to Aunt Mid's Produce Company in Detroit also was supplied to other wholesalers and distributors. Some of it could have been sold to Jimmy John's.

A key element in the investigation of both outbreaks is the genetic fingerprinting of the outbreak strains. Investigators are certain to compare the strain recovered from the Colorado victims with the strain isolated from the Michigan (et cetera) outbreak. If they are identical, the California lettuce also will be a prime suspect in Colorado. If not, the Colorado outbreak may have been due to contaminated meat (we've seen that before), to a food handler who was carrying the pathogen, or to some other food source.

Tune in for the sequel.

Québec Recalls Spaghetti Sauce: Microbiological Hazard

Aux Purs Délices (287, rue de lÉglise, Verdun, QC) has agreed to recall two varieties of Sauce à la Viande Douce brand spaghetti meat sauce, which were displayed for sale at room temperature in sealed jars. The recall follows a determination by the Québec Ministry of Agriculture and the City of Montréal Food Inspection Division that the sauce was not processed or displayed in a manner to ensure product safety.

The recalled items, which were sold only at Aux Purs Délices in Verdun, were packed in 500mL and 1,000mL Mason-type jars. All lot numbers of the following two products are included in the recall:

• Sauce spaghetti aux champignons
  
• Sauce aux légumes
  

While no illnesses have been reported, the uncontrolled conditions under which these sauces were prepared and displayed would have allowed Clostridium botulinum to survive and multiply, representing a serious risk to human health. Anyone who has consumed one of these sauces and later begins to experience symptoms of botulism or of gastroenteritis should seek immediate medical attention.

Consumers who purchased one of the sauces should return it to Aux Purs Délices for a refund.

Allergy Alert: Russell Stover Chocolates

Russell Stover Candies, Inc. (Kansas City, MO) has recalled one lot of Private Reserve Assorted Chocolates (2 7/8 ounce size) in selected cities and states. Due to a labeling error, one piece of candy in the assortment may contain undeclared hazelnuts.

The recalled boxes are marked with lot code 01JUL09 N0349. Russell Stover believes that only 29 boxes of the mislabeled chocolates were sold, and an additional 188 boxes were available for sale in the following locations:

Texas, California, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee; Southaven, Mississippi; Billings, Montana; Sparks, Nevada; and Madison Heights, Michigan.

Individuals who are allergic to nuts are at risk of a severe – possibly life-threatening – reaction upon consuming a product that contains even a small quantity of nuts. Consumers are urged to return the recalled chocolates to the store for a refund.

Uneviscerated Croaker Recalled

YS Trading Corp (Long Island City, NY) has recalled "Frozen Salted Croaker" because it is uneviscerated and, therefore, presents a risk of botulism.

The fish was sold in uncoded, unlabeled plastic bags in New Jersey, Hicksville (NY) and Flushing (NY). Uneviscerated fish is prohibited from sale in the New York state, because spores of Clostridium botulinum may be concentrated in the viscera.

Consumers who purchased the recalled item should return it to the store for a refund.

Allergy Alert: Undeclared Sulfites in Shad Raisins

Fatima Brothers Inc. (Maspeth, NY) has recalled Shad Raisins due to the presence of sulfites that were not declared on the label. The raisins were distributed in New York City only, in uncoded 7-ounce plastic bags.

The recall was initiated after testing carried out by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets detected the presence of high levels of sulfites in the raisins.

Consumers who are sensitive to sulfites may experience a severe, possibly even life-threatening reaction upon consuming  as little as 10 mg. of sulfites. Individuals who suffer from asthma may be especially at risk.

Individuals who purchased the Shad Raisins should return them to the store for a refund.

Maple Leaf, CFIA and Listeria monocytogenes

Fifty-three individuals in seven Canadian provinces were infected with Listeria monocytogenes as a result of consuming contaminated deli meat from Maple Leaf's Bartor Road production facility, according to yesterday evening's update from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Ten of those innocent victims died. An additional 10 suspect cases and 6 more deaths are still under investigation in what will likely turn out to be the worst food safety scandal in Canadian history. 

One month ago, in calling for a full, public Judicial Commission of Inquiry into this outbreak, I raised several questions that were begging for substantive answers. The news that has been filtering into media reports in the past few days reinforces, in my opinion, the need for an investigation conducted by an impartial Commission that is independent of any government department.

