Peanuts, Pistachios, Cookie Dough…Oh, My!

June 27th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner

It’s been a bad year for the food industry, with recalls for peanuts, pistachios, ground beef and the latest entry: Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough.

The ongoing pistachio recall includes more than 660 organic and nonorganic products that may pose a salmonella risk. And even after companies were warned to stop selling pistachios sourced from Setton Farms (ground zero for the outbreak), the FDA recently found that Anaheim, Calif.-based Orca Distribution West had repacked and distributed potentially contaminated nuts under the California Prime Produce and Orange County Orchards brands, most of which were sold at airports and hotels.

According to the FDA, Orca has “not made a public announcement regarding these products.”

As for Nestle, the FDA and CDC have warned consumers to avoid eating any varieties of Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough because of possible E. coli contamination. Since March, there have been 66 reports of illness across 28 states, with 25 hospitalizations. Seven of the hospitalized patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that can seriously damage the kidneys. No one has died.

If you happen to have any Nestle cookie dough in your fridge, throw it away. Don’t bake the dough, as your hands and cooking surfaces can be contaminated by the bacterium. Nestle has updated information on its website, as well as a toll-free phone number to handle questions: (800) 559-5025.

“If there was anyone left in America who didn’t realize we need to reform the food safety functions at the Food and Drug Administration, this latest recall of Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough provides a sobering wakeup call,” says Sarah Klein, attorney for the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, DC.

“For too long, the agency has lacked the authority and the resources it needs to inspect food processing facilities, issue mandatory recalls and punish violators,” she adds. “Once again, the agency is forced to react after illnesses are already occurring, when the focus should be on preventing contamination in the first place. We urge the House to pass the Food Safety Enhancement Act now.”

Photos courtesy of Orca Distribution (top), Nestle

Read More:Peanuts, Pistachios, Cookie Dough…Oh, My!

CDC Releases Stats on Foodborne Illness

June 17th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner

Norovirus and salmonella were the leading causes of foodborne illness in 2006, according to a report issued Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

That year, there were 1,270 reported foodborne disease outbreaks, which resulted in 27,634 illnesses and 11 deaths. Of the outbreaks, 621 had a confirmed single cause, with norovirus (54%) and salmonella (18%) responsible for most cases.

Norovirus infection usually occurs when infected food handlers fail to wash their hands adequately after using the toilet. Salmonella infection usually occurs when foods that have been contaminated with animal feces are eaten raw or insufficiently cooked.

The foods associated with most outbreaks were poultry (21%), leafy vegetables (17%) and fruits/nuts (16%).

“Determining the proportion of outbreak-associated cases of foodborne illness due to the various food commodities is an important step,” says Patricia M. Griffin, MD, chief of the CDC′s Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch. “Identification of particular food commodities that have caused outbreaks can help public health officials and the food industry to target control efforts from the farm to the table.”

But Dr. Griffin offers an important caveat: While this report is useful, some outbreaks are not detected, investigated or reported because many states lack the resources to handle testing.

Photo by James Gathany/CDC

Read More:CDC Releases Stats on Foodborne Illness

© 2010 OrganicAuthority, LLC