Let's just dive straight into "The Dirty Truth" - we've got 2 recalls to look at + some general info regarding foodborne illness. Let's get to it!
Perrigo Infant Formula Recall
Recently, Perrigo issued a select recall on Infant Formula due to elevated levels of Vitamin D.
What is Perrigo Formula?
Store Brand! - This recall specifically has impacted CVS and H-E-B Store Brand Infant Formula. (see the pictures below!)
This would be the store brand equivalent to Enfamil Infant / Enfamil Neuro-Pro.
Product shipped to CVS beginning February 6, 2024, being recalled:
T11LMYC – USE BY 11NOV2025
(Material: 975261, UPC: 050428318034)
Product shipped to H-E-B Grocery Company, LP beginning February 2, 2024, being recalled:
T11LMXC – USE BY 11NOV2025
T09LMXC – USE BY 09NOV2025
(Material: 788362, UPC: 041220164578)
No other lot codes are impacted by this recall.
Cucumbers ; Foodborne Illness ; & a TikTok trend...
Cucumbers have gained quite a bit of attention this summer specifically, with a 'newest TikTok trend' from Logan Moffitt, showcasing cucumber salad recipes and initiating 'a cucumber a day' type of movement.
No idea what I'm talking about? (It's okay, I am not a TikTok fan.. I'll show you in a moment how I learned of this trend.... In the meantime, you can learn a little about it here - https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2024/08/15/tiktok-cucumber-boy-viral-recipes/74802440007/)
So that's fun!..... Except.....
As you may 'recall' from a previous Blog Post, cucumbers have been in the hot seat this summer for concerns of Listeria & Salmonella....
Weirs Farm is one currently with multiple products on recall due to potential listeria contamination.
Product Name: Whole Cucumbers
Size: 1.5-2.5 inch diameter, 6-9 inch length
Product Name: Wiers Farm 2 lb bagged Salad Cucumber
Packaging: clear bag with blue base
Distribution: Select Walmart stores in MI, IN and OH
Soon following the initial recall, multiple other items were added to this recall list. "Wiers Farm, Inc Expands Voluntary Recall on Whole and Salad Cucumbers Due to Possible Contamination with Listeria"
RETAIL PACKAGED ITEMS
Sold at select Walmart stores in CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, and WV
Wiers Farm Bagged Poblano - UPC 073064202581 – 16 oz bag
Wiers Farm Bagged Cubanelle - UPC 073064201836 – 16 oz bag
Wiers Farm Bagged Green Beans – UPC 073064200846 – variable weight bag
Wiers Farm Bagged Salad Cucumber – UPC 073064459619 – 2 lb. bag
Wiers Farm Bagged Serrano – UPC 073064201829 – 4 oz bag
Wiers Farm Organic Bell Pepper – UPC 073064201416 – 2 count tray
Wiers Farm Organic Cucumber – UPC 073064201423 – 2 count tray
Wiers Farm Organic Yellow Squash – UPC 073064201447 – 2 count tray
Wiers Farm Organic Zucchini Squash – UPC 073064201430 – 2 count tray
Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Cucumbers (June 2024)
Cucumbers linked to illnesses of Salmonella Africana and Salmonella Braenderup.
According to the FDA and the CDC, cucumbers have also been linked to salmonella, specifically these strains mentioned above.
According to the FDA website, "The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Africana and Salmonella Braenderup infections with 449 illnesses in 31 states and the District of Columbia." "Laboratory, epidemiological, and traceback data have determined that cucumbers from Bedner Growers, Inc., of Boynton Beach, Florida, and Thomas Produce Company, of Boca Raton, Florida, are likely sources of illnesses in this outbreak; however, these growers do not account for all the illnesses in this outbreak."
"Additional types of Salmonella were detected in both soil and water samples collected at both Bedner Growers, Inc. and Thomas Produce Company. Multiple other strains of Salmonella, unrelated to this outbreak investigation, found at Bedner Growers, Inc. matched clinical isolates from illnesses in the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI) database that occurred in previous years. CDC and FDA are working to determine whether other positive samples from Thomas Produce Company match historical clinical isolates."
Ongoing risk is noted to be low according to both the FDA and the CDC as cucumber growing/harvesting season is over and product is unlikely to remain on shelves by this point. As mentioned below, symptoms of Salmonella Infection can include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and usually lasts four to seven days. Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections.
