Raw isn’t rad, it’s risky: Radagast Pet Food, Inc. voluntarily recalls three lots of rad cat raw diet free-range chicken recipe and one lot of pasture-raised venison recipe because of possible health risk

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Radagast Pet Food, Inc. of Portland, OR is recalling three lots of Rad Cat Raw Diet Free-Range Chicken Recipe because testing results indicate they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The Company is also recalling one lot of Rad Cat Raw Diet Pasture-Raised Venison Recipe because testing results indicate it has the potential to be contaminated with Shiga Toxin producing E. coli O121.  This recall is being conducted out of an abundance of caution.  Due to Radagast Pet Food’s commitment to food safety and quality, The Company is conducting this voluntary recall.

Uh-huh.

Victims blame FDA for food-recall failures

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I don’t blame any regulatory type for going early or going late in a foodborne disease outbreak.

There’s lots of armchair quarterbacks out there, and we’ve tried to present the various viewpoints on many an outbreak.

There’s also a lot people out there with nothing but a personal agenda, based on profit rather than peer review.

Christine Haughney of Politico reports that people had been getting sick from eating I.M. Healthy Original Creamy SoyNut Butter for more than two months when Peter Ebb, a 59-year-old Boston lawyer and health enthusiast, went for a run and then ate his usual gluten-free English muffin smeared with soy nut butter.

Later that morning — March 6, 2017 — Ebb saw a message from Amazon, which had sold him the nut butter, that the manufacturer had recalled it for contamination by E. coli bacteria. Ebb threw away a protein drink he had made with the soy nut butter, but didn’t worry too much. The Food and Drug Administration warning that was linked to the email was worded very cautiously: Though serious illnesses might result, even potentially leading to death, “most healthy adults can recover completely within a week.”

Six days later, Ebb was hospitalized and developed a deadly type of kidney failure. Within days, doctors told his wife to send for their children in case they needed to bid him a last goodbye. He survived, but remains unable to work full time and has trouble climbing the stairs. Now, he’s joining with 18 other victims to file claims against the companies responsible and call attention to the inadequacy of the nation’s recall system.

“If I had heard about the problem even one week earlier and stopped then, I might have been able to avoid the disease completely, and life today would be very different,” Ebb said.

A POLITICO investigation found that the I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter case — which officials at the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have hailed as an improvement over past failures — was nonetheless emblematic of persistent weaknesses in the nation’s food-safety system, some of which haven’t been corrected for two years after being flagged by the agency’s inspector general.

Two months elapsed between the first person sickened by eating I.M. Healthy SoyNut Butter on Jan. 4 and the recall orders that began on March 3 and expanded three more times until March 10. The FDA, working through a national network of labs that identifies outbreaks, pinpointed the contamination on Feb. 22. The nine-day lag time in persuading the manufacturer to begin recalling the tainted products was a significant improvement over previous lag times — which were as high as 165 days in one infamous case, according to the inspector general. But victims maintain that the FDA should have ordered a recall on its own authority, given that a few days or even hours can make a difference in a deadly outbreak.

Going public: Early disclosure of food risks for the benefit of public health

Mar.17

NEHA, Volume 79.7, Pages 8-14

Benjamin Chapman, Maria Sol Erdozaim, Douglas Powell

http://www.neha.org/node/58904

Often during an outbreak of foodborne illness, there are health officials who have data indicating that there is a risk prior to notifying the public. During the lag period between the first public health signal and some release of public information, there are decision makers who are weighing evidence with the impacts of going public. Multiple agencies and analysts have lamented that there is not a common playbook or decision tree for how public health agencies determine what information to release and when. Regularly, health authorities suggest that how and when public information is released is evaluated on a case-by-case basis without sharing the steps and criteria used to make decisions. Information provision on its own is not enough. Risk communication, to be effective and grounded in behavior theory, should provide control measure options for risk management decisions. There is no indication in the literature that consumers benefit from paternalistic protection decisions to guard against information overload. A review of the risk communication literature related to outbreaks, as well as case studies of actual incidents, are explored and a blueprint for health authorities to follow is provided.

