Cantaloupes Sold at Sam’s Club Recalled

By the Food and Drug Administration

Eagle Produce, LLC of Scottsdale, Ariz., has announced a limited recall of certain cantaloupes shipped from Arizona to upstate New York in late May, due to their potential to be contaminated with salmonella. Although no illnesses have been reported, Eagle Produce has voluntarily decided to recall the potentially affected shipments, which were sold at Sam’s Club between June 2 and June 17. Sam’s Club has withdrawn all cantaloupes from the stores and sent a notification to members that bought these melons from clubs served by the Johnstown, N.Y. and Pottsville, Pa., distribution centers.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The recall is limited to approximately 1,760 cartons of cantaloupes, each containing nine melons, for sale in bulk, in brown cardboard cartons each with the Kandy logo in white with the word ‘Cantaloupes’ in white lettering on a red background. The cartons have the lot code 147 count 9 printed on the side of the carton. Each melon bears a Kandy sticker with the words ‘Cantaloupe USA’.

The recall is being implemented as a result of a routine and random test directed by the USDA and carried out by the New York Department of Agriculture. The company has ceased the production and distribution of the product in question.

Consumers who believe that they are in possession of uneaten cantaloupes affected by this recall may contact Eagle Produce at 480-323-6177 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Arizona time.

Ground Turkey Products Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination- High Risk

Arkansas Firm Recalls Ground Turkey Products Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination

Recall Release CLASS I RECALL FSIS-RC-060-2011 HEALTH RISK: HIGH Congressional and Public Affairs (202) 720-9113 Catherine Cochran WASHINGTON, August 3, 2011 – Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, a Springdale, Ark. establishment, is recalling approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey products that may be contaminated with a multi-drug resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products subject to recall today bear the establishment number “P-963” inside the USDA mark of inspection, and include the following: Recommendations for Preventing Salmonellosis Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Also wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water. Clean up spills right away. Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods. Cook raw meat and poultry to safe internal temperatures before eating. The safe internal temperature for ground meat such as beef and pork is 160° F, and 165° F for poultry, as determined with a food thermometer. Refrigerate raw meat and poultry within two hours after purchase (one hour if temperatures exceed 90° F). Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking. Ground Turkey Chubs – Use or Freeze by Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11 10 lb. chubs of Honeysuckle White Fresh Natural Lean Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings 10 lb. chubs of Unbranded Ground Turkey w/ Natural Flavoring 2 Pack 80 oz. (5 lbs.) chubs of Riverside Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring 10 lb. chubs of Natural Lean Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Fresh Lean HEB Ground Turkey 93/7 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Fresh HEB Ground Turkey 85/15 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Fresh Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring 4-1 Pound Packages of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring Value Pack 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Fresh Ground Turkey 48 oz. (3 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Fresh Ground Turkey 85% Ground Turkey – Use or Freeze by Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11 19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey 19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White Taco Seasoned Ground Turkey Colored with Paprika 19.2 oz. (1 lb. 3.2 oz.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh 85/15 48.0 oz. (3 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh 85/15 20 oz. (1.25 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey 48.0 oz. (3 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey Family Pack 16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey 19.2 oz. (1.2 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White Seasoned Italian Style Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings 20 oz. (1 lb. 4 oz.) trays of Safeway Fresh Ground Turkey with Natural Flavorings * 15% Fat (NOTE: Sold in Texas only at Randall’s and Tom Thumb, Use or Freeze by 03/12/11 through 05/05/11) 93% Ground Turkey – Use or Freeze by Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11 19.2 oz. (1.20 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey 48 oz. (3.0 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey Family Pack 19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Fit & Active Lean Ground Turkey 93/07 19.2 oz. (1.2 lbs.) trays of Giant Eagle Ground Turkey Fresh & Premium Lean 19.2 oz. (1 lb 3.2 oz.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh Lean 93/7 20 oz. (1.25 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey Ground Patties 16.0 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey Patties with “Use by” or “Freeze by” dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11 16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Seasoned Turkey Patties Fresh 85/15, with “Use by” or “Freeze by” dates of 2/20/11 through 8/23/11 16.0 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Shady Brook Farms Ground Turkey Burgers with Natural Flavoring with the following “Use by” or “Freeze by” dates: 07/09/11, 07/10/11, 07/11/11, 07/15/11, 07/16/11, 07/21/11, 07/22/11, 07/24/11, 08/01/11, or 08/04/11 Frozen Ground Turkey – Production Dates of 2/20/11 through 8/2/11 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring 16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Spartan Ground Turkey 48 oz. (3 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey 40 lb. Bulk Packed Ground Turkey with Natural Flavoring for Food Service Use Only These products were distributed at the retail level nationwide. Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation requests that consumers who may have purchased these products return them to the point-of-purchase. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on FSIS’ website at www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls/ Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp. To prevent salmonellosis and other foodborne illnesses, wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry, and cook poultry—including ground turkey—to 165° F, as determined with a food thermometer. This recall follows a July 29, 2011 FSIS Public Health Alert that was initiated due to concerns about illnesses caused by Salmonella Heidelberg that may be associated with use and consumption of ground turkey. A total of 79 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg have been reported from 26 states between March 1 and August 3, 2011. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg is resistant to several commonly prescribed antibiotics. Among the ill persons with available information, 22 (38%) have been hospitalized and 1 death has been reported. As a result of the epidemiologic and traceback investigations, as well as in-plant findings, FSIS determined that there is a link between the Cargill ground turkey products and this illness outbreak. FSIS is continuing to work with CDC, affected state public health partners, and the company on the investigation. FSIS will continue to provide information as it becomes available, including information about any further related recall activity. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider. FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. Consumers with questions about this recall should contact Cargill’s consumer relations toll free telephone number at 1-888-812-1646. Media with questions regarding the recall should contact Cargill’s media contact Mike Martin at michael_martin@cargill.com or (316) 291-2126. Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within six to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.

