Tag Archives: jimmy johns

Jimmy John’s salmonella-in-sprouts sickens 112 not counting that other outbreak

Posted on by
Reply

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control updated the numbers on the Illinois-based salmonella-in-sprouts outbreak.

From November 1, 2010, through January 4, 2011, 112 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella serotype I 4,[5],12:i:-, whose illnesses began since November 1, have been reported from 18 states and the District of Columbia. Results of the investigation indicate a link to eating Tiny Greens Alfalfa Sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurant outlets.

Consumers should not eat recalled Tiny Greens Alfalfa Sprouts or Spicy Sprouts, and restaurant and food service operators should not serve them.

Advice to Consumers, Retailers and Others

• Consumers, retailers and others who have Tiny Greens Alfalfa Sprouts or Spicy Sprouts should dispose of them in a closed plastic bag placed in a sealed trash can. This will prevent people or animals from eating them.

• Persons who think they might have become ill from eating potentially contaminated products should consult their health care providers.

• Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems should avoid eating raw sprouts of any kind (including alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts).

• Cook sprouts thoroughly to reduce the risk of illness. Cooking thoroughly kills the harmful bacteria.

• Request that raw sprouts not be added to your food. If you purchase a sandwich or salad at a restaurant or delicatessen, check to make sure that raw sprouts have not been added.
 

Salmonella in sprouts now sickens 94

Posted on by
1

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports today that:

* from November 1 through December 27, approximately 94 illnesses linked to infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- were reported from 16 states and the District of Columbia;

* Ppreliminary results of the investigation indicate a link to eating Tiny Greens brand Alfalfa Sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurant outlets; and,

* consumers should not eat Tiny Greens brand Alfalfa Sprouts or Spicy Sprouts, and restaurant and food service operators should not serve them. Consumers, retailers and others who have Tiny Greens Alfalfa Sprouts or Spicy Sprouts should dispose of them in a closed plastic bag placed in a sealed trash can. This will prevent people or animals from eating them.

Silence from Jimmy John’s and Tiny Greens, other than, hey, our tests were negative.

Epidemiology still works.
 

The sprouts stop here: Jimmy John’s salmonella-in-sprouts source IDed

Posted on by
2

Tiny Greens’ Organic Farm in Urbana, Illinois (below, left, exactly as shown), talks a lot on its web page about being sustainable, natural, organic and using a crap-load of crap in their sprout production.

“The farm is certified by the Global Organic Alliance, which helps with finding a supply of organic seeds, which can be surprisingly hard to acquire. We grow the seeds in compost that we create ourselves, made of a mixture of year old woodchips and leftover sprouts. We have never had to find an outside source for compost. As long as you keep the sprouts healthy, there is no need for using chemicals. Healthy growing materials also mean an end product that is higher in vitamins, minerals and enzymes.”

Tiny Greens’ Organic Farm does not mention microbiological food safety on its web site, but I suspect they will be in the future.

Why a national sandwich chain like Jimmy John’s would buy an identified high-risk product – raw sprouts – from such an outfit is beyond me; it’s their business to lose now that at least 89 people have been sickened with Salmonella serotype I 4,[5],12:i:- in 15 states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers not to eat Alfalfa Sprouts and Spicy Sprouts (which contain alfalfa sprouts mixed with radish and clover sprouts) from Tiny Greens Organic Farm of Urbana, Ill. The sprouts were distributed in 4 oz. and 5 lb. containers to various customers, including farmers’ markets, restaurants and groceries, in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and possibly other Midwestern states.

Preliminary results of the investigation of a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections indicate a link to eating Tiny Greens’ Alfalfa Sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurant outlets.

Approximately half of the illnesses occurred in Illinois, where nearly all of the ill individuals ate sandwiches containing sprouts at various Jimmy John’s outlets. The CDC has posted epidemiological information about this outbreak at http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/i4512i-/.

Jimmy John’s has stopped serving sprouts on its sandwiches at all Illinois locations.

Sprouts are a known source of foodborne illness. Since 1996, there have been at least 30 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness associated with different types of raw and lightly cooked sprouts. Most of these outbreaks were caused by Salmonella and E. coli. The FDA advises children, the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems should avoid eating raw sprouts of any kind (including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean sprouts). To reduce the chance of foodborne illness, FDA advises consumers to cook sprouts thoroughly and to request raw sprouts not be added to your food.

The original table of North American raw sprout-related outbreaks is available at http://bites.ksu.edu/sprout-associated-outbreaks-north-america-1990-2009.
 

Not just Illinois: salmonella in sprouts is making people barf all over; 89 confirmed sick, 1-in-4 hospitalized

Posted on by
Reply

That salmonella-in-sprouts at Jimmy John’s has spread to 15 states.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports from Nov. 1 to Dec. 21, 2010, the same Salmonella serotype I 4,[5],12:i:- had sickened 89 individuals from 15 states, with 50 of those from Illinois.

Case-patients range in age from 1 to 75 years, with a median age of 28. Sixty-eight percent of patients are female. Among persons with available information, 23% reported being hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Preliminary results of this investigation indicate a link to eating alfalfa sprouts at a national sandwich chain.

To reduce the risk of illness:

• Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems should avoid eating raw sprouts of any kind (including alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts).
• Cook sprouts thoroughly to reduce the risk of illness. Cooking kills the harmful bacteria.
• Request that raw sprouts not be added to your food. If you purchase a sandwich or salad at a restaurant or delicatessen, check to make sure that raw sprouts have not been added.

At one local eatery, we’re known as the no-sprouts customers.

That national sandwich chain would be Jimmy John’s. Although the company pulled sprouts two days ago from Illinois restaurants, they need to pull all raw sprouts nationally, figure out where the sprouts came from to limit exposure to others, and then seriously evaluate whether they should even be offering raw sprouts.

And when Jimmy John’s owner Jimmy John Liautaud wrote franchisees in a letter Tuesday saying that about 88 people were sickened in 15 states and that of 40 interviewed, 28 ate at Jimmy John’s and 25 had sprouts, he obviously knew what CDC is now reporting today. So why would you limit the yanking of sprouts to just Illinois? Why did it take CDC at least an additional two days to report what Illinois folks have been reporting for days?

This is going to be expensive.

A table of raw sprout-related outbreaks is available at http://bites.ksu.edu/sprout-associated-outbreaks-north-america-1990-2009.

Jimmy John’s pulls salmonella sprouts from sandwiches; 88 sick in Illinois

Posted on by
Reply

Hours after announcing that suspect sprouts will stay on the Jimmy John’s sandwich menu because “sprouts rock,” the owner told franchises in Illinois to pull alfalfa sprouts from menus after a salmonella outbreak sickened dozens.

Jimmy John’s owner Jimmy John Liautaud wrote franchisees a letter Tuesday saying that about 88 people were sickened in 15 states and that of 40 interviewed, 28 ate at Jimmy John’s and 25 had sprouts. Liautaud said the chain’s restaurants and main sprout supplier have tested negative.

The Illinois Department of Public Health pegged the number of people confirmed sick from Salmonella I 4,5,12,i- at 43 back on Dec. 17, 2010.

Sprouts again: 46 sick with salmonella

Posted on by
Reply

The Chicago Tribune reports Illinois health officials are investigating a salmonella outbreak that’s sickened nearly 50 people in nine counties.



The Illinois Department of Public Health says many of the people who have become ill have reported eating alfalfa sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurants.



IDPH officials say alfalfa sprout producers and suppliers are being investigated, and produce testing is ongoing. 



The health department has received reports of 46 people falling ill since Nov. 1.