Salmonella headline roundup - June 13

I hope you enjoyed the guest blog post from a tomato industry player this morning (Groundhog Day in June) I will let our guest blogger introduce himself at a later time. The above map, of course, is the latest map from the CDC on the states reporting illnesses related to the salmonella Saintpaul. From the CDC from their June 12 update:

Since April, 228 persons infected with Salmonella Saintpaul with the same genetic fingerprint have been identified in 23 states: Arizona (19 persons), California (2), Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Idaho (3), Illinois (29), Indiana (7), Kansas (5), Michigan (2), Missouri (2), New Mexico (55), New York (1), Oklahoma (3), Oregon (3), Tennessee (3), Texas (68), Utah (2), Virginia (9), Vermont (1), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (3). These were identified because clinical laboratories in all states send Salmonella strains from ill persons to their State public health laboratory for characterization. Among the 161 persons with information available , illnesses began between April 10 and June 1, 2008. Patients range in age from 1 to 88 years; 47% are female. At least 25 persons were hospitalized. No deaths have been officially attributed to this outbreak. However, a man in his sixties who died in Texas from cancer had an infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Saintpaul at the time of his death. The infection may have contributed to his death.


Not associated with the outbreak - FDA June 11


Web headlines:

Burger King puts tomatoes back on the menu

Produce industry directs outreach in consumer scare

Tomatoes taken off menus

FDA hit for slow progress in improving food safety

Arkansas tomato growers get boost from Mexico's woes