The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing additional information related to the Sept. 20 Public Health Alert for raw boneless beef trim products imported from Canada that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. FSIS is including two additional production dates in its alert.

FSIS testing of raw boneless beef trim product from Canadian Establishment 38, XL Foods, Inc., confirmed positive for E. coli O157:H7 on September 3, 2012. FSIS alerted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) of the positive results. After follow-up testing by FSIS and CFIA, the CFIA announced a recall by XL Foods, Inc. of a variety of ground beef products on Sept. 16, which was the subject of yesterday’s public health alert. Subsequently, the CFIA has expanded the scope of the recall to now include the production dates of Aug. 27 and Aug. 29, 2012.

The company has notified its customers, including U.S. establishments that beef trim associated with the recall was shipped to them. FSIS is working expeditiously to perform effectiveness checks to confirm that all trim received at FSIS-inspected establishments from Canadian Establishment 38, either received a full lethality treatment or that no raw trim was further distributed and manufactured into other not-ready-to-eat product. In addition, for products that may have been further distributed and manufactured into other not-ready-to-eat product, FSIS is working to confirm that actions are being taken to remove the product from commerce. FSIS is taking all necessary steps to ensure that all raw ground products produced from the recalled trim are removed from commerce.

While the investigation continues, FSIS is issuing a Public Health Alert to inform food service operations and consumers. The products subject to the Canadian recall were distributed to U.S. establishments in the following states: California, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. At the U.S. establishments, these products may have been further processed into various products, such as ground beef or ground beef patties. FSIS will continue to provide information as it becomes available, including information about any related recall.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Continental Strictly Kosher Meat, Poultry & Delicatessen Products (Establishment 29) are warning the public not to consume the ground beef and ground veal products described below because the products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The following Glatt’s brand products are affected by this alert:

Lean ground veal
Lean ground beef
Medium ground beef
Medium ground beef Club Pack

These Glatt’s products were sold at various weights at the following locations in Quebec:

Retailer location

Pack date

Lot Code

UPC

IGA #8111 at
5800 Cavendish Boulevard, Côte Saint-Luc

27 août 12

22812

Starting with 291851 or 221814

Kosher Quality Bakery at
5855 Victoria Ave., Montreal

27 août 12

22812

Starting with 200201, 200843 or 200200

IGA #108 at
7151 Chemin de la Côte Saint-Luc, Côte Saint-Luc

27 août 12

22812

Starting with 200032, 200022 or 200071

Alimentation Marcel Picard at
13057 Gouin Boulevard, Pierrefonds, Montreal

27 août 12

22812

Unknown

IGA #8522
at 4885 Avenue Van Horne, Montreal

27 août 12

22812

Unknown

Consumers are advised to contact the retailers if you are unsure as to whether you have the affected beef products stored in your home freezer.

Screen Shot 2012-09-02 at 7.48.26 AM.pngThere have been no confirmed illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

Food contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria my cause serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Some people may have seizures or strokes and some may need blood transfusions and kidney dialysis. Others may live with permanent kidney damage. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

The manufacturer, Continental Strictly Kosher Meat, Poultry & Delicatessen Products, Ville Mont-Royal, QC is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace.  The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

The Livingston County Department of Health in Mr. Morris is investigating seven cases of E. coli infection that occurred in about a two-week span this month. No deaths were reported, although four people were hospitalized. Two have since been discharged, according to health director Joan Ellison.

Pinpointing a cause, if that’s possible, can take several weeks because of the detective work in piecing together what, if anything, each person had in common. Stool samples were sent to the state Department of Health lab in Albany to determine the exact strain of E. coli. Ellison said that symptoms of the first case were reported Aug. 6 and signs of the most recent were reported Sunday. The people sickened ranged in age from 22 to 67. In order to protect their privacy by not revealing any potentially identifying information, Ellison declined to give the ages of the ones who were hospitalized, whether there’s any relationship among the seven or where in the county they live.

Seven people, most of them elderly women, died after eating pickles contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 in Hokkaido, officials said Sunday, in the country’s deadliest mass food poisoning in 10 years.

A total of 103 others have been made ill after eating the same lightly pickled Chinese cabbage produced in late July by a company in the city of Sapporo, according to health bulletins issued by the local government.

Of the dead, six were elderly women who ate the pickles at nursing homes in Sapporo. A four-year-old girl died on August 11 in Sapporo.

The funeral of an eight-year-old British girl who is suspected of contracting E.coli when she was visiting the U.S. recently took place today – with hundreds of mourners dressed in her favorite color bright pink.

Rachel’s family – including mother Louise Baillie, 38, and father Adam Shaw, 35 – asked mourners to dress in the eight-year-old’s favorite color rather than wearing black.

Rachel died in hospital on Saturday night after contracting E. coli at the end of July. An investigation is underway as to the exact source of the bug, but it is believed she may have contracted it in the U.S. as she had recently visited her father, who lives in Texas.

