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Recent Blog Posts
General Mills Announces Flour Recall Amid E.Coli Outbreak
In late May 2016, General Mills issued a recall for some of its flour products, citing concerns that they could be contaminated with E.Coli bacteria. This came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked 38 instances of illness related to E.Coli O121, a specific strain of the bacteria. These instances occurred in 20 states between December 2015 and May 2016. Approximately half of the affected individuals who were investigated linked their illness to homemade baked goods, some of whom used General Mills flour. Thus, the company took this step as a precaution to prevent more consumers from becoming ill.
When a company's product is linked with food poisoning, it can be very difficult for the company's reputation to recover. How well a company recovers from such a report depends on the steps it takes to address and correct the situation. For example, after being linked to various food poisoning outbreaks last year, fast casual eatery Chipotle made significant, publicized changes to how its employees handle food and utensils in stores. By issuing a recall, General Mills is being proactive about protecting its consumers and showing that it cares about their health.
How Can Food Poisoning Affect an Unborn Fetus?
When you read about recent food poisoning outbreaks and ways to prevent and treat the different types of food poisoning, you have probably come across a warning about how dangerous food poisoning can be to a pregnant woman and the developing fetus. Generally, adults with normal immune systems only suffer inconvenient, uncomfortable symptoms of food poisoning that subside within a few days. But young children, the elderly, those who are suffering from immune system disorders, and pregnant women can suffer significantly more from food poisoning.
Below are the ways various types of food poisoning can harm a developing fetus. If you are pregnant and you experience food poisoning symptoms like dizziness, diarrhea, vomiting, chills, and fatigue, speak with your doctor about the possibility that you are suffering from food poisoning right away to determine if you need treatment.
Listeria
Listeria, which can grow in soft cheeses and deli meats, can cause a mother to suffer an infection that can be transferred to the fetus. This infection can cause the child to be stillborn or the mother to go into labor prematurely.
Recent Listeria Recalls
Some types of food poisoning are more common than others. For example, you tend to hear more reports of Listeria and Salmonella outbreaks than Campylobacter and Shigellosis. Although you might feel like you hear about Listeria every other week, do not brush it off as unimportant. It is important, and knowing which affected food products to avoid is how you can protect yourself and your family from falling ill with Listeriosis, which can have serious complications if it is not treated correctly. This is especially true for individuals with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly, pregnant women, and young children.
Keep yourself aware of the latest food recalls by regularly checking recalls.gov. Also take note of the types of foods that tend to be affected by Listeria, like soft cheeses, deli meats, and smoked seafood, and if these foods are a regular part of your household's diet, pay close attention to any recalls of brands that you buy. If you or your child do contract listeria or any other type of food poisoning and suffer complications that lead to financial damages, consider seeking compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim.
Stay Safe this Summer: Avoid Ice Cream Food Poisoning
Summer brings many different sensations. The warm wind pushing your hair aside, the tickling grass between your bare feet, the warmth of a setting sun against your back, and the various smells and tastes of summertime favorites like s'mores, grilled hot dogs, and ice cream all comfort us through these three months.
These same comfort foods can also cause us to suffer harm if they are contaminated with dangerous bacteria. Ice cream, a particular summertime favorite for millions of Americans, is susceptible to developing Staphylococcus aureus, a dangerous bacteria that can cause the individual who consumes the contaminated ice cream to become ill. The illness caused by this bacteria is also known as a staph infection. Staph infections can have serious side effects for an affected individual and require medical attention to remedy. If you or your child suffers from a staph infection or any other type of food poisoning, seek a doctor's attention as soon as possible.
Spring 2016: Recent Food Recalls You Should Know About
Foods and related products are recalled all the time. Sometimes, a recall happens as a preventative measure after a manufacturer finds a defect in a crop or a shipment of items. Other times, a recall does not happen until consumers, sometimes hundreds, become ill from eating an affected food product. In other cases still, a recall is issued not because of a fear of contamination, but because the product was not produced according to industry- or federally-imposed regulations.
One of the best ways you can protect yourself and your family from succumbing to food poisoning is keeping yourself aware of the current food recalls issued by the Food and Drug Administration or the United States Department of Agriculture. Some of the most recent food recalls to note include:
Greencore USA Wraps and Salads
Greencore USA produces wraps and salads that are sold at various retailers, including Starbucks and Turkey Hill stores. A recent shipment of the products was recalled because it was produced outside of production hours, without federal inspection.
