All of the implicated peaches were packed or supplied by Prima Wawona or Wawona Packing Co., both of California.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that epidemiologic evidence indicates peaches are the likely source of this outbreak. As of Aug. 19, the CDC reported a total of 68 confirmed patients across nine states. The Food and Drug Administration’s investigation to identify a source of contamination is ongoing.

Today, Prima Wawona expanded the recall to include bagged and bulk, or loose, peaches that they supplied to retailers nationwide.

The firm’s news release states it is recalling “bulk/loose peaches distributed and sold from June 1 through Aug. 3 and its bagged Wawona and Wawona Organic peaches distributed and sold from June 1 through Aug. 19 because the products could possibly be contaminated with Salmonella.”

“Consumers who cannot remember when they purchased peaches supplied by Prima Wawona should throw them away. Consumers who purchased loose peaches prior to Aug. 3, 2020, and don’t know if they are from Prima Wawona should throw them away,” according to the FDA outbreak update posted today.

The bagged peaches were distributed and sold in supermarkets with the following product codes:

• Wawona Peaches – 033383322001
• Wawona Organic Peaches – 849315000400
• Prima® Peaches – 766342325903
• Organic Marketside Peaches at Walmart – 849315000400
• Kroger Peaches – 011110181749
• Wegmans Peaches – 077890490488

For bagged peaches, the product codes may be found at the bottom of each package. All affected peaches may be found in stores nationwide.

Retailers that received recall product from Prima Wawona or Wawona Packing Company include, but are not limited to:

• ALDI
• Target
• Kroger recall, including the following affiliated retailers: Jay-C, King Soopers. City Market. Fry’s, Ralphs, Food 4 Less, Foods Co., and Smiths
• Walmart
• Wegmans

The bulk and loose peaches supplied by Prima Wawona are sold in grocery stores in a variety of formats, typically bins where consumers may select their own fruit and may have the following stickers with PLU numbers on them: 4037, 4038, 4044, 4401, 94037, 94038, 94044, 94401. Not all peaches with these PLU codes are supplied by Prima Wawona. Consumers who are unsure of the brand or variety of your loose peaches, you can contact your retailer or supplier, or throw them out, according to the FDA.

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As of yesterday there were 68 confirmed cases of Salmonella infections in people spread across nine states. For those with information available, 14 have been admitted to hospitals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prima Wawona of Fresno, CA, reported to the Food and Drug Administration that only bagged peaches — not those sold in bulk or loose fruit — are implicated in the recall. Aldi and Target already recalled Wawona peaches linked to the outbreak.

According to the recall notice, Wawona distributed and sold the implicated peaches from June 1 through Aug. 19 in supermarkets. People can use the following labeling information to determine whether they have the recalled peaches in their homes:

• Wawona Peaches – 033383322001
• Wawona Organic Peaches – 849315000400
• Prima Peaches – 766342325903
• Organic Marketside Peaches – 849315000400
• Kroger Peaches – 011110181749
• Wegmans Peaches – 077890490488

The product codes can be found at the bottom of each package.

The bagged peaches were distributed through retailers in the following states: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Anyone who has the recalled product in their possession should dispose of it immediately or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions may contact Prima Wawona’s toll-free number at 877-722-7554 or visit its website at wawonapacking.com.

About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile, according to the CDC.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled peaches and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.

Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.

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Since the previous update on Aug. 7, an additional 229 ill people have been confirmed, including nine from four new states: Arkansas, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Texas. As of today, 869 infected people have been reported in 47 states, with 116 of those patients having been admitted to hospitals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The implicated onions, from Thomson International Inc., were recalled on Aug. 1. The recall includes all varieties of onions that could have come in contact with potentially contaminated red onions, according to the Food and Drug Administration’s outbreak investigation report. Recalled products include red, yellow, white, and sweet yellow onions shipped nationwide from May 1 to Aug. 1. they were sold under the following brand names: Thomson Premium, TLC Thomson International, Tender Loving Care, El Competitor, Hartley’s Best, Onions 52, Majestic, Imperial Fresh, Kroger, Utah Onions, and Food Lion.

