Articles Tagged with ''outbreak investigations''

Salmonella spp. have long been associated with low-moisture foods such as nuts and nut-derived products, with varying prevalence observed in tree nuts, including cashews, at retail. Virtually all cashews are imported to the U.S. Some nuts, including cashews, are imported as a "raw" product (i.e., one that has not been subjected to a process to adequately reduce pathogens, such as a kill step). Salmonella contamination of such products has resulted in several notable outbreaks in the U.S. in the past ten years, including those in which cashew-containing products have been implicated as a vehicle. This article presents a brief overview of outbreak investigations of Salmonella infections linked to the consumption of cashews and cashew-containing food products. It also presents challenges encountered, lessons learned, and relevant regulatory requirements for importers and manufacturers of cashews and cashew-containing products.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recently published a summary of a joint investigation of a multi-country foodborne illness outbreak of Salmonella Seftenberg that was possibly linked to cherry-like tomatoes.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a new webpage with information about a persistent, multidrug-resistant strain of Salmonella Infantis known as REPJFX01, which has been the cause of many illnesses and outbreaks.

In a new video and infographic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided an overview of the traceback process used during foodborne illness outbreaks to investigate a food’s path through the supply chain.

State and local health departments in Washington are investigating five cases of foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes in Western Washington, three of which have resulted in death. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has indicated a common source of infection.

U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) has reintroduced the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act, which would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to investigate corporate livestock feedlots and confinement operations implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks.

Approximately 40 percent of foodborne illness outbreaks associated with retail food establishments during 2017–2019 were caused by an infectious employee, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A recent study has demonstrated the benefits of interagency collaboration during foodborne illness outbreak investigations. The study was conducted by researchers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA’s CFSAN) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a report on its investigation of a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to cantaloupes that occurred during July–September 2022, and has highlighted food safety recommendations for melon growers and distributors.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has published two reports on its foodborne illness outbreak investigations and sampling activities for fiscal year 2022.