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Fresh Express has recalled a number of their salads, according to a press release put out by the company. The recalls are part of their response to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis that’s sickened hundreds of people across the United States. Here is what we know about this Fresh Express Cyclospora Bagged Salad Recall: The Recall The recall covers several different products containing iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and carrots. The salads recalled were manufactured at the Fresh Express facility in Springwood, Illinois. Fresh Express says that the recalls come out of an abundance of caution. We don’t know yet whether cyclospora has been found at the facility in Springwood. Some products manufactured there have already been recalled, however, and some people who have fallen ill in the cyclospora outbreak have reported eating those products. The recall covers several different lines of salad. Some carry the Fresh Express brand; others are marked with a different label. Products affected b...

As if we don’t have enough to deal with as the pandemic continues to keep us home; a new outbreak has required the attention of the FDA, the CDC, and local grocery establishments. Food safety never takes a break so we don’t either. While we have talked about this before, I would say it is one of the lesser known dangers: Cyclospora. If you haven’t heard about it yet, keep an eye out for the Walmart Cyclospora Bagged Salad Recall in your neck of the woods. While you have taken a few minutes out of your day to expand your knowledge and learn new ways to keep your family safe, let’s take the time to discuss this new outbreak. If I haven’t said this before, I am glad we have this time together. It means so much to me that we can talk about important topics together so we can all be safe. Time is always of the essence in cases such as these, so let’s jump right in. What We Know The CDC released this report about a possible outbreak. It didn’t take long to compile numbers, reach out to l...

At least 20 Nebraskans have fallen ill in an outbreak of cyclosporiasis that’s swept across several midwestern states. Here’s what we know about this Nebraska Cyclospora Outbreak: The Nebraska Cyclospora Outbreak The gastrointestinal illness, caused by the parasite cyclospora, has been linked to bagged salads sold at Walmart, Hy-Vee, and Aldi stores. So far, more than 200 people across 8 states have been affected. 23 have been admitted to the hospital. Recalls A number of bagged salads have been implicated in the outbreak. Walmart has recalled their Marketside brand Classic Iceberg Salad, sold at stores in Nebraska and in other affected states. The recall covers both the 12 and 24 ounce sizes of the salad, covering products with use-by dates ranging from the 19th of May to the 4th of July. Hy-Vee stores also carried bagged salads that have been recalled. They were sold under a number of different names and sizes. The recall that’s been issued covers the following products for all ...

There is nothing quite like the feeling of knowing that you have a recalled product in your fridge or pantry. This time as with many in the past there has been a cyclospora related recall in several stores including Hy-Vee. Here’s what we know about this Hy-Vee Cyclospora Bagged Salad Recall: Fresh Express which is a brand that many of us have grown to love has manufactured salads under several names. The brand associated with Hy-Vee is their 12 ounce Hy-Vee Bagged Garden Salad originally now includes 13 private label bagged salads. Hy-Vee officials said the products were distributed to Hy-Vee grocery stores across the eight states it operates stores in: Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Hy-Vee’s Recall Notice: The potential for contamination was brought to Hy-Vee ’s attention when Fresh Express – which manufactures the product – announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control Prevention...

Aldi is a well known store for getting the best grocery deals, but unfortunately they have become involved in the latest Cyclospora outbreak from their bagged salad. Here’s what we know about this Aldi Cyclospora Bagged Salad Recall: The Recall On June 22, 2020, ALDI, in association with Fresh Express Inc., recalled ALDI’s 12-ounce Little Salad Bar Brand Garden Salads from stores in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. On June 23, Aldi released a statement concerning the outbreak and their involvement and what they plan to do for customers who have been affected: In cooperation with Fresh Express Inc., and out of an abundance of caution, ALDI BB #:116756 has removed Little Salad Bar Garden Salad from select stores as a precautionary measure due to possible Cyclospora infection. The recall affects all product codes of ALDI Little Salad Bar Garden Salads with use-by dates of May 16 to July 04 and distributed i...

An outbreak of cyclospora in bagged salads sold at Aldi, Walmart, and Hy-Vee grocery stores has now sickened 206 people in states across the Midwest, including 25 people in Minnesota. Here’s what we know about this Minnesota Cyclospora Outbreak: The Outbreak That’s the latest from the CDC, who published an update on the ongoing outbreak June 26th. Cases have been reported in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin as well. The latest state to register a cluster was North Dakota. According to Inforum , public health officials confirmed that the outbreak was connected to Aldi stores in Dilworth and Fergus Falls. The same article provides a list of Minnesota counties that have so far seen cases: they include Brown, Dakota, Dodge, Freeborn, Kandiyohi, Le Sueur, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Ramsey, Rock, Stearns, Steele and Watonwan. Cases connected with the cyclospora salads were reported between the 1st and the 9th of June, according to a press release from the Minnesota Dep...

