Articles Posted in Food Poisoning

The Associated Press reported on April 18, 2007 that Natural Balance Pet Foods has recalled 2 types of their pet food after receiving reports that animals were vomiting and experiencing kidney problems.

The recall includes all Venison & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food and Venison & Green Pea Dry Cat Food.

The company announced that it is working with the FDA to investigate the matter and is urging consumers not to feed either one of these products to their pets. Just last month Menu Foods recalled 60 million cans of dog and cat food after the deaths of 16 animals (mostly cats) that ate their products. The FDA stated that tests indicated this particular food was contaminated with an industrial chemical known as melamine.

Associated Press writer, Andrew Bridges, reported on April 16, 2007 that only 1.3% of imported fish, vegetables, fruit and other foods are inspected. Food experts say that the United States doesn’t have the resources to ensure that the food which has been imported is safe. Experts go on to say that the nation is vulnerable to harmful foods from abroad where rules and regulations governing food production are often more relaxed than they are at home.

Director of the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety, Mike Doyle, says that “the FDA doesn’t have enough resources or control over this situation presently”. In March 2007 alone, the FDA detained nearly 850 shipments of grains, fish, vegetables, nuts, spices, oils and other imported foods for reasons ranging from filth to unsafe food coloring to salmonella to contamination by pesticides. This is with only 1.3% of imported shipments being inspected. The other 98.7% which is not inspected enters our country for consumption.

The average American eats about 260 pounds of imported food each year, which places many innocent people across the country at risk for serious foodborne illnesses.

On February 16, 2007, “The State” Newspaper reported that six people in South Carolina, among almost 300 nationwide, had become sick with salmonella after eating either Peter Pan or Great Value peanut butter. Great Value is a Wal-Mart brand.

Peanut butter jars which have lids with a product code beginning “2111” may contain the peanut butter which is contaminated with salmonella. This peanut butter has been recalled by ConAgra Foods and should either be thrown out or returned to ConAgra for a refund.

Symptoms of salmonellosis may include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting and dehydration 12-72 hours after becoming infected. The illness usually lasts 4-7 days. Approximately 40,000 people in the United States become sick each year from salmonella poisoning according to the Center for Disease Control. Salmonellosis kills approximately 600 people each year.