The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its investigation into an outbreak of infections caused by Salmonella Infantis that has been linked to flour.
As of the most recent update, on March 30, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak has sickened at least a dozen people across 11 states. Three of the patients have required hospitalization. No deaths have been reported.
Although a specific brand of flour has not been revealed by federal officials, the FDA reports that it has begun onsite inspection of an unnamed location and sample collection.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from Dec. 6, 2022, to Feb. 13, 2023, but there are likely more sick people who have not yet been confirmed because of the time it takes for testing and reporting.
The sick people live from coast to coast in Oregon, California, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia and New York. Whole genome sequencing from lab samples from the patients shows a common cause for their infections.
The CDC continues to remind people to exercise caution when cooking with flour. Raw dough and batter should not be eaten and children should not be allowed to play with raw flour. Utensils used when cooking with raw flour and surfaces that come into contact with it should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Flour is a raw agricultural product and can be easily contaminated when grain is processed.
In other outbreak news, the patient count in an outbreak from Salmonella Hartford has increased from 53 to 54 in the past week. Although patients continue to be identified, the FDA and CDC have determined that the outbreak has ended. Neither agency could identify a source for the Salmonella Hartford.
In an outbreak of hepatitis A infections traced to organic frozen strawberries, the FDA reports that it has begun an onsite inspection. However, the agency has reported not what businesses or locations are being inspected.
Two companies have initiated recalls, California Splendor and Scenic Fruit. Recalled brands include:
- Simply Nature, Organic Strawberries, Best By 06/14/2024
- Vital Choice, Organic Strawberries, BEST BY 05/20/2024
- Kirkland Signature, Organic Strawberries, Best If Used By 10/08/2024
- Made With, Organic Strawberries, Best Before 11/20/2024
- PCC Community Markets, Organic Strawberries, Best By 29/10/2024
- Trader Joe’s, Organic Tropical Fruit Blend with the following Best By dates: 04/25/24; 05/12/24; 05/23/24; 05/30/24; 06/07/24
An outbreak of Listeria infections spanning 10 states remains under investigation with no source identified as yet. The CDC reports that 11 people have been confirmed sick so far with the outbreak strain of the pathogen. Ten of the patients have required hospitalization. No deaths have been reported.
The FDA reports that it has begun onsite inspection and sample collection, but it has not reported what locations are being inspected or what foods are being sampled.
Click here to go to the FDA page with links to specific outbreak information.
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