Normally when people think foodborne illness, they think it is actually associated with food; however, water can serve as a host for parasitic, and bacterial foodborne illness organisms.  The Salt Lake Tribune recently posted a boil order for Saratoga Springs, Utah in an article by David Meyers entitled “Saratoga Springs Boil Order Still in Effect.” Utah County has recently seen seven cases of... [more]

The recent outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in a Vancouver, Washington day care is a powerful reminder that the family of virulent E. coli that includes E. coli O157:H7 is not your average food poisoning pathogen. Four children that attended the daycare facility have been sickened with serious illnesses caused by the dangerous bacteria; one four year old boy has already lost his tragic battle with the microbe. State... [more]

The Canadian Press recently issued a report stating that the European Union had analyzed foodborne pathogens carried in its raw chicken supply. According to the article entitled “EU Food Safety Agency Says Most Raw Chickens in Europe Carries Food-Poisoning Bugs,” “scientists said 76 percent of chicken they tested at slaughterhouses in 2008 was infected with campylobacter and another 16 percent... [more]

As of March 8th, there have been just over 100 products recalled over concerns of the products being processed with hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) believed to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recall list is bound to grow as more products are discovered to be connected with the contaminated HVP distributed by Basic Food Flavors, Inc. located in Las Vegas. There are only a few companies that... [more]

A recent cruise ship Norovirus infection has caught a great deal of media attention. According to a recent USAToday.com article by Gene Sloan entitled “Celebrity Postpones Cruise out of Charleston after Major Outbreak of Illness,” the departure of the Celebrity Mercury ship has been postponed. The ship docked in South Carolina with over 400 people suffering from Norovirus. Norovirus can be found... [more]

Clostridium botulinum spores when ingested, lead to botulism food poisoning. According to Colorado State University’s Extension Service Botulism Fact Sheet written by Professor P. Kendall, there are four types of botulism: foodborne, infant, wound, and undetermined. Foodborne botulism results when eating food that has not been properly refrigerated or preserved. Botulism spores, which are not killed... [more]

The National Kidney and Urological Disease Information Clearinghouse provides information related to various illnesses including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Their link gives an informative picture of HUS as the treatable yet sometimes fatal complication of E. coli food poisoning. E. coli foodborne illness leads to HUS when the E. coli bacteria enter the bloodstream and begin damaging red blood... [more]

In July of 2009, the United States House of Representatives held committee hearings on Bill H.R. 1549, known as the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009. This legislation would attempt to halt the creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria (superbugs) through limitations on utilization of antibiotics in the livestock industry. Citing a 2003 study by the National Academy of Science linking... [more]

    Wholesome Spice of Brooklyn, NY, who has been mentioned the the Daniele International Salmonella Recall, is now recalling lots of Crushed Red Pepper.  Here’s the company’s release:     Wholesome Spice of Brooklyn, NY is recalling all lots of 25 lb boxes of Crushed Red Pepper sold between 4/6/09 and 1/20/10, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an... [more]

Since 2007, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture has been working in conjunction with the USDA on implementation of a Radio Frequency ID (RFID) pilot program. According to the department’s website, this research project, aimed at developing practical food tracking methods, links the Hawaii Department of Agriculture with local farmers. The farmers place RFID tags in containers of food products. The... [more]