1. Toronto public health officials, as part of an investigation into the then-suspected outbreak of listeriosis, tested 26 samples of Maple Leaf meats obtained from local nursing homes, hospices and hospitals. Seventeen of those samples contained Listeria monocytogenes. Half of the samples collected from similar facilities elsewhere in the province also were contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This is an extraordinarily high frequency of positive samples, which signals massive contamination at the factory during processing or packaging.
2. On August 14th, Toronto public health officials warned CFIA of the link between contaminated Maple Leaf deli meats and the listeriosis outbreak, and asked CFIA to issue a public advisory. CFIA demurred, stating that it needed to wait for more data before making a public announcement. The first – very limited – alert was issued three days later on August 17th. It took two more days before CFIA sounded a full alert and Maple Leaf recalled all outstanding production from the Bartor Road facility.
3. On April 1st, CFIA changed a long-standing policy with regard to Listeria monocytogenes notification by industry. Prior to April 1st, meat processors were required to notify CFIA immediately of any Listeria monocytogenes-positive test result, either in the production environment or in finished product. The CFIA inspector would become involved in the clean-up and would follow up to verify the effectiveness of clean-up procedures. Beginning April 1st, CFIA inspectors only check Listeria monocytogenes test records twice a month. They no longer have "hands-on" involvement in the testing or follow-up.
   

Maple Leaf re-started operations in the Bartor Road facility on September 17th, with close oversight from CFIA. The startup was subject to the following three conditions:

• The CFIA will allow limited trial runs for a three-day period where product will be held and tested each day based on a rigorous sampling plan. The effectiveness of inspection and processing controls will also be validated.
  
• Production will stop until test results come back. Only if test results are negative and operating procedures are determined to be in compliance will the company be able to begin broader production.
  
• For the following six weeks all product will be held and tested in lots and will only be released if negative test results are received.
  

It's very fortunate that these conditions were in place, because four new samples of finished product have tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Since the facility is operating on a "test and hold" basis, none of these products have been shipped. We don't yet know whether this is the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes, or a different strain that has found its way into the plant and into the products.

Maple Leaf's President, Michael McCain, has pointed out –  correctly – that Listeria monocytogenes is pervasive in the environment. An occasional positive is not unexpected. What's important is the action that a food processor takes to overcome the contamination. 

And what's equally important is the action that the government takes to ensure public health and safety.

Three US Meat Processors Recall Nicaraguan Beef

USDA announced this morning that three US meat processors – one in Colorado and two in Florida – have recalled frozen beef trim imported from Nicaragua due to the presence of E. coli O157:H7.

The imported meat was described as follows:

60-pound bulk boxes of “BM-95 BONELESS BEEF.” Each shipping container bears the establishment number “Nicaragua 4” inside the Nicaraguan mark of inspection. The shipping label bears the item number “00003,” and pack date of “8-19-08.”

Approximately 27,000 pounds of frozen beef trim are included in the recall:

• Colorado Foods Products (Greenwood Village, Co.): 2,340 pounds
  
• Astro Meats & Seafood, Inc. (Miami, FL): 4,200 pounds
  
• A.C.S. Meyners Ltda. (Ponte Verde, FL): 20,460 pounds
  

The imported meat has been shipped to establishments and distributors in California (by Colorado Foods), in Indiana and Wisconsin (by Astro) and in New York and Pennsylvania (by A.C.S.). Because beef trim usually is subjected to further processing (such as grinding), consumers likely will not be able to identify the recalled meat in the store.

The contamination was detected by USDA as a result of their having sampled and tested the imported product. But the imported meat was shipped to its various destinations before the test results were available. USDA, clearly, does not "test and hold" imported meat.

Current USDA policy is to post a retail distribution list for all Class I recalls that are initiated after August 18th. We'll update this post to include a link to the retail distribution list as soon as it is available. 

The China Syndrome: Canada Recalls Milk Chocolate Coins

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced today that Sherwood Brands Pirate’s Gold Milk Chocolate Coins contain melamine and are being recalled.

The Sherwood Brands Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate Coins are packaged in 840g containers, containing 240 coins per container. The 840g packages can be identified by lot code 1928S1 and UPC 0 36077 11240 7. 

The coins are sold nationally through Costco and may also have been sold either individually or in bulk through other retailers across Canada. Coins that are sold individually or in bulk may not carry the identifying UPC or lot code.

