As Ohio cyclosporiasis cases continue to be reported, the Food and Drug Administration is investigating nearly a dozen active foodborne illness outbreaks, including cases linked to eggs, frozen blueberries, iceberg lettuce and powdered infant formula.
The investigations involve cyclospora, salmonella, listeria and E. coli, the FDA states. Some outbreaks have been linked to foods such as iceberg lettuce and frozen blueberries, while investigators are still working to identify others.
The investigations come as the FDA has announced a series of food recalls and safety notices in recent weeks. They include recalls involving more than 1 million eggs, some pistachio nut butter products and jalapeños served at some Chipotle locations.
Costco burritos slapped with public health alert over allergen
Here's what consumers should know.
How many active and ongoing foodborne outbreaks is the FDA investigating?
The FDA currently lists 11 foodborne illness investigations as active and ongoing.
Among them, five involve products that have not yet been identified. Two cyclospora investigations remain linked to unknown food sources, the agency says. Known products under investigation include iceberg lettuce, frozen blueberries, powdered infant formula, eggs, and soft ricotta cheese.
The 11 investigations that remain active and ongoing include:
- Aug. 5: Cyclospora; product not identified, 10 cases
- July 22: Cyclospora; product not identified; 115 cases
- July 22: Salmonella Javiana; product not identified, 321 cases
- July 22: Listeria monocytogenes; product not identified, 9 cases
- July 15: Cyclospora linked to iceberg lettuce
- July 8: Cyclospora; product not identified, 25 cases
- July 8: Salmonella Oranienburg; product not identified, 93 cases
- July 6: E. coli O145:H28 linked to frozen blueberries
- June 13: Clostridium botulinum linked to powdered infant formula
- June 10: Salmonella Enteritidis linked to eggs
- June 3: Listeria monocytogenes linked to requesón and soft ricotta cheese
Why is the FDA investigating so many outbreaks? Most common foodborne illnesses
Experts say that the uptick could be due to better detection methods and the way food is shipped and distributed across the country, according to Food & Wine.
Foodborne illness remains common in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 48 million people get sick each year, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die.
According to the agency, most foodborne outbreaks that spread across multiple states are caused by Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella.
How many cyclospora cases have been reported in Ohio?
Ohio has reported more than 4,000 cases of cyclosporiasis in at least 80 counties so far this year, according to the Ohio Department of Health's infectious disease dashboard. Most of those cases have come since June 20. ODH reported a little over 1,200 cases in June, a number that swelled to nearly 2,800 in July.
Lucas County has reported 554 cases, up from 435 the previous week. Cuyahoga County reported 459 cases, up from 446. Wood County reported 446 cases, up from 309.
Chipotle pulls jalapeños from menus over salmonella concerns
Chipotle announced it removed jalapeños from some of its restaurants after being made aware that the FDA and Minnesota Department of Health were investigating the source of a salmonella outbreak. An epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health Foodborne Diseases Unit told USA TODAY that there are 110 cases of Salmonella Javiana linked to the outbreak. Of those cases, 89% of the people interviewed said they ate food from Chipotle before getting sick.
Chipotle said jalapeños were removed "out of an abundance of caution" and after identifying the peppers as a "potential common ingredient from a common lot," in a statement on the chain's website.
Chipotle replaced the jalapeños with product from a different grower. Jalapeños are an ingredient in Chipotle's guacamole, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa and tomatillo salsa.
Reasons for recalling products range from bacterial contamination like E. coli, salmonella and listeria to undeclared allergens or ingredients and foreign objects in products. Some recalls stem from a recall of another product that's used as an ingredient.
What food products are currently being recalled by the FDA?
Several foods are being recalled or taken off the market due to concerns over foodborne illnesses, according to the FDA.
