If you are eating any of the following foods, please stop. And it’s not just us asking; US health officials are warning people to avoid the below foods “due to ongoing unrelated outbreaks of intestinal infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and even parasites.” 1 So again, if you are still eating any of these terrible foods, please stop. And make sure your family and friends do too:

Pasta salad: Hy-Vee, a Midwestern grocery store chain, has recalled a pasta salad that might be linked to at least 20 people getting sick from salmonella. Iowa based Hy-Vee sold the 1-pound and 3-pound plastic containers of Spring Pasta Salad in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Wisconsin.

The salad was produced between June 1st and July 13th with expiration dates between June 22 and August 3.

“Symptoms of salmonella begin 12 to 72 hours after a person is infected and include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramping. This can last about four to seven days, and most individuals recover without treatment. However, those who develop severe diarrhea may need to be hospitalized. Those who are very young, who are very old or who have compromised immune systems are most at risk for complications and severe cases of illness.”1

Raw turkey: According to the CDC, Salmonella is to blame for 90 illnesses linked to raw turkey products.

The illnesses have been reported in 26 states since November but health officials haven’t been able to identify a brand, product or supplier as the source of the outbreak. And two people who got sick lived in a household where pets were fed raw turkey pet food.

Cut melon: The USDA is warning people in 23 states that the fruit may be contaminated with salmonella. Thus far the outbreak has affected 77 people in nine states, with about half of them hospitalized.

“Cut watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe as well as fruit salads containing these melons have been recalled in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The fruits were sold in stores such as Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens, Sprouts Farmers Market, Costco and Whole Foods/Amazon.”1
The CDC believes the outbreak to be over and that Caito Foods LLC of Indianapolis was the source.

Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal: An outbreak of salmonella has left 100 people sick in 33 states. All Kellogg’s Honey Smacks were recalled on June 14th.

Swiss rolls: Flowers Foods announced a recall of Swiss rolls because they may be contaminated with salmonella via whey powder. So far, there have been no reports of illness from Swiss rolls.

Swiss rolls sold under the brand names Mrs. Freshley’s, Food Lion, H-E-B, Baker’s Treat, Market Square, and Great Value. And Captain John Derst’s Old Fashioned Bread distributed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina was also recalled.

Ritz Cracker Sandwiches: Mondelēz Global LLC announced a voluntary recall of certain Ritz Cracker Sandwiches and other Ritz Bits products because they contain whey powder that has been recalled for possible salmonella contamination. 

Please be careful because these products are still available NATIONWIDE.

The recall is precautionary and there are currently no complaints of illness. You can see the full list of recalled products, here.

McDonald’s salads: McDonald’s has stopped selling salads in 3,000 locations in 14 states to try to contain an outbreak of cyclospora illness.

According to the CDC, 163 cases of the illness have been confirmed in 10 states since May 1st. So if you are at an Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota, Kentucky, West Virginia or Missouri McDonalds, don’t expect to find a salad.
“The cyclospora parasite causes intestinal illness as a result of consuming contaminated food or water. Symptoms can begin a week or more after consuming the parasite. They include diarrhea and frequent, sometimes explosive bowel movements, according to the CDC. Those who are infected might also experience loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps or pain, nausea, gas, and fatigue. Vomiting, headache, fever, body aches and flu-like symptoms can also occur. The illness can last from a few days to a few months, and patients might feel better but then get worse again. Patients can be treated with antibiotics.”1

Vegetable trays: The FDA is investigating at least 237 cases of cyclospora illnesses linked to recalled Del Monte Fresh vegetable trays. The trays contained broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and dill dip and were sold in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.

The FDA has yet to nail down which vegetable is responsible for the outbreak.

Imported crab meat: Do not eat fresh crab meat from Venezuela due to an outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus that began in April. In all, 12 illnesses have been reported in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and the District of Columbia.

The FDA said the product is commonly found in plastic tubs and may be labeled as “pre-cooked.”
Symptoms usually begin 24 hours after consuming the bacteria and can include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, fever and abdominal pain.

Sources and References

  1. CNN, July 26, 2018.