Retailers and distributors of the coins have been asked to stop selling the product, and consumers are advised not to eat the milk chocolate coins. CFIA will be monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

The melamine contamination was detected as part of CFIA's on-going investigation into milk-containing products from China. While the agency has not indicated the level of melamine found in the chocolate coins, Canada has adopted an interim standard of not more than 2.5 ppm melamine in most products, and not more than 1 ppm melamine in infant formulas, sole source nutrition products and meal replacement products.

For more information on this recall, consumers can contact CFIA at 1-800-442-2342.

Allergy Alert: Bread Recalled – Undeclared Nuts

Arnold Foods Company, Inc. (Horsham, PA) has recalled Brownberry brand Whole Grains Bread,  100% Whole Wheat (1 LB 8 OZ) due to the presence of undeclared nuts in the bread. The presence of undeclared nuts was detected as a result of a customer complaint.

The recalled bread is sold in a bag closed with a green twist tie. The lot identification "Oct 11" is printed on the bag. 

The bread, which may contain almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts, was sold in retail stores and thrift stores in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Persons who are sensitive or allergic to nuts may experience a severe – possibly life-threatening – reaction upon consuming the recalled bread. Customers who purchased the bread may return it to the store for a full refund. For more information, contact Arnold Foods directly at 1-800-984-0989.

Allergy Alert: Sulfur Dioxide in Hong Kong Meats

The Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety announced today that it had found traces of sulfur dioxide in 19 out of 291 samples of beef and pork. The levels of sulfur dioxide in  the 19 positive samples ranged between 10 ppm and 2,100 ppm.

Sulfur dioxide is a permitted preservative in certain processed foods, when declared on the ingredient label. It should not be present in fresh or frozen meats.

Most people can consume foods containing permitted levels of sulfur dioxide without ill effects. But individuals who are sensitive to this preservative may experience severe, possibly life-threatening allergic reactions upon consuming a food containing sulfur dioxide.

The CFS is conducting follow-up investigations, and sending warning letters to the sellers of the sulfur dioxide-contaminated beef and pork. In addition, CFS reminds Hong Kong consumers to only buy their meat from reputable vendors.

"Dunn" In By Listeria monocytogenes

Les Salaisons Desco Inc. (Boisbriand, QC) has recalled two batches of Dunn’s Famous brand Smoked Meat, which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The 1 Kg packages (6 x 175g pouches/package), bearing UPC 4 00007 55699 7 and Best Before dates of 2008 NO 01 and 2008 NO 02, were sold only in Costco stores in the city of Ottawa and the provinces of Québec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The outer cardboard box also identifies the production facility as EST 501.

Costco stores elsewhere in Ontario and in the western provinces do not carry the recalled items. Dunn's Famous brand Smoked Meat bearing the same UPC and Best Before dates may also be available in the rest of Canada, but are not part of this recall.

While there have been no reported illnesses, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume the two potentially contaminated batches of smoked meat. Consumers who purchased the recalled meat should either discard it or return it to Costco for a refund.

New Zealand Stir Fry Recalled - Metal Fragments

McCain Foods NZ Ltd. has recalled a single batch of McCain Stir Fry Vegetables Pasta Alfredo with Sauce (600g bag), due to the possibility that the item may contain metal fragments. McCain Foods (Aust) Pty Ltd. has announced a corresponding recall for the states of New South Wales, West Australia, Victoria and Queensland, where the recalled product also was distributed.

The affected batch is labeled with a Best Before date of 21/12/2009, and has been available for sale in supermarkets in New Zealand and Australia since January 11, 2008.

Consumers who purchased the recalled product are asked by McCain to return it to the store for a full refund.

Québec Recalls Head Cheese

Québec announced today that Boucherie Nobert (1495 Trudel, Shawinigan, QC) has recalled all head cheese sold at this location since September 25, 2008. 

The head cheese, which was sold in variable weight packages, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Head cheese is not a cheese. It is a jellied deli meat loaf, made from the head, feet, tongue and/or heart of a pig or a calf. Other names for head cheese are "souse" or "brawn".

Consumers who have purchased the recalled item should either discard it or return it to Boucherie Nobert for a refund.

The China Syndrome: Australia Recalls Kirin Milk Tea

Food Standards Australia has issued its first consumer-level recall resulting from melamine contamination.