So... it begs me to question & wonder...
is NOW the time to eat a cucumber per day?!...
Honestly, I'm not sure....
Remember when I said I'd share how I even learned of this trend?..
It was through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
I get updates from a variety of sources in the nutrition world. AND is the professional practice organization for Registered Dietitians.
According to AND's website, "The Academy is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy."
Vision: A world where all people thrive through the transformative power of food and nutrition
Mission: Accelerate improvements in global health and well-being through food and nutrition
Principles:
Amplify the contribution and value of diverse nutrition and dietetics practitioners to the public
Position registered dietitian nutritionists as the experts in food and nutrition
Expand workforce demand and capacity
Incorporate research, professional development, technology and practice to foster innovation and discovery
Collaborate with key stakeholders to solve the greatest food and nutrition challenges, now and in the future
Focus on making a system-wide impact across the food, well-being and health care sectors
Have a global impact in eliminating all forms of malnutrition.
It's fair to note that AND is not specifically 'food safety' focused. By no means do they disregard food safety & they do provide plenty of resources on the topic, but you can see the primary focuses of the Academy above. So, while it is a perfectly fair topic to look at in a nutritional standpoint (cucumber/day keeps the RD away?!)...
...it immediately stuck out to me.. no where does it mention this food safety concern...
The email excerpt was in reference to another article, which I have linked below the photos. Neither mentions cucumbers dual-starring roles this summer.. As a professional group and publication sent to healthcare and nutrition professionals, it is somewhat disappointing that nothing regarding these concerns were mentioned. It left me feeling like I had been presented an incomplete picture, when I know more to the story already.. This gap has bothered me since reading this a few days ago..
Article in Reference:
So, sure, everything presented is true here. Cucumbers are lovely and make yummy things and do go with so many flavors and such! They are wonderful for hydration! The health benefits are there!
But, it's important to know the WHOLE story before you jump on this TikTok Trend of eating a WHOLE cucumber per day.
(I mean, even delish.com mentions this!)
Netflix released a new documentary in 2023, titled,
"Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food"
This documentary is based on a book, Poisoned, The Deadly E.Coli Outbreak That Changed The Way Americans Eat. by Jeff Benedict https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16057390-poisoned
This film also recently received a nomination for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary for the 45th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards!
The documentary follows various foodborne illness outbreaks, primarily focusing on the last 30 years. It specifically starts by talking about a deadly and multi-state E.coli outbreak that occurred in 1992-1993. I was ~2 and 1/2 years old👶
& while you’ll learn that there were some “good things” gained from the horrible experience… (I won't *spoil* anything for those who haven't had a chance to tune in yet!)
We are FAR from “out of the woods” when it comes to food safety here in the USA..😞
That’s painful to admit.🥴
I now have a 3 year old son, myself.👩👦 As we can see from above, he has already lived through some major food recalls including the Similac / Abbott Nutrition infant formula Recall in 2022, the Hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen fruits. listeria linked to sliced meats, salmonella & listeria linked to a variety of vegetables.... These are foods consumed daily/weekly by my kids. And quite frankly, I am becoming scared…😞😫
- WHEN is it going to change?!
This documentary features outbreaks of (scroll to the bottom to learn a bit more about each of these, including signs & symptoms and common sources!)
E. coli 0157
Salmonella
Campylobacter (not a major focus, but is mentioned)
Cronobacter sakazakii (not mentioned during this documentary, but the foodborne illness 'germ' that changed my trajectory .. just as many of these individuals describe as well. I will always share about this one)
As we travel through the evolution and time of recent major foodborne illness outbreaks, we also meet some of my favorite players in the food safety arena. These are the folks who have been on the ground, pushing for better. Pushing for more.
These include (not a complete list of all who are featured in this documentary*):
Bill Marler - food safety attorney and advocate. He has been involved in every recall mentioned in this film, representing those who have been injured or impacted by foodborne illness. You'll get to know him in this film. His work is pretty incredible.
Rosa DeLauro - Congresswomen and U.S. Representative from Connecticut, and one who is truly out in front when it comes to representing food safety and policy!
Marion Nestle - molecular biologist and author (Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety, Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health), a wonderful advocate exposing the science and politics that often play roles.