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KMOV’s Maggie Crane reports that a 23-year-old is dead after she got E. coli, possibly after eating at a local restaurant. Her family is now asking for an investigation into the restaurant.

Ciera Brookfield told her family that she felt sick after eating at a Chinese restaurant in Overland.

Ciera was just 23 when she passed away on Thursday. Her family says the Ladue Horton Watkins High School grad got sick after eating at Hon’s Wok, which is next door to where she worked at Woofie’s on Woodson Road.


Sapporo, Japan news services report that four people, including a 4-year-old girl, have been confirmed dead of food poisoning from pickled Chinese cabbage produced by a Sapporo food company. Another two are suspected to have died due to the cabbage.

According to the city health care center, four people have died because of the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria after eating pickled Chinese cabbage produced in late July by Iwai Shokuhin. Three of the four victims were women in their 80s and 100s living in elderly care facilities in the city.

Four-year-old girl Ayana Matsumura of Sapporo suffered symptoms from Aug. 6 and died last Saturday. The O157 strain discovered in her body was found to be the same strain detected in the cabbage. According to information relayed to the city by her family, she is very likely to have eaten cabbage bought at a supermarket near her house.

The two whose poisoning has yet to be confirmed are women in their 90s who were living in an elderly care facility in the jurisdiction of the prefectural Ebetsu Health Center. They ate the cabbage on Aug. 1, and were hospitalized after developing symptoms such as stomachaches and diarrhea on Aug. 5 and 6. They died of hemolytic-uremic syndrome on Thursday.

Though the O157 strain has not been detected in the two women yet, they lived in an elderly facility where mass food poisoning occurred.

The food firm’s president, Norio Iwai, expressed deep regret. “I feel deeply about (the incident) and will do my best to help investigations. I can only say I’m truly sorry,” he said.

Screen Shot 2012-08-14 at 6.32.08 PM.pngDale T. Smith and Sons Meat Packing, a Draper, Utah establishment, is recalling approximately 38,200 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The following products are subject to recall:

• Various weight combo bins of Boneless Beef “50/50,” “85/15,” “90/10,” “93/07” or “95/05” produced on Aug. 7, 2012.

• Various weight boxes of primal cuts, subprimal cuts and boxed beef produced on Aug. 7, 2012.

Each box bears a label with the identifying package date of “08/07/2012” as well as the establishment number “EST. 4975” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products subject to recall were distributed to wholesale and retail establishments in California and Salt Lake City, Utah. It is important to note that the products were destined for further processing and may not bear “EST. 4975” on the products available for direct consumer purchase. The problem was discovered through lab testing conducted by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, which confirmed positive results for E. coli O157:H7, and may have occurred as a result of a refrigeration malfunction. The company is recalling all beef products produced on Aug. 7, 2012, because of a strong potential for cross contamination during production. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.

As a result of eating food at a picnic at Neff’s Lawn Care in Germantown, at least 75 individuals have become ill. Of those, 14 have been hospitalized. Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County is continuing an investigation into the cause of the foodborne outbreak. Estimates are that as many as 300 people may have attended an annual customer appreciation picnic held by Neff’s Lawn Care, 9400 Ekhart Road, on July 3. Of the ill, 18 have been confirmed as being infected by E. coli O157. Three individuals are experiencing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a disease that destroys red blood cells, and can cause sudden, short-term-acute-kidney failure. Those affected include a 4-year old female, a 14-year old male, and a 73-year old male. All three are in serious medical condition.

Two secondary cases of E. coli O157 have been reported, which emphasizes the importance of hand washing to prevent the spread of the organism within the family unit.

Public Health is continuing to gather information. Investigators are also looking at food sources, food handling and storage practices, food temperature controls, and the potential of cross contamination of the food.

E. coli:  Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of E. coli outbreaks and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The E. coli lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of E. coli and other foodborne illness infections and have recovered over $600 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our E. coli lawyers have litigated E. coli and HUS cases stemming from outbreaks traced to ground beef, raw milk, lettuce, spinach, sprouts, and other food products.  The law firm has brought E. coli lawsuits against such companies as Jack in the Box, Dole, ConAgra, Cargill, and Jimmy John’s.  We have proudly represented such victims as Brianne Kiner, Stephanie Smith and Linda Rivera.

If you or a family member became ill with an E. coli infection or HUS after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark E. coli attorneys for a free case evaluation.

A total of 18 persons infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O145 infection were identified in 9 states.

The number of ill persons identified in each state was as follows: Alabama (2), California (1), Florida (1), Georgia (5), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (5), Maryland (1), Tennessee (1), and Virginia (1).

Four ill persons were hospitalized. One death was reported in Louisiana.

Dates for patients’ onset of illness ranged from April 15, 2012 to June 12, 2012.

Based on interviews conducted, a source for these infections was not identified.