4.5 Million Pounds of Pilgrim's Pride Chicken Recalled
When dangerous bacteria is found in food, that food's manufacturer issues a recall as soon as possible to contain the bacteria and prevent any further cases of consumers falling ill with food poisoning after eating it. You can stay up-to-date about the latest food recalls by visiting recalls.gov.
Recalls are not always due to harmful bacteria found in food. Sometimes, non-edible materials make their way into food products during processing, which can harm consumers if they are eaten. This happened recently, when the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that “extraneous materials,” which included wood, plastic, and metal, were found in samples of cooked chicken products from manufacturer Pilgrim's Pride. These products were sold under various labels, such as Pierce, Sweet Georgia, and Golden Kist Farms, in stores across the United States. The chicken products were also served in schools. Pilgrim's Pride recalled more than 4.5 million pounds of its products, which included breaded chicken nuggets, chicken patties, tenderloins, and popcorn chicken.
13 Ill, Five Hospitalized After Contracting Hepatitis A from Frozen Berries
A victim can fall ill from eating nearly any type of food. Generally, meats and dairy products are the culprit, especially when they have not been stored or prepared correctly. But vegetables, fruits, and grains can also harbor dangerous bacteria that can cause victims to suffer from various types of food poisoning.
One example is the recent outbreak of Hepatitis A in Canada. At least 13 people have developed Hepatitis A after consuming frozen bags of Nature's Touch Organic Berry Cherry blend from Costco stores. In response, Costco recalled the product from its stores in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec. Five had to be hospitalized because of the illness.
Symptoms of Hepatitis A
Unlike other types of food poisoning, which can begin to show symptoms hours or days after the victim consumed the contaminated food, symptoms of Hepatitis A often do not appear until two weeks after the victim has come into contact with the pathogen. This can make it very difficult for a victim to accurately determine where he or she contracted the illness, which can mean that many more people were actually affected by the contaminated berries than the number who reported that they had fallen ill.
New Test Can Detect Food Poisoning Pathogens Before They Reach Consumers
We could be on the brink of a world where the number of food poisoning cases reported is dramatically decreased, if a new test being developed in South Korea reaches the point of being commercially available. The test, a paper strip that is exposed to food and then dipped in a chemical solution that produces visible results, is simple enough that supermarket and restaurant employees can perform it without any specialized training. This can potentially be a huge breakthrough in food safety and keeping consumers safe.
Currently, detecting dangerous pathogens in food samples requires substantial training for workers and the use of complex laboratory machinery. It is often too much work for a food distributor or retailer to feasibly perform, so instead, food suppliers rely on safe preparation and storage methods to prevent the development and spread of dangerous bacteria in their products.
Benefits and Drawbacks of a New Paper Test
How Can I Recover From Food Poisoning?
Even if you take all the necessary precautions in your own kitchen, you cannot eliminate your risk of contracting food poisoning from contaminated food in other people's homes and at restaurants and other food vendors. It is unrealistic to think that you could completely eliminate this risk by only consuming food you prepared yourself for the rest of your life and even if you were to take this route, it is possible to become ill because of bacteria that contaminated the food you purchase at the farm where it was grown, the distribution center where it was packed, at the store where it was sold, or at another point in the supply chain.
So what can you do if you find yourself suffering from the symptoms of salmonellosis, listeriosis, or another type of foodborne illness? In most healthy individuals, food poisoning resolves itself within a few days and does not require medical attention. Suffering from food poisoning can be painful and inconvenient, but unless you are pregnant, elderly, have a compromised immune system, or you are the parent of a young child who is suffering from food poisoning, you most likely do not need to contact your doctor unless your symptoms are failing to subside.
How Can a Company Like Chipotle Recover from a Food Poisoning Scare?
Fast-casual, Mexican-themed eatery Chipotle has had quite a year in terms of negative publicity. After being linked to multiple food poisoning outbreaks in 2015 and 2016, the company has been making publicized changes to how it handles and stores its food in an effort to win customers back. It has also had numerous promotions, giving away free burritos and guacamole, in an effort to alter its image in the eyes of its fans.
How can a company really prove that it has taken steps to avoid another food poisoning outbreak? Consumers can be difficult to persuade, and scandals can stay with a company for years. For example, many still remember the 1993 E.coli outbreak that was linked to Jack in the Box hamburger patties and associate the restaurant's name with food poisoning. To rebuild its image, Chipotle and any company in a similar position needs to work hard to prove that it puts its consumers' safety first.
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