The agency announced this morning that Kaisi Australia Pty Ltd was recalling 340 mL cans of Kirin Milk Tea labeled with a Best Before date of OCT/06/2009. The tea is a product of China and is contaminated with melamine.

The Kirin Milk Tea was distributed in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Consumers should return the recalled product to the store for a full refund. 

Kirin Milk Tea is the fourth food item that has been withdrawn from sale in Australia due to melamine contamination, but the first to be subject to a consumer-level recall. White Rabbit Creamy Candy, Cadbury Eclairs, and Lotte Koala Biscuits also have been withdrawn from sale, but not recalled from consumers.

Australian consumers should check their food pantries and discard any of the three withdrawn items they may have. Under no circumstances should these foods be offered to children, or discarded in a way that children may find and eat them.

Cholera by the Numbers: Africa and Asia

"Sixty-two per cent of Africans do not have access to an improved sanitation facility -- a proper toilet -- which separates human waste from human contact."

- World Health Organization, 20 March 2008

But, what is a 'proper toilet'?

When we visited Myanmar (SouthEast Asia) last January, we had a chance to see for ourselves what constitutes a proper toilet for the more fortunate residents of Inle Lake's floating villages.

A typical toilet cubicle (the thatched wall portion) of an Inle Lake floating village home

A typical toilet

Toilet cubicle ready for installation of toilet. Human waste drops directly into Inle Lake.

Why is this important? Because Inle Lake villagers wash their clothes, their cooking utensils and themselves in the lake. They use lake water for their crops; they net shrimp, which are sun-dried and eaten without cooking; they fish for several days at a time, living on their fishing boats and drinking the untreated lake water. 

Is it any wonder that cholera is endemic in Myanmar and in many other parts of Asia and Africa? Here are some recent examples of the severity of the situation.

Iraq

According to the WHO, the Iraqi government had reported 341 lab-confirmed cases of cholera – and five deaths from the disease – as of September 28th. The current outbreak, which began in August, had spread to nine provinces in a little over a month. The outbreak has since grown to 417 cases, and one more person has died.

India

As flood waters receded, Vibrio cholerae rushed in to fill the void. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi reported 136 cases of cholera in September. And eleven villages in and around Gujarat have also been hard hit, although no specific numbers have been released.

Pakistan

The Swat region of Pakistan, a mountainous area in the north-west of the country near the border with Afghanistan, has reported at least 600 suspect cases of cholera. Two children in the town of Saidu Sharif have died after being hospitalized with symptoms of the disease. The outbreak began two weeks after insurgents blew up destroyed a pipeline grid station that controlled the flow of potable water to villages in the region.

Hong Kong

The Centre for Health Protection reported Hong Kong's fourth confirmed case of cholera for 2008. A 10-year old tourist became ill before arriving in Hong Kong. He has been hospitalized and is reported to be in stable condition.

Indonesia

The Papua region continues to suffer from a cholera epidemic, which has claimed an estimated 200 lives so far this year. Medecins du Monde, a non-governmental organization, reports having treated at least 800 cases of cholera in remote areas of Papua.

Guinea-Bissau

In spite of the best efforts of the World Health Organization to help contain the outbreak, this African country has been fighting a losing battle against a cholera epidemic that has been on-going since May. As of the end of September, the death toll stood at 141 victims, and 7,777 cases of the disease have been reported.

Nigeria

Cholera has been blamed for 21 deaths in Sokoto State. Zamfara State also has been hit with an outbreak, and is reporting at least 100 illnesses and 18 deaths from cholera.

Congo

A refugee camp is at the center of a cholera outbreak that has sickened at least 300 Congolese, and killed 37 of them. The camps were set up to house people who were fleeing from fighting in the eastern part of the country.

In addition to these examples, cases of cholera – some confirmed, some only suspected – have been reported recently in Kenya (at least 30 cases), Uganda (482 cases, 32 deaths), and Ghana. Zimbabweans are on tenterhooks, waiting for the next outbreak and hoping that it will not materialize. 

And knowing that it will.

Allergy Alert: McCormick Recalls Enchilada Sauce Mix

FDA is advising consumers that McCormick & Company has recalled one production batch of McCormick Enchilada Sauce Mix (UPC 52100091600) due to the presence of an undeclared ingredient. The product contains a milk ingredient that was not listed on the packaging.

