Salmonella Outbreak Traced Back to Chicks, Ducklings

In detecting outbreaks of tainted food, some states are far superior

(NEWSER) - When it comes to salmonella and other food-borne illnesses, federal agencies are rightly putting money into preventing future outbreaks, but few agencies are focused on detecting them. That task falls mostly to state and local officials, which means the ability to connect several sick citizens and call it a salmonella outbreak varies widely by state, the New York Times reports. More»

(AP) - Kraft Foods detected salmonella in a California nut company's product over 6 months ago but didn't notify the firm until last week, a rep for the parent company said today. Roasted nuts from Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc., the company at the heart of the nationwide pistachio recall, failed a Kraft salmonella test in September 2008, the AP reports. More»

Earlier Ga. salmonella scare also thought caused by rainwater

(NEWSER) - A leaky roof at the Peanut Corporation of America’s Georgia plant is seen as a possible culprit for the recent salmonella outbreak, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Not only is water necessary to activate salmonella, but rain could have washed salmonella-carrying bird droppings into the plant. “Allowing water to get into a dry processing environment would be like putting gas on a fire,” one expert said. More»

9 killed in outbreak; Peanut Corp cited in all 'clusters of infections'

(NEWSER) - Peanut-linked salmonella has sickened 666 people and counting, despite a massive food recall, Reuters reports. The illness has killed nine. “To date, 19 clusters of infections in five states have been reported in schools and other institutions,” said a health official. “King Nut brand peanut butter was present in all facilities.” King Nut and all tainted peanut butter has been traced to now-bankrupt Peanut Corporation of America. More»

(NEWSER) - A third of US states do not require testing of the salmonella bacteria involved in reported illnesses, possibly hampering national efforts to identify outbreaks, MSNBC reports. If testing were mandatory, proponents say, a strain’s widespread dissemination could be more quickly identified and the source more easily pinpointed. But states without mandatory testing say their methods are just as effective and more economical. More»