Ground turkey linked to 1 death, 76 illnesses, CDC says

Federal officials say one person has died from salmonella poisoning that appears to be linked to eating ground turkey, but the government so far has declined to say who produced the meat or initiate a recall.

View full sizeCDCPersons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg, by state as of August 1, 2011

 

Seventy-six people in 26 states have been made sick from the same strain of the disease, which the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says is resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics. The CDC did not say where the person who died became sick and released no details about the death.

The illnesses date back to March, and the CDC said Monday that cultures of ground turkey from four retail locations between March 7 and June 27 showed salmonella contamination. The agency said preliminary information showed that three of the samples have been linked to the same production establishment but did not name the retailers or the manufacturers.

The Agriculture Department oversees meat safety and would be the agency to announce a recall. The department sent out an alert about the illnesses late last week telling consumers to properly cook their turkey, which can decrease the chances of salmonella poisoning. But the department has not given consumers any further warnings about the source of the tainted meat.

The USDA has not responded to requests for comment on why there has not been a recall. The CDC said it and the USDA were “vigorously working to identify the specific contaminated product or products that are causing illnesses and will update the public on the progress of this investigation as information becomes available.”

Food safety advocate Bill Marler, an attorney who has represented victims of the nation’s biggest food-borne illness outbreaks, said he believes the three positive samples should prompt a recall.
“Consumers have no idea what to do except not eat ground turkey,” he said.

The illnesses are spread all over the country. The states with the highest number sickened were Michigan and Ohio, 10 illnesses each, while nine illnesses were reported in Texas. Illinois had seven, California six and Pennsylvania five.

The remaining states have between one and three reported illnesses linked to the outbreak, according to the CDC: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

The CDC said 26 states were affected but only listed 25 states in which illnesses were reported in a news release issued Monday evening.

A chart on the CDC’s website shows cases have occurred every month since early March, with spikes in May and early June. The latest reported cases were in mid-July, although the CDC said some recent cases may not have been reported yet.

University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Art Caplan said the government’s handling of the outbreak raises ethical questions about why the public wasn’t warned sooner.

“You’ve got to protect the public health. That’s their first and primary value — not industry, not any other goal. They have to warn as quickly as they think there’s reasonable evidence for concern,” Caplan said.

He said that uncertainty about the outbreak’s source might explain the long silence, but added, “the moral duty is to really get the word out as soon as you have evidence of a problem.”