The recalled sauce mix is packaged in 1.5-ounce pouches, labeled with a "best by" date of AUG2910CH. It was distributed to grocery stores across the United States beginning on September 17th.

Individuals who are allergic to milk may experience a serious – possibly life-threatening – allergic reaction shortly after consuming this product. Fortunately, no illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported so far. 

Store managers have been asked to remove the recalled item from their shelves, and consumers are requested to return any unused pouches to the store for a full refund.

For additional information on this recall, consumers can contact McCormick toll-free at: 1-800-632-5847.

Credit Default Swaps ... OR ... How I Made a Killing!!

Guest Article by Michael P. Entis
First posted September 30, 2008

While visiting Toronto a few weeks ago, I discovered a well-aged package of Maple Leaf pastrami at a local supermarket. Suddenly, I was seized with a wonderful idea. Speculating that I might have come across a “perfect” sample of the product, I bought it and smuggled it back into the U.S.

A few days later, I had the chance to visit eFoodAlert. Sure enough, my sample of Maple Leaf Pastrami was staring back at me from the list of recalled production lots.

It was time to put my plan into action.

Amazingly, I was able to buy online a life insurance policy on my Connecticut aunt without her even knowing about it.

A few days later, I invited Auntie to visit. For her first lunch, I served cold cuts. She went home a couple of days later none the worse for wear.

The plan incubated beyond my expectations. Auntie was hospitalized seven days later with acute symptoms of listeriosis.

It was such a lovely well-attended funeral. I even wore my new double-breasted blazer for the occasion.

Immediately following my return home, I contacted the insurance company, presented them with a copy of Auntie’s death certificate and very shortly thereafter, I collected the $100,000 prize for my resourcefulness.

Okay, I lied!

Auntie is still alive and kicking in Connecticut. However, read the above story again. Replace “Auntie” with “Lehman Brothers 6% Senior Notes due 2010” and let’s give the insurance company a name ... AIG. You’re now reading about the life and death of a Credit Default Swap.

My latest issue of BusinessWeek magazine has an interesting article on the subject of Credit Default Swaps. While the article principally addresses the subject of Credit Default Swaps (“CDS”) in one’s mutual fund, what truly floored me were a couple of figures in the article.

But, before we get to that, let’s talk a little bit about why CDS exist at all. Let’s say that you’re running a mutual fund and you own those Lehman Brothers 6% Senior Notes. You read the Wall Street Journal and you watch CNBC on a regular basis. Lehman Brothers keeps getting into the news and it’s not altogether pleasant reading. So, while Lehman Brothers still enjoys an investment grade credit rating, you decide to protect that investment with insurance.

You contact AIG and tell them that you’re holding $10 million of Lehman Brothers 6% Notes due in 2010. You ask AIG to give you a quote on what it would cost to protect that $10 million investment in Lehman Brothers. AIG comes back to you a day later and says that it will cost you 1% of your $10 million Lehman Brothers investment each year for the insurance. This means that your rate of return on the Lehman investment will drop to 5%. But, it also means that you have protected your principal investment. If your mutual fund is a money market fund, you’ve just protected the fund from dropping below $1.00 per share. You say “yes” to AIG’s offer.

You now own a Credit Default Swap or CDS and you have protected your mutual fund investors with insurance from AIG, a highly rated (and now government owned) insurance company.

Now, back to those two figures in the BusinessWeek article. (Please don’t be intimidated by the word “trillion”. It’s simply a billion multiplied by 1,000.)

American corporations currently have about $6 trillion in outstanding debt. While that’s a humongous number by itself, I was totally blown away by the article’s statement that there is now $58 trillion of Credit Default Swaps outstanding. That’s almost ten times the amount of corporate debt outstanding. The holders of $52 trillion of Credit Default Swaps don’t even own any of the debt for which they have acquired insurance policies.

Why have they bought this insurance on debt that they don’t even own? Why are they so agreeable to paying for this insurance?

Here’s the clincher. These gamblers are betting that the corporate debt underlying the Credit Default Swaps that they own will go bad. It’s the same thing as my buying insurance on my Auntie (who I don’t own).

Now, we get to the really bad stuff. These gamblers, who bought Credit Default Swaps on debt investments that they don’t even own, have a powerful interest in seeing the debt-laden corporations go bad. Otherwise, they can't collect from the insurance companies on their investment in those “naked” Credit Default Swaps.

