More food recalls - Listeria contamination problems

[Bob]

Listeria found - causes massive recall and store closings

(If you have the product, go to the store for a refund, don't consume. If consumed, and have illness, get assistance immediately.)

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams recalls all products, temporarily closes stores over listeria concerns..


(Source (http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-jenis-ice-cream-recall-20150423-story.html))

According to a company statement, the company is ceasing all sales in the United States "until all products are ensured to be 100% safe."

The recall includes "all ice creams, frozen yogurts, sorbets, and ice cream sandwiches for all flavors and containers," and any product bearing the Jeni's brand name.

"Our top priority is guaranteeing the safety of all consumers by taking every possible precaution," John Lowe, Jeni's chief executive, said in a statement. "We have decided to recall everything currently on retailer shelves, and we are closing our scoop shops until we are 100% confident every item we sell is safe."

An employee at the Los Feliz location confirmed Thursday that the ice cream shop was closed indefinitely.


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This current recall and closing comes on the heels of Blue Bell products recalls and Sabra (HUMUS dip) products in the last couple weeks..

What is going on with these product contaminations? Accidental or Deliberate?

[najara12000]

Amy's Kitchen which is organic had a recall last month for Listeria in spinach meal products. I ate the products and then heard a few days later in the news. I had already thrown out the boxes with the code numbers as I had eaten the items five days prior to the announcement. Not happy---I pay money for organic and this is what I got. I was also sick with fever 12 days after eating. I do not know if the product is to blame or not. When Organic companys had their own code of 'organic" before the gov't got involved there were never any problems....

[Bob]

What is Listeria Poisoning (infection) ?

Listeria

Listeria is a bacterium that causes a serious infection called listeriosis. Around 300 deaths are caused by Listeria infection each year, according to estimates from a 2011 CDC report.

Listeria bacteria are most commonly found in raw foods. Vegetables can be contaminated by soil and water carrying bacteria. Listeria is also found in raw animal products, such as meat and cheese.

Babies can be born with Listeria if the mother eats contaminated food during pregnancy.

The death rate among newborns with Listeria is 25 to 50 percent.

WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO GET SERIOUSLY ILL FROM LISTERIA BACTERIA?

Healthy adults and children hardly ever become seriously ill from Listeria. However, people at increased risk of illness from Listeria bacteria include:


Pregnant women – Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to get listeriosis than the average healthy adult
Newborns
People with weak immune systems
People with cancer, diabetes, or kidney disease
People with AIDS – People with AIDS are 300 times more likely to get sick from Listeria than people with normal immune systems
People who take gluticocorticosteroids such as cortisone
Elderly people


SYMPTOMS OF LISTERIA
Listeria symptoms appear anywhere between 3 and 70 days after infection, but usually around 21 days later. Typical symptoms include:


Fever
Muscle aches
Nausea or diarrhea (less common)


If infection spreads to the central nervous system, symptoms can include:


Headache
Stiff neck
Confusion
Loss of balance
Convulsions


Symptoms for those with Weakened Immune Systems

If a patient has a weak immune system, Listeria bacteria can invade the central nervous system and cause meningitis or a brain infection.

Symptoms for Pregnant Women and Newborns

Infected pregnant woman experience mild, flu-like symptoms. However, infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, infection of the newborn, or stillbirth. Symptoms usually appear in newborns in the first week of life, but can also occur later on. A newborn’s Listeria symptoms are often subtle, and include irritability, fever, and poor feeding.

Diagnosis of Listeria

Doctors can determine whether patients have listeriosis by taking a blood or spinal fluid sample.

Treatment of Listeria

Patients who present with symptoms of listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics.

Pregnant Women

If a pregnant woman takes antibiotics promptly after contracting Listeria, she can usually prevent the spread of the Listeria bacteria to her child. Babies who have listeriosis usually take the same antibiotics as adults.

HOW TO PREVENT LISTERIA

People with Normal Immune Systems


Thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources, such as beef, pork, or poultry
Wash raw vegetables before eating them
Keep uncooked meats separate from vegetables and cooked foods
Avoid products made with unpasteurized milk
Wash hands and cooking utensils after handling uncooked foods
Consume perishable and read-to-eat foods as soon as possible


People at High Risk (Pregnant women and people with weak immune systems)


Do not eat hot dogs or lunch meats unless they are heated to a temperature sufficient to kill Listeria bacteria
Avoid getting liquid from hot dog packages on other food
Wash hands after handling hot dogs and lunch and deli meats
Do not eat soft cheeses (e.g. feta, Brie, Camembert, blue cheese, and queso blanco) unless the label clearly states that they are pasteurized
Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spread, only canned or shelf-stable ones
Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood, sometimes labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” or “jerky.” Canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood is ok


Does anyone find it suspicious these Listeria Infections appearing?

[Bob]

http://www.marlerclark.com/pdfs/ListeriaFINALbrochure.pdf


Covered in the PDF

What is Listeria?

How do you get Listeria?
What to look for..
What to do..
Prevention

[raregem]

YES I find the two recalls, back to back very suspicious. Cannot figure out what could be the
"real" reason for the recalls. I'm near Blue Bell country and I haven't heard of one person being sick yet. Just bright orange notices about the recall on the freezer doors and Blue Bell still sitting on the shelves. Guess they are waiting for the truck to pick them up.
Curiouser and curiouser.