Food safety and tourism are mutually dependent: Vibrio in conch in Bahamas

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Morgan Adderley of Tribune 242 reports there have been four confirmed cases of conch poisoning and as many as six unconfirmed cases, Bahamas Health Minister Duane Sands announced yesterday.

According to Dr Sands, the exposure took place in the previous 72 to 96 hours with a number of the patients affected having eaten at Potter’s Cay.

Noting that an outbreak of conch poisoning is something the country can “ill afford” right now, Dr Sands was adamant the issue can be easily mitigated if proper hygiene is maintained.

Four cases have been confirmed via laboratory testing but Dr Sands said there are a number of unconfirmed cases – “possibly as many as six” awaiting laboratory results. He added the affected people are being treated at both Doctors Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital, and so far, all the self-identified patients are Bahamian.

Dr Sands said the steps to controlling the outbreak lie in proper hygiene and public and vendor awareness.

“Environmental Health teams (are speaking) directly with the vendors, not only at Potter’s Cay but throughout New Providence and anywhere else that we may have reason to suspect possibility of exposure,” Dr Sands said.

“We learned back in the 1990s that this is easily controlled if people practice very simple techniques of washing conch with fresh water. And that minimises, if not eliminates the possibility of transmission.

If it’s so simple, why do so many people get sick?

‘We’re trying to stay healthy and look good on stage and everyone’s throwing up around us’ (Probably) Norovirus spreads at Miss Nevada pageant

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Faith Tanner of Fox 5 reports that health officials have been investigating a suspected norovirus outbreak at Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.

At the end of June, families from across the state stayed at Westgate for the Miss Nevada pageant. 

Contestants said several people got sick during and after the competition. 

“It’s terrifying, because we’re all trying to stay healthy and look good on stage and everyone’s throwing up around us,” Macie Tuell said. 

It was a week Miss Lake Tahoe, Macie Tuell, prepared all year for, to compete in Miss Nevada at the Westgate in Las Vegas. 

But Tuell and the other contestants weren’t prepared for so many people to get sick. 

“The first girl in our group that got sick, it happened Wednesday night and then each day a couple more girls got sick and a couple more got sick the day after that. I know one girl actually got sick while she was on stage and had to run off,” Tuell said. 

She said the show went on and contestants pulled through. Tuell ended up getting first runner up. It wasn’t until the end of the pageant that most contestants learned how widespread the illness was. 

“A couple of the employees were getting sick, so that’s when we stared to figure out it wasn’t just our group. Even our family members who we had not seen at that point they were getting sick.”

The Southern Nevada Health District has been investigating. 

Their information so far suggested a gastrointestinal illness. Consistent with norovirus or the stomach flu. Health officials couldn’t confirm how many people got sick. 

Officials said they’ve surveyed the Westgate’s kitchens and on July 4, the resort agreed to close the buffet for an additional health assessment. 

621 inmates suffer food poisoning at Kyoto prison

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When I was in prison 37 years ago, it had its own canning unit. Prisons have always been de facto work camps, and food is where the laborers were needed. Lotsa rumors about saltpeter, the daily horse chestnuts (canned plums) and whatever else could be thrown in a minimal cost.

It’s only gotten worse as privitization has taken over.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky said: “The degree of civilisation in a society is revealed by entering its prisons.”

According to Yusuke Kaite of The Mainichi 621 inmates recently suffered food poisoning at Kyoto Prison, the municipal government announced on July 4.

Although the exact cause was not identified, the city declared the outbreak a case of mass food poisoning, and banned the use of food facilities at the prison for three days.

Men from the ages of 26 to 76 suffered symptoms such as diarrhea and stomachaches from the morning of June 28 after food was cooked in the kitchen by 24 inmates. A total of 1,132 inmates and others had meals made at the kitchen at the time.

Patterns of crypto in Australia

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Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite that causes the diarrheal disease, cryptosporidiosis. Although many species have been identified, the majority of human disease worldwide is caused by two species; Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis. 

In Australia, data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) show that cryptosporidiosis outbreaks occur every few years. To better understand the transmission, trends and nature of cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in Western Australia, epidemiological and genomic data from three cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in 2003, 2007 and 2011 were reviewed.