These gamblers, some of whom are unregulated hedge funds here in the United States, will do anything to drive those debt-laden corporations into bankruptcy, including the spreading of false rumors or simply making public statements which cause a debt-laden corporation to have to make public statements about how solid it is. Does this all sound familiar?

The United States Congress is currently squabbling over a $700 billion “rescue” of the American financial system. At the same time, we are encouraged to ignore the highly toxic fact that we have allowed the United States government to permit the growth of a $52 trillion unregulated hedge fund virus that is energized to destroy us in the name of greed.

The China Syndrome: Cadbury Hit By Bullet After All

We reported on September 30th that Cadbury appeared to have dodged a bullet. Readers may recall that the company withdrew from retail sale eleven products manufactured in its Beijing facility after preliminary tests indicated the possibility of melamine contamination. 

At the time, we praised Cadbury's ethical response to the preliminary test results, and also reported that Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety had not confirmed melamine in the chocolates. But that was then.

Sadly, Cadbury's sense of corporate responsibility has not been rewarded with a completely clean report. The Centre for Food Safety has detected melamine in two Cadbury chocolate samples. CFS has tested six other Cadbury products, with satisfactory results. The two melamine-positive items are:

• Cadbury Dairy Milk Cookies Chocolate Bulk Pack (5 Kg); expiry date of November 2, 2009
  
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate Bulk Pack (5 Kg); expiry date of January 23, 2010
  

The two items contained melamine at levels of 6.9 ppm and 56 ppm, respectively. They are among the eleven products identified in Cadbury's initial announcement of product withdrawals.

Chocolate products from the Beijing facility are distributed in the following countries. All of these products were withdrawn from sale by Cadbury at the end of September.

China, Taiwan and Hong Kong

• Dark Chocettes 45g
  
• Dark Chocettes Box 80g
  
• Cadbury Dairy Milk 150g Pumpkin
  
• Premium Dark Block 40g
  
• Cadbury Dairy Milk 6g (5kg bulk)
  
• 5kg Bulk Cadbury Dark Chocolate 6g (5kg bulk)
  
• 5kg Bulk Cadbury Hazelnut Chocolate 6 g (5kg bulk)
  
• 5 kg Bulk Cadbury Cookie Chocolate 6 g (5kg bulk)
  
• Cadbury Hazelnut Praline Chocolate 321g (Yr08 Chinese New Year Gifting Item)
  
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Gifting 300g (Yr08 Chinese New Year gifting item)
  
• Cadbury Éclair 180g bag
  

Australia , Nauru, and Christmas Island

• Cadbury Éclair 180g bag
  

According to Food Standards Australia, the Cadbury Eclairs will remain off the retail market pending the results of melamine tests being carried out by the Australian government.

Norovirus: Coast to Coast and Across the Ponds

Often categorized as a denizen of day care facilities, cruise ships and hotels, Norovirus has been working hard this year to remind us that it can disrupt lives wherever groups of people live, work or play.

Norovirus is a highly infectious virus, with a short incubation period and long staying power after a person's symptoms have disappeared. It is a gastrointestinal virus, causing a sudden onset of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The illness is self-limiting, with acute symptoms lasting 1-5 days. But a recovering victim can continue to carry shed infectious virus particles in the stool for a month or more.

One of Norovirus' strengths is its ability to survive in an infectious state on dry surfaces for prolonged periods of time. Bathroom fixtures, stair rails, eating utensils – all items subject to contamination by a symptomatic victim – are just a few places where Norovirus may lie in wait to infect an unsuspecting target. 

Recently, Norovirus outbreaks have been in the news in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The virus struck the campus of Georgetown University (Washington, DC) last week, sickening more than 170 students. And it is also the prime suspect in an outbreak of gastroenteritis that felled 30 or more students at the University of Southern California within the last few days.

As inconvenient and uncomfortable as those outbreaks were for the students, the illnesses were not life-threatening. Norovirus has caused more serious disruptions in the last couple of months by infecting patients and staff of hospitals and nursing homes in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand

Dunedin Hospital in New Zealand struggled to contain an outbreak of Norovirus last August, which began in one ward and ended in the hospital suspending scheduled surgery and closing its doors temporarily to visitors and to new admissions.  By the time the three-week long outbreak was over, 170 hospital patients and staff members had been infected, 2,300 out-patient appointments and procedures had been cancelled or rescheduled, and opposition members of Parliament were calling for an investigation into the hospital's handling of the outbreak.

