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 team of microbiologists from Hollins University were curious to analyze how clean the average fountain soda was. What they discovered was not very encouraging. Almost half of the 90 soda samples collected from 30 fountains tested positive for some type of coliform bacteria. Coliform is a nice biological name for a rather unsettling bacteria; it is the name for bacteria that are commonly found in... [more]

Willamette Filbert Growers of Newberg, OR is recalling 29,861 lbs of Shelled Hazelnuts and Shelled Organic Hazelnuts, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious foodborne illness and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons with salmonellosis, an infection... [more]

Yersiniosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium of the genus Yersinia. In the United States, most human illness is caused by one species, Yersinia enterocolitica. Infection with Yersinia enterocolitica can cause a variety of symptoms depending on the age of the person infected. Infection with Yersinia enterocolitica occurs most often in young children. Common symptoms in children are fever,... [more]

Scientists have discovered a deadly new genetically mutated strain of Salmonella is killing 25% of infected people in Africa. Salmonella enterica Typhimurium is a sometimes nasty foodborne pathogen that causes diarrhea and intestinal problems but the strain is typically non-fatal. Like most foodborne pathogens, Salmonella enterica Typhimurium was thought to only pose a lethal threat to children, the... [more]

Here is the continuation of yesterday’s post about the worst foodborne illness complications. Today we cover the top five nastiest complications. 5. Organ Damage Most “simple” food poisonings are anything but simple. While most food pathogens are not considered a serious threat to a normal healthy person, foodborne pathogens can infect and threaten the life of anyone unfortunate enough to... [more]

For most people who get a foodborne illness, it is a 2 or 3 days of sickness followed by a quick recovery with no serious long term effects (except for the memories of how intense a food poisoning illness can be). But for an unfortunate few and their families, a foodborne bacteria, virus or parasite can change everything in an instant. There are quite a few pathogens that use food as a transmission... [more]

Louisiana legislators are hoping that a planned meeting with FDA officials will give them an opportunity to state their case that new regulations regarding the sale of raw oysters would damage the state’s prolific oyster industry. The FDA has proposed a ban on untreated Gulf of Mexico oysters during summer months. The ban has been enacted in hopes of controlling one of the deadliest foodborne pathogens,... [more]

PetSmart is voluntarily recalling two Dentley’s Beef Hoof products for potential Salmonella contamination. The products were manufactured by Pet Carousel, Inc. in Sanger, Calif.  The recalled products include only the following types of Dentley’s Beef Hooves purchased between Oct. 2, 2009 and Nov. 3, 2009: Dentley’s Bulk Cattle Hoof UPC# 73725703323 Dentley’s 10 Pack Beef Hooves... [more]

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that can cause foodborne illness in those who eat contaminated foods, such as shellfish and certain finfish, or have an open wound that is exposed to seawater. Among healthy people, ingestion of Vibrio vulnificus can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In immunocompromised persons, particularly those with chronic liver disease, Vibrio vulnificus can infect... [more]