The 2007 outbreak was the largest (n = 607) compared with the outbreaks in 2003 (n = 404) and 2011 (n = 355). All three outbreaks appeared to have occurred predominantly in the urban metropolitan area (Perth), which reported the highest number of case notifications; increases in case notifications were also observed in rural and remote areas. Children aged 0–4 years and non-Aboriginal people comprised the majority of notifications in all outbreaks. However, in the 2003 and 2007 outbreaks, a higher proportion of cases from Aboriginal people was observed in the remote areas. Molecular data were only available for the 2007 (n = 126) and 2011 (n = 42) outbreaks, with C. hominis the main species identified in both outbreaks. Subtyping at the glycoprotein 60 (gp60) locus identified subtype IbA10G2 in 46.3% and 89.5% of C. hominis isolates typed, respectively, in the 2007 and 2011 outbreaks, with the IdA15G1 subtype was identified in 33.3% of C. hominis isolates typed in the 2007 outbreak. The clustering of cases with the IdA15G1 subtype in the remote areas suggests the occurrence of a concurrent outbreak in remote areas during the 2007 outbreak, which primarily affected Aboriginal people.

Both the C. hominis IbA10G2 and IdA15G1 subtypes have been implicated in cryptosporidiosis outbreaks worldwide; its occurrence indicates that the mode of transmission in both the 2007 and 2011 outbreaks was anthroponotic. To better understand the epidemiology, sources and transmission of cryptosporidiosis in Australia, genotyping data should routinely be incorporated into national surveillance programmes.

Comparison of three cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in Western Australia: 2003, 2007 and 2011

05 July 2018

Epidemiology & Infection

S. Y. Ng-Hublin(a1), B. Combs(a2), S. Reid (a3) and U. Ryan (a1) 

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268818001607

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-infection/article/comparison-of-three-cryptosporidiosis-outbreaks-in-western-australia-2003-2007-and-2011/4B7491E4CB498D3E20E0E4B1B275BEF6

Staff at UK food place put food gnawed by mice back on shelves

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Martin Elvery of Get West London reports that rat droppings hanging from the ceilings of rooms where fruit and vegetables were stored, products being repackaged and sold after being gnawed by mice and a cement mixer allegedly being used to mix marinated chicken are just some of the horrors Ealing’s food safety officers have uncovered over the past year.

The council carries out thorough, regular checks of all premises serving and selling food in the borough which are categorised for their level of risk on a sliding scale of A to E.

Whilst the vast majority – 82% this year – complied fully with food standards, they have had to take swift action to deal with a few. A report summarising them was presented to the council’s general purpose committee on Tuesday, June 26.

When officers visited food store rooms used to keep fruit and vegetables based at a store in The Green, in Southall, they were found to be riddled with rat droppings.

The report states rat and mouse droppings were found throughout at wall and floor junctions, and on high level shelving. They were also found hanging from the ceiling and on the door leading to the rear store room.

Salmonella in pesto triggers Irish recall

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Brisbane has fabulous produce and seafood, befitting a costal sub-tropical town.

Sure, it’s way too hot for three months in the summer, but the weather is ideal the rest of the year.

A friend of mine – a food safety professional — was telling me yesterday about this snapper he got, straight of the trawler, and the pesto sauce he made to go with it.

I really try not to be Debbie/Dougie downer when people tell me their proud achievements, so I didn’t go into all the outbreaks on pesto from uncooked basil.

Usually it’s cyclospora, but the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has issued a public notification that Dunnes Stores and Spar are initiating a recall of their own brand pestos, due to the possible presence of Salmonella. Consumers who have bought the implicated batches should dispose of the product or return it to the place of purchase.

At least 40 sick with Shigella after ‘eating food contaminated with feces at potluck birthday party’ in North Carolina

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I’m not a big fan of the potluck.

Sure I get social aspect, the trying different foods and experiencing different cultures.

But do I trust the different food prep places, proper temperatures, storage and cleanliness.

Jane Wester of the Charlotte Observer reports at least 40 people are sick after eating contaminated food at a potluck birthday party in east Charlotte Saturday, Mecklenburg County health department officials said Monday.

Someone who prepared food for the party did not wash their hands well enough, Health Director Gibbie Harris said. Some partygoers are infected with a “highly contagious” disease called shigella, which causes diarrhea and is spread through feces, Harris said.