Darin Detwiler - father turned food safety advocate and professor, following the loss of his own son to a foodborne illness. He now teaches our next generations about food safety, food policy, and nutrition in this type of manner!
Frank Yiannas - recently retiring from his role as FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food and Policy and Response, Mr. Yiannas has been in front of the Oversight Committee, discussing roles the FDA played in the infant formula recall and shortage specifically. While his responses were somewhat limited in this documentary, I was impressed when he walked into Hearing #1 with tangible, real life changes to make and concerns to address (so far, the "best" testimony in the Hearings in that sense)
The “world’s safest food supply” shouldn’t look like this.
Many of the secrets and covered up topics discussed, are exactly on par with what we have experienced during the infant formula recall and subsequent shortage. Learning these secrets during that experience has completely reshaped and refocused the trajectory of my career. and my life. Not unlike many of these key players mention in this film themselves..
It must change. We simply cannot wait another 30 years.. I refuse to have my son take my place in this fight. I refuse to hand this down to our children. We are not going away. We are not going to stop until the American food supply truly is the "world's safest food supply".
💔🍓🗣️🥬😞🍍👎🏼🥭😟🧀😩
Now, as Bill Marler says, “I think you just have to keep fighting the battles that are in front of you, and I still think there are things more to do... so I guess I got to get busy”
**special shoutout to all who contributed to this documentary! Thank you all so much!!
& @rosa_delauro - I think I want to be you when I grow up 👏🏼❤️🤩🍓
Here is another great deep dive on the documentary!
Alright, so before we end this one, let's leave you all with some information about these germs.. Learn more about these foodborne illnesses below:
| Symptoms | Onset | Common Foods/ Contamination Sources | Impact | Extra Facts |
E. Coli 0157 | Diarrhea (often severe, may be bloody), abdominal cramps, pain, fatigue, nausea ; Severe complication = Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) which can lead to kidney failure & death | Can release a toxin that damages lining of intestines' Typical symptom onset = 3-4 days, can be 1-14 days ; Symptoms often last ~2 weeks | Leafy Greens (Spinach, lettuce, sprouts, etc.), apple juice / cider, undercooked meats (cattle, deer, sheep), salami, unpasteurized milk, contaminated water ; person - to- person | ~70,000 cases of this particular type of E.Coli are reported each year. | Approx. 8% of E.Coli 0157 infections leads to HUS ; Can release a toxin (shiga toxin) that damages the lining of the intestines'. Can be killed in proper cooking methods / heat |
Salmonella | Abdominal cramps, pain, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, chills, headache | Often ~8-72 hours following exposure (1-3 days) but can be 6 hours up to 6 days ; Symptoms often last ~4-10 days | Chicken, eggs, poultry, meat (especially raw/ undercooked), contaminated water | 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations, 420 deaths per year | Some strains of Salmonella can result in Typhoid Fever, a deadly disease This is one illness that is getting some attention as discussed in the documentary - it's about time! |
Campylobacter | Diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, vomiting, headache | Usually 2-5 days, anywhere from 1-10 days; Symptoms often last ~3-6 days | Usually 2-5 days, anywhere from 1-10 days; Symptoms often last ~3-6 days | Death is *relatively* rare unless in very high risk group -> is associated with higher risk of Guillian-Barre Syndrome, Sepsis, and additional, serious medical complications | Can be killed through heating and proper cooking methods; While death is reported to be "rare", infection in children under the age of 2 is fairly frequent and does have an increased risk of death/ complications |
Cronobacter sakazakii | Fatigue, poor feeding, fever, excessive crying, irritability, abnormal body movements/ jerking ; Can lead to serious complications such as Meningitis, Sepsis, and seizures | Likely to onset within hours on ingestion (~4-8 hours is typical) | Germ found naturally in the world, prefers dry places. Thrives in foods such as powdered formulas, powdered milk, herbal teas, starch based foods | A study in 2020 found that ~20% of infants who develop Meningitis or another blood-infection due to Cronobacter, died. This study also noted this to be 40% worldwide | Proper storage and preparation of these foods can aid in helping reduce transmission This foodborne illness will become a Reportable Illness (mandatory to report) in 2024! |
It should NOT be common practice for a simple food item, a basic need of ours... to turn into the very thing that is killing us. These germs are there. And we MUST demand more, demand better... for OUR SAFETY..
❤❤
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Jessica Enderle, R.D., L.D.
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