Nearly 60,000 Pounds of Frozen Raw Chicken Products Sold at Aldi and Other Stores Recalled

By Christina Maxouris

August 10, 2021

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(CNN) Serenade Foods is recalling nearly 60,000 pounds of frozen, raw, breaded and pre-browned stuffed chicken products that could be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Monday.

The products were produced on February 24 and February 25, 2021, and were shipped to distributors across the country, the service said.

A label of one of the Serenade Foods products included in the recall

They include specific lots of the Dutch Farms Chicken with Broccoli & Cheese packages; Milford Valley Chicken with Broccoli & Cheese; Milford Valley Chicken Cordon Bleu; Kirkwood Raw Stuffed Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese; and Kirkwood Raw Stuffed Chicken Cordon Bleu, which is sold at Aldi.

The service said it was "concerned" that some of these products may be in Americans' freezers and urged consumers not to eat them.

"These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase," it said.

The Service said it has been working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health officials to investigate an outbreak of 28 Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses across eight different states. The illnesses' timelines range from February 21 through June 28.

A second product involved in the recall

"Unopened intact packages of raw, frozen, breaded chicken stuffed with broccoli and cheese were collected from an ill person's home and tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis," the service said. "FSIS continues to work with the CDC and state and local public health partners on this investigation."

Eating food that is contaminated with Salmonella can cause a bacterial food borne illness called salmonellosis which can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating the product.

"Most people recover without treatment. In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact their health care provider," it said.

FDA: E. coli Outbreak Investigation Closes; No Specific Source Found

By CHRIS KOGER January 28, 2021

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(Courtesy FDA)

An investigation into a fall 2020 outbreak of E. coli linked to leafy greens found cattle manure with the same strain about a mile from a field in California’s Salinas Valley, but the pathogen was not detected on any leafy greens or farms they were grown on.

The Food and Drug Administration released an update on its investigation on the outbreak on Jan. 27, and a full report will be released later. Forty people became sick in the outbreak, and half of them were hospitalized.

“Although the investigation has been unable to identify a specific type of leafy green at the heart of this outbreak, it is clear that this is yet another outbreak tied to leafy greens,” Frank Yiannas, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for food policy and response said in a news release on the agency’s findings.

Epidemiological and traceback investigations did not determine a specific leafy green, brand, or supplier, but the E. coli strain is genetically related to a strain linked to a fall 2019 outbreak from romaine lettuce.

Investigators from the FDA and other agencies visited dozens of farms in the Salinas Valley to collect samples. They also collected samples in adjacent areas, testing animal feces, compost, and water, according to the FDA. The cattle manure that yielded the positive test result was found on a roadside, uphill from where “leafy greens or other food identified on the traceback investigation were grown,” according to the FDA release.

“This finding draws our attention once again to the role that cattle grazing on agricultural lands near leafy greens fields could have on increasing the risk of produce contamination, where contamination could be spread by water, wind or other means,” Yiannas said in the release.

The FDA continues to recommend that growers assess and mitigate risks from areas adjacent to their fields, particularly in the vicinity of cattle operations, he said. That is a specific goal of the FDA’s Leafy Greens Action Plan, released in March, he said.

Yiannas said the FDA’s final report on the outbreak will include recommendations “shaped by these findings.”

FDA Closes Investigations Into 2 E. coli Outbreaks; No Source Found

By CHRIS KOGER | December 18, 2020

Investigations into two of three E. coli outbreaks from this fall have been completed, and although the traceback process led authorities to farms, samples did not confirm link any particular food or source in either outbreak.

The Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 18 reported the investigations were completed, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced two of the three outbreaks were over. The FDA refers to the “Outbreak Unknown Source” 1, 2 and 3. Investigations into outbreaks 1 and 3 are over.

Outbreak 1

The CDC reported 32 people in 12 states became sick in Outbreak Unknown Source 1. The strain of E. coli identified in the investigation is genetically similar to a strain linked to a spring 2018 outbreak from romaine lettuce, according to the FDA. No food source was identified in the recent outbreak, however.

“FDA and state partners also conducted on-site inspections on farms of interest, though information collected in these inspections did not link these farms to the outbreak,” according to the FDA’s update.

Outbreak 3

The CDC reported 18 people in 9 states became sick in Outbreak Unknown Source 3. The FDA identified several potential food sources during interviews with people who became sick, but no farm was identified as a common source.

The FDA and state agencies conducted investigations at “farms of interest,” but information and samples collected did not lead to a source of the E. coli.

“The investigation of a farm does not mean that the farm is linked to an outbreak,” according to the FDA notice. “The results of an investigation into a farm may well lead to that firm being ruled out of the investigation.”

