MACARONI SALAD RECALLED

Orval Kent Foods is voluntarily recalling over 23,000 pounds of Amish Macaroni Salad because a package of it was determined by the Ohio Department of Agriculture to be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, according to an FDA press release.

The product was shipped to retail and food service establishments in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. No illnesses have yet been associated with the product.

SALMONELLA OUTBREAK IN NEW MEXICO

Six people have been hospitalized in New Mexico from salmonella poisoning, but officials have not yet pinpointed the source, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.

Public health officials are investigating the state’s 19 cases following the Memorial Day weekend, looking for any sign of a common source.

FDA WILL MISS THE FOOD REGISTRY DEADLINE

The FDA has announced that it is about six months behind the Congressionally mandated directory of all tainted food incidents. It was supposed to be up in September, a year from when the law was passed. The FDA says that because of its software, it won’t be up until next Spring.

The “Reportable Food Registry” was designed to help the FDA track food contamination and better understand where to focus its limited resources.

NEW AG SECRETARY WANTS COMPLETE BAN ON DOWNED CATTLE

Ed Schafer

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer has called for a regulation that would get rid of all exceptions to the downed cattle law, thereby prohibiting the slaughter of any cattle that go down after they pass pre-inspection.

Schafer is calling for the clarification of the ban, “to maintain consumer confidence in the food supply, eliminate further misunderstanding of the rule and, ultimately, to make a positive impact on the humane handling of cattle.”

BAD BEEF

JSM Meat Holdings, out of Chicago, is voluntarily recalling an unspecified amount of beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli.

The beef was distributed for further processing to companies in eleven states. The FSIS discovered the contamination. No illnesses have been reported as yet.

CANADIAN CLUB SANDWICHES RECALLED

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued an alert warning consumers not to consume Smith Snacks Chicken Club Twister sandwiches because they may be contaminated with listeria bacteria.

The company is voluntarily recalling the product after the contamination was discovered. There have been no reports of illnesses. Listeria, however, can be especially harmful in pregnant women.

‘UNSAFE’ SEAFOOD AND CREAM CHEESE OPERATION HALTED BY FDA

Another Illinois company has been shuttered by the FDA for continued food-safety violations.

The cream cheese and seafood operations of Lifeway Foods, of Skokie, Illinois, had an “extensive history of violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act dating back to at least 2004,” according to an FDA press release. The violations include improper labeling of ingredients, unsanitary processing, and others.

OYSTERS R INFECTED

The Washington State Health Department has issued a warning regarding the consumption of oysters. They may be infected with a bacteria that causes Vibriosis, which could be fatal in some cases.

The public health officials said that anyone buying fresh oysters should refrigerate them immediately and cook them thoroughly to a temperature of 145 degrees.

… LIKE HERDING CATFISH

The FDA today ordered Hope Food Supply of Pasadena, Texas, to shut down immediately and recall all its products.

The company manufactures dried smoked catfish steaks and other smoked seafood products. It continued to operate even though it had not developed an adequate Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan (HACCP), which helps to ensure its food is safe. According to the FDA, it will remain closed until it implements an FDA-approved HACCP plan.

MICROCOSMIC LOOK AT E. COLI

E. Coli Cell

For those who want to know even more about E. coli, a new book, “Microcosm,” by Carl Zimmer, has many surprising revelations. Who knew, for instance, that E. coli invade our intestines soon after birth, actually help in our digestion and fights other, more dangerous organisms.

An interesting review in the New York Sun calls the book “engagingly written,” and provides even more revelations.