“Recalls have also been initiated by companies that sold onions or products containing the recalled onions. FDA has published a list of Recalls of Food Products Associated with Onions from Thomson International, Inc. and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has published a list of Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products Containing Recalled Onions,” according to the FDA update posted today.

The FDA is working with the CDC to investigate the Salmonella Newport outbreak. As part of the root cause investigation at Thomson International, Inc. the FDA is collecting and analyzing onions, water, and environmental samples.

Investigators in the United States are working with colleagues in Canada on a related outbreak there that has been traced to Thomson’s onions. As of its Aug. 14 update, 339 confirmed cases of Salmonella Newport illness linked to this outbreak had been reported in seven provinces, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is also involved in the outbreak investigation. It has issued a number of food recall warnings for related products that went to Canada. Some of the products were possibly distributed nationally.

About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile, according to the CDC.

Anyone who has eaten any recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.

Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.

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Multiple farms in Florida were identified in the FDA traceback.

FDA analyzed water samples from two public access points along a regional water management canal (C-23), located west of Port St. Lucie, Florida. These samples tested positive for Cyclospora cayetanensis using FDA’s validated testing method.

Given the emerging nature of genetic typing methodologies for this parasite, the FDA was unable to determine if the Cyclospora detected in the canal is a genetic match to the clinical cases, therefore, there is currently not enough evidence to conclusively determine the cause of this outbreak.

Nevertheless, the current state of the investigation helps advance what the FDA knows about the Cyclospora outbreak and offers important clues to inform future preventive measures.

FDA is working with the state of Florida and the local water district in the area to try to further determine the source and impact of Cyclospora in the canal.

As of August 14, 2020, CDC is reporting a total of 690 cases across 13 states.

FDA’s traceback investigation is complete, however, the cause or source of the outbreak has not yet been determined via traceback.  And based on the traceback, carrots are no longer being investigated for this outbreak. Two of the salad ingredients, red cabbage, and iceberg lettuce, continue to be items of interest in the investigation. As this outbreak investigation continues, the FDA will provide additional updates to this advisory.

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Pubic Health serves the Seattle-King County area of Washington State.

Since Aug. 3, 2020, Public Health learned about 8 people with a gastrointestinal illness who reported eating takeout food together from Saigon Vietnam Deli on July 25, 2020. Other food was also ordered for takeout from another food establishment, but since only half of the ill people ate the food from the second restaurant, it is unlikely the source of illnesses.

Public Health hasn’t identified any ill employees.

Initial outreach to the restaurant was conducted over the telephone in an effort to follow COVID Safe Start guidelines to minimize contact with others. Environmental Health investigators held a teleconference with restaurant management on August 5, 2020. 

Investigators reviewed food handling practices, illness policies, employee schedules, employee health, food sources, and facility cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfection procedures with the restaurant management to identify possible risk factors for the spread of a gastrointestinal illness.

An Environmental Health investigator then visited the restaurant on Aug.6, 2020, to review food handling practices at the establishment and conduct an onsite inspection. The investigator’s inspection identified potential risk factors, including inadequate hand washing, improper cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces, the inadequate cold holding of foods, and food handling practices that could lead to cross-contamination of bacteria; corrective actions were discussed with restaurant management.

Public Health does not have laboratory results for the people who got sick. It said symptoms among those who got sick are suggestive of bacterial illness.

Many different disease-causing germs can contaminate foods, so there are many different foodborne infections, but most are caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Common bacterial causes of foodborne illness include Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).

Anyone who has a gastrointestinal illness should not work in food handling, patient care, or childcare while having vomiting or diarrhea.

To prevent bacterial infections:

• Wash hands with soap and water after going to the bathroom, changing diapers, touching animals, and before eating or preparing food.
• Wash cutting boards and counters used for meat or poultry preparation immediately after use to avoid cross-contaminating other foods.
• Cook all meats thoroughly.
• Use a food thermometer to make sure that meats have reached a safe internal temperature.
• Bacteria can multiply rapidly if left at room temperature or in the “Danger Zone” between 40°F and 140°F.
  • Never leave perishable food out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s hotter than 90°F outside).
  • Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below and know when to throw food out.
• Avoid eating high-risk foods, especially undercooked ground beef and other beef products, unpasteurized (raw) milk or juice or cheese, and raw sprouts. and thoroughly wash fresh produce before eating.