CDC spokeswoman Lola Russell said Tuesday it can take three to four weeks to confirm one case. Identifying an outbreak can take considerably longer than that when cases of foodborne illness occur sporadically, in several states, as has happened in the current outbreak, shel said.

Russell said the CDC isn’t advising the public to avoid eating ground turkey, but does urge people to cook it properly.

Ground turkey is considered safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. For turkey patties or burgers, internal temperatures on each side should be measured.

Other government advice:
—Refrigerate raw meat and poultry within two hours after purchase, one hour if temperatures in the house exceed 90 F.
—Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking.
—Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry.

The CDC estimates that 50 million Americans each year get sick from food poisoning, including about 3,000 who die. Salmonella causes most of these cases and federal health officials say they’ve made virtually no progress against it.

The most common symptoms of salmonella are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to 72 hours of eating a contaminated product. It can be life-threatening, especially to those with weakened immune systems.

One of the largest outbreaks last year involved salmonella-tainted eggs that may have sickened as many as 56,000. About 2,000 illnesses were reported, but CDC estimates that only a fraction of illnesses are reported in most outbreaks.

By The Associated Press 
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CDC: Salmonella outbreak more resistant to antibiotics than usual

(CNN) — Federal health officials said Thursday that a recent salmonella outbreak may be more resistant than usual to antibiotics, leading to higher hospitalization rates.

Twenty-two of the 78 people diagnosed with salmonella as a result of the outbreak have been hospitalized, said Dr. Chris Braden, a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One person has died due to the outbreak, which has been detected in 26 states.

The outbreak can be traced back to a Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation plant in Springdale, Arkansas. Cargill announced an immediate voluntary recall Wednesday of approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey meat potentially contaminated with Salmonella Heidelberg bacteria.

Braden urged consumers Thursday to check the packaging on any ground turkey products they may have purchased recently, and to use extra caution in handling such products.

“We’ve identified the 36 million pounds that need to be recalled,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters at the Wisconsin State Fair in suburban Milwaukee. “Hopefully, that will provide some greater level of certainty and surety to consumers. We’ve gotten information out about precisely what those products are, the expiration dates, the specific brand names. I’m thankful that we’re finally able to figure out precisely where the problems might be.”

“I’d say it’s one of the larger recalls,” said Joel Brandenberger, president of the Washington-based National Turkey Federation. Indeed, the weight of the product recalled is equivalent to the weight of more than 36 fully-loaded Boeing 747 commercial airplanes.

Cargill’s plant in Springdale processed the suspect fresh and frozen ground turkey products between February 20 and August 2, the company said in a news release.

The company said it has suspended production of ground turkey products at the processing facility until it can determine the exact source of the bacteria strain.

Other turkey products from Springdale are not affected by the recall. Nor are products from Cargill’s three other turkey processing facilities in the United States.

“It is regrettable that people may have become ill from eating one of our ground turkey products and, for anyone who did, we are truly sorry,” said Steve Willardsen, president of Cargill’s turkey processing business. “We go to great lengths to ensure the food we produce is safe and we fully understand that people expect to be able to consume safe food, each serving, every time.”

Consumers may return any opened or unopened packages of ground turkey items listed on Cargill’s website (www.cargill.com/turkey-recall/) to stores where they were bought for a refund.
About 5 billion pounds of ready-to-cook turkey meat are sold in the United States each year, Brandenberger said. That’s nearly double what it was 40 years ago, he said.

It works out to 17 to 18 pounds of turkey per person per year, of which about 10% is ground, he said. The recalled meat represents slightly more than 6% of the national production of ground turkey in a given year, he said.

Each year, about 260 million turkeys are raised in the United States. Brandenberger predicted the recall will have little impact on turkey consumption. “The fact that the government and everybody involved worked through this issue pretty quickly to resolve it will maintain consumer confidence in ground turkey,” he said.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service released a public health alert for frozen or fresh ground turkey products that underscored the importance of following cooking instructions and general food safety practices when preparing any raw meat or poultry.
It recommends meat be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 Celsius).

Infection with the bacteria can cause people to develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection.

The sickness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.

But severe diarrhea can require hospitalization and, if the infection spreads from the intestines to the bloodstream and then elsewhere in the body, the bacteria can prove fatal, according to public health experts.

The aged, infants and people with impaired immune systems tend to be at highest risk.