Outbreak 2

The investigation into Outbreak Unknown Source 2 is ongoing, according to the FDA. The CDC reports 39 cases, according to the CDC’s last update, which was Nov. 23. At that time, 22 of the people who became sick had been interviewed, with 16 reporting they ate spinach and 15 saying they ate romaine.

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Lead photo: (Courtesy Food and Drug Administration)

Peaches Recalled Nationwide After 101 Sickened, 17 Hospitalized Across North America

by Jessica Fu

08.25.2020

If you bought peaches at any of the country’s largest supermarkets this summer—including Target, Walmart, and Kroger—you should probably toss ‘em.

Federal agencies on Monday expanded a nationwide recall of peaches linked to the country’s largest stone fruit company, Prima Wawona, due to potential contamination with Salmonella Enteritidis. The recall, first announced last week, was originally limited to bagged fruit, and has now been extended to individual and loose peaches as well. Both yellow and white, conventional and organic peaches are affected. A full list of recalled products, including specific produce codes, can be found here.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 68 individuals have become sickened by the outbreak strain, Salmonella Enteritidis, and 14 have been hospitalized across nine states. In Canada, U.S.-imported peaches have sickened an additional 33 people in two provinces.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging eaters to toss any of the specified fruit purchased from some of the country’s largest grocery chains—such as Aldi, Walmart, Kroger, and Target—between June and August, including peaches you might have in your freezer. It’s also encouraging both restaurants and suppliers to throw potentially contaminated fruit away.

“Salmonella is really sturdy, meaning it’s very good at surviving on plants like fruit and produce.”

Salmonella is a foodborne illness that can cause gastrointestinal issues, ranging from stomach aches to bloody feces. While most infections resolve themselves without treatment within hours or a few days, many eaters—including children, elderly people, and those who may have compromised immune systems—face a heightened risk for serious complications.

There are numerous points along any supply chain where fruits and vegetables can be infected with illness-causing bacteria. This can happen anywhere from farm fields, where animal feces can spread disease to produce; to processing plants that fail to properly sanitize equipment; to one’s own home, where raw meat or eggs can cross-contaminate with other groceries, said Mary Anne Amalaradjou, an associate professor of food microbiology at the University of Connecticut

“All of these factors can play a role in how salmonella can get into food and how it gets into us,” she said. In the past, Amalardjou has studied this particular outbreak strain and its ability to survive in mangos, finding that Salmonella Enteritidis can stay alive inside fruit for multiple days, and can remain on surfaces even after washing.

“Salmonella is really sturdy, meaning it’s very good at surviving on plants like fruit and produce,” she said.

In addition to our peach problem, an outbreak of Salmonella Newport linked to red onions has sickened over 500 people in the U.S. and Canada, and a Cyclospora outbreak linked to bagged salads sickened nearly 700.

For this particular outbreak, FDA and CDC have reportedly traced multiple infections back to Prima Wawona, the nation’s biggest stone fruit supplier.

“We’re conducting this voluntary recall in cooperation with the FDA out of consideration for the wellbeing and safety of our customers and consumers,” said George Nikolich, Prima Wawona’s vice president of technical operations in a press release. “We continue to be committed to serving consumers with high quality fruit.”

This isn’t the first time the company has been linked to foodborne illness. In the summer of 2014, it had to recall peaches, nectarines, plums, and pluots due to potential listeria contamination, food safety lawyer Bill Marler noted for Food Poisoning Journal.

You couldn’t be blamed for feeling like 2020 has been banner summer for foodborne illnesses: In addition to our peach problem, an outbreak of Salmonella Newport linked to red onions has sickened over 500 people in the U.S. and Canada, and a Cyclospora outbreak linked to bagged salads sickened nearly 700.

Outbreaks of foodborne illness occur every year, and advancements in detection technology help officials pinpoint and trace pathogens along the supply chain with increasing efficiency.

Nonetheless, Amalardjou said, there’s no reason to feel too alarmed quite yet: Outbreaks of foodborne illness occur every year, and advancements in detection technology help officials pinpoint and trace pathogens along the supply chain with increasing efficiency.

With peach season in full swing in numerous growing regions, you can likely rest assured that stone fruit produced by other companies or sold at a nearby farmers’ market is still safe to enjoy.

“I’ll still have my peaches,” Amalaradjou said. “I love my peaches.” Safe peaching is just a matter of keeping an eye on FDA’s recall list, and steering clear of any fruit that gets flagged.

We will continue to update this story as it evolves.

Jessica Fu is a staff writer for The Counter.

Lead photo: Jessica Fu

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food safety peaches recall salmonella