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The Health Service Executive’s (HSE) Department of Public Health East was notified of an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in the Dublin and Wicklow area. To date, 42 cases have been notified; with the onset of symptoms occurring over a 14 day period from July 15.

A food alert was issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and certain batches of mixed salad leaves were withdrawn.

Product recall
The FSAI was notified by the HSE of an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis. An outbreak control team is in place and the investigation is ongoing. Many lines of inquiry are being followed up to identify and control the source of the outbreak, according to the agency.

In early August, all batches and dates of Gold River Quality Mixed Salad Leaves (Seasonal Salad Box) 1 kilogram were withdrawn from sale due to the possible presence of Cryptosporidium. Caterers were instructed not to use the implicated batches from Gold River Farm in County Wicklow.

Most of those ill live in the South Dublin and North Wicklow area. An alert was issued to general practitioners, emergency departments and microbiologists, to increase awareness and recommend testing for cryptosporidium in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, according to HSE.

The Department of Public Health HSE East is continuing to investigate the incident with environmental health colleagues, the Health Protection Surveillance Center, FSAI, and the Department of Agriculture.

About cryptosporidium
As cryptosporidium infection is usually waterborne or via food from contaminated water, it is recommended that the public and those involved in food preparation always follow correct hand and food hygiene procedures. There were 629 cryptosporidium cases in Ireland in 2018.

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. Symptoms generally begin two to 10 days after becoming infected. The most common symptom is watery diarrhea but other signs include stomach cramps or pain, dehydration, nausea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss.

They usually last about one to two weeks in those with healthy immune systems. Occasionally, people may experience a recurrence after a brief period of recovery before the illness ends. Symptoms can come and go for up to 30 days. For people with weakened immune systems, they can be severe and lead to life-threatening illness.

Meanwhile, an outbreak of Campylobacter with 11 patients has also been reported in the Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow area.

The onset of disease for the first case was July 4 and the outbreak was identified on July 13. Six are lab-confirmed infections. Authorities reported the incident as foodborne as the food item linked to the outbreak was chicken and cross-contamination was a contributory factor.

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• Wash: Wash hands with soap and warm water before and after handling or preparing fruits and vegetables. Also wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with soap and hot water between the preparation of raw meat products and the preparation of fruits and vegetables.
• Prepare: Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking. Scrub firm fruits and vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush. Cutaway any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating.
• Store: Refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables as soon as possible, or within two hours. Separate fruits and vegetables from raw meat and seafood.

Since then, FSN has grown into a leading outlet for news about all aspects of the food safety arena — with 40,000 followers on Twitter, 200,000 likes on Facebook, and more than 40,000 subscribers that receive daily email updates with FSN’s latest stories. Our articles and social media posts reach and inform tens of thousands of readers everyday. 

Here at Food Safety Website, we are determined as ever to bring our readers the latest updates in Food Safety innovation, legislation, food policy and law, recalls, outbreaks, and the stories of those impacted by food poisoning.

This past year we have covered numerous outbreaks, from E.coli in romaine lettuce to Fresh Express’s Cyclospora current outbreak. And this week we have been coving the Salmonella outbreak linked to Thomson International Inc. onions. 

We have spotlighted a marine recruit whose life plans were dramatically changed by his fight with E.coli,  a South African woman who’s outlook on life was changed by Listeria poisoning, a mother whose heart stopped three times while in the hospital with E.coli poisoning, and many more food poisoning victims.

A bit about us — Food Safety Website staff

Bill Marler, Publisher, founder

Marler is the Managing Partner of Marler Clark LLP, a Seattle, WA, law firm that specializes in foodborne illness cases. He began representing victims of foodborne illness in 1993, when he represented Brianne Kiner, the most seriously injured survivor of the Jack in the Box E. coli O157: H7 outbreak traced to burgers from Jack in the Box restaurants in multiple states. She received an unprecedented $15.6 million settlement.

