This weekend saw no exception to the recent blitz of food borne illness news. Here’s what’s happening:
An outbreak of Salmonella poisoning (or Salmonellosis) in Canada may be associated with contaminated melons. Salmonella bacteria in the soil can easily cling to the pitted surface of ground-growing melons and can be transferred to the edible flesh of the fruit if the rind is not properly cleaned before being cut. Salmonella infection presents with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, and anyone suspected of Salmonella exposure should seek medical attention.
Five-gallon plastic jugs of chopped onions sold in Oakland, California, and distributed throughout the San Francisco Bay area are being recalled by CJ United Corporation, due to potential Salmonella contamination.
Mucci’s Food Products, Inc., has recalled a variety of frozen meat and poultry pasta products because they were “prepared without the benefit of federal inspection.”
When a company fails to even notice that its food products haven’t been inspected, it’s no wonder we’re still seeing the rampant spread of food borne pathogens and illness.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
