Ongoing Outbreaks: What We Can Learn from the Most Recent Carrot and Cucumber Outbreaks
Last month in our blog, we highlighted the recent E. Coli outbreak stemming from onions served at McDonald’s restaurants. In our blog, we highlighted some key considerations when serving fresh produce that often lacks the kill step that we have with most proteins. However, since that blog was published, we’ve had two more high profile outbreaks across the United States involving fresh produce.
In November, a recall was initiated by a company when their carrots, which were packed as both a standalone product (whole organic carrots) and in organic and conventional vegetable medley packages after it was suspected that they may have been contaminated with E. coli O121:H19. As of late November 2024, investigations by the FDA and CDC have linked contaminated carrots to over 39 illnesses, 15 hospitalizations, and one death.
Cases span the US, including states from Washington, Oregon, and California to states as far east as New York and Massachusetts. The carrots in question were distributed by a national brand and primarily sold at large retail chains. The FDA has issued a recall of the implicated products, urging consumers to check their purchases and discard affected items. The source of contamination appears to be linked to agricultural water used during irrigation.
Almost simultaneously, a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak has been tied to fresh cucumbers distributed to 36 states. As of this writing in early-December 2024, the outbreak has resulted in 68 reported illnesses across 19 states, with 18 hospitalizations. While no fatalities have been recorded, the widespread nature of the contamination has prompted significant recalls, affecting not only whole cucumbers but also prepackaged salads and sushi products containing the cucumbers.
Retailers and distributors are cooperating with the FDA to remove affected products from store shelves. But for consumers and foodservice operators, it is recommended to avoid eating or serving cucumbers unless you can confirm their origin and safety.
…both of these outbreaks underscore the risk of cross-contamination during food handling and processing.
There isn’t much more that I can add to last month’s blog post related to handling fresh produce, but both of these outbreaks underscore the risk of cross-contamination during food handling and processing. While cucumbers are often considered low risk in terms of contamination, improper handling during washing and packaging can easily spread harmful bacteria. Many times our employees don’t always consider these as “potentially hazardous,” but we must ensure that we follow the same strict sanitation protocols that we require with meat products to prevent cross-contact between contaminated and uncontaminated products.
These incidents underscore the importance of maintaining rigorous safety standards at every step of the food supply chain. From farming to processing and distribution, gaps in safety practices can lead to significant public health risks. Foodservice managers play a role in this system by staying informed about recalls and acting upon those recalls quickly.
As federal agencies continue to investigate these outbreaks, ongoing collaboration between regulators, producers, and foodservice operators is essential to preventing future incidents and ensure a safer food supply. Risk Nothing.
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Food Packaging Safety in a Vacuum
Extending the shelf life of fresh foods has come a long way in the food industry since curing meats with salt and sugar or canning vegetables with heat processing. The food service and consumer markets needed some better visual packages to draw the eye to the freshness factor and the technology of food packaging has filled our dinner plate. Vacuum packaging and modified atmosphere packaging, shortened to “MAP”, are the terms used for the method of food packaging used every time we choose convenience over more complex scratch meal preparation. According to industry statistics, billions of packages of vacuum and MAP-packaged foods flood the marketplace today. In both modified-atmosphere and vacuum packaging, food is packaged in a pouch made of barrier film.
The Eleven Commandments of Food Safety at Your Restaurant
Lists help us remember all kinds of information. Given the list of recent national foodborne outbreaks in the news, keep repeating this list to your food service team. They are kind of like “commandments”. As a professional in a food service facility we should think of the very basic food safety concepts that every crew member should aspire to learn, even though this list may have different priorities based on your menu. The first 3 apply to anyone who serves food, from a bag of popcorn to a full course meal. As chefs or managers, if we can “set the example” by repeating good food safety practices visibly to the crew, it will help them understand how important it is to the success of your facility. Thou shalt:
The Worst Customer Complaint: Foodborne Illness
Food service managers and crew try to follow the rules of food protection. Yet, occasionally a complaint may arise and these calls take priority over all other daily crises. If you have been in the food service industry long enough, you may have gotten one of these. A customer may claim, "I think your food made me ill." These words inflict instant anxiety. If it happens, here are some next steps to think about in advance of such a claim:
How Effective is Your Food Safety Training?
Basic food safety in a restaurant kitchen is not rocket science, but critically important for the crew to take the time to learn about it and for managers to set the example each day. Customers never expect or want to see a manager, chef, or a crew member make a very visible food safety mistake, like not washing hands before food prep and gloving, or touching their face or hair while prepping or handling food. Have we all seen it happen in our restaurant or as a customer elsewhere? Certainly. Are you using some creativity in your current training methods to help your staff “get it” so to speak, and reflect positive behaviors regarding food safety?
