FDA Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation

"FDA Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigation Update."  There is new information available on this topic at the URL below, and for your convenience the update is also provided below.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm482807.htm

FDA Investigates Multistate Outbreak of Listeria in Dole Leafy Greens Products

Outbreaks > FDA Investigates Multistate Outbreak of Listeria in Dole Leafy Greens Products

What was the Problem and What was Done About It?  

The FDA, CDC and state and local officials are investigating a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis.
According to CDC, 12 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from six states since July 5, 2015. The number of ill people reported from each state is as follows: Indiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Michigan (4), New Jersey (1), New York (4), and Pennsylvania (1). Dates of Listeria specimen collection range from July 5, 2015, to December 23, 2015.
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) has been performed on clinical isolates from all ill people and showed that the isolates are highly related genetically to one another. All 12 ill people reported being hospitalized, and one person from Michigan died as a result of listeriosis. One of the illnesses reported was in a pregnant woman. Ill people range in age from 3 years to 83, and the median age is 66. Sixty-nine percent are female. Five of the ill people were asked specifically about their consumption of bagged salad prior to the onset of illness, and all five reported eating packaged salad in the month before becoming ill. Two of the ill people were able to specified a brand of packaged salad, and both reported eating different varieties of Dole brand packaged salads. In November 2015, the Ohio Department of Agriculture collected a Dole brand Field Greens packaged salad from a retail location and isolated Listeria monocytogenes. WGS showed that the Listeria monocytogenes isolate from the bagged salad was highly related genetically to isolates from the 12 ill people. This bagged salad was produced at the Springfield, Ohio, Dole processing facility.
On January 21, 2016, Dole reported to FDA and CDC that it ceased production of all packaged salads at its processing facility in Springfield, Ohio. Additionally, the company reported that it is withdrawing all packaged salads currently on the market that were produced at this facility.
CDC recommends that consumers do not eat, restaurants do not serve, and retailers do not sell packaged salads produced at the Dole processing facility in Springfield, Ohio. These packaged salads were sold under various brand names, but all carry a product code beginning with the letter “A.”  

At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that packaged salads produced at other Dole processing facilities in the United States are linked to illness.

What are the Symptoms of Listeriosis?

Listeriosis is a rare but serious illness usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes. Anyone who experiences fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, or develops fever and chills while pregnant after eating any of the products listed below should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the potentially contaminated leafy greens. Symptoms can appear from a few days up to a few weeks after eating the contaminated food.

Who is at Risk? 

Listeriosis can be fatal, especially in certain high-risk groups. These groups include the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems and certain chronic medical conditions (such as cancer). In pregnant women, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and serious illness or death in newborn babies.

What Specific Products are Affected?

All packaged salads produced in Dole’s Springfield, Ohio, plant. These packages are marked with product codes beginning with the letter “A.” For more information about the specific brands at issue, see CDC: Multistate Outbreak of Listeriosis Linked to Packaged Salads Produced at Springfield, Ohio Dole Processing Facility.

What Do Restaurants and Retailers Need To Do?

Retailers and restaurants should not serve any of the withdrawn products and should dispose of them. If they do not know the source of their leafy greens, they should check with the supplier.
Wash and sanitize refrigerators where potentially contaminated products were stored.
Wash and sanitize cutting boards, surfaces, and utensils used to cut, serve, or store potentially contaminated products.
Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process.
Retailers, restaurants, and other food service operators who have processed and packaged any potentially contaminated leafy green products need to be concerned about cross contamination of cutting surfaces and utensils through contact with these products.
Regular frequent cleaning and sanitizing of cutting boards and utensils used in processing may help to minimize the likelihood of cross-contamination.
Listeria can grow at refrigeration temperatures in foods like leafy greens. Listeria can also cross contaminate other food cut and served on the same cutting board or stored in the same area.
Retailers, restaurants, and other food service operators may wish to consider whether other foods available for sale could have been cross-contaminated from the potentially contaminated leafy green products, and should be discarded. 

What Do Consumers Need To Do?

Consumers should not eat any of the withdrawn products and should check their homes for these leafy green products.
Recommendations for preventing listeriosis are available at the CDC Listeria website.
Listeria monocytogenes can grow at refrigerator temperatures, about 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). The longer ready-to-eat refrigerated foods are stored in the refrigerator, the more opportunity Listeria has to grow.
It is very important that consumers thoroughly clean their refrigerators and other food preparation surfaces that may have come in contact with the potentially contaminated products.
Consumers should follow these simple steps:

• Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
• Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops; then sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water; then dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used.
• Wipe up spills in the refrigerator immediately and clean the refrigerator regularly.

Always wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitization process. 

Who Should be Contacted? 

Retailer and consumer questions about the voluntary withdrawal should be directed to the Dole Food Company Consumer Response Center at 800-356-3111.
The FDA also encourages consumers with questions about food safety to call 1-888-SAFEFOOD Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern time, or to consult the fda.gov website: http://www.fda.gov.