Not content with wrecking havoc in a hospital, Norovirus also hit a New Zealand rest home – Leighton House Rest Home, in Gisborne – early in September. Eleven residents of the home suffered classic symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea. The outbreak was contained quickly, after staff instituted a virtual lock-down routine. Patients were confined to their rooms, and all visitors were prohibited. 

Australia

Sydney, and its surrounding areas, suffered a series of norovirus outbreaks beginning in July.  During August, more than 30 rest homes, hospitals, child care centers and nursing homes were forced into lock-down to contain the outbreaks. The experience at the Mayflower Aged Care Facility in Westmead illustrates the difficulties that the staff of these facilities must confront. The rest home declared a lock-down on a Thursday, after 18 residents fell ill. By the next day, the number of cases of acute gastroenteritis had risen to 48 – just shy of one-third of the 146 residents of the Mayflower. 

During the Australian winter months of July - September, several additional institutions faced the same problem:

• Wodonga Hospital: 2 patients and 10 staff ill; one ward closed; 17 operations cancelled
  
• Tamworth Hospital: unspecified number of patients ill; one ward quarantined from visitors
  
• Holbrook Hospital: 17 patients and staff ill; access restricted to emergency cases only
  

The Holbrook outbreak began at the end of September. There's no reason to believe that it will be the last one of the year.

United Kingdom

The UK also has experienced its share of Norovirus outbreaks this year. Here are just a couple of examples:

• Countess of Chester Hospital: 10 patients and 2 staff ill; one ward closed to visitors
  
• Midland area hospitals: 2 hospitals affected; 124 patients ill; 15 wards closed; all non-emergency surgery deferred for 48 hours
  

Regardless of the venue of an outbreak, its scope or its severity, there are only a few reliable ways to cope with Norovirus.

• Contain the spread of an outbreak by preventing healthy individuals from coming into contact with the acutely ill victims.
  
• Confine individuals with active symptoms to their homes or rooms. Encourage sick workers to stay at home.
  
• Clean and disinfect all clothing, bedding, utensils, surfaces and other items that may have become contaminated as a result of vomiting or diarrhea.
  
• Conscienciously practice good personal hygiene habits at all times, including frequent and thorough hand-washing, especially when caring for a person who is suffering from symptoms of Norovirus.
  

By paying attention to these simple principles, we can all do our part to reduce the incidence and spread of Norovirus outbreaks.

Salmonella Outbreak Grows - Still No Recall In Sight

Updated 6:00 pm, October 4, 2008

The USDA issued a Public Health Alert last night, advising consumers that "... there is an association between products such as chicken cordon blue and chicken breast kiev and 32 illnesses in Minnesota and 11 other states." The Alert does not identify the manufacturer or brand of chicken entrées.

This alert follows Minnesota's announcement yesterday that 14 residents of the state had been infected with Salmonella, and that the outbreak strain was isolated both from the victims and from samples of chicken cordon bleu and chicken kiev obtained from patients' homes and from grocery stores.

The outbreak has been traced to specific production batches of Milford Valley Farms brand raw, frozen, breaded and pre-browned stuffed chicken entrées, produced in USDA Est. P-2375. The specific items mentioned in the Minnesota news release are:

• Chicken Cordon Bleu: Code dates C8121, C126, C8133
  
• Chicken Kiev: Code date C149
  

There has not been – nor will there be – a recall of these items, unless the manufacturer decides to initiate one voluntarily. As far as USDA is concerned, Salmonella is not an adulterant in raw poultry. Therefore, the agency will not request a recall. As far as USDA is concerned, it's up to the consumer to cook the entrée correctly.

According to the USDA Public Health Alert, most of the illnesses occurred as a result of consumers having cooked the entrées in a microwave, even though the package directions did not include a microwave cooking option. 

Minnesota has not mentioned the specific serotype of Salmonella that has sickened 14 residents of that state. But we've learned from a reliable source that the chicken outbreak is due to a subtype of Salmonella Typhimurium.

What will it take for the company to initiate a recall of its contaminated – not adulterated – entrées? We don't know, but let's hope that the threshold is lower than the 272 cases that triggered a recall of ConAgra's pot pies one year ago.