Unfortunately another loved grocery chain has been affected by the latest Cyclospora outbreak. Here’s what we know about the Jewel-Osco Cyclospora Bagged Salads Recall: Jewel-Osco Recalls Bagged Salads Here is what Jewel-Osco had to say about the outbreak and recall: In cooperation with the Fresh Express recall of bagged salads potentially linked to an outbreak of Cyclospora infections in the Midwest, Jewel-Osco is voluntarily recalling bagged Signature Farms Garden Salad sold in its stores in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. The recalled Signature Farms Garden Salad was sold in 12-ounce bags in the Produce section. The recalled products have BEST IF USED BY dates of May 16 through July 4 (5-16-20 through 7-04-20). The BEST IF USED BY date is printed on the top right corner of the front of the package. The product has a UPC code of 21130 98135, which can be found on the back of the package and bears the unique plant number S5417. Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite of ...

Cyclospora strikes again.  Bagged lettuces are the source, says the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  A joint outbreak investigation is underway between the CDC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and public health and regulatory officials in affected states to determine the scope and cause of a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections that have been linked to bagged salad mix produced by Fresh Express containing iceberg lettuce, carrots, and red cabbage.  This potentially tainted produce was available for purchase at ALDI, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco, and Walmart stores across the Midwestern United States. Here is what we know about this Illinois Cyclospora Outbreak: The Outbreak in Illinois Illinois has been one of the hardest hit by this outbreak, involving 57 Illinoians.  Total illness across the Midwestern states of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin have reached 206.  This has resulted i...

Iowa is among the hardest hit of Cyclospora outbreak cases amid a multistate outbreak linked to bagged salad mix containing iceberg lettuce, carrots, and red cabbage produced by Fresh Express and purchased at ALDI, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco, and Walmart stores across the Midwestern United States. Here is what we know about this Iowa Cyclospora Outbreak linked to bagged salads: The Outbreak As of June 25, 2020, 74 Iowans have been reported with laboratory-confirmed Cyclospora infections associated with this outbreak. Between Iowa with 74 cases, Illinois with 57, Minnesota with 25, Nebraska with 20, Missouri with 10, Wisconsin with 13, North Dakota with 6, and Kansas with 1 linked case, there have been a total of 206 people linked to this outbreak so far.  This has resulted in 23 hospitalizations.  Illness onset collectively ranged from May 11, 2020 to June 17, 2020. Recalled Products in Response to Outbreak Several brands have initiated recalls in response to this outbreak....

What sort of cutting boards are the safest in terms of food safety? I have a friend who claims that wood cutting boards are “gross.” I don’t know what she means by that, exactly. Cutting Board food safety maybe? I think the idea is that wood soaks up harm-causing pathogenic nastiness from the stuff that you prepare on it. This isn’t totally crazy. Wood is porous. It has cracks and knots and little spaces throughout. It makes sense that foodborne-illness causing bacteria might take up in a cutting board, given the opportunity. So, let’s dig in: are wooden cutting boards unsafe? Are plastic cutting boards safer? And what can you do to ensure the safety of your food from the perspective of cutting board selection and maintenance. Wood I had a look at some of the things that have been written about cutting boards and food safety. The consensus seems to be that wooden cutting boards are the safest choice. That doesn’t mean that they’re entirely without drawbacks, however. And not all wo...

It’s planting season at my house. Mint and scallions are in; carrots are starting to sprout; the celery I planted a few weeks ago has already grown two small stalks. Tubers in the garden are starting to sprout above the ground. Basil transplants are blooming; their mother plant, recently trimmed back, is getting ready to flower again. My gardening operation isn’t much, considering. It’s haphazard, new, and not much to look at. But it is healthy and safe, all thanks to Compost Food Safety! How do pathogens get into compost? The process of composting itself doesn’t kill off bacteria or viruses that might make you sick. Composts aren’t inherently bactericidal. They are, in fact, havens for many kinds of bacteria: they teem with life, much of it dedicated to the businesses of breaking down organic matter into its component parts. The sort of foodborne bacteria that causes illness – bugs like campylobacter and E. coli – can and will survive just fine. There’s a lot of ways that said mic...

The coronavirus has killed at least 5,403 nursing home residents in New York since the outbreak hit the U.S. Families of the deceased want to sue the nursing homes for being ill-prepared for the virus, but a hidden provision in New York State’s budget bars families from taking legal action against nursing homes. According to the New York Times , nursing home industry lobbyists pushed Governor Cuomo’s aides to include specific language in the state’s sprawling budget bill. This measure protects healthcare facilities, like nursing homes, from getting sued due to deaths related to the coronavirus. Officials Defend Measure Cuomo’s aides told the New York Times that the goal of this measure is to shield healthcare workers from facing the complicated fallout of a legal battle while in the midst of a global pandemic. Dani Lever, a spokesperson for Cuomo, said, “This legislation is not intended to shield any bad-acting facilities during this tragic time, but rather to ensure facilities c...

According to news reports, three workers were injured in Brooklyn when they fell down an elevator shaft . The men were members of a construction crew working on a building under construction at 170 Tillary Street. While standing on a work platform in an elevator shaft, the workers fell to the bottom of the elevator shaft when the platform collapsed. Before it gave way, the platform was on the fourth floor of the building. All three men went to Methodist Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Department of Buildings was investigating the accident. Enforcement actions were pending the completion of the investigation. Elevator Accidents are Deadly According to the Center for Construction Researching and Training ( CPWR ), elevators pose a serious risk of injuries and death to individuals installing, maintaining, or repairing the elevators. From 2011 through 2016, 145 construction workers died from elevator-related injuries. That is approximately 24 deaths per year. Constru...