Food Recalls
in the US
Exactly how SAFE is
our industrial food system?
Here is what our industrial food system is serving up
these days:
E. coli causes intestinal illness that generally
clears up within a week for adults but can be deadly for
the very young, the elderly and people with compromised
immune systems. Symptoms can include severe stomach
cramps, bloody diarrhea and, in extreme cases, kidney
failure.
Botulism is a rare, but serious paralytic illness
caused by a nerve toxin, botulin, that is produced by
the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulinic toxin is
one of the most powerful known toxins. About one
microgram of botulin is a lethal dosage. It acts by
blocking nerve function and leads to respiratory and
musculoskeletal paralysis.
Salmonella Symptoms of foodborne illness
caused by Salmonella include fever, diarrhea
and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor underlying
health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade
the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections.
Listeria Listeria monocytogenes is an
organism which can cause a serious and sometimes fatal
disease called Listeriosis in young children, frail or
elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term
symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness,
nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeriosis can
cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Recent Recalls
November 3, 2007 Cargill Inc. said it is
recalling more than 1 million pounds of ground beef that
may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, the second
time in less than a month it has voluntarily recalled
beef that may have been tainted. Click
here for more information.
Close to home! October
12, 2007 The Vermont Department of Health has
expanded its warning for people to avoid eating frozen
beef, chicken and turkey pot pies manufactured by
ConAgra Foods, Inc. that may have been linked to two
reported cases of salmonella in Vermont. The two
cases in Vermont were contracted in July, and both
people have made full recoveries.
ConAgra asked stores, including those in Vermont, to
pull the pot pies from their shelves after they were
reportedly linked to a nationwide salmonella outbreak.
Those brands are: Banquet, Albertson's, Food Lion, Great
Value, Hill Country Fare, Kirkwood, Kroger, Meijer and
Western Family. ConAgra is offering refunds for the
turkey, beef and chicken-filled meals that bear the
number "P-9" printed on the side of the packages.
October 3, 2007 White Chocolate Kraft
Foods has issued a recall in the U.S. for Baker’s
Premium White Chocolate Baking Squares (6 oz.) with a
UPC Code 0043000252200. This product may be
contaminated with Salmonella, (a bacterium that causes
foodborne illness). Click
here for more information
September 29, 2007 Ground Beef The Topps
Meat Co. on Saturday expanded its recall of frozen
hamburger patties to include 21.7 million pounds of
ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli
bacteria that sickened more than a dozen people in eight
states. The USDA said three people are confirmed as
getting E. Coli from Topps products, with 22 other cases
under investigation. Cases were found in Connecticut,
Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and
Pennsylvania. A full list of the recalled products
is available at
http://www.toppsmeat.com/.
September 19, 2007 Salad Mix A package of
Dole salad mix that tested positive for E. coli has
triggered a recall in at least nine states, prompting
new produce fears almost exactly a year after a
nationwide spinach scare. For more information
click
here.
September 7, 20074 Raw Cream from Organic
Pastures. For the FDA recall,
click here. For the REST of the story, click
here (this will open a PDF). How frustrating!
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