Dan Flynn, Editor in Chief

Flynn is a Northern Colorado-based writer and editor with more than 15 years of food safety experience.  As a public affairs professional, he worked with government and regulatory agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.  Flynn also worked for daily newspapers for a decade.

Coral Beach, Managing Editor

Beach is a print journalist with more than 30 years of experience as a reporter and editor for daily newspapers, trade publications, and freelance clients including the Kansas City Star, the Independence Examiner and Land Line Magazine. Before joining Food Safety Website, Beach was a reporter for The Packer newspaper, an online and broadsheet trade publication covering the fresh produce industry in North America.

Joe Whitworth, Writer/Reporter — Europe and World

Whitworth is a food and beverage trade journalist. Prior to reporting for Food Safety Website, he worked for William Reed Business Media since 2012 as Editor of Food Quality News before becoming a food safety editor for Food Navigator. He is based in England. 

Jonan Pilet, Writer/Reporter and Social Media Manager

Pilet earned his Bachelor of Arts in writing at Houghton College in New York. He also studied writing at the University of Oxford and received a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at Seattle Pacific University. 

Cookson Beecher, Contributing Writer

A journalist by trade, Beecher spent 12 years working as an agriculture and environment reporter for Capital Press, a four-state newspaper that covers agricultural and forestry issues in the Pacific Northwest. Before working at Capital Press, she was the editor of a small-town newspaper, the Courier Times, in Skagit County, WA.

Chuck Jolley, Ad Director

Jolley is president of Jolley & Associates, a marketing and public relations firm that concentrates on the food industry. He’s also president of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, honoring the legendary figures of the industry.

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FDA and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with state and local agencies are also investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections.

As of Aug. 6, CDC counts 640 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport in 43 states.

In a related story, earlier today Tailor Farms recalled Kroger and Walmart brand deli salads and other products because of the same onion contamination problem.

“After receiving notification from onion supplier, Onion 52, that the vendor had sourced onions affected by the recent salmonella-related Thomson International Inc. onion recall for Giant Eagle, the company pulled all impacted product on Saturday, Aug. 1” according to the Giant Eagle company recall posted today by the Food and Drug Administration.

There is concern that some consumers may have unused portions of the 48 recalled products in their homes. Anyone with any of the recalled products is urged to throw them out or return them to the place of purchase.

It is likely that Giant Eagle won’t be the last company to recall products. Thomson International distributed its onions in bulk and under various brand names to other distributors, packers, and retailers — including restaurants and institutional kitchens — in all 50 states and across Canada.

The Salmonella Newport outbreak in Canada and the United States has seen 510 people confirmed sick, with 396 of them in the U.S.

The Giant Eagle recall impacts at least five states.

“Giant Eagle recalled red, yellow, and white onions sold in produce departments across Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and Maryland,” according to the notice. “The recall also includes select prepared foods items that included the affected onions as ingredients sold across the same five states.”

The 48 products listed below do not include the bulk onions Giant Eagle sold, but they are also under recall. The recalled all bulk and bagged onions are red, yellow, and white and have been sold in its produce departments since June 6.

Giant Eagle did not post any product photographs with the FDA. Consumers can use the following information to determine whether they have any of the multi-ingredient products under recall.

About Salmonella infections
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not usually look, smell, or taste spoiled. Anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Infants, children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness because their immune systems are fragile, according to the CDC.

Anyone who has eaten any recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention. Sick people should tell their doctors about the possible exposure to Salmonella bacteria because special tests are necessary to diagnose salmonellosis. Salmonella infection symptoms can mimic other illnesses, frequently leading to misdiagnosis.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Otherwise, healthy adults are usually sick for four to seven days. In some cases, however, diarrhea may be so severe that patients require hospitalization.

Older adults, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients, are more likely to develop a severe illness and serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety Website, click here.)