Latest Lettuce Outbreak Sprouts Wings - Enters Canada

The same strain of E. coli O157:H7 that has sickened 34 people in Michigan, at least six people in Illinois, and one or more people in each of New York, Oregon and Ohio, has crossed the international border and entered Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has determined that the same bagged lettuce from Aunt Mid's Produce Co. that has been implicated in the US outbreak was imported into Canada and distributed to institutions and food service operations in Ontario. Two Ontario residents have fallen ill as a result of infection with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7 that caused the US outbreak.

Some of the imported lettuce was served to patients in the Windsor Regional Hospital (across the river from Detroit). Eight of the patients have shown symptoms of gastrointestinal infection and are being tested for E. coli O157:H7. It's unclear whether the two confirmed Canadian cases are among the eight from the Windsor hospital.

The hospital's president complained in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that federal officials had been slow to warn him about the contaminated lettuce. He pointed out that the Michigan Department of Community Health issued a warning linking the outbreak in that state to Aunt Mid's lettuce on September 26th. The hospital was only alerted to the potential problem by CFIA on October 1st.

But CFIA claims that it was advised of the US outbreak by the Public Health Agency of Canada only at noon on September 30th, and proceeded immediately to investigate the distribution chain of the imported lettuce. The agency says that it alerted the hospital staff as soon as it realized that the lettuce had been supplied to Windsor Regional.

Meanwhile, Aunt Mid's continues to protest its innocence with great vigor. A notice on the company's web site, dated October 1, 2008, says that the company has "... freely and graciously extended to the various departments of the State of Michigan access to its processing facility and has provided additional product samples, for testing by those departments." The notice also states categorically that "NO AUNT MID'S PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE CONTAMINATED." Nevertheless, the results of epidemiological investigations seem to be pointing a increasingly sharper finger at this Detroit-based produce distributor.

One thing that is still unclear, at least based on the information that has been made public, is where else this lettuce might have travelled. We can't help noticing the coincidence of a cluster of eight E. coli O157:H7 illnesses under investigation in Boulder County, Colorado. Some students at the University of Colorado at Boulder are part of that outbreak, although there is no indication of campus food service operations being the source. And an unlicensed day care facility in Aurora, CO also has experienced a cluster of six illnesses due to E. coli O157:H7. One of those children – a three year old boy – died as a result of his infection.

There has been no indication, either in the media or on the Colorado Department of Health web site, that these illness clusters are related to the outbreak in Michigan, Illinois, et cetera. Perhaps the timing is coincidental.

One thing, though is certain. The longer the trace-back investigation to determine the source of the contaminated lettuce drags on, the greater the likelihood that more people will become infected – at least until the shelf life of the bagged lettuce expires.

Salmonella Sickens Fourteen – "No Recall is Required"

The Minnesota Department of Health reported today that 14 cases of salmonellosis in the state have been traced to raw, frozen, breaded and pre-browned, stuffed chicken entrées. 

At least fourteen people in the state – adults and children – have become infected with the same strain of Salmonella since July. Six were hospitalized. The outbreak strain was also found in four packages of chicken entrées obtained from some of the patients' homes and from grocery stores.

The contaminated entrées – Chicken Cordon Bleu and Chicken Kiev – are products of  Milford Valley Farms, (USDA Est. P-2375), and are sold in supermarkets and grocery store chains. 

The implicated products are:

• Chicken Cordon Bleu: Code dates C8121, C126, C8133
  
• Chicken Kiev: Code date C149
  

This is the sixth time that Minnesota has experienced a Salmonella outbreak that was ultimately traced back to a raw poultry entrée in the last 10 years. One year ago, ConAgra (Marshall, MO) recalled "an undetermined amount" – all of its outstanding production  – of pot pies after they were implicated in a multi-state Salmonella outbreak. 

But there will be no recall as a result of this outbreak. As far as USDA regulations are concerned, raw poultry entrées that are contaminated with Salmonella are NOT adulterated and, therefore, are not subject to recall.

Last March, USDA issued a public health alert after two illnesses were traced by the state of Minnesota to raw, stuffed chicken entrées produced by Serenade Foods of Milford, Indiana. The entrées, which included Milford Valley Farms brand, were never recalled. Those entrées were produced in the same facility (USDA Est. P-2375) as the two items that are behind the most recent Salmonella outbreak.

Entrées that are pre-br