draggonlaady

FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Raw Oysters Harvested from Hood Canal Area 4 in Washington State. Oyster recall affects 23 states. So you'll all remember the bit about the guy from California claiming raw oysters from Washington are safe, because vibrio magically doesn't happen here? Hahahahahahahaha.

Publix Super Markets is issuing a voluntary recall for spinach dip because it may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes. The problem was discovered as a result of routine microbial testing conducted by Publix. The 16 ounce containers of prepackaged spinach dip were sold at Publix retail deli departments with a UPC of 41415-00062 and use by date of OCT 10 C1.

Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. is recalling approximately 131,300 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7

That I've been offline all week because of probable food poisoning, and here the first thing I post is recall warnings. About, in case you wonder, things I have not been eating. No, I don't know what I actually have or where it came from, but antibiotics have made today a MUCH more pleasant day than the rest of the week. (Spending it lounging around with Bruce instead of working certainly didn't hurt my feelings any, either.)

Cargill Value Added Meats will announce a Class I Voluntary Fresh Ground Turkey Recall of approximately 35,709,675 pounds of ground turkey products August 3, 2011. The product may be linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg. All recalled products were produced at the Springdale, AR plant: USDA Establishment Number #P-963.

The outbreak that the recalled Cargill turkey products may be linked to has sickened at least 77 people in 26 states, including a person from California who died.

(Yes, I'm a couple days late...as I mentioned, been otherwise occupied, sorry.)

Several people got sick after eating raw oysters containing Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria. So far, 18 vibriosis illnesses have been linked to commercial operations and four illnesses to recreational harvesting in Puget Sound and on the Washington coast. Cooking shellfish thoroughly will prevent vibriosis illness and is always a good idea. This is especially important during the summer months of July and August when warm temperatures and low tides along ocean beaches and in Puget Sound allow the bacteria to thrive. I found this bit particularly interesting: "Rinsing fully-cooked oysters with seawater can recontaminate them." Yes, obviously--do people really do this? WHY? 'Course, I'm rather on the side of why were they eating oysters in the first place, but... in what world does pouring seawater (or pond- or lake- or creek-water) over cooked food sound like a good idea?