Another food recall, this time of ground beef, has once again brought food-borne illness into the spotlight. The recall applies to approximately 8,500 pounds of ground beef produced by the Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, and sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. The beef was recalled because of possible e. Coli contamination.

The USDA has released a list of the BJ’s locations involved in the recall. If you have recently purchased beef at a BJ’s Wholesale Club location check the recall list to see if your store is involved.

A second Iowa egg producer has been implicated as a possible source for the recent rise in salmanella cases. Hillendale Farms of Iowa has recalled 170 million eggs distributed since April 9 2010 after epidemiologists linked the eggs to a salmonella outbreak in May. The eggs recalled  were sold under the farm’s own name as well as Sunny Farms, Sunny Meadow, Wholesome Farms and West Creek and were distributed  in California, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. Another Iowa company, Wright County Egg,  has already recalled 380 million eggs. This brings the total to more than one half billion eggs being recalled. The outbreak occurred as new FDA egg-safety rules came into effect in early July. The new rule requires producers to test more for salmonella, as well as take other precautions. It is hoped the new rule will lessen the risk of salmonella in eggs.

Ongoing Salmonella Outbreak Prompts Egg Recall
 
A national outbreak of salmonella in eggs has sickened hundreds of people since May and appears to be ongoing, experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say. The outbreak has been tracked to in-shell eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, which has launched a recall.

The Associated Press estimates the total number of eggs recalled at 228 million.

Eggs from the company were sold under multiple brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps. They were distributed nationwide. The recall was launched Aug. 13.

CDC: Poultry is No. 1 food poisoning culprit

The recall covers eggs in their shells packed between May 16 and Aug. 13. They come in cartons ranging from six to 18 eggs and are marked with plant numbers P-1026, P-1413 and P-1946. The eggs should be returned for a refund and not consumed.

The type of salmonella causing the outbreak, salmonella enteritidis, is the most common form. The normal level of laboratory-confirmed cases nationally for this specific type is about 50 cases per week. When that jumped to 200 cases a week in June, public health workers realized they had a problem, says Casey Barton Behravesh, a veterinary epidemiologist with the CDC. Many states had reported increases since May.

The article containing further information can be found  at:  http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-08-18-salmonella18_ST_N.htm

In one of the more unusual stories concerning food-borne illness, the New York Times this week highlighted a new recall of frozen mice—that’s right, mice—that have sickened approximately four hundred people.  The company, Mice Direct, sells frozen mice to owners of pets that eat small rodents (snakes, for instance.)

According to the article, the contaminated mice can carry salmonella, which can then be passed on to reptilian pets.  The snakes, lizards and turtles can then pass the bacteria on to their owners.

Alternatively, the article suggests that handling the frozen reptile feed can also give pet owners salmonella poisoning.  One scenario that the article highlights is contamination of home microwaves used to thaw the mice.  Salmonella then spreads to other microwaved foods.

While this story is unusual to say the least, it highlights the importance of proper sanitary procedures when handling raw meat (even rodent meat!)  The CDC recommends keeping raw meats separate from other foods, along with thorough cleaning of hands, utensils, counter tops, and cutting boards to ensure that any salmonella bacteria is killed before it has a chance to infect humans.