Iceberg lettuce recall
Taylor Farms, a huge producer of bag salads under several brand names, issued a voluntary recall. Taylor Farms is withdrawing iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico because of the possible cyclospora contamination. Taylor Farms' recalled products include Walmart’s Marketside brand of shredded iceberg lettuce (8 ounce or 16 ounce) and iceberg salad (12 ounce or 24 ounce). The lettuce has “best if used by" dates of July 18 through Aug. 3.
Egg recall
Health officials are investigating a multiple-state outbreak of salmonella enteritidis infections linked to eggs. Midwest Poultry Services L.P., based in Indiana, is voluntarily recalling nearly 1.6 million cartons of eggs, or about 19 million eggs, because of potential salmonella. Seventeen states, including Michigan, have reported illnesses, officials with the CDC said. The recall involves both brown and white eggs produced at Texas farms and distributed by Midwest Poultry Services.
Fruit pouch recall
Pumpkin Tree Peter Rabbit Organics Banana & Strawberry pouches. This voluntary recall is due to possible soft plaster to enter the finished product. The 4-ounce pouches have these codes:
- Barcode: 8 15367 01078 0
- Lane number – identified by the number ‘4’ printed on the rear right-hand side seam.
- Best before dates are: 01/19/2027, 01/20/2027, 03/17/2027, 03/18/2027, 05/14/2027, or 05/15/2027.
MorningStar Farms recall
The maker of plant-based items is voluntarily recalling two products because of possible plastic pieces in the food. Recalled items are its Buffalo Chik’n Nuggets in a 10.5-ounce package and its Hot & Spicy Sausage Patties in 8-ounce packages. The products have “best if used by" dates of July 5, 6, 7, and 8 of 2027.
Amy's Organic Soups recall
Amy’s Kitchen is recalling its Organic Lentil, Light in Sodium soup because of the potential for spoilage due to a manufacturers defect in the pull tab to open the can. More than 180,000 containers of the soup in the 14.5-ounce size in a single lot number 60D0924 are part of the recall. The cans have a "best before" date of April 2027.
Motor City Pizza Co. 5 Cheese Bread
Champion Foods, based in New Boston (south of Detroit), voluntarily recalled specific batches of its Motor City Pizza Co. 5 Cheese Bread because of possible salmonella contamination. This is due to a recall by California Dairies of milk powder because of a concern about potential salmonella contamination. According to the recall alert, a seasoning blend that Champion uses in its five-cheese sauce blend uses the milk powder. Champion’s 5 Cheese Bread with specific code numbers and "use by" dates was distributed and sold nationwide to retailers such as Costco, Kroger, Meijer, Target and Walmart.
Jones Dairy Farm Chicken Sausage Links
These products are being recalled by Costco because of a packaging error. According to Costco, they’ve identified that “a small amount of pork links, product #1211239, were introduced while packing the referenced chicken links.” The recall is for a limited number of products in its Midwest region with a “use by” date 04-29-27. Costco says it issued the recall for consumers who can’t eat pork or have pork dietary restrictions.
What should you do if you have a recalled food product?
In most all recalls, the FDAadvises tossing out or returning any food product to the retailer that has been recalled.
If you've already prepared a recalled food item in your kitchen or still have it in your refrigerator or freezer, it's important to throw it out. It’s also important to clean your refrigerator, freezer and areas where the food was stored. Make sure you clean around your kitchen, pantry and cupboards as well as the refrigerator and freezer.
How to clean your kitchen after a food recall, per FDA
- Throw out the recalled food and any food stored with it or that came in contact with it. Place it in a sealed bag. If it was in a separate container, wash the container with hot soapy water before reusing.
- Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops and any utensils that may have contacted contaminated foods.
- Sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used.
- Wash and sanitize surfaces used to serve or store potentially contaminated products.
- Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process.
Consumers can find a list of current food and beverage recalls at fda.gov. Most grocery store and warehouse clubs like Costco list product recalls on their websites. Looks for them under the help or company information area.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Not just lettuce: FDA investigates salmonella, more foodborne diseases
