Feds Confirm E. Coli in Cookie Dough

(AP) - Nestle is voluntarily recalling Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products after a number of illnesses were reported by those who ate the dough raw. The FDA and CDC are investigating reported E. coli illnesses that might be related, the company said. Sixty-six reports of illness in 28 states have come in since March, and about 25 people have been hospitalized. No one has died. More»

How could E. coli have invaded the supply?

(NEWSER) - Feds are scouring Nestle's Virginia plant for clues as to how E. coli 0157, which is found in cow intestines, ended up in cookie dough products the company recalled last week, the Washington Post reports. “It's a fascinating outbreak," said one of the bacterial mystery. "By just looking at package labeling, there is no reason you would expect an event like this to occur." More»

Interagency bumbling, lax regulations let problem go unaddressed

(NEWSER) - Mammoth meat packer Cargill recalled a whopping 36 million pounds of ground turkey last week, but federal officials knew of salmonella contamination at a Cargill plant dating back to last year, reports the Wall Street Journal . It seems that a USDA inspection turned up three instances of salmonella Heidelberg at Cargill's Arkansas plant in 2010, which were "brought to the attention of the facility"; federal regulations, however, allow up to 49.9% of tests to be positive as salmonella isn't considered a dangerous adulterant unless it causes death. Problem: The Heidelberg strain involved in the recall is antibiotic-resistant and can be fatal. More»

Also, new details emerge about strain that 'glues' itself to intestines

(NEWSER) - If the new E. coli strain rampaging through Europe ever found its way into US crops, Americans would be pretty screwed—because it would be totally legal to distribute the contaminated veggies. Farmers and processors aren’t required to test their produce for emerging pathogens like this one, the Washington Post explains. “It would represent a major disaster in terms of the US food industry and risk to humans,” says one former USDA official. “The regulatory framework is a couple steps behind.” More»

Strain found in 2 who had traveled to Europe

(NEWSER) - The strain of E. coli that has killed at least 17 people in Europe has been found in two people in the US, both of whom had recently traveled to Germany. Both are expected to survive, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The source of the outbreak— no longer believed to be Spanish cucumbers —remains unknown and experts warn that tainted products could be transported into the US. More»