About 100 people attended the birthday party, and more may still get sick, as symptoms of shigella can take one to three days to show up after someone is infected, Communicable Disease Control director Carmel Clements said. It’s possible, however, for some people to get sick a whole week later, Clements said.

Most patients called 911 from the Forest Hills apartment complex, near where the party was held, according to Medic.

Health officials are sure that the contaminated dish was prepared in someone’s home rather than a restaurant, Harris said, because the only outside food at the party was the birthday cake.

The power of lemons

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Every morning I am awaken to the sound of my preprogrammed espresso machine grinding beans. With young kids at home and my slowly aging body, this is a necessity. Anyone with kids can certainly relate. However, before departing for work, my wife and I have a shot of lemon juice for a number of health reasons. Last week I visited the dentist and apparently the acidity from the lemons was slowly corroding my teeth. I neglected to mention that we also add a splash of vinegar to the juice for added benefit. First time I ever heard my dentist laugh and swear. I guess I need something alkaline to balance all of the acidity.

Maggie Angst of the Insider  reports:

Adding a lemon wedge to your water can help shake up the dull beverage and help you reach your recommended 10 to 15 cups of water a day.
Lemon water is touted by experts and celebrities for its long list of benefits including preventing dehydration, assisting with digestion, and supporting weight loss.
But, like most things in life, you can have too much of a good thing.
Here are six dangerous things that can occur when you drink too much lemon water. Keep in mind most of these would take quite a bit of lemon juice before becoming a problem.
It can damage your teeth.
Although a squeeze of lemon in your water every day may seem harmless, it can wreak some major havoc on your pearly whites.
Since lemons are highly acidic, frequent exposure can erode your tooth enamel, the American Dental Association warns. If you’re not sure what eroded enamel would look like, imagine your teeth with a yellow tint and a coarse feeling when you touch them to the tongue.
If that doesn’t convince you to skip the lemon wedge, at least try to drink it out of a straw to cut down on the acid exposure on your teeth.
It can upset your stomach.
Too much of anything is a bad thing, even when it comes to lemon water.
While lemon juice contains a wide range of health benefits, squeezing too much in your water can cause dangerous side effects to your health including worsening ulcers and developing GERD, Livestrong reports.
GERD, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disorder, is triggered by acidic foods like lemon juice and can cause heartburn, nausea, and vomiting.
Lemon skins serve as a host for unpleasant organisms.
If you’re a germaphobe, you may want to steer clear of putting lemon wedges in your water — at least in a restaurant.
In a 2007 study in the Journal of Environmental Health, researchers tested the rinds and flesh of lemons from more than 21 restaurants. In conclusion, they found that nearly 70% of the lemons contained organisms such as E. Coli, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
To avoid the germs, squeeze the lemon instead your drink instead of dropping the whole wedge inside your glass.
Using concentrated lemon juice can cause cavities.
Growing up, you were probably instructed not to eat too much candy or you would get cavities. Well, it turns out candy isn’t the only culprit of tooth decay.
According to Healthline, cavities are a result of damaging bacteriathat digest the sugar in foods and produce acids. Although lemon water on its own may not lead to the development of cavities, if you typically sweeten it with sugar or use concentrated lemon juices instead of a freshly squeezed lemon, then you could have a problem on your hands… and teeth.
You may worsen canker sores.
Nothing is worse than waking up to the painful irritation of a newly formed canker sore in your mouth.
While most canker sores will clear up on their own within a week or two, coping with the uncomfortable annoyance for even that long can feel like forever.
If you drink lemon water while dealing with a mouth sore, you’re probably making it worse without realizing it. Lemon water can do more damage to your mouth than just decay your tooth enamel, it also has the potential to exacerbate canker sores and irritate mouth sores, according to the American Dental Association.
Citrus fruits may trigger migraines.
If you deal with headaches or migraines of any nature, it’s safe to say you don’t want to take any chances by eating or drinking something that could trigger them. And citrus fruits, including lemons, are among that category.
Some studies over the years have discovered a connection between migraines and citrus fruits, while a handful of others have not proven a link. Still, citrus fruits like lemons are on doctors’ radars as a possible trigger for migraines, Rebecca Traub, a neurologist with ColumbiaDoctors, told Health.