After repeated warnings, the Food and Drug Administration has filed a suit in Federal District Court in Brooklyn in an attempt to shut down a Queens, NY cheese manufacturer for health violations involving the presence of deadly bacteria.

Forming a sort-of "food safety alliance," the USDA, Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and the Ad Council joined forces to launch a campaign titled "Food Safe Families" targeted at helping Americans reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., a Jackson, Miss.-based producer and marketer of shell eggs, is recalling approximately 24,000 dozen unprocessed eggs purchased from Croton, OH-based Ohio Fresh Eggs, LLC, because they may be contaminated with salmonella.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently notified Cal-Maine that a routine sample taken at Ohio Fresh Eggs tested positive for the bacterium. The affected eggs were processed Oct. 9–12 and distributed to food wholesalers and retailers in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. No illnesses have been reported to date.

Remember Galt, IA-based Wright County Egg—the key factory farm involved in August’s recall of 500,000 eggs after a multistate salmonella outbreak? The company whose owner, Austin “Jack” DeCoster, was called a corporate criminal by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich?

After the recall, DeCoster was required to outline corrective actions in a formal letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Not surprisingly, the agency has found his proposed measures to be sorely lacking. Kansas City District Director John W. Thorsky has sent DeCoster a warning letter that requires “prompt and aggressive actions” to correct a host of unresolved problems. If DeCoster fails to comply, the FDA can enjoin his company from selling eggs or seize the foul farm.

Del Monte Fresh Produce has recalled certain cantaloupes that were grown in and shipped from Arizona, but distributed to limited customers in and around Detroit. The melons may be contaminated with salmonella.

Eighty-one cartons of cantaloupes, each containing 15 melons, were distributed to wholesalers in Detroit. The cantaloupes reached retail and foodservice outlets beginning Oct. 11.

The cantaloupes have a light brown skin and orange flesh. Each has a Del Monte sticker that reads “Cantaloupe USA.”

Five deaths and six illnesses are being linked to celery distributed by San Antonio-based SanGar Produce & Processing.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has ordered the company to stop processing food and recall all products shipped from the plant since January. The order was issued after laboratory tests of chopped celery from the plant indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause severe illness.

The recalled products—primarily cut fresh produce in sealed packages—were distributed to restaurants and institutional entities like hospitals and schools. The DSHS doesn’t believe products were sold in grocery stores.

We have two new recalls to announce. While the involved products are not organic, you may have purchased them.

Pats Exotic Vegetable Beverages

Bronx, NY-based Pats Exotic Beverages is recalling all packages of its Carrot Juice, Carrot Beet, Carrot Lime and Cucumber beverages because they were inadequately processed and may contain foodborne pathogens.

While restaurant dish cloths appear to be the latest catalyst for food poisoning, there’s some good news on the home front: More of us are washing our hands—but we still have a long way to go.

Roughly 77% of us always clean our hands before handling or eating food (83% of women vs. 71% of men), according to a new study sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology and the American Cleaning Institute.