Apr 4, 2013
Rich Products expands recall to all frozen snacks made at Georgia facility
Rich Products Corp today expanded its product recall to include all items produced at its Waycross, Ga., facility, according to a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notice. An investigation by federal and state health officials has linked the company's chicken quesadillas and other frozen snacks to a multistate Escherichia coli O121 outbreak that has so far sickened 24 people in 15 states. The updated recall applies to Farm Rich and Market Day products with best-by dates ranging from Jan 1, 2013, to Sep 29, 2014. The company said it isn't aware of any illnesses linked to products included in the expanded recall, but it said federal investigators haven't yet pinpointed a specific cause. Meanwhile. as a precaution, Rich Foods said it proactively expanded the recall.
Apr 4 FDA recall notice
Mar 29 CIDRAP News story "E coli outbreak linked to frozen snacks sickens 24 in 15 states"
Salmonella outbreak linked to pet turtles reaches 371 cases
A multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to small pet turtles has grown to 371 cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday. The outbreak has expanded by 24 cases and 3 states since the CDC's last update in mid February and now involves 40 states and the District of Columbia. Of patients with available information, 29% have been hospitalized, 70% are 10 years old or younger, and 33% are 1 year old or younger; no deaths have been reported. Among these cases, 71% involved exposure to turtles prior to illness, with 90% of the turtles having a shell 4 inches long or shorter. The outbreak has been classified as eight separate outbreaks involving different Salmonella strains, and three of those outbreaks appear to be over, the CDC said. US sales of turtles with shell length of 4 inches or smaller have been banned since 1975, according to the update.
Apr 3 CDC update
Feb 18 CIDRAP News scan on previous update
